• You may have to login or register before you can post and view our exclusive members only forums.
    To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

English Cricket/ *The Ashes*!

Forums Unread posts
Re: English Cricket

From an English perspective, i think North will be dropped after this series. Unless he does something very dramatic in the rest of the tour. Peter Siddle may find a way back in to the bowling attack for the Ashes, because Hilfy and Johnson are very ordinary bowlers. Hilfy and Doughey got some reverse swing...but Johnson is just a fast bowler who bowls outside off stump, he does not have anything else in his arsenal.

So it will be Hughes opening with Watson and Katich in the middle order for the Ashes.

The bowling attack will probably be Johnson, Doug Bollinger, Peter Siddle or Hilfenhaus and Hauritz with Watson, Clarke, and Katich sharing the fifth bowler role.

Hughes
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey (He may get the drop too....he is in poor form, and has been for two years. Only i'm not sure, who they have to replace. Steve Smith?)
Katich
Paine (I'm impressed...very nice young man, and a good bat. I'm not sure he has it in him to score big runs, but he does have a solid technique)
Johnson
Hauritz
Siddle/Hilfenhaus
Bollinger


Indians look hell bent on playing the Aussies back into form. Johnson has a 5-for despite bowling awfully. Indians had 4 50s in their innings, yet none of them scoring big 100s is a huge let off. VVS Laxman had a back spasm and could not bat, but that still does not justify giving a slender lead to Aussies, especially considering they were 350 for 4 at one stage, with Ishant Sharma the night watchman being one of the 4 wickets. They had a brilliant chance to bat Australia out of this test, but wasted it. To watch Tendulkar get out to North after having scored 98 runs was painful. This is probably the first time he has gotten out to an Australian spin bowler.
 
Re: English Cricket

I have tried to keep an Ashes point of view to this thread...

but fuck Ashes...what a match!

At Lunch on day 5 India need 54 runs with two wickets in hand. VVS Laxman is batting with the tail. Very Very Special Laxman is suffering from back spasms. He did not set a foot in the field for 3 days, and came out to bat at number 11 in the first innings and looked and played like a cripple. He had to come out and play with a runner, and he still looks like a cripple...but fuck me, what an Innings. On a pitch where every other batsman in Australian and Indian line up have struggled, Sachin Tendulkar and Laxman looked in a different class. Even Tendulkar left him in a limbo when he miscued his pet ODI stroke - the upper cut. Laxman is still fighting and is playing a blinder...attacking test match innings 48 runs on 46 balls. It's not a lot of runs, but any proper test match fan would be able to tell you how difficult it is to play in the 4th Innings in India. This is a wicket that offers vicious bounce, movement in the air and plenty of turn for the slow bowlers too. The wicket is a bit slow too, making it even more difficult for stroke making.

The back spasm is a reminder that the end is nigh for Tendulkar, Dravid, and Laxman but India have been seriously lucky to have these three batsmen playing for them in the last 15 years. They cannot be replaced. The comfort of having them in the team was necessary for a player like Sehwag to go after bowling attacks. I'm not sure if he can sustain that attacking style once these guys go.

India and Australia have dished out some of the most entertaining test match cricket in the last decade. This one is another cliffhanger that has had a momentum change in every day of the match. Proper test match cricket. India would still feel that lady luck was not on their side, Laxman's backspasm making him an invalid in the first innings and Ishant Sharma's knee injure meant he could not bowl for a day, and they got some really harsh calls from the on-field and third umpires, but you have got to give credit to Australians for taking their chance and also for fighting till the end to earn that chance.

Well played....
 
Re: English Cricket

VVS has nailed the Aussies for the nth time!!!!

w h a t a p l a y e r...


haha....that should take the confidence right out of Ricky Ponting and his men
 
Re: English Cricket

what a match! Kingjulian thanks for the updates - one thing i cant fathom is why india would refuse to have the UDRS system - some of the umpiring was shocking in India's second innings Ishant and Gambhir were not out on their LBW calls.

A fantastic innings from Laxman under stress and in duress as well. A quality player - i woke up this morning and saw India on 130/8 and put a tenner on India to win at 11/4 and £5 on a draw at 200/1!

Stunning match in all honesty india should have won this comfortably needing just 213 to win with 110 overs - oh well they won it in the end.
 
Re: English Cricket

If they had lost the match due to poor umpiring decision, they would have deserved it for not backing UDRS.

This is the 4th highest 4th innings successful chase in India. It's not really easy to play the 4th innings in India.

The ebb and flow of this match has been fantastic.

Day 1: Australia dominated the first and second session. India fought right back in the post tea session by cleaning the top order bats for 250 odd runs.

Day 2: Australia wrested some of the advantage back with a big score from their tail in the first and second session of day 2. But Sehwag absolutely murdered Aussie bowlers on the last session of day 2. The day ended with a minor setback of Sehwag's wicket in the penultimate over.

Day 3: The famed Indian batting pulverized Aussie bowlers in the first and second session, and at 350/4 it looked like they were going to bat Australia out of the game, but they dismissed 6 wickets for 50 odd runs and gained in the post tea session. Advantage was Australia's, but draw looked the most likely result at this stage and an outside chance for Aussie victory.

Day 4: First session Aussies were scoring at 5 runs an over with Watson on song and were looking like they wanted to bat aggressively and declare, but Ishant Sharma took three wickets (Ponting and Watson gifted their wickets) out of the blue. Post Lunch - Harbhajan and Zaheer turned the screws on and dismissed Australia for 195 runs. Just after tea the target was 216 for India with 110 overs of play left. It looked like 'advantage India', but in the remaining 20 overs, Australia dismissed 4 Indian top order batsmen, and there was a huge doubt over Laxman being able to hold a bat....much less play an innings like this.

Day 5: It was advantage Australia all the way, but an unlikely 8th wicket century partnership absolutely swung it in India's favor but an India or Aus victory was possible till the very last ball. Nail biting stuff.

It's very rare to see such a close fight sustained for 5 days.....
 
Re: English Cricket

[quote author=kingjulian link=topic=41229.msg1188819#msg1188819 date=1286261288]
I have tried to keep an Ashes point of view to this thread...

but fuck Ashes...what a match!

At Lunch on day 5 India need 54 runs with two wickets in hand. VVS Laxman is batting with the tail. Very Very Special Laxman is suffering from back spasms. He did not set a foot in the field for 3 days, and came out to bat at number 11 in the first innings and looked and played like a cripple. He had to come out and play with a runner, and he still looks like a cripple...but fuck me, what an Innings. On a pitch where every other batsman in Australian and Indian line up have struggled, Sachin Tendulkar and Laxman looked in a different class. Even Tendulkar left him in a limbo when he miscued his pet ODI stroke - the upper cut. Laxman is still fighting and is playing a blinder...attacking test match innings 48 runs on 46 balls. It's not a lot of runs, but any proper test match fan would be able to tell you how difficult it is to play in the 4th Innings in India. This is a wicket that offers vicious bounce, movement in the air and plenty of turn for the slow bowlers too. The wicket is a bit slow too, making it even more difficult for stroke making.

The back spasm is a reminder that the end is nigh for Tendulkar, Dravid, and Laxman but India have been seriously lucky to have these three batsmen playing for them in the last 15 years. They cannot be replaced. The comfort of having them in the team was necessary for a player like Sehwag to go after bowling attacks. I'm not sure if he can sustain that attacking style once these guys go.

India and Australia have dished out some of the most entertaining test match cricket in the last decade. This one is another cliffhanger that has had a momentum change in every day of the match. Proper test match cricket. India would still feel that lady luck was not on their side, Laxman's backspasm making him an invalid in the first innings and Ishant Sharma's knee injure meant he could not bowl for a day, and they got some really harsh calls from the on-field and third umpires, but you have got to give credit to Australians for taking their chance and also for fighting till the end to earn that chance.

Well played....
[/quote]

What a fantastic game and what a great innings from the Very Very Special Laxman.

I have nightmares on how we will perform in tests once Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman retires. We have a couple of promising youngsters coming up - Pujara, Mukund and all but replacing the Fab Four will be a nightmare.
 
Re: English Cricket

[quote author=RMA link=topic=41229.msg1189230#msg1189230 date=1286298308]
KingJ - Are you from India? If so which part?
[/quote]

I have Indian roots mate, but i live in Singapore and i am Singapore citizen.
 
Re: English Cricket

lol...

Aussies went into the test with the intention of keeping the same 11. But Doug Bolinger ruled himself out with an injury (Muscle tear). Replacing him is a youngster, (from Queensland?) Peter George. He is compared to a young Glen McGrath, and i will update more on how he goes.

India had to make three changes due to injuries. Ishant Sharma (knee), Gautam Ghambir (Knee), and Laxman (Back).Santhakumar Sreesant, Murali Vijay, and Pujara (making a debut) are the replacements. India now field Vijay, Pujara and Raina who have played a combined total of less than 10 test matchs. So there is some inexperience that can be exploited. But these are three very talented lads, and India still carries enough batting strength into this match.

After the first test, the feeling is that Australians are more worried about their batting form, than their bowling form. The only bowling-weak-spot is the spinner. Hauritz is not the best in the business by any means, but they really don't have other options there. Their pacers have done admirably well taking all things (strong batting opponents, not the most suited pitches for fast bowling etc..) in to consideration. Doughey is their best bowler, and they will miss him in this test.

The middle order bats have shown a proneness for collapse. This has been true when they faced England, Pakistan and now India. So this appears like a crisis, and from an England point of view it would be better if it stays that way in this test too.

With that, we come to day one of the second test.

Punter won the toss and elected to bat. They don't have a spinner who can trouble the Indians, and they suck at playing spin bowling - so it is the right decision. On a pitch that is offering a lot of turn on day one - Australians are 285/5 at the end of day 1.

They had a brisk and very good start with the first wicket partnership adding 99 runs - it is their 5th highest partnership in India. But the lost 3 quick wickets after lunch. Watson, Katich and Clarke followed one after the other while Ricky Ponting lived a charmed life early doors with Zaheer Khan dropping him once, and a few edges falling safely in no mans land. He looked especially vulnerable early against spin. He carried on to make a 50, but he got caught LBW to a nothing ball from Raina (part time left arm orthodox) in his very first over. But before that Hussey edged a Zaheer Khan reverse swinger, after making a very confident well compiled 30. He looked a million bucks, when he was out there, but he couldn't make it count.

So their batting still displays the same problems, and they have not found an answer in this innings.

-> Their middle order is prone to collapses
-> They have not made starts count. None of their players have really punished Indians after getting a start.
-> Katich, Clarke, Hussey and North are woefully out of form. Ponting is finding scoring big very very tough. He looks like he can get out at any point....thats not really the Ponting we all know.
-> Watson is performing very well as an opener and has been a bright spot, but they are missing out on a very good allrounder by overusing him as an opening batsmen.


285/5 on a first day typical Indian wicket is an average effort. If they get dismissed for anything less than 400, India will look to bat Australia out of the game in the first innings. Even a 150 or 200 run lead will prove very very very difficult to overcome. This pitch will surely assist the spinners, unlike the Mohali pitch. Considering all batsmen who have got out so far (other than Clarke) have scored at least 35 runs, they will be kicking themselves for not making it count.

North has put up a string of bad scores with the bat right from the England tour, and he was on the verge of getting dropped. From an England point of view, Strauss would be hoping that North does enough to keep his place for the Ashes. Because he is an entirely Hit or Miss kind of player, and that kind of inconsistency in a middle order that is prone to collapses is something that can be exploited. North (43) and Paine(8) will be resuming play tomorrow. North was all at sea when Zaheer took the new ball in the last over. I'd wager that he would get out quickly tomorrow morning. Let's see how this goes...
 
Re: English Cricket

[quote author=kingjulian link=topic=41229.msg1189530#msg1189530 date=1286319087]
[quote author=RMA link=topic=41229.msg1189230#msg1189230 date=1286298308]
KingJ - Are you from India? If so which part?
[/quote]

I have Indian roots mate, but i live in Singapore and i am Singapore citizen.
[/quote]

BBBOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

;D
 
Re: English Cricket

[quote author=Avmenon link=topic=41229.msg1192064#msg1192064 date=1286631757]
[quote author=kingjulian link=topic=41229.msg1189530#msg1189530 date=1286319087]
[quote author=RMA link=topic=41229.msg1189230#msg1189230 date=1286298308]
KingJ - Are you from India? If so which part?
[/quote]

I have Indian roots mate, but i live in Singapore and i am Singapore citizen.
[/quote]

BBBOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

;D
[/quote]

Yeah...i've learned to live with that reaction from all quarters...
 
Re: English Cricket

If Australia fail to win the second and last test in India, they will head into the Ashes ranking 5th.

This - will be their lowest in the ranking table since they began playing International Test Cricket.

They will be ranked below the English for the first time in a very very long time.

I think England may actually have a very good chance of winning the Ashes in Australia. But there will be a bit of a wounded animal element to the games i guess.
 
Re: English Cricket

I'm surprised both Ponting and Hauritz spoke so frankly about tactics. You don't often get so much detail!
 
Re: English Cricket

[quote author=kingjulian link=topic=41229.msg1192209#msg1192209 date=1286670869]
[quote author=Avmenon link=topic=41229.msg1192064#msg1192064 date=1286631757]
[quote author=kingjulian link=topic=41229.msg1189530#msg1189530 date=1286319087]
[quote author=RMA link=topic=41229.msg1189230#msg1189230 date=1286298308]
KingJ - Are you from India? If so which part?
[/quote]

I have Indian roots mate, but i live in Singapore and i am Singapore citizen.
[/quote]

BBBOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

;D
[/quote]

Yeah...i've learned to live with that reaction from all quarters...
[/quote]

Relek lah,brudder.....

I think it's almost a given that we're supposed to needle each other. ;D

Strangely, going to Singapore for a malaysian in many respects feels like going home, or at least how Malaysia should have been before the politicians ruined it.
 
Re: English Cricket

[quote author=Portly link=topic=41229.msg1192233#msg1192233 date=1286684026]
I'm surprised both Ponting and Hauritz spoke so frankly about tactics. You don't often get so much detail!
[/quote]

True. To me these are first signs of Ponting cracking under pressure. He does not lead a great team any more, and it shows. I would like to see how Ponting reacts to the pressure, if England can get an early result. If i were in Strauss' place i would be throwing everything i have got in to that first test match. If England can get a result there, Australian press will do the rest of the damage.
 
Re: English Cricket

I think England will be OK, just so long as whoever bowls the first ball for England in the first test, doesn't bowl it so wide it is caught by 3rd slip!

That was where we went wrong last time.

;D
 
Re: English Cricket

Day two summary:

Australia 478 All out. India 128/2 at stumps.

I have only seen the highlights of the first two days, so take everything i say with a pinch of salt.

Quick verdict: Peter George - Nothing special, and he will not be in the Ashes squad. He has a good outswinger, and bowls at 135 to 142 kph. He does not still have the control over his action, that comes only with bowling more and more. It will be Siddle, Bollinger, Johnson, Hilfenhaus and one other. In the spin department it will be Hauritz, North and Smith (North and Smith are specialist batsmen to boot) If there is a chance to play four quicks, they will play four quicks and one of North or Smith, Australia will do that.


This is how the day unfolded.

North and Paine resumed play and batted brilliantly. Especially Paine has been a consistent thorn in India's plans through this series. Fantastic temperament for a young chap. I like him a lot more than a Haddin. North made a career saving century. It wasn't chanceless, but when he gets going, he can play. He drives well, and plays spin-bowling a little better than other Aussie bats. India managed to dismiss the rest of the tail pretty cheaply. In the end, i would say 478 is an above average first innings score, and at end of their innings India would have still felt confident about taking a lead in the first innings.

But, any such confidence would have been short-lived, as India lost Sehwag and Dravid in quick succession. Sehwag made a 25 ball 30, and got out chasing after the bowling a bit too eagerly. You could also say Hilfenhaus may have exploited a weakness in Sehwag's batting. Set defensive off side field, and then bowl short stuff at him. The thing with that strategy is - with Sehwag you've got to to be incredibly accurate, because any room will be punished. If they didn't get that right, they could have seen India score at 5 or 6 runs an over for 30 odd overs, which would have wiped most off their first innings score. Credit to Hilfenhaus and Ponting for making it work. Dravid has not been in the best of form in the last year or so. He has been poor agains left armers, and fell edging a drive off Johnson.

Tendulkar and Vijay are at the wicket. Tendulkar on 44 and Vijay on 42. It will be very interesting to watch Tendulkar play this innings. He will be building an innings with Pujara, Raina and Vijay - these guys, i have a feeling, will be around for a long while in Indian cricket. Tendulkar will play this role for one or two more years as the lights fade out of his mightily impressive career. His transition from a flamboyant stroke maker to that of an accumulator has been very impressive.

I think many would say that Australia have the edge going into the 3rd day. But i think India will still take the lead in the first innings. Mostly because i think Vijay, Pujara and Raina are very good batsmen in these conditions, and Australia may under-estimate them because their name is not Tendulkar or Laxman. If India can get a 50+ run lead, i would say India will win this test. All three results are possible as of now.
 
Re: English Cricket

Day 3 - round-up

Ind - 426/5 in reply to Australia's 478 all out. On day 4, India will look to get as much lead, as they can get and put Australia under pressure on a raging turner wit inconsistent bounce.

On day 3 - Sachin Tendulkar happened. A chance-less 190 and still going. 'nuff said.

Sachin Tendukar - 14,000 + test runs 49 Test Centuries. He has equaled Sir Jack Hobbs record for highest number of centuries against Australia in 10 fewer tests. This is his 20th 150+ score surpassing Brian Lara's record which he shared. What a player!!!

Lately he has made constructing a big inning in to an exact science. Believe me, this was no road - you only need to ask Pujara, who got an absolute jaffa. Tendulkar keeps the pull shot under wraps, and only brings it out when opponents set a field to attack him with the short stuff. He then dispatches them for some quick runs with the pull shot and forces them to place a field such that he can score runs off his usual bread and butter strokes. When he crosses 100 and starts tiring he brings out the sweep, paddle sweep, glance and innovative behind the wicket strokes. Absolutely brilliant. For a 37 year old - carrying the bat through the day scoring @ 60% strike rate....not bad at all.

I must admit, i'm a bit biased where Tendulkar is involved. As i was growing up, he was Cricket in my part of the world where our team hardly won anything. But would anyone argue that he has been anything but the best batsman in the last 20 years? ...20 years?
 
Re: English Cricket

Question to English Cricket fans.

How has Luke Wright's form with bat and ball been this year?
 
Re: English Cricket

Pretty average i'd say mate. He's just a "bits and pieces" cricketer, he doesn't do either discipline particularly well imo. In the one day side i'd much rather we played Bopara than him, and Wright will hopefully never get near the test side.
 
Re: English Cricket

On his day, Luke Wright is an aggressive batsman who can score quick runs in limited overs matches, but he's hit-and-miss and his bowling is gentle medium pace. I agree he shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the England test side.
 
Re: English Cricket

Shame....I thought he would go on to become a good bowling all-rounder, who can also score aggressively with the bat.

County cricket produces a lot of these bits and pieces cricketers....why is that?
 
Re: English Cricket

I suppose because against county standard opposition, the "bits and pieces" players are worth two players, but when it comes to test match standard, their batting and/or bowling lets them down. It's not often that a player comes along who is great at both - Andrew Flintoff was the last English player like that, and sadly he has had to give up cricket now.
 
Re: English Cricket

You also tend to find that average bowlers can zip the ball around and pick up quite a few wickets over here (same in NZ as well). Unlike in many other of the test playing countries, you don't really need to be very quick or spin the ball loads to do well in British conditions.
 
Re: English Cricket

[quote author=Rafa4PM link=topic=41229.msg1192686#msg1192686 date=1286810604] Unlike in many other countries, you don't really need to be very quick or spin the ball loads to do well in British conditions.
[/quote]

Exactly. I am worried that Jimmy Anderson, who is up with the world's best bowlers, will get hit all round the grounds in Australia.
 
Re: English Cricket

[quote author=Portly link=topic=41229.msg1192691#msg1192691 date=1286811124]
[quote author=Rafa4PM link=topic=41229.msg1192686#msg1192686 date=1286810604] Unlike in many other countries, you don't really need to be very quick or spin the ball loads to do well in British conditions.
[/quote]

Exactly. I am worried that Jimmy Anderson, who is up with the world's best bowlers, will get hit all round the grounds in Australia.
[/quote]

Same here Portly. For the same reasons, I also didn't see the point in taking Bresnan on this tour.
 
Re: English Cricket

Thanks for your updates Kingjulian, good to read from your perspective.

A bit gutted about Pujara though, poor guy didnt get any game time - with the way this match is heading (save for an aussie declaration) its unlikely he will get any quality time in the middle.

The pitch will definately be more unpredictable tomorrow and day five will be good to see how the indian spinners perform.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Squiggles
    • Like
  • Locked
05/10/2024 - Weeks Other Games Thread
2 3
Replies
60
Views
1K
rubans
rubans
Squiggles
  • Locked
Weekends Other Games 31-8-24
2 3 4 5
Replies
138
Views
2K
Mamma Mia
Mamma Mia
rurikbird
    • Like
  • Locked
Worst season ever?
Replies
16
Views
653
keniget
keniget
Beamrider
    • Like
    • Happy
  • Locked
2023 accounts
Replies
3
Views
555
darkstarexodus
darkstarexodus
My_Blood_Bleeds_Red
    • Like
  • Locked
Moneyball v2.0
Replies
1
Views
354
darkstarexodus
darkstarexodus
Back
Top Bottom