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Australia v India | 3rd Test | December 26-30, 2014 | MCG

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I suggest switching over to NZ v SL, McCullum going great guns.
 
I've missed a fair chunk of the day watching an atrocious film (the last Hobbit) but India must have tightened up their bowling.
 
I think, AUS already is ahead in this match.

This is not a Gabba like wicket or Adelaide like ground - 350 on first innings 'll be very good total to build on. AUS has their best bowling combination for this Test & I think, to start with, this wicket has a tennis ball bounce and 'll be double paced & uneven from Day 3 on wards. Smith 'll be able to charge his pacers from one end as I think Lyon 'll have a big match, bowling tight almost throughout from other end. India's best chance was to bat first & put 400+. I don't know what was the issue, but clearly IND wasn't mentally ready to field this morning - in a session they gave 20 runs through poor fielding & dropped a sitter. They must be damn demoralized for losing the toss.

3-0 for me, but AUS 'll have to bat & catch well both innings - they might lose 20 wickets this time.
 
There's something worrying me about this pitch. Ashwin bowling well on Day1 pitch means that Lyon could be devastating during the last inning of the match.
 
Burns still fishes a bit early on.

Not looking like a problem at the moment (in fact it's paying off) but it's why I don't want him in the top in England just yet
 
This is interesting, Malcolm Yadav is bowling body line* at Haddin and it's rattling him.

*not complaining about the tactic, it's fair play
 
How exactly has Malcolm Yadav not been in the Indian side? He's miles better than the trundling army.
 
It's a massive concern how often our players fail to get on with starts.
 
Convict said:
It's a massive concern how often our players fail to get on with starts.
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I think Australia's batting is pretty similar to in the desperate years of 1985-1988. Really, really mediocre.

Remember, the peak of Rogers' career coincided with Langer, Hayden and Katich and he was nowhere near good enough to displace them.

Australia is really lucky to have Harris and Johnson today and Cummins, Hazlewood and Pattinson tomorrow. They are always going to be pretty strong on home turf.

A better team than India would win this series. South Africa would win at a canter and I think even New Zealand would too. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

But that's modern Australia. Great bowling, mediocre batting.

And sooooooo lucky that they came up against the South Africans in transition with Kallis having just exited and Smith being there in name only. They caught them in the thirty seconds between Kallis and Smith leaving and De Kock establishing himself!
 
Random Aussie said:
Don't get all Pakistani on us now and blame everything on the captain. You have selectors are they stupid?
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The amount of matches played by Rohit Sharma's talent does prove Selectors are as thick as wood.On Umesh Yadav he has some issues with fitness although he is improving it with pace reduction.
 
Junaids said:
I think Australia's batting is pretty similar to in the desperate years of 1985-1988. Really, really mediocre.

Remember, the peak of Rogers' career coincided with Langer, Hayden and Katich and he was nowhere near good enough to displace them.

Australia is really lucky to have Harris and Johnson today and Cummins, Hazlewood and Pattinson tomorrow. They are always going to be pretty strong on home turf.

A better team than India would win this series. South Africa would win at a canter and I think even New Zealand would too. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

But that's modern Australia. Great bowling, mediocre batting.

And sooooooo lucky that they came up against the South Africans in transition with Kallis having just exited and Smith being there in name only. They caught them in the thirty seconds between Kallis and Smith leaving and De Kock establishing himself!
Click to expand...

What about Aus's performance in Asia does it even count in your opinion?
 
Not bad commentary from Clarke, it's always tough to commentate on your teammates but he's done alright.

The OZ under the pump a bit but if they can get through this new ball I think we would be looking at least 350+.
 
Junaids said:
I think Australia's batting is pretty similar to in the desperate years of 1985-1988. Really, really mediocre.

Remember, the peak of Rogers' career coincided with Langer, Hayden and Katich and he was nowhere near good enough to displace them.

Australia is really lucky to have Harris and Johnson today and Cummins, Hazlewood and Pattinson tomorrow. They are always going to be pretty strong on home turf.

A better team than India would win this series. South Africa would win at a canter and I think even New Zealand would too. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

But that's modern Australia. Great bowling, mediocre batting.

And sooooooo lucky that they came up against the South Africans in transition with Kallis having just exited and Smith being there in name only. They caught them in the thirty seconds between Kallis and Smith leaving and De Kock establishing himself!
Click to expand...

Agree, it's around on par with the Graeme Wood, Kepler Wessels and John Dyson days, when we only really had Border as a our gun batsman and Boon and Marsh had yet to establish themselves in the side. I guess for young people whose earliest memories of Australia were that of our side of the late 90s - 2000s where we had the likes of Hayden, Langer, Ponting, Martyn, Hussey, Symonds, Gilly as the top 7 where 4 of them averaged 50 and the other 3 45+ it's a big drop to the likes of Watson, Rogers, S Marsh et al who are averaging mid to high 30s.
 
JaDed said:
What about Aus's performance in Asia does it even count in your opinion?
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Absolutely, yes,

Poor under both Mickey Arthur (team of yes-men) and Darren Lehmann (too attacking due to his own Test inexperience in Asia).

But the fact remains, apart from against Australia's reserve bowlers in 2003-4, India has never been competitive in Australia in the last 30 years.

At various times England, South Africa, New Zealand and Pakistan have been, because they sometimes have outstanding pace attacks. But India was only competitive one single summer, 2003-4, and even then only because they dodged McGrath and Warne.

So Aussie crowds, who are pretty ignorant of away series, just think of India as whingeing losers who make aggressive gestures but aren't good enough to back it up with deeds.
 
Junaids said:
Absolutely, yes,

Poor under both Mickey Arthur (team of yes-men) and Darren Lehmann (too attacking due to his own Test inexperience in Asia).

But the fact remains, apart from against Australia's reserve bowlers in 2003-4, India has never been competitive in Australia in the last 30 years.

At various times England, South Africa, New Zealand and Pakistan have been, because they sometimes have outstanding pace attacks. But India was only competitive one single summer, 2003-4, and even then only because they dodged McGrath and Warne.

So Aussie crowds, who are pretty ignorant of away series, just think of India as whingeing losers who make aggressive gestures but aren't good enough to back it up with deeds.
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So in your opinion Aussie fans care only about Ashes and home tests whereas Asians who have 'supposedly' lost interest in test cricket care about home and away tests and should agree India is not competitive in Aus.
 
If someone could post the runs Warner&Smith have put up so far in this series compared to rest of the aus batsmen collectively it would be appreciated.
 
IAJ said:
If someone could post the runs Warner&Smith have put up so far in this series compared to rest of the aus batsmen collectively it would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Are you aware of a site called 'cricinfo'? Go and see for yourself.
 
JaDed said:
So in your opinion Aussie fans care only about Ashes and home tests whereas Asians who have 'supposedly' lost interest in test cricket care about home and away tests and should agree India is not competitive in Aus.
Click to expand...

I don't understand your post.

Here are my position statements:

1. Test cricket is alive and well in England.

2. In Australia, home Tests are well-supported against England and South Africa, and reasonably supported against everyone else. Unfortunately, South Africa have their own home commitments every Christmas/New Year period.

3. In South Africa, home Tests are variably attended, with the best crowds for Australia and England, as well as India in Durban.

4. In New Zealand, the boutique grounds (Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Wellington) get good crowds.

5. In Asia, Test crowds are disappointing. This may be due to failure to promote the game or due to Dickensian working conditions making it hard for people to get time off work.

My solution is simple. Outside England, 4 day Day/Night Tests over the weekend, with 110 overs per day.

And, like in Australia, other countries should ban broadcast of Tests in their local area until after Tea each day.
 
And what an incredible thrill to have Bill Lawry back for the day!

I still miss Greigy, and Richie's raspy snippets just make me sad, but it's lovely to see that Bill still has it. I'm no admirer of Victoria, but it's lovely to hear his wisdom. And he just turned sideways in the box, and that conk is still absolutely frightening! Needs another probscotomy!
 
JaDed said:
What about Aus's performance in Asia does it even count in your opinion?
Click to expand...

India has always been difficult for us, the only series in recent memory we won was with a team full of champions. It's our bogey country no doubt. But India is not the sum total of Asia. We won our last two tours of SL, our only one to the Desh, and the last two series in Pakistan we won one of them and drew the other. In the UAE Pakistan and Australia have delivered each other one flogging apiece.

Posters keep trying to peddle the myth we are no good anywhere in Asia, it's rubbish. We are no good in India.
 
Random Aussie said:
India has always been difficult for us, the only series in recent memory we won was with a team full of champions. It's our bogey country no doubt. But India is not the sum total of Asia. We won our last two tours of SL, our only one to the Desh, and the last two series in Pakistan we won one of them and drew the other. In the UAE Pakistan and Australia have delivered each other one flogging apiece.

Posters keep trying to peddle the myth we are no good anywhere in Asia, it's rubbish. We are no good in India.
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And that is a reflection on the fact that spin bowling stocks are at a low level.

Really, Australia currently stacks up like this:

Pace attack: superb
Spin attack: terrible
Openers: 1 excellent, 1 average
Middle-order: mediocre

That can work in Australia and South Africa, and has. But apart from South Africa, the last three away series read:

India 0-4
England 0-3 (2 draws)
Pakistan 0-2

I make no secret of blaming the Big Bash. Up and coming batsmen should be trying to bat all day in the heat of summer, in which every team would have to give their spinners a lot of overs.

But the First Class season is squeezed into Spring and Autumn and is a low-scoring affair in which fast and fast-medium bowlers clean up.

Until that changes, Australia will really struggle in the northern hemisphere.
 
Junaids said:
And that is a reflection on the fact that spin bowling stocks are at a low level.

Really, Australia currently stacks up like this:

Pace attack: superb
Spin attack: terrible
Openers: 1 excellent, 1 average
Middle-order: mediocre

That can work in Australia and South Africa, and has. But apart from South Africa, the last three away series read:

India 0-4
England 0-3 (2 draws)
Pakistan 0-2

I make no secret of blaming the Big Bash. Up and coming batsmen should be trying to bat all day in the heat of summer, in which every team would have to give their spinners a lot of overs.

But the First Class season is squeezed into Spring and Autumn and is a low-scoring affair in which fast and fast-medium bowlers clean up.

Until that changes, Australia will really struggle in the northern hemisphere.
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Even if you count Pakistan as an aberration, Australia have done badly in India for years (with their champion teams) and England (for the last 10 years).. It's not just a one-off phenomenon.
 
Sandeep said:
Even if you count Pakistan as an aberration, Australia have done badly in India for years (with their champion teams) and England (for the last 10 years).. It's not just a one-off phenomenon.
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I consider the 2005 Ashes to be highly suspicious. I've never considered fixing to be a purely Asian phenomenon, and I think 2005 is at best suspicious. The next Ashes series was when Australia was at a very low ebb in 2009, and then in 2013 the team selection was wrong because Mickey Arthur had vetoed Mitchell Johnson.

India can be a tough place to go and win. For a decade India had a great batting line-up and the mediocre bowling didn't really get exposed at home.

But New Zealand and South Africa and England usually make a much better fist of touring India, and sooner or later I wish that Cricket Australia would take the problem seriously.
 
Junaids said:
I consider the 2005 Ashes to be highly suspicious. I've never considered fixing to be a purely Asian phenomenon, and I think 2005 is at best suspicious. The next Ashes series was when Australia was at a very low ebb in 2009, and then in 2013 the team selection was wrong because Mickey Arthur had vetoed Mitchell Johnson.

India can be a tough place to go and win. For a decade India had a great batting line-up and the mediocre bowling didn't really get exposed at home.

But New Zealand and South Africa and England usually make a much better fist of touring India, and sooner or later I wish that Cricket Australia would take the problem seriously.
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Fixing? That's the first time I'm hearing of it.. Regarding 2005 ashes. Why do you say that? Is it just because a better team lost to a weaker team?
 
Johnson did not deserve selection in the 2013 Ashes.
 
Sandeep said:
Even if you count Pakistan as an aberration, Australia have done badly in India for years (with their champion teams) and England (for the last 10 years).. It's not just a one-off phenomenon.
Click to expand...

Again that's a simplification. Those Ashes series were competitive, nothing like the beltings we get in India.
 
Convict said:
Johnson did not deserve selection in the 2013 Ashes.
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We will have to agree to disagree.

I thought that on comeback in the third Test against South Africa at Perth in 2012-13 he was pretty good (2-54 and 4-110), and then against Sri Lanka I thought he was very good indeed (4-63, 2-16, 0-58, 3-34).

He then had only 1 Test in India at Delhi in which he was wicketless in 19 overs and he was out of the team and the squad!

So his 2012-13 home record was
3 Tests
15 wickets for 335
Average 22.33

Batting Innings: 7, 3, 92*, 13, 1*, average 37.67.

So I think it was a typical Mickey Arthur mistake to blackball him from the Ashes squad. I think Mitchell Johnson's renaissance started a year earlier than it is generally recognised to have.
 
Junaids said:
We will have to agree to disagree.

I thought that on comeback in the third Test against South Africa at Perth in 2012-13 he was pretty good (2-54 and 4-110), and then against Sri Lanka I thought he was very good indeed (4-63, 2-16, 0-58, 3-34).

He then had only 1 Test in India at Delhi in which he was wicketless in 19 overs and he was out of the team and the squad!

So his 2012-13 home record was
3 Tests
15 wickets for 335
Average 22.33

Batting Innings: 7, 3, 92*, 13, 1*, average 37.67.

So I think it was a typical Mickey Arthur mistake to blackball him from the Ashes squad. I think Mitchell Johnson's renaissance started a year earlier than it is generally recognised to have.
Click to expand...

That's not the word over here in WA- and we saw the most of him when he was rebuilding himself
 
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