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Cricket
- Thread starter mb64
- Start date
MD Jazz said:
next we go the MCG for a dull lifeless wicket that bores the *smile* out of everyone
The honest reality is this..
1 We have NO test class batsmen
2 India have learnt that quality pace bowlers are needed outside India and have duly produced them.
3 Kholi is a top class batter.
4 It is wonderfully ironic that our spinner is our greatest weapon against India and their pace against us.
India is a better side than us, but with Smith and Warner it would be different.
Hanscomb, Head, Marsh and the two openers ( not withstanding their great first ininings effort) are just not this standard.
1 We have NO test class batsmen
2 India have learnt that quality pace bowlers are needed outside India and have duly produced them.
3 Kholi is a top class batter.
4 It is wonderfully ironic that our spinner is our greatest weapon against India and their pace against us.
India is a better side than us, but with Smith and Warner it would be different.
Hanscomb, Head, Marsh and the two openers ( not withstanding their great first ininings effort) are just not this standard.
pete and tys said:
Head and Harris are fine. Indian bowling in second dig has been ferocious on a helpful pitch.
Handscombe an obvious out for Melbourne. Out of his depth
No, all are state level only. Khwaja is just test class. Really sad.
Think of the days we had 7 batters with averages of 50 or more.
This is hard to take.
Think of the days we had 7 batters with averages of 50 or more.
This is hard to take.
Look, Smarsh is a good bloke, his dad was a good bloke as is his brother. His shield form was great, he made some great ODI runs v SA just recently....ummm...he loves the G, he should blitz there in the 3rd test....ummm....he’s a good bloke...he’s scored a 60 and a 45 this series....(and a 5 and a 2), he just needs to be given a few more chances to establish himself.Michael said:
With Australian cricket reeling from the absence of Smith & Warner it’d be nice if the 35 year old who’s been playing test cricket since 2011 and is playing his 36th test and who has played 154 first class games could just maybe step up a bit.
pete and tys said:
As a pom I look at it a bit different, I think Australia have been blessed for a long time with a plethora of top batsmen. Its a bit of a lean time at the moment but I wouldn't say that they are terrible. Test averages of some of them aren't that bad. Like the criticism of Paine is miles overstated because most Aussies have in their head Gilchrist. Paines test average is better than Wade, Haddin etc and he is good behind the stumps too but is consistently talked down by supporters.
I think the criticism by Aussie fans is mainly due to the amazing past cricketers there have been in recent memory and the current group aren't up to that standard. They aren't that much different to a lot of other test nations at the moment, just so happens that Australia now find themselves back in the pack rather than leading the pack.
Exactly. Fair few spoilt followers having a sulk that we can't replicate possibly the greatest Test era ever assembled.
Leysy is actually loving this series, definitely the most even home series we've had in a long time.
We're also a lot easier to follow now then in the days where we tried to bully the opposition. Led by thugs Lehmann and Warner.
Realise it's no chance, but would much prefer we don't play that *smile*head Warner when he's available. He's a flat track bully who won't get runs in England or anywhere overseas anyway.
The other reason leysy is far more invested in us is that we are getting the best out of our team. We don't have a Kolhi or a Pujara, or anyone that can get big hundred. They are all playing pretty close to the best they can.
Yet we are far more rounded than the Indians with nearly everyone contributing to the result, as opposed to India who have 3 superstars - the above two plus Bumrah but not a lot else.
But back on Paine to finish. Really don't get the negativity posted on here. Yes, he was right time and place to get picked, then have captaincy. but he's comfortably the best we've had behind the stumps since Healy. Makes the difficult look easy and never noticed. Always the sign of a quality man behind the stumps.
He also averages over 37 with the bat - compares better than every mortal (this exempts Gilchrist) we've ever had. Haddin averaged 33 and Healy 27.
This team and country would be totally lost without him ATM. He is also far stronger than his baby face and say everything right demeanour suggests. Only need to look at his quick retort to Kohli today to know this (As leysy has from following his career for 15 years).
Leysy is actually loving this series, definitely the most even home series we've had in a long time.
We're also a lot easier to follow now then in the days where we tried to bully the opposition. Led by thugs Lehmann and Warner.
Realise it's no chance, but would much prefer we don't play that *smile*head Warner when he's available. He's a flat track bully who won't get runs in England or anywhere overseas anyway.
The other reason leysy is far more invested in us is that we are getting the best out of our team. We don't have a Kolhi or a Pujara, or anyone that can get big hundred. They are all playing pretty close to the best they can.
Yet we are far more rounded than the Indians with nearly everyone contributing to the result, as opposed to India who have 3 superstars - the above two plus Bumrah but not a lot else.
But back on Paine to finish. Really don't get the negativity posted on here. Yes, he was right time and place to get picked, then have captaincy. but he's comfortably the best we've had behind the stumps since Healy. Makes the difficult look easy and never noticed. Always the sign of a quality man behind the stumps.
He also averages over 37 with the bat - compares better than every mortal (this exempts Gilchrist) we've ever had. Haddin averaged 33 and Healy 27.
This team and country would be totally lost without him ATM. He is also far stronger than his baby face and say everything right demeanour suggests. Only need to look at his quick retort to Kohli today to know this (As leysy has from following his career for 15 years).
Completely agree with the above two posts.
I love Test cricket more than I love the footy, but results-wise I care more about Richmond winning than I do Australia.
Cricket I just love the game and as Leysy says, this is the most competitive home series we've had for a very long time.
Lacking Warner and Smith has brought them so much closer together.
As for us having no Test-class batsmen in the team, can we give Harris some time? He's played two Tests and is averaging 35.
Also, Australian cricket fans need to accept that from now on, beating India anywhere is going to be a tough gig.
A country of 1.3 billion people the vast majority of whom are obsessed with cricket.
Up until 20 years ago they were never a real threat because they were never organized.
Now they have their sh!t together financially and administratively and will dominate the game on and off the field (for better or worse) for years to come.
I only wish we would have 5-match series with them.
I love Test cricket more than I love the footy, but results-wise I care more about Richmond winning than I do Australia.
Cricket I just love the game and as Leysy says, this is the most competitive home series we've had for a very long time.
Lacking Warner and Smith has brought them so much closer together.
As for us having no Test-class batsmen in the team, can we give Harris some time? He's played two Tests and is averaging 35.
Also, Australian cricket fans need to accept that from now on, beating India anywhere is going to be a tough gig.
A country of 1.3 billion people the vast majority of whom are obsessed with cricket.
Up until 20 years ago they were never a real threat because they were never organized.
Now they have their sh!t together financially and administratively and will dominate the game on and off the field (for better or worse) for years to come.
I only wish we would have 5-match series with them.
23.21.159 said:
Ditto to the above 3 posts! I can't wait to watch today's play. These 3 and 4 test series are annoying, but obviously its all about scheduling and money.
And, this is the most likeable Indian team I can remember, Kohli is a fierce competitor and passionate, I love the way he competes. And, he is not a whinger, nor is the Indian team in general. I love the way their bowlers are operating as a team, its the first time it appears Sharma is having a crack in Aust. Shami reminds me a little of Ryan Harris (not as good though) and Bumrah is a huge talent and great to watch.
It was Ganguly, Singh, Kumble who I could not stand. I never liked Dhoni much either. They all came across as whingers when playing away. Shastri/Kholi have got this team to embrace playing away. They haven't quite got the results (they could have beaten the poms) but they play much more competitively when away now.
On a side note did CA end up opening shaded seats on that first days play? What a ridiculous situation that was.
MD Jazz said:
No they didn't.
I've been everyday, it hasn't really been an issue, the crowds haven't been very big so those that wanted to have moved to a shaded area as the sun comes across. If the crowds had been bigger not having the top level open would have been an issue.
I have really enjoyed this test. A part from a couple of tests when i've been away I have been to every day of every test in Perth over the last 30 years. With what went down in South Africa and the tests leaving leaving the Waca i nearly didn't renew my membership this year, i'm glad i did.
I'm not a big fan of Kohli, but he is a brilliant batsmen. The 100 he got was superb, he came in when they were right under the pump, with our bowlers bowling very well.
Our bowlers have been great, Hazlewood looks like he has dropped a few kg's, Cummins is a gun as is Lyon.
Finch was trying to get on the front foot at all costs, got hit in the midships and on the finger when he should have been playing back. He has really been fighting hard. Handscomb needs to bat on or just out of the popping crease, i think he has the talent but he's just too easy to bowl to with where he takes his stance.
Credit to the Indians, they have all had plans to each of our batsmen and have bowled very well.
The Big Richo said:
Firstly, well done for putting a stake in the ground. Perhaps the game is in decline, but as Leysy said, Australia has come off the best 15 years in the history of test cricket.
On the rankings, Lyon is A or A+. Best offie we have produced and arguably the best in the world today.
As for the other bowlers, I’d have them between B- and B+. I love Cummins and his batting takes him to B+. None of the current crop of batsmen are above C
lukeanddad said:
I couldn't believe I just read Lyon is set to become Australia's third highest wicket taker, that's crept up a bit.
People forget, early in his career Paine was being touted by CA insiders to be the heir apparent as a future captain. His leadership qualities stood out head and shoulders above anyone else in Australian cricket of his generation. Not only was he always a great keeper. But there were signs he may well have ended up more in the mould of a batsman that keeps (Gilchrist), as opposed to a keeper that can bat a bit (Healy, Haddin). Unfortunately he was cruelled by severe injury to his hand/fingers. At one point he'd had so much surgery with limited success to one of his injured fingers, that he very nearly took the drastic action of amputating the finger as the least bad option, in an attempt to get back to his best. Unfortunately due to these factors, he was robbed of his full potential and we will never see how good he could have been.Leysy Days said:
A close friend of mine, who played first class cricket in South Africa and England. And after moving to Australia, in semi retirement from the game, played some district level cricket with Paine in Hobart (on the rare occasions Paine was not on State duties). This is a bloke who had played first class cricket with the likes of Hansie Cronje, Jonty Rhodes and Pat Simcox and he certainly held Paine in extremely high regard as a cricketer. Indeed as high a regard as any of the best he’d had exposure to in South Africa.
There are some good points in this paragraph. Indeed, India is where the vast bulk of cricketing wealth and power lies now. But I do think that assumptions about India's depth of talent pool (based on a population of 1.3bil people) gets overstated somewhat.23.21.159 said:
I have work colleagues from the subcontinent. One of which is on the committee of his local cricket club, that is a club largely made up of other expats from the subcontinent and/or children of expats. Some of these blokes have been through the Indian state level underage system prior to moving to Australia for study or careers. His comment to me is that the elite levels of cricket still only really recruit widely from the small wealthy class. This perception that they are recruiting from hundreds of millions of cricket fanatics who live to play cricket in the back alleys of slums is largely myth. Sure there have been some Indian players that are this romantic rags to riches story. But it is outside the norm.
This may be due to practical reality that the poorest people can't afford to play organised sport (they are too busy scrounging enough money to put food on the table than to worry about sport). But it's also the ingrained caste system that India still has as an inherent part of their society. Nearly a form of informal apartheid. Where people from lower castes will rarely be considered to be put through formal cricketing pathways to reach representative levels.
With these structural issues still in place, if we can get our sh!t together again, India are still generations away from reaching this invincibility people seem to feel is inevitable. And as one other contributor pointed out. The Indian team isn't that even. It is a team built around 3-4 stars, then a huge drop off after this. Their depth isn't actually that good, which is indicative of the structural flaws I discussed here.
I was a little critical of Paine the other day, but only for failing to convert the starts he so often gets into big scores. There is no doubt he is the right man for the job in the current circumstances.
This is great cricket to watch, absorbing battle. Proper Test cricket. Enjoying the Fox broadcast, can recommend Kayo.
This is great cricket to watch, absorbing battle. Proper Test cricket. Enjoying the Fox broadcast, can recommend Kayo.
I'm at work so not able to watch.
Is the pitch playing easier than yesterday? If so, do we need a 300 lead?
Is the pitch playing easier than yesterday? If so, do we need a 300 lead?