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***Official*** Australia in India 2017

vcs

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I can kind of get the criticism that Ronaldo sometimes attracts, even though it is unfair, because the team setup and play style is intended to get the best out of him. If he has an off-day, he looks a bit selfish and also makes it difficult for others to pick up the slack instead, since his entire game these days revolves around scoring and getting himself into scoring positions, not setting others up. [/off topic]
 

harsh.ag

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I can kind of get the criticism that Ronaldo sometimes attracts, even though it is unfair, because the team setup and play style is intended to get the best out of him. If he has an off-day, he looks a bit selfish and also makes it difficult for others to pick up the slack instead, since his entire game these days revolves around scoring and getting himself into scoring positions, not setting others up. [/off topic]
But all this means nothing if the defense lets the opposition score 5 goals anyway. That is the basic flaw.
 

OverratedSanity

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Brad Haddin in the Ashes 2013/14? Pretty much any time Aus desperately needed someone to make runs, Haddin was there.
Hm, not a bad example. Any others?

Maybe Amla in India back in 2010? 253* in the 1st test, and twin tons to almost save the second match. Only 3 innings though.
 

vcs

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But all this means nothing if the defense lets the opposition score 5 goals anyway. That is the basic flaw.
Yeah, not disputing that. What I meant is I can see where people are coming from when they criticize him after he's had a quiet game against a tough opponent in a crucial match, after he's scored 50 goals or whatever that season.

Obviously, the blame should go to other people first, but it's understandable to direct some his way as well. It can happen in football that your personal stats can be heavily dependent on others doing the grunt work for you. In cricket, it isn't the case.
 

centurymaker

International Captain
Smith is their leader and the best batsman as well. With the final frontier series on the line in the 3rd innings and with Australian already having worked so hard all series and then losing 2 wickets for 30 runs, what on earth was Smith thinking then in the critical moment?? He first smashes two fours and then decides to smash another?! Is it a T20? Absolute brainfade under pressure. The ball was still swinging/seaming and he wanted to whack them all. Up until then he had not batted like that and all of a sudden in the biggest moment of the series he decides to smash Australia out of a tough situation rather than play normally like before against clueless indian bowlers and take the innings home bit by bit with ease! That is Self-destruction!

If Kohli had done that in that situation people would have bagged him like crazy. It was the moment Australia lost the game, 3 down for almost no lead and S Marsh with a dodgy back.

Smith's role was to bat as long as possible, to put a huge price on his wicket like he had done before or like Pujara does..
Self-destruction and right to be blamed, similar to the example of Ronaldo missing out on the possible winning opportunity (even though he already scored once in the game)
 

OverratedSanity

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While he got out at the wrong time, he batted pretty much exactly like that in the first innings. Took the attack to the seamers up front.

Nobody says it was literally a perfect series from him with no flaws though. However, you're using the fact that his teammates were **** to somehow conclude that Smith should've literally done everything himself and anything less constitutes a failure. That's just bonkers.
 

harsh.ag

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Smith is their leader and the best batsman as well. With the final frontier series on the line in the 3rd innings and with Australian already having worked so hard all series and then losing 2 wickets for 30 runs, what on earth was Smith thinking then in the critical moment?? He first smashes two fours and then decides to smash another?! Is it a T20? Absolute brainfade under pressure. The ball was still swinging/seaming and he wanted to whack them all. Up until then he had not batted like that and all of a sudden in the biggest moment of the series he decides to smash Australia out of a tough situation rather than play normally like before against clueless indian bowlers and take the innings home bit by bit with ease! That is Self-destruction!

If Kohli had done that in that situation people would have bagged him like crazy. It was the moment Australia lost the game, 3 down for almost no lead and S Marsh with a dodgy back.

Smith's role was to bat as long as possible, to put a huge price on his wicket like he had done before or like Pujara does..
Self-destruction and right to be blamed, similar to the example of Ronaldo missing out on the possible winning opportunity (even though he already scored once in the game)
Cool. But this doesn't mean that he deserves more flak than the rest of the team. Deserves some. Less than others. That's the whole point.
 

centurymaker

International Captain
While he got out at the wrong time, he batted pretty much exactly like that in the first innings. Took the attack to the seamers up front.

Nobody says it was literally a perfect series from him with no flaws though. However, you're using the fact that his teammates were **** to somehow conclude that Smith should've literally done everything himself and anything less constitutes a failure. That's just bonkers.
1st innings was so different. No real pressure, no deficit, good pitch, Warner in company.. you can play however..

In the 3rd innings, the situation could not be MORE different. Yadav and co had just troubled the Australian top order like hell, but had gone back to being **** against Smith and his unorthodox batting movement.

Instead of properly capitalising, he decided to smash Australia out of the situation right there & then. Maybe if the score was 80 for 2, it would be a little bit more understandable but on 30/2, it was not.

Smith could have done more and should have.

If Rahul as an opener can get 6 ...50+ scores in 7 innings against the quality of Hazelwood & Starc/Cummins, and give India a good solid platform everytime, can Smith not perform in 4 innings out of 8 innings? A 50 to go with the 3 100s?

3 100s and 5 low scores for a player of his quality in his form and against bowlers who were sort of afraid of him... is not good enough imo.
 

centurymaker

International Captain
backing up 1st innings runs is the difference between a Tendulkar and a Gavaskar. It can define the game.

But players also tend to lose that extra motivation after 1st innings score, so thats the only explanation for Smith..
 

Shri

Mr. Glass
All this talk makes me want to do an all time Aus XI to tour India:

M Hayden
W Lawry
S Smith
K Hughes
A Border *
D Jones
A Gilchrist [+]
A Davidson
R Benaud
J Gillespie
G McGrath
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
backing up 1st innings runs is the difference between a Tendulkar and a Gavaskar. It can define the game.

But players also tend to lose that extra motivation after 1st innings score, so thats the only explanation for Smith..
Just to be clear, you are saying the only explanation for someone not making runs in the second innings after making runs in the first is lack of motivation? The only explanation? The... only one?
 

OverratedSanity

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Yeah it's not like Smith wanted to complete a historic series win or anything. He just cbf after his 3 hundreds.
 
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Spark

Global Moderator
He made two errors in judgment and got a ball that rolled. This is not a sample size that tells you anything unless you're Blocky-level averse to reason.
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
All this talk makes me want to do an all time Aus XI to tour India:

M Hayden
W Lawry
S Smith
K Hughes
A Border *
D Jones
A Gilchrist [+]
A Davidson
R Benaud
J Gillespie
G McGrath
Needs Martyn for sure. Dominant in the only series Australia has won there in 50 years. Maybe too many one series wonders too, could make a case for someone like Clarke who had multiple good series in India. There's a lot of guys who did well there once but came back and didn't do it again.
 

Gob

International Coach
1st innings was so different. No real pressure, no deficit, good pitch, Warner in company.. you can play however..

In the 3rd innings, the situation could not be MORE different. Yadav and co had just troubled the Australian top order like hell, but had gone back to being **** against Smith and his unorthodox batting movement.

Instead of properly capitalising, he decided to smash Australia out of the situation right there & then. Maybe if the score was 80 for 2, it would be a little bit more understandable but on 30/2, it was not.

Smith could have done more and should have.

If Rahul as an opener can get 6 ...50+ scores in 7 innings against the quality of Hazelwood & Starc/Cummins, and give India a good solid platform everytime, can Smith not perform in 4 innings out of 8 innings? A 50 to go with the 3 100s?

3 100s and 5 low scores for a player of his quality in his form and against bowlers who were sort of afraid of him... is not good enough imo.
That settles it then. Davey Warner got this like he did all series. Absolutely no worries for Smith big Davey got this

Replying to comments of this level of stupidity usually end up getting me banned so i'd shut it
 

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