***Official Australia in India***

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Bollinger is nippish but he's not even close to Lee pace. He's something more around what Dizzy was back in his best days, but probably not even that quick.

 

[social]

Playing INDIA INDIA
Squad 2004-05 2008-09
1 Hayden Hayden
2 Langer Jaques
3 Ponting Ponting
4 Katich Katich
5 Martyn Hussey
6 Clarke Clarke
7 Gilchrist Haddin
8 McGrath Brett Lee
9 Gillespie Clark
10 Kasprowicz Johnson
11 Warne McGain[/CODE]


Man for man it is not the same side and most glaringly, McGain is not Shane Warne, but overall, the squad is a very decent one and must be expected to give a very good account of itself. .

On closer analysis

2008-09[/B]
1 Hayden - may not be fit and hasnt played for months
2 Jaques - saved immediate career in last test, poor fieldsman
3 Ponting - see Hayden plus hasnt scored a run in India
4 Katich - hopeless fieldsman
5 Hussey - quality
6 Clarke - hit and miss
7 Haddin - novice but a good player
8 Brett Lee - quality
9 Clark - quality
10 Johnson - figures belie the fact that he has bowled garbage of late
11 McGain - totally unproven

Doesnt look too bright now does it?

 

[SJS]

Bollinger is nippish but he's not even close to Lee pace. He's something more around what Dizzy was back in his best days, but probably not even that quick.

I haven't a clue how quick he is. He is listed as Left-arm fast by cricinfo who, by the way, also list Gillespie as Right-arm fast.

With Siddle, Clark and Johnson listed as fast-medium, surely he should be the quickest after Brett Lee in the squad. As I said, one hasn't seen him so one has to go by what one reads

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

I'd say Dougie is probably closer to Johnson's pace. He'd certainly be one of the quickest in the country, though.

For what it's worth, I'd rank the quickest bowlers going around (that regularly play domestic cricket - namely I have no idea how quick Aaron Bird is now):
- Tait
- Lee
- Nannes
- Bollinger/Johnson
- Edmondson

After that you can raffle it off - maybe Geeves?

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[SJS]

India is an absolute grave yard for second rung spinners. One hopes the Aussies have kept that in mind when selecting Krejza. I know he can bat a bit too. But I would have made do with Clarke's off spin and brought another batsman along.

 

[adharcric]

India is an absolute grave yard for second rung spinners. One hopes the Aussies have kept that in mind when selecting Siddle. I know he can bat a bit too. But I would have made do with Clarke's off spin and brought another batsman along.

Siddle's not a spinner ... right? Krejza?

 

[SJS]

Siddle's not a spinner ... right? Krejza?

Sorry, I meant Krejza. Siddle cant bat too

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

India is an absolute grave yard for second rung spinners. One hopes the Aussies have kept that in mind when selecting Krejza. I know he can bat a bit too. But I would have made do with Clarke's off spin and brought another batsman along.

Absolutely. If McGain went down with an injury, I'd far rather Bollinger or Johnson playing ahead of Krezja.

 

[Jakester1288]

The bowling is more critical. With McGrath, Gillespie, Kasprowicz and Warne (Clarke and Lehmann in support), Australia had a very strong attack in the playing squad with at least one man, Brett Lee, to call upon if need be and another, Watson, for dire emergency.

I agree. If our bowling fires, we will win, as long as our batting makes a sufficient amount of runs. With the Indian batting fragile at the moment, a bad start to the series for them will keep the trend going through the whole series. The key for us is getting 20 wickets. Who we use to support Lee and Clark doesn't bother me, as long as they can get the job done with as little fuss as possible.

If I were an Australian selector, I would have brought in another batsman –either as a sixteenth member or to replace one of the bowlers – Krejza or Siddle.

I'd much rather keep Siddle on tour than Krejza. Siddle has much more potential, and a good chance to hand around in the Australian side. In 5 years from now, provided Lee is still playing and Clark is retired, I would expect to see an attack looking like this:

Lee
Johnson/Bollinger
Bollinger/Johnson/Siddle
Casson/Cullen

 

[Top_Cat]

Actually, I think it's a reasonable argument. Australia have never had tremendous success in India on the back of their spin bowlers. Sri Lanka, yeah, but even there the pace attack has had a big hand in the past. In India our spinners have generally been pretty ineffective aside from one or two innings in any given series.

It'll be a nice boost if McGain bowls well but for Australia to win in India the key batsmen will have to adjust to the conditions quickly and play well, and at least one or two of the quicks will have to bowl well despite the conditions. Last time around Australia won because of Gillespie and McGrath as much as anything else.

McGain bowling well would be astonishing; no opposition spinner (of any type) has done well in India for many, many years. Don't think an oppo leg-spinner has ever averaged below 40 in a series.

Still reckon the Aussies will win on the back of their batting. If India's batsmen underperform, reckon they'll lose. If they bat well, it'll be close. The Indian batting looks very vulnerable from what I've seen of late and I reckon they're in danger of under-estimating this Aussie side.

Love how Harbhajan labels his batsmen as the best players of spin in the world. That hasn't quite been true for a while and their play against Mendis was, aside from a couple of them, shall we say, watchful.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Mendis is more a medium pacer/freak than a traditional spinner tbf.

 

[GIMH]

India is an absolute grave yard for second rung spinners. One hopes the Aussies have kept that in mind when selecting Krejza. I know he can bat a bit too. But I would have made do with Clarke's off spin and brought another batsman along.

 

[pup11]

Udal may say Panesar was second rung spinner in that series.

 

[pup11]

Mendis is more a medium pacer/freak than a traditional spinner tbf.

Agreed.

 

[pup11]

McGain bowling well would be astonishing; no opposition spinner (of any type) has done well in India for many, many years. Don't think an oppo leg-spinner has ever averaged below 40 in a series.

Still reckon the Aussies will win on the back of their batting. If India's batsmen underperform, reckon they'll lose. If they bat well, it'll be close. The Indian batting looks very vulnerable from what I've seen of late and I reckon they're in danger of under-estimating this Aussie side.
Love how Harbhajan labels his batsmen as the best players of spin in the world. That hasn't quite been true for a while and their play against Mendis was, aside from a couple of them, shall we say, watchful.

I think McGain' role in this series would be to hold up one end and exert pressure (something that Warne did well when Australia last toured India) and let the pacers attack from the other end, if he McGain is able to keep things tight the wickets too would follow.

Unlike many who are thinking that Hayden and Ponting would have to score big in this series for Australia to do well, i believe Hussey, Clarke, Katich/Watson and even Haddin would have to do most of the scoring, Hayden and Ponting are coming out of long injury lay-off and it won't be easy for them to step into such a tough series and start scoring heavily, they would take some time to find their feet. That's why i believe the onus to score bulk of the runs would lie on the Aussie middle-order and how they negate the Indian spinners.

 

[pasag]

Interesting that people think the middle order spot will be fought out between Watson and Katich. Not the way I see it. Watson will start without a doubt and the opening spot will be fought out between Jaques and Katich.

 

[pup11]

Interesting that people think the middle order spot will be fought out between Watson and Katich. Not the way I see it. Watson will start without a doubt and the opening spot will be fought out between Jaques and Katich.

I think despite Katich' form last season and then his performance in the Caribbean, he would still have to wait for his chance, tbf to Jaques he has forced his way into the side on the back of lots of runs in domestic cricket, then he had a good series against Sri Lanka, followed by a poor series against India and an average one against West Indies, so atleast the first two games of this series should be given to him to turn things around otherwise Katich can replace him.

 

[Woodster]

I would think Jaques is a pretty certain starter, and Katich on recent performances is deserving of his place, it just depends if the extra bowler option of Watson comes in. For me aswell, straight shoot out between Watson and Katich.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Does anyone know who's carrying the series in the UK?

WRT Katich/Watson, I think the former is warm favourite to start myself. I'm not sure the selectors are entirely convinced Watson is deserving of a batting spot & Haddin, for all his merits, is no Gilchrist.

I'd also guess Katich's chinamen might be just as useful as Watson's seamers in India.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I don't know how anyone could believe Katich's spin will be better than Watto in India. Sure, they're usually pretty good for turn.

But this is INDIA. Remember, that team that smashed Shane Warne all over every ground in India every time he was there? He was only the greatest leggy of at least the last 50 years or so.

But yeah, I'm sure Katich would be heaps handy. Hogg sure was last summer.