Australia v Pakistan | 2nd Test | Melbourne | Dec 26-30, 2016 | Day 1

[Justcrazy]

Hazelwood bowling really well here , Azhar needs to get through this phase.

 

[Boi]

Azhar off to a nervous start. Needs to keep it together here.

 

[On_the_up]

The pace of the pitch shouldn't worry Pakistan, can they play the short ball well? both in attack and defence.

 

[Pakprideuk]

Azhar gets through this 7-8 over period, he will cash in big on this wicket. That's why i prefer Azhar batting one down. He would score a lot more runs if he doesnt get these good ones first up. He's one of the few who can bat through the day without fail.

 

[Adnan_Ilyas]

Come on rotate strike!!

 

[ExplicitAI]

C'mon guys grind them down.

 

[Faisalabadimunda]

70k Expected Today

 

[Aman]

crowd building up nicely now.

 

[Justcrazy]

Sami yet to get off mark .

 

[heddie19]

Azhar gets through this 7-8 over period, he will cash in big on this wicket. That's why i prefer Azhar batting one down. He would score a lot more runs if he doesnt get these good ones first up. He's one of the few who can bat through the day without fail.

couldnt agree more

 

[Haroon786]

Do not make any false posts about the match, if done punitive action will be taken.

 

[ExplicitAI]

Off the mark finally

 

[Saeed]

Slow batting as usual.

 

[On_the_up]

I really hope Sami can get a big one on this tour, will do the young lad wonders.

 

[world cup captain]

Slow batting as usual.

Nothing wrong with this, even the head curator said this is the style that suits this pitch.

 

[Junaids]

Those Sami Aslam front foot and back foot averages are telling.

The only two Pakistanis I've ever seen play properly on the front foot in Australia are Saeed Anwar and Salman Butt. Everyone else is okay off the back foot, but on the front foot just limply prods outside off stump.

 

[godzilla]

Azhar gets through this 7-8 over period, he will cash in big on this wicket. That's why i prefer Azhar batting one down. He would score a lot more runs if he doesnt get these good ones first up. He's one of the few who can bat through the day without fail.

theres not that much difference getting a good one up front or getting two good ones up front which would be the difference between opening and one down in terms of risk i would have thought, no?

 

[ExplicitAI]

Happy with the manner in which runs have been scored, look to hit the singles (doubles in this case).

 

[shaz619]

crowd building up nicely now.

did you seriously expect a full house the moment play began? seriously your posts are getting ridiculous, i don't think you've ever attended any kind of event but even then it doesn't take a genius to work out that a crowd builds up over a period of time

 

[Saeed]

Nothing wrong with this, even the head curator said this is the style that suits this pitch.

I just hope they won't get out after going through this much hardwork. They always get out after blocking so many balls.

 

[Haroon786]

Sami off the mark.

 

[ExplicitAI]

Aggressive fielding there.

 

[ExplicitAI]

Cream some boundaries man.

 

[Justcrazy]

Another maiden.

 

[shaz619]

both vaughan and swaan have been brilliant analysts for BT

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

Standard Start by Pakistan.... RR 1.33 (not too bad given the situation)

 

[Justcrazy]

Bird now in.

 

[Sarfarazian92]

both vaughan and swaan have been brilliant analysts for BT

True.

Have thoroughly enjoyed their analysis since the beginning of SA-Aus series. Something different yet enjoyable.

 

[ExplicitAI]

Both openers are shuffling grinders. Not ones that can impose their presence early on.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

Beautiful Cover Drive Sami

 

[Justcrazy]

Sami lucky to survive , inside edge.

 

[ExplicitAI]

finally

 

[On_the_up]

So far so good.

Confidence should be increasing with every wkt less over, the 4 man attack will start to feel some pressure.

Australia haven't won a red ball test for a while now.

If Pak can get near 400 (long way to go obviously), with 3 newbies in the top 6, they can really turn the screw.

 

[On_the_up]

Lyon might be getting through quite a few today.

 

[Justcrazy]

Hazelwood will not give much away here.

 

[Justcrazy]

So far so good.

Confidence should be increasing with every wkt less over, the 4 man attack will start to feel some pressure.

Australia haven't won a red ball test for a while now.

If Pak can get near 400 (long way to go obviously), with 3 newbies in the top 6, they can really turn the screw.

Wait , long time to go now.

 

[Justcrazy]

15 from 8 overs , not a that good.

 

[On_the_up]

15 from 8 overs , not a that good.

It isn't an ODI, its a pretty good start.

 

[Pakprideuk]

Its about working these bowlers down. Theyve had a lot of overs recently. The longer theyre out there, the easier for pakistan.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

Break these bowlers down !!! Grind Them !!

 

[Justcrazy]

Steady bowling by Aussies so far , Pakistan again lack rotation of strike.

 

[Justcrazy]

lyon will be brought in soon.

 

[Adnan_Ilyas]

Far too many dots

 

[Justcrazy]

16 from 11 overs.

Not good. This is not that difficult pitch.

 

[world cup captain]

lyon will be brought in soon.

Suggests that Australia are a bit lost here, they expected to have Pakistan at least one down but clearly they are a bit lost.

 

[Justcrazy]

Lyon on now.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Sami

 

[Justcrazy]

Suggests that Australia are a bit lost here, they expected to have Pakistan at least one down but clearly they are a bit lost.

But they have not given away too many runs.

 

[heddie19]

and lyon gets sami

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

End of Sami in test cricket I think.

 

[On_the_up]

Wkt, that was a ripper!

 

[Markhor]

The MCG curator himself said batsmen should take time to settle at the wicket. Nothing wrong with blunting the new ball and wearing the bowlers down.

Key was always to get through the first 12-15 overs.

 

[Justcrazy]

Sami gone , he is not good against spin

 

[Sarfarazian92]

abey yaar

 

[Big Mac]

Wkt, that was a ripper!

Was a decent ball, nothing more. Terrible batting.

 

[Saeed]

There you go. After playing so many balls he gets out.

 

[Pakprideuk]

Waah. My guy done all the hardwork and gave catching practice against the least threatning bowler!

 

[Markhor]

After all that hard work against the pacers and you succumb to spin

 

[HussainRx8]

Both openers are shuffling grinders. Not ones that can impose their presence early on.

You need runs too. What a successfyul inning by Sami. He grinded down both Starc and Hazelwood. Now we need Babar to grind down Lyon, so we can manage 25/2.

 

[LordJames]

Don't make Lyon look like Warne!

 

[Justcrazy]

Sami has failed yet again , second innings he has to score , otherwise he may be dropped.

 

[Aman]

did you seriously expect a full house the moment play began? seriously your posts are getting ridiculous, i don't think you've ever attended any kind of event but even then it doesn't take a genius to work out that a crowd builds up over a period of time

95% of the upper tier was empty and every second seat was unoccupied on the ground tier..

 

[AlphaFighter]

Sami is the oppositions dream, just like Misbah really.

 

[world cup captain]

First wicket down and people are already bashing. Wonderful!

 

[Buffet]

Poor batting to get out here.

 

[heddie19]

End of Sami in test cricket I think.

Not at all

 

[LordJames]

Sami has failed yet again , second innings he has to score , otherwise he may be dropped.

Shouldn't be dropped....Kid did his job and blunted the ball

 

[Justcrazy]

Pakistan problem is lack of rotation of strike.

After 12 overs they should have been 30 / 1 instead of 18 .

 

[Arham_PakFan]

The hell was Azhar doing there?

 

[shaz619]

First wicket down and people are already bashing. Wonderful!

It was a terrible dismissal, handed a freeby to the Aussies; it's an embarrassment for an opener to get out to a spinner in the first session of the first day in any part of the world never mind this wicket in AUS.

 

[Justcrazy]

Shouldn't be dropped....Kid did his job and blunted the ball

Talent is not the only thing . You need to score , otherwise its unfair on others who are performing in first class , need to give them a fair chance as well.

 

[On_the_up]

Lucky not to be 2 down. Took an age to drop but away from the fielder.

 

[LordJames]

Talent is not the only thing . You need to score , otherwise its unfair on others who are performing in first class , need to give them a fair chance as well.

Its Test team and not Musical Chairs that anyone performing in Domestics should be drafted in to Play in Australia on Boxing day

Sami is fine for Test Cricket and will learn in time.

No big deal so far

 

[Justcrazy]

19 / 1

13 overs !

Lack of rotation of strike again hurting Pakistan

 

[Justcrazy]

Its Test team and not Musical Chairs that anyone performing in Domestics should be drafted in to Play in Australia on Boxing day

Sami is fine for Test Cricket and will learn in time.

No big deal so far

If Domestic cricket is not criteria , what should it be ?

Sami has been given enough chances.

 

[Junaids]

This is a 500+ wicket.

Batsmen in the First Innings on these tracks owe their team a knock of at least 70.

I am a supporter of both Azhar and Sami but they paralyse the team opening together.

In Australia it should have been Sami with Salman Butt, with Azhar at 3 and Babar coming in when the ball is older and softer.

 

[On_the_up]

If Domestic cricket is not criteria , what should it be ?

Sami has been given enough chances.

He got a 90 a couple of tests ago.

Put the gun down.

 

[Junaids]

Talent is not the only thing . You need to score , otherwise its unfair on others who are performing in first class , need to give them a fair chance as well.

The two openers who performed in First Class are Imam and Salman Butt.

 

[world cup captain]

It was a terrible dismissal, handed a freeby to the Aussies; it's an embarrassment for an opener to get out to a spinner in the first session of the first day in any part of the world never mind this wicket in AUS.

No doubt it was a poor dismissal, however, the starts we have had, this is nothing compared to them.

 

[desirous of desire]

babar just brings the bat forward and hopes that it will meet the ball