Australia vs India | 1st Test | Melbourne | Boxing day

[the_game]

Poor effort by India. Even though I do not want them to win at all, I expected them to put up a better fight than this.

 

[flawed_genius]

Hogg > Macgill. Hands down.

Even Pakistan batted better at MCG and India has suprerior batting line up. Shameful stuff.

Disgraced the nation today. Spineless.

 

[PlanetPakistan]

well played AUS but very disappointed by IND's tactics and attitude. They have tried opening with Dravid in the past and he failed even when he was in great form so how can they expect a totally out of form Dravid to do well as an opener? Secondly every one from Ian Chappell to an average PPer knows that you have to play positive cricket to beat AUS yet Indians were defensive through out the game.

Positives from the game: Tendulkar- Ganguly
Negatives- Too many to list.

 

[the_game]

Did Yousuf not score a brilliant century against both Warne and McGrath at Melbourne in 2004? Wonder what happened to the 'Godly' Indian batting line-up.

 

[flawed_genius]

I would say the postive would be that they have found decent bowlers who can pick up wickets and that's about it.

Tendu and Ganguly and co needed to make big scores and not just minor ones.

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

Did Yousuf not score a brilliant century against both Warne and McGrath at Melbourne in 2004? Wonder what happened to the 'Godly' Indian batting line-up.

What does Yousuf scoring in 2004 have to do with anything?

Your second question is more easily answerable: Opening combo.

 

[flawed_genius]

This is how it went the_game:

http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2004-05/PAK_IN_AUS/SCORECARDS/PAK_AUS_T2_26-30DEC2004.html

We were without Inzi too!

Compare to India:

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ausvind/engine/current/match/291351.html

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

First laugh I have had all day after what was a depressing match.

From an Indian website:

Poster # 1: Taare zameen par.
Poster # 2: Now its saare zameen par.

 

[UsmanhailsAfridi]

This is how it went the_game:

http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2004-05/PAK_IN_AUS/SCORECARDS/PAK_AUS_T2_26-30DEC2004.html

We were without Inzi too!

Compare to India:

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ausvind/engine/current/match/291351.html

why are you comparing....it doesn't prove anything really...

australia are now without mcgrath and warne ....so no point in comparing...

 

[Punter]

Can't believe that India were bowled out for a lower score than they made in the first innings knowing that they had two whole day's to bat

 

[flawed_genius]

I was just providing the scorecard for the_game. Then also chucked in todays scorecard.

 

[the_game]

I was just providing the scorecard for the_game. Then also chucked in todays scorecard.

Hey, I loved the comparison ! Thanks buddy.

 

[Rickz]

Very well played Australia. Dreadfall batting by the Indians, they were too timid in this match, to take on Australia, you need to play postive cricket.

Only a few postives, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Laxman and Dravid all spent some time out in the middle. In the bowling deparment, Zaheer and Kumble bowled well.

Dravid and Laxman should go back to their normal spot of 3 and 6. Yuvraj should be dropped in favour of an opener, I would say Sehwag.

 

[Rickz]

LoL total annihalation, in the build up to this match they talked so much crap of giving a challenge they cudnt even score 200 once , exciting match , aussies demolished india to say the least

What do you expect having no practice matches? India will get better hopefully.

 

[Disco_Lemonade]

First laugh I have had all day after what was a depressing match.

From an Indian website:

Poster # 1: Taare zameen par.
Poster # 2: Now its saare zameen par.

 

[the_love_machine]

Lol, forget about it mate! I'm banking on Australia to finish this off tomorrow, and that way we'll get to spend New Years Eve partying. Whereas the Indians will have to reflect on thier performance, and learn how to put up a better fight against the mighty Australians. I reckon even 60 overs is enough for us to bowl out the Indians, hence we could have batted up to day 5 lunch and still win the game. Will some team please give us a challenge.............

Oh and btw, who needs McGrath and Warne? Johnson, Tait and Hogg have filled in the void left by these players, and the fact of the matter is we got bundles of talent waiting to be unleashed at the International level. That's just the way it works with us.

Australia 4, India 0. Anyone?

I reckon I should be the Nostradamus of cricket. 60 overs vs 74 overs, close enough, wasn't I Rajan? So much for India putting up a good fight lol. I expect us to play the same type of cricket we have played in this match for the rest of the series, hence a 4-0 result is the most likely outcome. The fact of the matter is we are the best team in the world, and are virtually unbeatable at home.

It's also apparent to me that we are the more dedicated team on the field. Let me tell you that it's a great honour for an Australian to represent his country, but this doesn't quite apply to India, which is in evidence through their lethargic attitude when fielding. It's almost as if they couldn't care less about the match, knowing that they'll still be earning more than their match fees through the ridiculous sum of money they earn via advertisements.

 

[OZGOD]

Right on cue!

 

[Perth93]

hope india lose 4-0.

so we can spring-clean this termite ridden team.

chuck out the insecure Dravids, the irresponsible Tendys and the impatient Gangulys.

and fire the ODI-overdosed pampered bats like Yuvi and Dhoni who should take lessons from the likes of Chanderpaul and Collingwood on test match batting.


drop RP, get pathan in.
drop jaffer, get sehwag in.
drop yuvi, get ishant in.

open with sehwag and pathan.
play 5 bowlers.

 

[aggarwald]

hope india lose 4-0.

so we can spring-clean this termite ridden team.

chuck out the insecure Dravids, the irresponsible Tendys and the impatient Gangulys.

and fire the ODI-overdosed pampered bats like Yuvi and Dhoni who should take lessons from the likes of Chanderpaul and Collingwood on test match batting.


drop RP, get pathan in.
drop jaffer, get sehwag in.
drop yuvi, get ishant in.

open with sehwag and pathan.
play 5 bowlers.

What a knee jerk reaction! A no good bowler like Pathan suddenly appears better now, when RP has bowled better than other Indians recently? An iron footed player with zero technique like Sehwag, who has become a major embarassment in the last 2-3 years (in both test and ODIs) with the way he gets out, is a better player than Jaffer now? And Ishant for Yuvi?

I'd say that this Indian team is just not good enough. In fact, I would say that even the replacements won't be good enough. Until India makes competetive and sporting pitches as a norm in both domestic and internatational circuits at home, we'll continue to suffer when we tour abroad.

 

[Perth93]

A no good bowler like Pathan suddenly appears better now, when RP has bowled better than other Indians recently? An iron footed player with zero technique like Sehwag, who has become a major embarassment in the last 2-3 years (in both test and ODIs) with the way he gets out, is a better player than Jaffer now? And Ishant for Yuvi?

u amuse me, mate.

when did sehwag embarass us??
Dont judge a player by his ODI records - in fact, the better an ODI record usually means a bad test player.

sehwag still avearges arnd 50 in tests (Minnowbasher Yuvi barely 30)


sehwag delivered in the tough wickets of Oz, Pak, England so many times.
jaffer is a sissy who's nudged away on slow windies tracks or at home.


and less said about yuvi, the better. keep him for 'pyjama/underwear' cricket. duznt have an iota of mental strength, no technique...another useless dhoni in the making.

i picked pathan solely because we need someone who's BRAVE enough to open. dravid is better at no. 3. RP Singh is off the boil and is turning out to be anudda Nehra - so Pathan wudnt mean too much loss in bowling.

ishant, with his height, DESERVES a debut on Oz tracks.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Lack of preparation meant india were always on for a hiding in this series.

They dont have 2 play in perth till 4th test so am sure india will be praying that they get it together at in 2nd and 3rd tests.

Aussies at their ruthless best!

 

[Saj]

A rather one sided test after the first day.

I think the Indians were undercooked for this test having only played a rain hit warmup victory. I really cant believe that touring teams got to OZ and expect to dow well straight up, having only arranged one warmup fixture.

 

[daily_dreamer]

This is how it went the_game:

http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2004-05/PAK_IN_AUS/SCORECARDS/PAK_AUS_T2_26-30DEC2004.html

We were without Inzi too!

Compare to India:

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ausvind/engine/current/match/291351.html

That was an agonising test match to watch. At 286/3 in their first innings and then having Aus 241/7 in their first innings there was a realistic chance that Pak may have actually won a test in Australia....but alas they lacked the killer instinct. Mohammed Yousuf's hundred in the first innings was a masterclass particularly against Warne.

 

[Tupac]

another ruthless performance from the aussies and we just didn't bat well. We need to put it behind us and bring in Sehwag for Sydney. Attack is the only way to beat the aussies. Eventually they are going to get you.

 

[aggarwald]

u amuse me, mate.

when did sehwag embarass us??
Dont judge a player by his ODI records - in fact, the better an ODI record usually means a bad test player.

sehwag still avearges arnd 50 in tests (Minnowbasher Yuvi barely 30)


sehwag delivered in the tough wickets of Oz, Pak, England so many times.
jaffer is a sissy who's nudged away on slow windies tracks or at home.

I am not judging Sehwag by his ODI record. I am judging by the way he has been playing in general, in both Tests and ODIs. A pathetic lack of technique with extremely poor reflexes (who said his hand-eye coordination is better?) who has a tendency to get caught in the slips/caught behind. If you are so obsessed about just Tests alone, go and check out his record in tests in the last 2-3 years. His average is probably in 30s there, and that too because of some meaningless scores in some dead matches on dead tracks (190 in WI recently, 200 in 1st test when India toured Pak). Go check out his average against England when a depleted English side toured us in 2006 and how Hoggard/Flintoff/Harmison made him dance on Indian tracks. How he was quickly dispatched off to pavilion every single time when there was even a wee bit in the wicket for the bowlers. He was never available whenever India needed him to score in the last 2-3 years. Sehwag scored earlier in his career because of the "shock value" of his unconventional style of playing. But now he has been "found" out.

But I hope he plays in the remaining 3 tests and dig the final nail in his coffin.

 

[pakcricketfan]

India lost badly!!! Aussies won convincingly!! If I'm not wrong its the 3rd heaviest defeat (337 runs) for India!
161 is no score..considering the 'strong' batting line up of India..they cud not pass even the 200 mark in both the innings! Just before going to Australia, Kumble said that they'll win by their batting!!

It is very difficult to beat Australia in Australia!!
Aussies r heading for a record..this was their 15th consecutive test win..! The current record is of 16 consecutive wins held by Ausralia themselves!

WAY to GO, AUSSIES!!!

 

[pakcricketfan]

First laugh I have had all day after what was a depressing match.

From an Indian website:

Poster # 1: Taare zameen par.
Poster # 2: Now its saare zameen par.

 

[Rickz]

India lost badly!!! Aussies won convincingly!! If I'm not wrong its the 3rd heaviest defeat (337 runs) for India!
161 is no score..considering the 'strong' batting line up of India..they cud not pass even the 200 mark in both the innings! Just before going to Australia, Kumble said that they'll win by their batting!!

It is very difficult to beat Australia in Australia!!
Aussies r heading for a record..this was their 15th consecutive test win..! The current record is of 16 consecutive wins held by Ausralia themselves!

WAY to GO, AUSSIES!!!

Agreed.

Now India must put this loss behind them and play good, hard, postive cricket in the remaining 3 tests. I hope Yuvraj gets dropped in favour of Sehwag.

Last time India stopped Australia's best ever test winning streak at 16, they are on 15 at the moment and they are also 15 years unbeaten at him, will India stop them again this time? Only time will tell.

 

[MarathaPride]

What an entirely predictable performance by our much vaunted ( )batting lineup.

The biggest positive from this is that Yuvi and Dhoni have been very clearly shown their lowly place when its actually showtime. Hopefully, they will come back strongly.