**Official** Australia in India Thread

[aussie_beater]

Well looks like there is a possibility of the TV rights issue that has been created by BCCI and that money mongering SOB Dalmiya, putting the series in jeopardy, although I believe its a stretch.

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,10792003-23212,00.html

 

[Arjun]

Idiots picked one seamer last time on one of the most seam-friendly wickets you'll ever see.

And there was one who dropped catch after catch behind the stumps.

Come to think of it, no doubt 3 spinners is a good option, as was with old Indian teams that actually won away from home, since spin is their main bowling strength. But you can't win matches with just 1 seamer. Definitely not if it is Ganguly.

 

[Arjun]

Yuvraj has been in horrendous form as of late, a stark contrast from Pakistan. I've always thought he as a superb number 4/number 5 player and definitely not an opener. But with Tendulkar permanantely slated at number 4 and Yuvraj going through a lean patch, Chopra and Sehwag should get the openers positions.

Yuvraj should only play in the top 3 positions, since he bats better when the ball comes on the bat at a good pace. hat does not happen at 4/5/6, since he is facing the slower bowlers- and getting out to them really quickly. In Australia, where the ball comes on the bat nicely, he got a lot of runs, including that 139, because of the bounce.

As for Agarkar, one flash innings does not count. Not to mention, his pathetic form of late. You cannot expect to win a Test match when your strike bowler averages 44- you're asking for the impossible. They can try a fresh, new seamer, or someone who has been performing consistently, but is getting little opportunities. Someone like Bhandari, or Salvi.

 

[masterblaster]

To throw Bhandari or Salvi into the lions den against the World Champions would be suicidal for their young careers.

If you want Salvi or Bhandari to be big future prospects, give them the experience against anybody except the world champions, as they'd eat Salvi and Bhandari alive.

Ajit on the other hand has 6/41 in a test and 6/42 in an ODI against Australia to his credit.

 

[Jono]

I have a habit of always having the same opinion of Masterblaster's. It's kind of freaky

Akash Chopra
Virender Sehwag
Rahul Dravid
Sachin Tendulkar (if fit) / Yuvraj Singh (if Tendulkar is unfit)
VVS Laxman
Sourav Ganguly
Parthiv Patel (w/k)
Ajit Agarkar (decent bowling record against Australia)
Irfan Pathan
Harbhajan Singh
Anil Kumble

That team of Master's is my exact team, just with Pathan and Agarkar swapping places as some have pointed out. Although I wouldn't mind seeing Karthik with the gloves, I guess depending on how he keeps in the Champions Trophy? Although Patel now has experience against the Aussies, either one is fine for me. I think Agarkar is the better option than Nehra against Australia, Zaheer would be a shocking choice if he's not fit (example in Melbourne) and don't even bother with all the new bowlers such as Salvi and Bhandari. They'll be clobbered by the best team in the world.

 

[Dasa]

Would Parthiv be able to handle Harbhajan and Kumble on turning Indian pitches? I hardly saw any of the Pakistan series, so I don't know if he's improved his glovework since the Aus series. If he hasn't improved, Karthik should get a go I think.

 

[masterblaster]

I have a habit of always having the same opinion of Masterblaster's. It's kind of freaky

Great minds think alike mate.

 

[Craig]

For Australia, Lee or Kasprowicz, or two spinners?

Kasprowicz for mine.

 

[tooextracool]

For Australia, Lee or Kasprowicz, or two spinners?

Kasprowicz for mine.

how can there even be a debate over lee and kaspa?

 

[Craig]

I'm not disagreeing with you over Kasprowicz, Lee shouldn't be withing a country mile of the Australian Test team, do you rate him as an ODI bowler TEC?

 

[Waughney]

I can't see a place for Lee in the first test, but as the series draws on.....

 

[age_master]

Lee wont play the first test, but depending on form between now and than, and the Indian batting he may well come back in after that

 

[tooextracool]

I'm not disagreeing with you over Kasprowicz, Lee shouldn't be withing a country mile of the Australian Test team, do you rate him as an ODI bowler TEC?

i wouldnt say that he shouldnt be with a mile fo the test team, but theres no way he can start ahead of kaspa especially considering that kaspa has bowled better than all the other fast bowlers in the side in the last 2 series.
i would have lee as back up though, australia could use some of that pace if someone like gillespie gets injured.
as far as lee and ODIs go, i think hes good when hes on song, but not good enough to get into the side ATM.

 

[age_master]

hes played what, 2 games since injury?, give him a chance

 

[tooextracool]

before or after injury, he still never was as good as kaspa is ATM

 

[Richard]

And there was one who dropped catch after catch behind the stumps.

Yes, Dasgupta should never have been given the gloves. I think most people realise that.

 

[Richard]

So what, remember the India tour (93?) - 4 seamers when India picked 1?

That, presumably, was idiocy on the part of England's selectors - a proper Indian wicket where England picked 4 seamers.
This was a match played in conditions resembling Old Trafford in June on a bad week: seaming wicket, thick cloud. And India picked 1 seamer.

 

[Richard]

Weren't they also when he wasnt fully fit?

One of them, I think, but it didn't have any effect - he was just played rather better than he had been on other occasions (such as when he averaged about 15 on two of the most seaming wickets you'll ever see in New Zealand, when turn was the sort of thing only a wristspinner could achieve).

 

[marc71178]

Right, so now the fact that someone isn't fully fit doesn't make a difference to his bowling?

 

[Richard]

Well, all right, that was poorly phrased - not like it wasn't likely to have some effect - but being fully fit wouldn't IMO have improved his figures.
He was simply shown-up as nothing more than a typical fingerspinner - ineffective on surfaces that don't offer the requistite turn against decent batting.