"England won't come close to us" - Steve Smith
To be fair to him, England haven't come close to approaching this level of incompetence over the four tests so far.
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"England won't come close to us" - Steve Smith
"England won't come close to us" - Steve Smith
Both you and Convict have both just repeated to me the dominant and accepted strategy. I know perfectly well what that is and the logic it's based on.
You guys seem incapable of understanding that a dominant strat can just be flat-out wrong and everyone can be wrong. To say that no one agrees with me is true, but to conclude that I'm therefore wrong is false. What's more every batsman now has innings of the kind that only Richards used to play in the past. Batsmen are just much much better at aggressive batting and much less proficient at defensive batting, but because cricket is so traditional people fail to realize that strategies based on the competences they used to have in 1970 are just not valid now.
Not on these type of wickets. These batsmen can sometimes play like Richards on phattas. This Australian side (applies to other teams as well) is better off playing cautiously when there is lateral movement. I can agree with you on the need for showing positive intent, but you don't seem to grasp the idea that sometimes you have to take a step back to advance two forward steps. When you are 3/15 after 2 overs on a lively wicket, there is no justification for your approach.
Clarke still not comfortable, fishing outside offstump in a manner that would make Yasir Hameed proud.
Look I'd kind of get your point of view, if you said don't attack no matter what in seaming conditions (I totally disagree, but still I can see where you're coming from even if you can't see my point).
The problem here is the score has nothing to do with it. The approach most likely to get you runs is the best approach to take whether it's 192-1 or 22-4. I just don't understand the idea that because you are 15-3 you artificially handicap yourself by deciding to do only certain things.
run rate is dropping, get a move on old fellas.
At 192/1 you very likely have two set batsmen at the crease (who know what to expect, have gauged the pitch very well, who see the cricket ball like a football etc), and probably it is a flattish wicket as well. If you are 22/4 you are probably playing on a hostile wicket and/or against hostile bowlers and you have new batsmen at the crease. Do you really think these two set of batsmen are capable of playing the same way? Do you know what is meant by "getting the eye in"? You seem to think that a new batsman at the crease and a batsman who has batted at the crease for 40 overs have the same ball negotiation levels. On a flat wicket you can get away with some impudence, but on a lively wicket if you don't respect the bowlers and conditions you are going to be toast.
Yeah, come on Clarke, have a go and get out like CrockedAnalyst says! It's much better than crease occupation!
Peter Nevill's faced 16 balls and he hasn't even tried to score yet.
So do you agree or disagree with the way they are batting now?
Rogers gone going after a wide ball.
Smith gone hitting a wide ball.
Marsh gone trying to hit a wide ball.
Clarke gone driving at a wide ball.
Are you getting the idea?
I mean coming in at the same time. Your argument isn't just about being new to the crease. If you come in at 22/4 and come in at 192/1 conditions apart there is nothing different. That's why I said I could understand if your point was only about seaming conditions.
Peter Nevill's faced 16 balls and he hasn't even tried to score yet. Meanwhile people have their knives into Warner who scored 64 valauble runs.
There is difference apart from the conditions, as well. It is about the batsmen themselves. Batsmen are coached from early days to allow some time before they launch into the attack. Occupying the crease allows the batsman to take stock of several things such as speed/bounce/form. You think that leaving deliveries is a wasteful strategy but leaving the deliveries early in the game is not done just for the sake of playing defensively - it allows you to judge several factors regarding the pitch, bounce, speed, extent of swing and seam, your own reflex/form on that day and so on. I guess you have never played as a batsman, which is why you think batsmen can go after the bowling from the word go without the high risk of getting dismissed. Once a batsman has had the opportunity to measure the conditions, he becomes better suited to play freely and play according to the merit of the ball and the bowler. As a fresh batsman, there is a higher probability of getting dismissed. Most batsmen get dismissed in the digit scores or go on to make a big fifty or hundred. When batsmen get dismissed in the 30s we often rightly accuse them of wasting good starts. We do expect batsmen to play cautiously in the beginning and get used to the conditions, this aspect of test cricket has not changed in 100 years - this may be important even for flat pitches. There may be some exceptions like Sehwag or Warner who may play attackingly from the outset, but in general most batsmen can't play that sort of innings.
Clarke's was not a wide ball by any stretch, he had to play it, and he played the exact negative cricket I criticized.
Warner and Rogers played well.
Meanwhile Nevile should have been out three times and finally gave you what you wanted. Out leaving a ball that hit middle stump. People are probably happy because he left the ball....
You don't read.
Quite right. There's only pride to play for now. The first goal is to survive to the close, take it into the third day.
[MENTION=135134]CricketAnalyst[/MENTION]
I think, you are trying to put a logic from the total number of runs scored rather than the overall impact of the game. Everyone can understand 100 is higher than 60; but would that have saved AUS? You are not considering the role of a position or call of the hour.
I think, over 150 years the fundamentals of the game is still the same for longer format. Top order (1-3) has a particular role which is to protect the middle order, so that they can dominate the old ball & tired attack. That's why I always think that No 3 is the most important position - a player has to play in different gears.
I am trying to explain with 2 classic examples, just about a decade back & I think many of us here had seen those, so it 'll be easier to relate.
Sometimes in 2002, PAK was put in by NZ at Hamilton (?) on a green top with a bit of moisture - PAK openers (Farhat was one, I believe) put 35 at run a ball, but by the time Kiwi pacers got the length correct & PAK went to lunch 70/6 or so & ~120 all out. Openers didn't do their job of surviving the 1st hour - even 17/0 after 15 overs would have allowed middle order to build on. That was nothing wrong on the track, as later Kiwis put 400/4 or so & declared. Same thing happened 2nd time - PAK was 50/5 or so in 15 overs & lost the match by innings with Kiwis losing just 3 wickets to bowlers.
Similar time, Ganguly won the toss & on a gloomy, green Headingley track opted to bat. Viru didn't last long, but Rahul & Banger batted for 80+ overs to finish the day 220/2 or so. Next morning, against 2nd new ball, that pair batted 1st hour for <20 - by that time sun came out, Caddick & Co were 100+ overs tired & next 70 overs IND went at run a ball to declare 650+ with 5 or 6 down - few overs of Day 2 still remaining to aim at the openers & went on to win the match by innings, on a track later Anil took 7 or 8 in the match.
I don't think the fundamentals of Test has changed much. AUS got away with this hunkey-dory tactics last summer at home for IND had none to support Ashwin - just another quality spinner & a pacer to be half decent in 2nd spell onwards - IND would have troubled Aussies, still almost gave Aussies a scare at Gabba on slightly juicy wicket.
When you are put-in, in a Test, actually the fielding Captain hardly bothers for few boundaries or run rate as long as you are feeding him with regular wickets. Yesterday morning was special, but I am sure Cook would have enjoyed his sandwich had AUS gone to lunch 151/5 rather than 70/0 yesterday. If AUS keep on doing this, I see Kiwi opening pair giving them a real hiding.
Look, I take your point.
A lot of what you say makes sense.
Most of what is here EXPRESSLY ADMITS that it's not about winning. They are worried about imaginary things like salvaging pride etc. I mean they are praising Peter Neville for giving up and playing the kind of innings that no player representing his country should ever produce.
A lot of your examples are fine, I'll engage with this discussion if you treat my counter-examples equally. My whole problem with most of the Test match brigade is double standards. They have one rule for an aggressive failure and another for a defensive one. In fact most of these idiots actually prefer defensive failures like 15 (70) to attacking success like 64 (70).
I'm glad that Australia didn't pay heed to PakPassion experts and stuck with Starc.
Warne is criticising everyone except his best friend (and the man he loves to visit the beauty parlour with) Clarke.
Look, I take your point.
A lot of what you say makes sense.
Most of what is here EXPRESSLY ADMITS that it's not about winning. They are worried about imaginary things like salvaging pride etc. I mean they are praising Peter Neville for giving up and playing the kind of innings that no player representing his country should ever produce.
A lot of your examples are fine, I'll engage with this discussion if you treat my counter-examples equally. My whole problem with most of the Test match brigade is double standards. They have one rule for an aggressive failure and another for a defensive one. In fact most of these idiots actually prefer defensive failures like 15 (70) to attacking success like 64 (70).
Random Aussie any idea why hilfenhaus was not considered when his style of swing bowling at 85-88 mph would have been very handy on these English wickets.Don't care much for a six wicket haul when we are getting thrashed. He bowls too much garbage when it matters.
Random Aussie any idea why hilfenhaus was not considered when his style of swing bowling at 85-88 mph would have been very handy on these English wickets.
Australia need to decide between Johnson and starc. Both are all out flat wicket takers, they will only look for wickets and cannot do a holding job. Hazelwood was expected to do the McGrath, Stuart Clarke job but he failed miserably. Starc can bowl real brutal jaffers but given his bowling style will also concede plenty of boundaries as well. Same problem with Johnson, he is not effective on these seaming tracks, needs bounce and pace in the wicket.
I think not persisting with Watson and Mitchel marsh was a blunder. They would have done no worse than Shawn marsh and vogues and could have given a breather to the likes of starc and Johnson with the ball.
Extremely poor planning by Clarke and Lehman
@ Random Aussie, bro any news on how soon can we see Cummins, petterson and Zampa in beggy green.
@ Random Aussie, bro any news on how soon can we see Cummins, petterson and Zampa in beggy green.
Any upcoming promising spinner apart from fawad Ahmed.Cummins - Hopefully after a few shield seasons
Pattinson - Hopefully after he proves he is fit
Zampa - We're not that bad
Any upcoming promising spinner apart from fawad Ahmed.
There's no pride regardless
Starc was talking about how losing the ashes is "not ideal" but that it's only a game of cricket.
Even if their was pride at stake these pampered softies wouldn't waste their energy fighting for it, save the passion for the big bash and ipl.
Starc was talking about how losing the ashes is "not ideal" but that it's only a game of cricket.
Even if their was pride at stake these pampered softies wouldn't waste their energy fighting for it, save the passion for the big bash and ipl.
Well he's right isn't he? It's just a game.
It's also his profession.
You don't read.
I've said before on this thread. I was a specialist batsman. I benefited from every single bias I complain about here. And believe me, it isn't automatically difficult the moment you come in. I've hit my first ball for fours and sixes on occasion when it was in the right area. Some times it just is very easy (and I am a very poor batsman). When I can hit 130kmph balls out of the ground for six, I cannot even imagine how easy it feels when you are David Warner. The big problem is team managements coach their players to be afraid and not take risks.
Like I just can't believe you're repeating basic coaching book stuff as though I don't know it. I've watched (or seen scorecard/followed almost every game in the last couple of years. I've played cricket. I've done in-depth analysis which you haven't and you just don't get that it's even possible that all this manual stuff can be flawed or that everyone in a sport can sometimes be simultaneously wrong.
I know what you're saying. You and the establishment are just flat out wrong when you want to impose caution on players and treat aggressive failures as worse than defensive ones, but guess what they aren't. Teams that are more rational or less stupid like this tend to win. That's why England's new mentality was so successful.
This dogma needs to die and that's why it was great to see the England captain come in at 26/2 in a series decider and slog the first ball down mid-wickets throat. They deservedly won the series and the negative NZL almost lost to Zimbabwe by aiming too low in their scores. I know it's not the same format, but I can't believe a sport where people treat the only existing strat as gospel.
It's also his profession.
Then he is required to be professional.
Not wrist-slit over poor performance because it's "shameful", or whatever.
ards was very intelligent. He would not play recklessly like you advocate. He averaged 50+ for a good reason. Richards would often take his time to get his eye in. For example he may get only 20 off the first 40 balls he faces, but once he got his eye in he would tear apart the bowlers.
Agreed but it should burn (as it probably does).
It always burned Steve Waugh when the teams he played in got smashed
What DoesnstUnderstandTestCricket isn't getting is that long innings (in the early part of the match) usually win tests and in a long innings there will be periods when test match bowlers get on top, so the batter has to dig in and survive for a bit. All the great batters of the past knew this. These young Aussies do not seem to. They are stuck in ODI mode and that is why they are losing.
Similarly, experienced test bowlers know that sometimes the batters will be on top and they have to spread the field and bowl for containment. Then when a wicket goes down the slips come back and the bowler can come in at full power for a bit. Over several days the constant effort thing doesn't work - you have to know when to attack and when to defend.
Which he's representing his nation at.
Starc is a proud man, he won't be happy with defeat. None of them will be. I think the reason he said what he said, in those exact words, is because he was told that the team was being heavily criticised in Australia by the media. So you can understand why he would want to downplay it.
What DoesnstUnderstandTestCricket isn't getting is that long innings (in the early part of the match) usually win tests and in a long innings there will be periods when test match bowlers get on top, so the batter has to dig in and survive for a bit. All the great batters of the past knew this. These young Aussies do not seem to. They are stuck in ODI mode and that is why they are losing.
Similarly, experienced test bowlers know that sometimes the batters will be on top and they have to spread the field and bowl for containment. Then when a wicket goes down the slips come back and the bowler can come in at full power for a bit. Over several days the constant effort thing doesn't work - you have to know when to attack and when to defend.
I can scarcely believe how much Stokes and Wood are swinging it. This ball is sixty overs old!
I can scarcely believe how much Stokes and Wood are swinging it. This ball is sixty overs old!