***Official*** India in Australia

[neutralguy]

I'm selfishly happy though, because it may mean Dravid and Ganguly can go on longer in Tests - which is the only thing I care about. But if I was Dravid or Ganguly, I'd be so completely fed up with the BCCI (and Dhoni). An idiot like Dhoni who wouldn't know proper cricket if it bit him in the ass deciding what happens to players who actually have something called class at the highest level (assuming its true that Dhoni asked for this, if not, than never mind). That's India for you I guess - let's see what happens.

And Gambhir simply cannot play at this level. I cannot believe he repeatedly gets chances when there is zero chance that he'll be remotely good at the international level.

Partially agree with it. BUT sidelining dravid or ganguly only to test cricket also has another pitfall.
Imagine if any of the gambhir's or raina's is going to click at one-day series, then there are going to be more clamour for them to be playing tests replacing dravid/ganguly.
And if it coincides with the bad test form of dravid /ganguly, their test career will also be as good as over.
In a country where you are given oppurtunities to play tests based on your one-day form and not the other way around, i hate to admit it, but we might see dravid and ganguly retiring early even in test cricket.Not good signs for india from the look of it.

 

[Anil]

Partially agree with it. BUT sidelining dravid or ganguly only to test cricket also has another pitfall.
Imagine if any of the gambhir's or raina's is going to click at one-day series, then there are going to be more clamour for them to be playing tests replacing dravid/ganguly.
And if it coincides with the bad test form of dravid /ganguly, their test career will also be as good as over.
In a country where you are given oppurtunities to play tests based on your one-day form and not the other way around, i hate to admit it, but we might see dravid and ganguly retiring early even in test cricket.Not good signs for india from the look of it.

public clamor is one thing, if the selectors listen to that and replace dravid or ganguly, they are absolute morons, somehow i don't think that is going to happen unless they become so bad that they are a total liability to the team, even then, i don't see someone like gambhir(raina maybe) coming into the picture....

 

[Burgey]

Apparently the effigies are burning over these exclusions. Obviously not big on air pollution control.

 

[silentstriker]

Apparently the effigies are burning over these exclusions. Obviously not big on air pollution control.

Lucky Tendulkar wasn't dropped or there would literally be lynchings of every BCCI official.



Though, that would not be a bad thing for Indian cricket.

 

[andruid]

Lucky Tendulkar wasn't dropped or there would literally be lynchings of every BCCI official.



Though, that would not be a bad thing for Indian cricket.

And here I am worrying that such an exclusion would contribute to global warming.

 

[jeevan]

Partially agree with it. BUT sidelining dravid or ganguly only to test cricket also has another pitfall.
Imagine if any of the gambhir's or raina's is going to click at one-day series, then there are going to be more clamour for them to be playing tests replacing dravid/ganguly.
And if it coincides with the bad test form of dravid /ganguly, their test career will also be as good as over.
In a country where you are given oppurtunities to play tests based on your one-day form and not the other way around, i hate to admit it, but we might see dravid and ganguly retiring early even in test cricket.Not good signs for india from the look of it.

The rise of Yuvraj in ODIs and his fall in test cricket is too dramatic and too recent, hopefully even for cricketing officials. Hopefully the Laxman example (out of the ODI picture for a few years, but strong in tests) is also a healthy sign , as was Kumble's appointment to the test captaincy.

ps I do hope Yuvraj gets his act together for tests. Would be great for him to eventually replace Ganguly.

 

[NZTailender]

I had an incredibly bad nightmare last night. In it, I dreamt that Daniel Doran and Damien Wright were called up to replace Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson.

I think my subconscious has finally flipped.

 

[pasag]

How good is Hayden, seriously? His part in Australia's streak and general dominance must not go understated. Warne and McGrath always seem to get the all credit, but contrary to the notions of "you need to take 20 wickets to win a match" I've always been a believer that the batting gives them runs to play with a breathing room, especially once the other side has been demoralised and I think the batting has always been the main factor of why Australia are so great - not sure many would agree with me but that's how I see it.

 

[burr]

Loved that segment on the c. show with hayden and the bowling machine. I reckon a lot of batsmen would be like stuff this, I'm not hitting 1000s of balls from a bowling machine, yet haydos was lovin' it. No wonder him and Lang were such bosom buddies. You can just imagine the two of them in the nets, side by side, still hitting the balls spitting out from the machine, long after e.one else has gone back to the hotel.

 

[Jono]

Obviously Australia's batting has been brilliant, and a huge part of their streak, but its no coincidence that in 2003/04 when they didn't have Warne and McGrath, and Gillespie was injured for a little bit, that they struggled vs. India.

They still had a great batting line-up, and India's bowling line-up was weaker than the current one its brought to Australia. Yet they struggled to beat India.

 

[Captain Cricket]

Never met a batsman who hates the bowling machine though...I for one love it, it's good practice. Try putting those half-rubber/half-jugs balls in the bowling machine at 125kph, they swing a mile and it's good practice.

 

[Matt79]

Loved that segment on the c. show with hayden and the bowling machine. I reckon a lot of batsmen would be like stuff this, I'm not hitting 1000s of balls from a bowling machine, yet haydos was lovin' it. No wonder him and Lang were such bosom buddies. You can just imagine the two of them in the nets, side by side, still hitting the balls spitting out from the machine, long after e.one else has gone back to the hotel.

I just loved how Healy kept on making suggestions or trying to explain what Hayden was doing, and how Hayden kept on shooting him completely down.

 

[Matt79]

How good is Hayden, seriously? His part in Australia's streak and general dominance must not go understated. Warne and McGrath always seem to get the all credit, but contrary to the notions of "you need to take 20 wickets to win a match" I've always been a believer that the batting gives them runs to play with a breathing room, especially once the other side has been demoralised and I think the batting has always been the main factor of why Australia are so great - not sure many would agree with me but that's how I see it.

I agree with you Zac... It's easier to take twenty wickets when your batsmen score so many runs so quickly, usually giving you the luxury of 3 full days to take the 20 wickets, with quite attacking fields the whole time, and an opposition that has resigned itself to playing for a draw.

 

[Tony]

Agreed - aust took 20 wickets for 560 odd in Perth. First innings totals over 400 in quick time tend to go with all those wins.

Shouldnt harp on player behaviour too much but something I have always hated is, eg when Lee got Tendulkar LB, he ran straight towards Gilly and asked the umpire eventually as an after thought who gave it out.....which was right but it was close to being a bit leggy. McGrath used to do that and I hated it then. An earlier theader talked about lack of respect for umpires and I reckon that is one of the worst things.

 

[silentstriker]

Well no one is saying batting is unimportant, but give me a top notch bowling attack over a top notch batting attack any day of the week.

 

[Tony]

The rise of Yuvraj in ODIs and his fall in test cricket is too dramatic and too recent, hopefully even for cricketing officials. Hopefully the Laxman example (out of the ODI picture for a few years, but strong in tests) is also a healthy sign , as was Kumble's appointment to the test captaincy.

Blooding guys for test cricket in ODIs can work or more relevant giving some some ODI games to show they may be selected in a test team at some point (Cullen and Cosgrove eg from SA)...although maybe with Cullen they used a Bangladesh test for that as well.

Can be a bit of a reminder for Ganguly etc that selection in the test team is not automatic. In Aust selectors seem pretty good at not using one day form to actually kick out test players unless the test player is in a long run of poor form.

 

[JerseyGuy]

fine go and give your side credit and let them get ahead of themselves AGAIN, just like they did in the world cup

India are a good side that should perform well over over a long period of time to get credit

India has been doing well in Tests for over 5 years now. I think that is long enough

 

[Nate]

Jaques releasing comments about showing "all-out agression" in the next Test. Really would prefer it if he kept his head down and went back to grinding out hundreds.

Who do you think should play in Adelaide - Hogg or Tait? Would prefer Hogg on a few levels, namely to give me a chance of keeping my avatar.

 

[Prince EWS]

Jaques releasing comments about showing "all-out agression" in the next Test. Really would prefer it if he kept his head down and went back to grinding out hundreds.

Who do you think should play in Adelaide - Hogg or Tait? Would prefer Hogg on a few levels, namely to give me a chance of keeping my avatar.

What's the bet?

If you lose, whoever you're up against should definitely give you MacGill IMO.

 

[Nate]

Hogg needs to average under 40 with the ball.