**Official** Australia in India Thread

[Linda]

apparently its a similar injury to the one Marto got in the world cup, and he was out for ages....

Yes, but didnt he.. er continue to break it during the final?
Perhaps if Ponting doesnt play, he wont be out as long.. (Im clutching at straws here)

 

[Richard]

I thought Craig White wasn't substandard, though?

Oh, in the end his performances were sadly so - doesn't change the fact that he could have done much, much better if you ask me.
Injuries didn't help, of course, he's barely bowled these last 2 seasons.

 

[Richard]

Lehmann is expected to be back for the first Test.

So was Jacques Kallis for The First Test in 2003.
It turned-out he was back for The Third.
Never underestimate the effect family illness can have on someone. If it's bad, cricket fades into total insignificance.

 

[Craig]

Which in that case two new Baggy Green's will be presented, want to take a guess on presenting them (since there will be at least one handed for the first Test).

If Lehmann doesn't make it, this must surely be a big boost for India that Ponting, and possibily Lehmann don't play in the first Test (or how ever long is their absentence).

 

[Mr Casson]

Ponting seems like he has a chance of being back for the 2nd test now. If it comes down to Hodge and Clarke I would choose Clarke (I don't want Hodge in my national team!).

I think that Watson should be considered to fill in for Ponting. If they're looking for a batsman, then Watson has an excellent FC record to back him up. He looks like he's only going to get better, and if he can be a supporting-seamer on top of his batting then Australia also have an extra pace bowling option.

But I suppose that the argument for his bowling comes down to whether you want an extra paceman or a spinner. Primarily Australia are looking for someone to fill in as a batsman, so that limits them to Watson and Clarke. Spin might be more effective in India, but I think Watson is by far the better bowler.

Hodge shouldn't even come into the equation.

 

[Waughney]

Which in that case two new Baggy Green's will be presented, want to take a guess on presenting them (since there will be at least one handed for the first Test).

Are you asking who will be presenting the Baggy Greens or who is being presented with them?

If Lehmann doesn't make it, this must surely be a big boost for India that Ponting, and possibily Lehmann don't play in the first Test (or how ever long is their absentence).

Are you trying to say that if Lehman and Ponting are both out (for however long that may be), then it will be a big boost for the Indian team?

 

[Craig]

Are you asking who will be presenting the Baggy Greens or who is being presented with them?

Who will be presenting them.

Are you trying to say that if Lehman and Ponting are both out (for however long that may be), then it will be a big boost for the Indian team?

Yes.

I mean Australia will be without their skipper and one of their premier batsmen, and Lehmann could be out, and a great player of spin and a fine batsman, and again would probably have played well over 50 Tests if he played for somebody else other then Australia, and him out, coupled with his experience would be a loss.

Take them out and put in two green horns (with regards to international experience), I'm sure that it is in India's favour that they are gone.

 

[Waughney]

Who will be presenting them.

Ah, I see, probably an Aussie commentator that would be over there already.

Yes.

I mean Australia will be without their skipper and one of their premier batsmen, and Lehmann could be out, and a great player of spin and a fine batsman, and again would probably have played well over 50 Tests if he played for somebody else other then Australia, and him out, coupled with his experience would be a loss.

Take them out and put in two green horns (with regards to international experience), I'm sure that it is in India's favour that they are gone.

Yep, for sure. Lehman is an amazing player of spin and if he is out, then he would be sorely missed. And well the loss of Ponting is very disappointing too.

 

[marc71178]

I think that Watson should be considered to fill in for Ponting. If they're looking for a batsman, then Watson has an excellent FC record to back him up. He looks like he's only going to get better, and if he can be a supporting-seamer on top of his batting then Australia also have an extra pace bowling option.

In India his seam bowling isn't really so crucial though (unless they pick only 2 front-line seamers)

 

[Eclipse]

If Watson plays he should do so as a Batsman at this stage.. I still think he can become quite a good bowler but right now I am afraid he would get masacared by the Indians..

 

[Jono]

In India his seam bowling isn't really so crucial though (unless they pick only 2 front-line seamers)

That's why he mentioned Clarke and his spin bowling to be the other argument.

Disappointing that possibly 3 great batsmen are going to be out for the first test, very unlucky.

 

[Richard]

It'll be forgotten if they come back in the Second and each average 50!

 

[Richard]

In India his seam bowling isn't really so crucial though (unless they pick only 2 front-line seamers)

Personally I'd say Watson is a far better batsman than Clarke and that outweighs any possible advantage of Clarke's bowling.
Don't think it'll be that effective, myself. We've seen plenty of part-timers (Wavell Hinds, to name a prominent recent example) be sporadially effective in ODIs and almost never in Tests.

 

[Richard]

Are you trying to say that if Lehman and Ponting are both out (for however long that may be), then it will be a big boost for the Indian team?

Err, no, he's saying that the loss of the opposition's two best batsmen will cause far more problems for India than it will solve!
Anyone facing Australia without Lehmann and Ponting will thank their lucky stars.
Still, it won't make dismissing Hayden, Katich, Langer and Martyn any easier.

 

[Mr Casson]

Personally I'd say Watson is a far better batsman than Clarke and that outweighs any possible advantage of Clarke's bowling.
Don't think it'll be that effective, myself. We've seen plenty of part-timers (Wavell Hinds, to name a prominent recent example) be sporadially effective in ODIs and almost never in Tests.

The bowling is only to be used as a tie-breaker; the Aussies need a batsman, remember.

Clarke's biggest problem with his batting at the moment is getting out between 30 and 60. He's shown that he can consistently get a decent score, but it won't be enough to hold a spot in the test team, yet.

Watson on the other hand seems capable of much bigger scores. I'm not sure how his technique against spin compares to Clarke's, but I distinctly remember him giving Shane Warne himself a hard time once last season. Can't be the worst.

 

[biased indian]

Still, it won't make dismissing Hayden, Katich, Langer and Martyn any easier.

i hope atleast the man in bold will be easy

other wise we are in for big trouble

 

[Craig]

Disappointing that possibly 3 great batsmen are going to be out for the first test, very unlucky.

The flip side, it could make it even closer, therefore more exciting IMO.

I am disappionted to see Ricky Ponting is out, as he has a few records to fix, because he averages 12.47 IIRC overall in Tests in India. He can score runs there; just look at ODIs he has played in India, and he has a few hundreds to his name.

 

[age_master]

Personally I'd say Watson is a far better batsman than Clarke

no doubt based on extensive viewing of both players.

 

[Mr Casson]

no doubt based on extensive viewing of both players.

He's right to an extent. Watson seems to have a much simpler technique (and it's still pretty solid), whereas Clarke's technique is very much suited to the one-day game, where he can move around the crease and steal runs.

I don't know if Clarke will change his approach much when he gets the chance to play test cricket, but I think he'd tone down the amount of moving around the crease he does.

A lot of people say that Watson's game is too reliant on boundaries, but I haven't noticed that yet, to be honest. As long as he makes runs, which he has been doing, I don't see a problem.

 

[Richard]

In the First-Class-game you can be as boundary-reliant as you want.
In the one-day game it won't work very well except in extreme cases (eg Hayden).
Still not certain about Watson the one-day batsman myself.