Cricket - Australia in India

[wilde_oscar]

Well, what promises to be a very interesting test series has just started at Bangalore.

Ponting won the toss and elected to bat and after losing Hayden (caught behind off Khan - to a possibly incorrect decision, but it was very hard to call) to the third ball of the innings for a quacker. Ponting then joined Katich (who has edged Jacques out for the other opening slot) and they are in the process of putting on a decent partnership.

After taking off the quicks (Khan and Sharma) Kumble has elected to go with spin at each end, but both he and Harbhajan Singh do not seem to be posing much of a threat on what looks to be a pretty flat deck. The Indian skipper looks particularly off line and has conceeded too many easy runs (including leg byes) down leg side.

At the lunch break 27 overs had been bowled and Australia are 1/75 and Katch (28) and Ponting (41) look set to consolidate the innings and give the tourists something to build a decent total on.

It will be interesting to see how Cameron White, who was called up from grade cricket five days ago, will go when he makes his test debut at no. 8 later today or tomorrow.

Another update will follow tomorrow morning (Japan time) at some stage.

[SamhainP8]

The Indians have got their eyes on the prize.

[MacGyver]

Nice pic! That's where my eyes would be too! What's wrong with Tendulkar? Damn prude!

India should win this series quite comfortably. Can't really see Oz bowling India out enough times to win the series. Although Oz might be able to bat enough to draw a few tests.

Aussies cruising at the minute. 2 - 166 at tea on the first day of the first test, although by all accounts the track is a good batting deck and is predicted to be for the first few days. Only time will tell now as to how they go from here on out.

[Are they the lemmings?]

Haha. Nice pic. Reminds me of this facmous one.


And, of course, you can watch live TV coverage of the cricket right here.

[SamhainP8]

Good point that!



Nice knock by Ponting

[MacGyver]

It has begun. 4fa on a flat deck for the poultry output of 244 against an attack that lacked penetration and imagination, defended by fielders who you wouldn't call well-drilled, athletic, or even fit. No more batting to come (what's the bet Watto has a comb in his pocket while batting?) and the deck is still good for batting. My prediction is we get rolled for less than 350, the Indians bat for 2 days amassing 500+ and then roll us on the last day for less than 150.

[wilde_oscar]

Well, it's been quite a game. Alas, life & etc got in the way of hecking on the internet, but that's how things go.

One day left in this corker of a match and Australia seem to have have the upper hand through a very good first innings (except for poor efforts by Hayben and M. Clarke). I had expected little of Watson and his inital score of 2 made me look like Nostradamus. However, it was not to be and my predictions were as accurate as MacGuyver's . Watson took three pretty important Indian wickets and put on a vital (perhaps match-winning) partnership with Haddin towards the end of play yesterday.

With the exception of Sewag and Dravid, the Indian top order did not deliver all that they promised and it took a wagging tail to keep them in the game. The real surprise package was Mitchell Johnston who took 4 of the top 6 and should be right to open the attack of S. Clark is indisposed due to his elbow injury.

One would expect that India will be given around two and a half session to amass a little over 300 or so and that Ponting will really attack from the off. This is the time that Australia will miss Warne the most, but it looks like Ponting is getting the most out of his crew - unlike Kumble who looks flat and out of ideas.

The match is still in the balance but one would have to slightly favour Australia. I wonder what I'll be writing this time tomorrow....

[MacGyver]

Nope I didn't get it quite right, although I have said all along I don't see how we can bowl them out twice. Sure enough, it looks like we are struggling to do exactly that. We struggled to bowl them out in the first dig, let alone inside a day! Can't see the Indians chasing the required runs down either so a draw its gonna be. Also looks like our caution on day 1 has sunk us. By only getting 244 in a day on a decent batting wicket never gave us the required time to knock them over twice. And with the state of our bowling stocks, that's at least 3 days!

[wilde_oscar]

And a draw it was.

After the first match in the 4 match series it remains 0-0 which promises that the next test at Mohali, which starts Friday, will be even more important.

The Australian slow bowlers were, to be charitable, average. Katich has apparently ceased to roll the arm over which is a bit of a pity as White and M. Clarke did not really cause too much trouble. Only 4 wickets fell in India's final dig as good defensive play (the only real option after Sewag departed early) and bad light secured a draw for the hosts.

Australia had the edge in this match but could not capitalise and turn it into a victory.

Zaheer Khan, the man of the match, has a swipe at the Australian attack in the post match press-conference.

Other players under pressure include:

* Kumble - who went wicketless and showed a decided lack of flair in his field settings and grassed a couple of catches. They do win matches after all.
* Haddin - who now holds the Australian record for most byes conceded (39) - especially of interest when one notes that in the 5 additional overs of the Australian inning on the fifth day 35 runs were scored. His work with the willow was, however, quite impressive even if he is no Gilchrist.
* Hayden - Two digs for a total of 13 does not inspire confidence in this aging warhorse.
* White - one test in and one scalp (Tendulkar's - which is not small matter). The real pressure on white and, to a lesser extent, Watson will be from the Australian press and public who are looking to these two to pick up the slack created by the retirment of some of the game's greats. Very large shoes to fill.

*Symonds still has plenty of time to enjoy his fishing and at this stage can be confident of a recall to the squad for the upcoming home series.

To end on a very positive note, although there was a bit of argy-bargy from the teams there were not real dummy spits and no disputation of any umpire's decision which is a very good thing indeed.

So, stay tuned to LJ when the second test begins to see if either team can claim a vital one match lead in this crucial series.

[MacGyver]

Australia had the edge in this match but could not capitalise and turn it into a victory.

I've also read commentators say that Australia played the better cricket and should have won or didn't turn the advantage into win and so forth. Can't say I agree. We only got 244 on day 1 when the pitch was at its best. We struggled to knock them over in their first dig. We then again didn't score quickly enough in our 2nd dig to give us enough time to knock them over, and then we didn't knock them over on the last day. I think its fair to say the teams were pretty much even the whole test match. No team ever looked like taking the match from the other team. I think its fair to say both teams were overly cautious. Neither team played agressively enough nor took the required risks to take the game away from the other team. That's how India plays its cricket so no surprises there (they would rather draw on the final day and not lose than try to chase down a total for a win). That's not how we play our cricket (we'd rather try to chase and lose rather than be negative for a draw and not lose) but at the moment we just don't have the necessary ability and experience. Obviously we have some class batsman but they don't have a whole lot of experience in India, and bowlers have virtually no experience in India. Indeed, our "spinner" was a test debutant. So we are going to be under the pump the whole series I reckon.

Zaheer Khan, the man of the match, has a swipe at the Australian attack in the post match press-conference.

Meh. I read his comments and its typical. All Indian cricketers are all talk no action. Although I guess its fair to say its not their fault. They aren't brought up playing tough, take no prisoners cricket like the Aussies. Its interesting that he said we played defensive cricket. He's right but considering India never plays aggressive cricket, its a bit rich.

* Haddin - who now holds the Australian record for most byes conceded (39) - especially of interest when one notes that in the 5 additional overs of the Australian inning on the fifth day 35 runs were scored. His work with the willow was, however, quite impressive even if he is no Gilchrist.

Tough deck to keep on though. Plus the bowlers didn't make it easy on him. Some of the pies down leg side they sent down, in particular Lee, were really wides, even in a test match. And there's only one Gilly. Any comparison to his batting isn't fair. There are very few batsmen in world cricket at the moment, possibly even ever, that are explosive as he was. The fact that he was also a proper keeper (not one of these batsmen first keeper second to get an extra player in the 11 type keepers) just adds to his legacy.

* White - one test in and one scalp (Tendulkar's - which is not small matter). The real pressure on white and, to a lesser extent, Watson will be from the Australian press and public who are looking to these two to pick up the slack created by the retirment of some of the game's greats. Very large shoes to fill.

White's not a test cricketer. Unfortunate cause I had high hopes for him when he came on the scene but that's just the way it goes. The selectors need to settle on one specialist spinner and give him a good run. Can't expect a spinner to be settled if you keep changing them every second test. Worth noting that the greatest spinner ever (note I said spinner not chucker) took 1-150 odd on debut and it took him a few test matches before he really started to take wickets. As Watto, the less said about him the better. Actually I kinda hope he finds his feet in test match cricket cause its obvious that the selectors are going to persist with him, even if it means dropping a better player cause he went fishing.

no disputation of any umpire's decision which is a very good thing indeed.

Not walking when you get caught at first slip and a half, and not walking after you get caught at cover are pretty close though. Certainly not within the spirit of the game. I'm happy to let them off the hook seeing as Punter didn't walk, although its also fair to say that there was a considerable amount of doubt in his and the ump gave him not out. However, had our batsmen not walked when obviously out (caught at first slip and cover respectively) the Indian media and players would have had said something about it. No doubt there is a double standard going on and it gets back to how the Indians play their cricket and also are treated in general off the field.

[wilde_oscar]

Australia in big trouble on day four of the second test.

They will have to bat very well to get out of gaol here.

One wonders what total Dhoni will set them and how long he will give his attack to take 10 Australian wickets.

Goodness me.

[MacGyver]

I thought 4 sessions may not be enough. Looks like one session may be enough....

[wilde_oscar]

I thought 4 sessions may not be enough. Looks like one session may be enough....

You said it.

Barring some very good play (or very bad weather) Australia will be one down.

And deservedly so after they way they have played.

[Are they the lemmings?]

What a thrashing. Not much else to say, really. "A darned good [Indian]-style thrashing, six of the best, trousers down".

Elsewhere, Peter Roebuck calls on players like Symonds and Hayden to start acting like the senior members of the team mow that McGrath, Warne and Gilchrist have retired.

[MacGyver]

What a thrashing. Not much else to say, really. "A darned good [Indian]-style thrashing, six of the best, trousers down".

Elsewhere, Peter Roebuck calls on players like Symonds and Hayden to start acting like the senior members of the team mow that McGrath, Warne and Gilchrist have retired.

Peter Roebuck is a retard. Its hard to believe he ever played first-class cricket. He shows little knowledge of the game and even less insight. And he rarely has a good thing to say about the Aussies. The way he criticizes makes you wonder why he moved to Oz. Your typical whinging pom perhaps?

[wilde_oscar]

Well, the next match is but a day or so away and it really will be a test of character and resolve for the tourists. They will need to win the remaining two matches to take the series which, at this stage, looks unlikely.

However, a the future is an unwritten book and there is a lot of cricket still to come.

[wilde_oscar]

All over red rover.

India - 2 Australia- 0.

Ponting pretty much threw away any chance in the 4th test to avoid personal suspention against New Zealad in a week or two. Poor leadership, poor captiancy and poor cricket all round.


The only bright spot was Jason Krejza - lots of wickets and lots of runs. A regular excitement machine!