***Official*** India in Australia

[Captain Cricket]

This recent controversy may make Harbhajan play again even if he shouldn't I reckon. Not a good situation for India.

 

[Pratters]

A friend of mine's father is travelling with the Indian side as the doctor, and there is supposedly some pressure that if Harbhajan is available to play then he has to, to prove a point somewhat.

Haha. Was talking with Pasag on the Harbhajan selection issue for the third test a few days back. It sucks that had all this not happened, India might not have played him at Perth. Now, it looks like they might have to play him. I hope that Kumble will take the team he wants to though. There is no way India should play 2 spinners on a normal Perth wicket in a bowling attack of 4 bowlers.

I can see India playing 5 bowlers and it isn't a bad option according to me either as we need to win this test and our middle order batting option in Yuvraj has been terrible.

 

[Jono]

Jono,
Do you reckon India can pick themselves up for Perth? The wicket looks really fast and bouncy this time around. They'll need to be seriously on their games or it could be a three dayer.

Also, will India play Harbhajan if the pitch is as quick as it looks like being? Dunno if two spinners is the way to go.

In a word, no. We're ****ed.

More mentally than technically, though the fast wicket doesn't help.

Had India been 1-0 down, they would have been going into Perth with a different mindset. I know there's all this talk about how they're going to pick themselves up mentally and concentrate on the cricket, but their natural reaction if they're 2/20 off 8 overs will be "****, well the series is lost already anyway."

Not having Zaheer on such a wicket doesn't help as well.

And I reckon Harbhajan will play.

 

[vic_orthdox]

I'm tipping RP Singh to bowl well, if he maintains the length that he's been bowling all tour. Hopefully he doesn't get carried away by the extra bounce.

 

[Matt79]

Sharma should enjoy it!

 

[Captain Cricket]

Yeah I would like to see him get a wicket.

 

[pasag]

From cricinfo quotes:

"Even Matthew Hayden copped some flak this week when a commentator questioned why the devout Christian crossed himself only after scoring a century for Australia and not for Queensland. That's easily explained - no one watches state cricket, not even God."
Doug Conway in the Canberra Times has an explanation for Peter Roebuck's criticism.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Roebuck's articles since the one where he called for Ponting's sacking have been some of the worst I've read, soaking in self-important dribble because he got the reaction he desired.

 

[Captain Cricket]

Some of the writers on cricinfo are idiots. Stick to updating scores I say.

 

[Laurrz]

wow just reading the cricinfo article about the pacey pitch..makes me very excited... hope we play 4 quicks...

 

[duffer]

Pray for rain Indian fans, pray for rain.

 

[Craig]

How is Hayden coming along? I missed the news report due to the fact I was on the way home from work. My gut is that Rogers will play otherwise if I'm wrong.

 

[Captain Cricket]

Yeah Rogers is playing next test, in for Hayden.

 

[Mister Wright]

How is Hayden coming along? I missed the news report due to the fact I was on the way home from work. My gut is that Rogers will play otherwise if I'm wrong.

50/50 last I heard. Will go down to the wire.

 

[Craig]

Yeah Rogers is playing next test, in for Hayden.

Well I think Rogers is between 70-80% chance of playing at this stage. Anyway FWIW Tait will play over Hogg, even though India have withdrawn their complaint against Hogg. Hey I have to get one prediction right this year

 

[duffer]

Feel sorry for Hogg, deserves a home Test IMO.

 

[Captain Cricket]

Agree but won't happen.

 

[honestbharani]

I think that's a bit of a leap, myself. I'd say there are reasonable grounds for doubt, but that isn’t quite the same as saying the charge is “hollow” or (as the BCCI did) “baseless”. I still think the balance of probability would seem to suggest he did say it. The alternatives range from the improbable (that he said something else and was misheard or that someone else (which must be Sachin) said it) to the fantastical (that Ponting is so worried about his average Australia have concocted an elaborate plot to remove his tormentor from the rest of the series).

well, it wasn't the best choice of words on my part but by "hollow", what I meant was that the charge doesn't really have solid grounding....

 

[Captain Cricket]

Well Hogg is free to play now. Heard it on the news just then.

 

[Matt79]

India correctly deciding it will be more painful for Hogg to be dropped, rather than ruled ineligible...