Sri Lanka vs Australia | 2nd ODI | Hambantota | Aug 14

[Fawad2010]

Clarke and Ponting in the middle now

 

[ninjafirstslip]

lol even when he is bowld watto cries like a little girl shouting unfair

 

[ShaunMarshRules]

Even England beat this lot 3-2 home and away. Aussies were always favourites contrary to popular PP opinion.

But Sri Lanka beat Aussies 2-1 in Australia last year, and murdered England in the WC quarter final. Also, 2 of their losses to england came on very foreign, swinging seaming pitches unlike what they have at home.

While I never expected either team to thrash the other, this is poor from Sri Lanka, really. They're a good enough team that they should be beating Australia at home. The batting line up in particular is too dependent on 2-3 batsmen, which is why they can be inconsistent.

 

[Fawad2010]

Back to Back 50's for Ponting



Good to him getting some runs, he crossed 13,500 today

 

[ShaunMarshRules]

Does anyone else find it astonishing how often Watson gets out between 40 and 70? this happened in the ashes too- I think at one point he had something like 12-13 scores out of 15 innings in the 30-95 range. He's almost invincible to the new ball, but he seems to throw it away religiously once he's set.

 

[WalkingWiggett]

Does anyone else find it astonishing how often Watson gets out between 40 and 70? this happened in the ashes too- I think at one point he had something like 12-13 scores out of 15 innings in the 30-95 range. He's almost invincible to the new ball, but he seems to throw it away religiously once he's set.

Watson seems to get 100s in ODIs more easily but has a higher average in Tests. It's hard to criticize a batsman averaging 45-50 in Tests, including against strong attacks e.g. England.

Watson is a quality all-rounder, probably the best in the world ATM apart from Jacques Kallis.

 

[James]

Yep SL are far too dependent on 2 or 3 players which is why some of us don't really rate them.

Watto is a good player but his conversion rate is terrible. I don't think it's any great mystery, he just isn't that strong mentally.

 

[ninjafirstslip]

Yep SL are far too dependent on 2 or 3 players which is why some of us don't really rate them.

Watto is a good player but his conversion rate is terrible. I don't think it's any great mystery, he just isn't that strong mentally.

sledge him proper and he will have a melt down...behind all that muscle he is avery big softie

 

[ShaunMarshRules]

Watson seems to get 100s in ODIs more easily but has a higher average in Tests. It's hard to criticize a batsman averaging 45-50 in Tests, including against strong attacks e.g. England.

Watson is a quality all-rounder, probably the best in the world ATM apart from Jacques Kallis.

I did say he was almost invincible against the new ball, so I'm hardly bashing him. It's just that he would be almost Bradman, if he could carry on after his starts. It's quite amazing, really.

Here's his run of consecutive scores in tests last winter, so you can see what I mean more clearly -

56, 57, 32, 36, 41*, 51, 57, 13, 95, 5, 54, 45, 38

That's 11 out of 13 scores between 32 and 95


Only one year before, he had another wild run of similar nature:

62, 53, 51, 34, 40, 0, 96, 48, 89, 30, 93

That's 10 out of 11 innings between 30 and 96. . I'm certain I could find similar crazy runs in ODIs, but I think I've made my point.

In particular, most of those two streaks cover innings against England in Australia, England in England and Pakistan in australia (with Asif and Aamir). To be that consistent seeing off the best new-ball attacks in the world is simply mind-boggling.

Also baffling the fact that someone who seems so solid against swing and pace early on can't get daddy hundreds :s. Just brought it up after he got out out in the 40s again today...

 

[James]

Precisely why I would never pick Watson in a world test XI. I would rather my opener get a few failures and a couple of match-changing hundreds every season than a string of inconsequential 40s. Sehwag and Cook over Watson any day.

 

[ShaunMarshRules]

Ponting may be old and past it, but he can still make it count when he gets going. Murdering the Sri Lankans. 2-0 australia...

 

[cricketindiafan]

Lankans getting streamrolled at home now. Australia finding it far too easy.

Punter batting as well as he has ever done.

 

[James]

I still rate Ponting as the best Australian batsman in all formats of the game, he should be kept around for a few more years while all the young players develop.

 

[WalkingWiggett]

I found this match surprisingly dull, apart from Brett Lee's wicket of Dilshan.

Nice that the Aussies are winning and all, but still dull all the same.

 

[Cricfan4eva]

Sri Lanka's bowling looks completely toothless without Muralitharan. Also Malinga looked quite ordinary, looks like he put all his effort in IPL.

 

[Buffet]

Where are the people who were underestimating the Australian side in ODI. Australian side in ODI is still good even in SC. I saw people predicting earlier 5-0 or 4-1 win from Sri Lanka.

I did not predict anything for the series but I was very surprised by comments on Australian ODI team.