India VS Australia 2018-19

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The only time India lifted the Border-Gavaskar trophy was in 2003-04 when the series was drawn 1-1. Many considers this is the best chance for India to lift the trophy with a win, as this Aussies side is the weakest one to have played against India. Let's see how the summer shower it's heat in Australia. The schedule are as follows

T-20 series:
Match 1 - 21 November - Brisbane
Match 2 - 23 November - Melbourne
Match 3 - 25 November - Sydney


Test Matches

1. Adelaide : 6-12-18 to 10-12-18
2. Perth : 14-12-2018 to 18-12-18
3. Melbourne : 26-12-18 to 30-12-18
4. Sydney : 03-01-19 to 07-01-19

ODI Series:

Match 1 - 12 Jan - Sydney
Match 2 - 15 Jan - Adelaide
Match 3 - 18 Jan - Melbourne

To be honest I am not happy with the scheduling. Indian team management thinks that T-20 or the ODIs are the best way to get acclimatised to the home conditions and they were proved wrong in the last two tours. Still they have only one practise game for preparations. Also if the nepotism wonder R. Sharma gets into the XI, I will support Australia to repeat 2011.

Yes, India firm favourites now. Would need a huge turnaround for A to win from here. An Indian victory here would really set the series up. Good that they've got four Tests.

Very solid day for India. Bat a couple more sessions and then get stuck into the weak Australia batting. Doesn't look like the rain will save the home side.

I'm not awarding this one to India just yet, but if they can get the lead over 250 I can't see the likes of Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb knocking that sort of total off

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

alfie wrote:Lyon takes the big wicket just before the close...

India still in a strong position : when Kohli bat like this you can see this pitch is not an easy one for the batsmen.  Chasing anything over 200 on days 4/5 won't be easy. Think India need one more good partnership to put this out of reach ...Lyon will be difficult tomorrow ; but so will Ashwin. Lots of lefties to bowl at...

Lots of lefties and a lovely big patch of rough for the right handers too

India in a very strong position - another 100 runs and they’ll be out of sight you’d think, but I imagine in Kohli’s ideal world he’ll want a lead of 350-400 by tea tomorrow so they can have a dart post tea and then get the Aussies in. Crucial Pujara/Rahane bat for a while tomorrow, if they can see most of the morning session off then you have Rohit/Pant coming in with a license to hit (albeit Pant will do that anyways!)

And - wait for it, Olly - Australia needing to score the highest innings total of the match in the fourth innings.

Not all over yet as said by others but game is at least 70/30 in India's favour for me.

Pujara liking Australian conditions a lot more than those in England and especially Yorkshire where he had a torrid time this year.

I personally make it around 90/10 in India's favour. Australia have a near zero chance of chasing down anything that is 250+ - not enough quality in the batting line-up, history, and the wicket is Ashwin's delight are all conspiring against Australia - and barring an improbable dream spell in the morning, 250+ is exactly where the lead is going to end up.

Quite annoying that the ball tampering cry babies will be back for The Ashes. Against this team at home I'd back England for the whitewash. Note, this does not denigrate Indian's achievements of they do win, as Aussies at home are hard to beat even without the sandpaper crew

VTR wrote:Quite annoying that the ball tampering cry babies will be back for The Ashes. Against this team at home I'd back England for the whitewash. Note, this does not denigrate Indian's achievements of they do win, as Aussies at home are hard to beat even without the sandpaper crew

I think they have got the punishment for what they have done and I hope they have remorse feeling for that. We can forgive them. Next Ashes England will win 3-1.

That would be a nice scoreline. Australia are due a win in England though, a hard to believe 18 years since their last one. Not sure about remorse, Smith's acting at the original press conferences was so bad I thought it was an audition for a part in Home and Away

India in al good position, but the match by no means is safe. The batting lineup has effectively ended with Kohli gone with Pujara yet again left to fight it out. Rahane is quality but is badly out of form. Pant is a lotary, and Ashwin, though a fighter wouldn't find it easy.
Had India gone in with Sir Ravi Jadeja instead of Virat's mate, then he could have been an even greater threat on day 4 and 5 on this pitch than Ashwin, and surely would have scored some valuable runs, perhaps not with a lot of style, but more substance. He surely would have made Ashwin double the bowler on such tracks, and if ever there was a pitch to play both of them together in the series, this surely had to be it.
So unless Pujara can continue his fine performance through most of the day tomorrow and Rahane find some form, 230 250 may not be enough on this track where the bounce is still true and the turn rather slow.

As I expected, the 3 Australian wickets didn't came all that easy in the morning, but the double wicket over might ease Shami into the series. Besides being a subcontinent oriented bowler, Shami is also a confidence bowler.
The Indian openers, Murali Vijay and KL Rahul then put together their first ever 50+ partnership outside Asia. Vijay showed good judgment until his downfall with yet another poor, uncalled for shot. Rahul played some stunning shots, but we knew he can do that. He needed substance, a lot more of it than the 44 that he managed in this innings. Yet again, he wasn't undone by a good ball, but by a poor shot. It is not easy to always get a start against the new ball, particularly against a quality attack in their backyard. During his peack as a test opener up the Australia series of last year, Rahul had a Root Problem, failing to convert 50s into hundreds. Now he's going through a terrible rough patch, he should make the starts count, should put much more value on his wicket. He's not inexperienced any more, this is his 2nd tour of Australia and he has already toured South Africa and England. When would he learn? Unlike Wonderboy who is useless at test cricket, if Rahul wastes himself, that would be a huge setback to India and a loss to the game.

msp83 wrote: Rahul had a Root Problem, failing to convert 50s into hundreds. Now he's going through a terrible rough patch, he should make the starts count, should put much more value on his wicket. He's not inexperienced any more, this is his 2nd tour of Australia and he has already toured South Africa and England. When would he learn? Unlike Wonderboy who is useless at test cricket, if Rahul wastes himself, that would be a huge setback to India and a loss to the game.

Only 1 overseas inning back he made a 150 odd in the 4 inning, last day track seaming and spinning.....against Anderson, Broad & Co.........put India at one time in a position where juts before tea there was a sniff of a victory
you here and a few experts on CI seem to have forgotten this

KP_fan wrote:

msp83 wrote: Rahul had a Root Problem, failing to convert 50s into hundreds. Now he's going through a terrible rough patch, he should make the starts count, should put much more value on his wicket. He's not inexperienced any more, this is his 2nd tour of Australia and he has already toured South Africa and England. When would he learn? Unlike Wonderboy who is useless at test cricket, if Rahul wastes himself, that would be a huge setback to India and a loss to the game.

Only 1 overseas inning back he made a 150 odd in the 4 inning, last day track seaming and spinning.....against Anderson, Broad & Co.........put India at one time in a position where juts before tea there was a sniff of a victory
you here and a few experts on CI seem to have forgotten this

KPF, I very much remember that innings. But you and I know what happened prior to that and after that. Rahul didn't have an innings worth talking about in South Africa, or in England in the first 4 tests he played. He didn't score against the pedestrian West Indies at home either. In the last 10 tests he played, there is just the 149 against England that is a substantial and substantive innings. Even that came when the series was pretty much lost, in the last innings of the tour'. The lad is capable of scoring tough, proper test runs. But he shouldn't let IPL success go to head. At the moment, his limited overs and test games are in trouble.

Rahul will get all 4 tests in this series...he has already played one good inning today
he has morphed from a dravid-like that he started as...........into a Sehwag-like now

India dominating this morning...at 227/3 the lead already looks nearly enough to do for Australia. (Perhaps even more significantly for later games in this series , Pujara and Rahane have been able to demonstrate methods to nullify Lyon. Think Australia may be forced to look for that fifth bowler soon...and is that really M Marsh ?)

Big question now is what Kohli will want as a lead before he declares : he wouldn't want to leave Australia a chance to escape with a draw (I haven't checked the weather forecast yet) . Batsmen are clearly looking to get on with it now so I'd imagine they're looking at getting Australia back in around tea time...

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

alfie wrote:Lyon takes the big wicket just before the close...

India still in a strong position : when Kohli bat like this you can see this pitch is not an easy one for the batsmen.  Chasing anything over 200 on days 4/5 won't be easy. Think India need one more good partnership to put this out of reach ...Lyon will be difficult tomorrow ; but so will Ashwin. Lots of lefties to bowl at...

Lots of lefties and a lovely big patch of rough for the right handers too

India in a very strong position - another 100 runs and they’ll be out of sight you’d think, but I imagine in Kohli’s ideal world he’ll want a lead of 350-400 by tea tomorrow so they can have a dart post tea and then get the Aussies in. Crucial Pujara/Rahane bat for a while tomorrow, if they can see most of the morning session off then you have Rohit/Pant coming in with a license to hit (albeit Pant will do that anyways!)

And all going very much to script so far... This pair looking secure and confident , pouncing on anything loose and generally keeping the score ticking over nicely.
Lyon thought he had Rahane caught at bat-pad earlier ; but drs revealed just pad and chest involved . But now he has struck ! Pujara gone edging on to his pad and ballooning for an easy catch !

Now we shall see if Rohit etc can keep up the momentum...

Commentators are talking up Australia's chances of getting back into it with that wicket ...Vaughan and Warne , of course
But 250 ahead ? Six in hand ? Even if the remaining wickets go for fifty they've surely got enough. And if the last six fall that quickly you'd reckon there's plenty in the pitch still for India's bowlers to work with.
If India can't take this match from here then you'd reckon they are
fated to continue their dry spell in Australia...

Pujaras out but a lead of 250 and 6 wickets should be a winning position.
Australia just arent very good. Theres always a chance that one of teh volwers can conjure up a magic spell but the pace men will be tiring now and lyons bowled a lot in this test.

Aha ! Lyon gets Rohit for just one with the aid of a fine catch by Handscomb

Warne is salivating ; and the Indian fans are sharpening their metaphorical knives for Rohit and those who selected him

...and to no-one's surprise Pant immediately launches one into the stratosphere ...so high but it actually didn't make the boundary : shows how he means to play.

Rohit Sharma is very much overrated and greatly benefited by his close friendship with Virat Kohli and perhaps more importantly the hype factor by fellow Mumbai natives Gavaskar, Shastri etc continually proclaiming he's too good not to be a test match regular.

Sharma has never shown the heart or desire to succeed in Test cricket outside of India. He averages 85 at home often getting easy/cheap runs against demoralised opponents.

Sharma isn't a test player and how he's selected ahead of young Vihari is truly an insult to Vihari.

India gradually chipped away, leaving Australia 104/4, still some 220 or so short of where they need to be. Test match pretty much over.

Theoretically an interesting finish possible ...another 219 in a day - in a slow scoring match - with six in hand. But realistically likely Australia will be all out shortly after lunch for about 195...

India failed to quite shut the gate on them by losing the last four for just four byes ; but they are set to take a 1-0 lead off to Perth.

Selection - on both sides - will be interesting.

-India might win inpsite of Rohit sharma blunder of Kohli....his inclusion means one bowler short and one batsman short

--management's gotta ask Pant to play 50 balls.....he has talent to blast the day light out of bowlers.....and score hundreds like he did in Eng but for that he has to show some discretion in shot selection and a bit more patience.

--Indian Tail is Pathetic...one time shami was good enuf to have gotten a 50 in Eng on the 2013-14 tour.....and now look how he has declined

we should look at bringing Bhuvi in the 11, at the cost of one of the seamers

Interesting just how much has been done by the spinners on both sides in this match. The case for India having played Jadeja in Vihari Rohits spot could have been made with hindsight. But it looks a done deal anyway even is Head shows some fight again.
Australias batting is every bit as bad as Englands has been, but without Root and without such strong bats at 7-9 to bail them out.
The ex players and press will savage the leadership for this and press for the early return of their friends.

Gooseberry wrote:Interesting just how much has been done by the spinners on both sides in this match. The case for India having played Jadeja in Vihari Rohits spot could have been made with hindsight. But it looks a done deal anyway even is Head shows some fight again.
Australias batting is every bit as bad as Englands has been, but without Root and without such strong bats at 7-9 to bail them out.
The ex players and press will savage the leadership for this and press for the early return of their friends.

Yep, the frailty of Australia's batting has done for them here it seems. Cummins and Starc are capable of chipping in with 20s and 30s (which influenced me again plumping for them in Joey's comp) but that won't be enough to bail out the top and middle order failings.

All that despite another fine contribution with the ball from Lyon. When I turned in last night, India were only 3 down and about 240 in the lead. It was looking then that it would take a declaration to limit Australia's target to 370.

Yeah this is over. With or without Rohit and a pretty hefty collapse, India have been able to boss this game. No surprise you take the two best batsmen out of a team and they don't look that good at times. I still can see Australia fighting back in the series though

So the test match remains lively and alive at the end of day 4. India with that pathetic collapse have failed to shut out Australia. And with Smith and Warner too, Australia still has to be a force at home. Head was Australia's batsman of the first innings, and if Marsh manages to get going in the morning tomorrow, he is Australia's best player of spin, and arguably, one of their better bats in this side. The pitch still remains a new ball wicket by and large though there is some help available for the spinner throughout. The second new ball is some way away for India. If Marsh and Head take Australia pass 200 before the new ball comes and if they both are there to take it on, it will be pretty much game on.
India had their chance to complete bat Australia out of the game, and they recklessly ruined it. Rahane, Pant, Ashwin, all got out playing reckless shots, and Shami tried to smoke his first ball out of the park, had he got his usual 15 20, it would have been a different feel to Australia's last day chase. And oh, remind me the priceless contribution from that stylish friend of the skipper!

India probably did themselves a favour by getting bowled out and saving having to decide on a fourth-inning target. India will wrap this up on the last day.
I agree that A will fight back in the series. They certainly have the bowling for it. It's their batting that should worry their fans. No doubt England will have to face Warner and Smith next summer!

msp83 wrote:So the test match remains lively and alive at the end of day 4. India with that pathetic collapse have failed to shut out Australia. And with Smith and Warner too, Australia still has to be a force at home. Head was Australia's batsman of the first innings, and if Marsh manages to get going in the morning tomorrow, he is Australia's best player of spin, and arguably, one of their better bats in this side. The pitch still remains a new ball wicket by and large though there is some help available for the spinner throughout. The second new ball is some way away for India. If Marsh and Head take Australia pass 200 before the new ball comes and if they both are there to take it on, it will be pretty much game on.
India had their chance to complete bat Australia out of the game, and they recklessly ruined it. Rahane, Pant, Ashwin, all got out playing reckless shots, and Shami tried to smoke his first ball out of the park, had he got his usual 15 20, it would have been a different feel to Australia's last day chase. And oh, remind me the priceless contribution from that stylish friend of the skipper!

Don't fret, son. About 99% chance that India see this game off with a victory.

msp83 wrote:So the test match remains lively and alive at the end of day 4. India with that pathetic collapse have failed to shut out Australia. And with Smith and Warner too, Australia still has to be a force at home. Head was Australia's batsman of the first innings, and if Marsh manages to get going in the morning tomorrow, he is Australia's best player of spin, and arguably, one of their better bats in this side. The pitch still remains a new ball wicket by and large though there is some help available for the spinner throughout. The second new ball is some way away for India. If Marsh and Head take Australia pass 200 before the new ball comes and if they both are there to take it on, it will be pretty much game on.
India had their chance to complete bat Australia out of the game, and they recklessly ruined it. Rahane, Pant, Ashwin, all got out playing reckless shots, and Shami tried to smoke his first ball out of the park, had he got his usual 15 20, it would have been a different feel to Australia's last day chase. And oh, remind me the priceless contribution from that stylish friend of the skipper!

Rather a big "if"

But yes , that could have India sweating a bit. History says not going to happen - I think Ashwin might have the last word today.

Nasty bouncer from Sharma and India are on their way to 1-0.

Well Pat cummins is giving India a tough time. His average ball-faced per inning is 39. Here he has already played 90+ balls now. The deficit is under 100 now, India is surely under Psychological pressure.

Shami hit Lyon on the arm. Both shared a thumbs up and matter silenced. I am surprised Indo-Aussies rivalry is getting beautiful and decent. Huge respect for Both.

Cummins gone after facing 121 balls. Seems like Australian top order need to look at his batting with more concentration. India 1 wicket away.

Good effort from Australia today - making India sweat a bit

But they are going to fall well short : the partnerships since the fourth wicket fell have been : 31 , 41, 31 ,41 ,31...so the last wicket is destined to fall at 300 exactly

Well we won in the end giving 50 runs too many to the aussies....and making an entire nation anxious
Given the lean history overseas and in Aus in particular....this is a HUGE win

Ind has 3 areas to be concerned:

1) Ashwin's bowling on D5 is a concern...he bowled probably 40 over on 5th day, a big part bowling to lowers order...but did not look like troubling the batsmen
I think he gets tired in the 2nd innings.. and lacks the strength in fingers / shoulder...unable to give the same rip/ revs.

I gave him the benefit of doubt in Eng...here its hard to ignore his ineffectiveness...and this is a long series and he will have to bowl a lot, if Ind continues to play only 4 bowlers

2) ROhit sharma was brought in.....he strengthens neither the batting & weakens the bowling

If the pitch is flat India should play Jadeja..that would address the ashwin fatigue issue also........and if its really a seaming one.....Vihari should get his spot back

3) India's lower order should practice more and be given a target by team management to get 10 runs each.....and Pant aught to be "told" to bat out 50 deliveries minimum......throwing his bat around works in ranji and against lesser side.....not against likes of Eng or Aus

and final point.....winning the toss makes a BIG difference

Aus did well to get 291. Seems 2018 has been chock full of Test matches when the side batting fourth has been close to a win only to fall short.
History shows just how hard it is to achieve fourth-innings targets. Even if Aus had been, say, 100-1, you would still think 323 was a big ask.
This sets the series up nicely and there should be good crowds at the matches. Don't know why India are not playing Jadeja, who can also bat a bit.

Agree with the sentiment of the board here re: India's selection - as we saw in England, Jadeja is a more than capable bat himself, he could easily bat 7 and offer some much needed overs to relieve Ashwin of some of the load. Especially when your number 6 like Rohit in this match offers pretty much nothing.

Obviously if the pitch is a green seamer then you need the extra bat - albeit whats happened to Pandya? Injured?

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:albeit whats happened to Pandya? Injured?

just rubbish

Australia got a lot closer than I expected. They lost the first and second innings by 15 and 16 runs respectively. If it had been Australia with a first innings lead of around 15 as seemed possible at the end of day 2, India and their supporters would have been really anxious.

I guess Pujara got MotM - his runs made so much of a difference. Strong commendation from me for Lyon too - best bowler on both sides with 8 match wickets and 62 undefeated match runs to get the hosts near to the line.

Looked like India always had Australia at arm's length, though their fans could probably have hoped for a more clinical finish. Good effort from the Aussie tail, but always likely to fall short without one of the top 7 left

I think Pandya is injured ? Agree Jadeja is always a worthwhile selection ...maybe Perth won't be the best time to introduce him though. Will have to see the pitch.

Fine gutsy effort by Australia today , they made 50-70 more than I'd expected. Though to be honest I never thought they would actually get the runs ...seen too many of these chases. Tails bat well until victory becomes actually possible - at which point the pressure reverses and the wickets fall... Whatever : all credit to the bowlers and Paine for making a game of it. Batsmen less so ; although S Marsh is now presumably nailed on for the series

Jokes aside both teams have selection questions this week. If Perth is anything like the pitches that the WACA used to serve up in recent years you'd want five bowlers. Don't think Vijay or Head quite cut it...

As to the morale effect of this match - and the last day - you could go either way. On the one hand , Australia might take heart from the fact that they went in with a patched up team , lost the toss , didn't bat very well on day two...and yet still got within thirty or so in the fourth innings...a confidence boost ?
Or you could look at an Indian team which was arguably favorite going in , had the upper hand from day two onwards yet perhaps still retained that doubt that has been fueled by years of underachievement in Australia : to finally win and get that monkey off their back might just enable them to play with more freedom and expectation in the remaining matches ... Cuts both ways.

I was working and following on text only ; but judging by some of the field placings recorded I wonder if Kohli wasn't perhaps just a little too conservative in his methods as the game wound down ? I get that the bowlers were tiring and the pitch wasn't exactly a spitting cobra ; but surely when ten and eleven are in with sixty plus needed you back your bowlers and press with close catchers ? As I say I didn't actually see it so I would welcome opinion from those who did.

In any case this was , as others have said (even in the dreaded BBC nest of trolls and loons!) another good hard-fought Test Match...a great advertisement for the old fashioned format

Helps when the pitch isn't a total road.

I have much the same thoughts on the match, Guildford. I didn't expect it to get down to around 30 runs after Marsh went. Fighting partnerships from our lower order are a good sign that perhaps Australia can provide a much better contest than I thought would happen.

India did the job without any significant contribution from Kohli - which worries me. I thought the Indian bowling worked better as a unit than Australia. They really have even more confidence now going into Perth.

Far too many extras (36!) from our bowlers in that 2nd innings... it's like giving the opposition an extra batsman.
I know Starc had trouble with foot marks but that was exactly what Australia needed to avoid.
Need to work on that especially given there was only one solitary leg bye in the 1st innings.

alfie wrote:I think Pandya is injured ?  Agree Jadeja is always a worthwhile selection ...maybe Perth won't be the best time to introduce him though.  Will have to see the pitch.



Jokes aside both teams have selection questions this week. If Perth is anything like the pitches that the WACA used to serve up in recent years you'd want five bowlers. Don't think Vijay or Head quite cut it...

What is the Perth pitch expected to be like?...fast bouncy, seaming and extreme bowler friendly?
If that's the case......then its not a case for 5 bowlers in my view.....4 are enuf as the match tends to be low scoring and fewer overs need to be bowled
5 are typically needed when the pitch is flat or equal for bowlers & batsmen.

If the pitch is ultra-friendly to pacers....there may be a case of dropping ashwin and bringing in Bhuvi....like Ind did in one of the tests in SA this year earlier

Pal Joey wrote:I have much the same thoughts on the match, Guildford. I didn't expect it to get down to around 30 runs after Marsh went. Fighting partnerships from our lower order are a good sign that perhaps Australia can provide a much better contest than I thought would happen.

India did the job without any significant contribution from Kohli - which worries me. I thought the Indian bowling worked better as a unit than Australia. They really have even more confidence now going into Perth.

Far too many extras (36!) from our bowlers in that 2nd innings... it's like giving the opposition an extra batsman.
I know Starc had trouble with foot marks but that was exactly what Australia needed to avoid.
Need to work on that especially given there was only one solitary leg bye in the 1st innings.

PJ has beaten me to the punch with the point re: Kohli - not often India win test matches abroad without him making a real contribution, so to do so here is even more impressive in my eyes.

For me the Aussies have to take a more positive approach against Ashwin - he's bowled 86.5 overs in this game, for a total of 149 runs and 6 wickets which is a rate of 1.71 runs per over. With India having a three man pace attack, you can't let the main spinner have that much control over the game and run rate, allowing the seamers to rotate and keep their workload in check. You're also going absolutely nowhere as a side yourself! It's risky, sure, because he's a very good bowler, but you can't allow him to do that again in the 2nd test.

Alfie - as for your point re: Kohli's captaincy - I think it was well noted by Sky comms during the English summer that whilst it appears to be conservative at times, he much prefers to be in control of the run rate ahead of over attacking. And to be fair in this test it has worked to a tee for him!

guildfordbat wrote:Australia got a lot closer than I expected. They lost the first and second innings by 15 and 16 runs respectively. If it had been Australia with a first innings lead of around 15 as seemed possible at the end of day 2, India and their supporters would have been really anxious.

I guess Pujara got MotM - his runs made so much of a difference. Strong commendation from me for Lyon too - best bowler on both sides with 8 match wickets and 62 undefeated match runs to get the hosts near to the line.

Absolutely ! No doubts re MoTM ; but the Lyon-hearted efforts by the host's spinner deserve a lot of praise. As do Cummins and Paine , I think. The latter may not have the class of a Gilchrist or a Haddin but he is a fighter and is probably the right man to battle with this diminished team through this very difficult period. He will doubtless finish with an awful win/loss captaincy record but I hope history will be kind...
And India can also be pleased with the batting of Rahane in that second innings...and the bowlers' performances generally - though perhaps those bowlers should be a little ...calmer ? when batting ...After 119 overs they should all sleep well tonight.

Yes Olly it did work today in that India won ! I guess the question I was posing though was whether by not attacking the tail-end bats he might have given Australia a better chance of making the runs ? And of course that is one of those questions that can never be answered

Tonight Kohli can bask in success. Just wonder if that method will continue to be successful...

Yeah, Ishant's delivery to dismiss Head was a beauty... that really jumped on him. He probably could have got out of the way like Marsh did a couple of times. After that I did think that India were going to really get stuck into the tail aggressively... and it would be all over shortly afterwards.

That incredibly low run rate - was nearly at 2.0 at one stage (and 1.71 v Ashwin as Olly points out) is a dangerous sign for Australia. How can Handscomb bat so far back on his crease? That surely limits his scoring options and increases Ashwin's chances of success for more modes of dismissals. It's a serious technical flaw in my opinion. Make yourself bigger; not smaller at the crease and turn the heat back on the bowler.

In short, too much respect is being shown to the bowling and some batsmen are trying to play it too safe which can only lead to disaster if the technique is lacking and there is no relation to an overall plan to score runs and dominate proceedings. Warne is already having a go at Graeme Hick I see.

Pal Joey wrote:Yeah, Ishant's delivery to dismiss Head was a beauty... that really jumped on him. He probably could have got out of the way like Marsh did a couple of times. After that I did think that India were going to really get stuck into the tail aggressively... and it would be all over shortly afterwards.

That incredibly low run rate - was nearly at 2.0 at one stage (and 1.71 v Ashwin as Olly points out) is a dangerous sign for Australia. How can Handscomb bat so far back on his crease? That surely limits his scoring options and increases Ashwin's chances of success for more modes of dismissals. It's a serious technical flaw in my opinion. Make yourself bigger; not smaller at the crease and turn the heat back on the bowler.

In short, too much respect is being shown to the bowling and some batsmen are trying to play it too safe which can only lead to disaster if the technique is lacking and there is no relation to an overall plan to score runs and dominate proceedings. Warne is already having a go at Graeme Hick I see.

In all fairness though , LD , the scoring rate was snail-like throughout the match. Even the normally aggressive Kohli batted more like Trevor than George Bailey Suggests this pitch just wasn't that easy for stroke playing although you could stay in on it all right... And I guess some credit to the bowlers on both sides.

Handscomb is a bit weird ; but it works for him ...he still possesses rather good Test figures though I think many of us suspect they flatter him a little. Time will tell , no ?

alfie wrote:

Pal Joey wrote:Yeah, Ishant's delivery to dismiss Head was a beauty... that really jumped on him. He probably could have got out of the way like Marsh did a couple of times. After that I did think that India were going to really get stuck into the tail aggressively... and it would be all over shortly afterwards.

That incredibly low run rate - was nearly at 2.0 at one stage (and 1.71 v Ashwin as Olly points out) is a dangerous sign for Australia. How can Handscomb bat so far back on his crease? That surely limits his scoring options and increases Ashwin's chances of success for more modes of dismissals. It's a serious technical flaw in my opinion. Make yourself bigger; not smaller at the crease and turn the heat back on the bowler.

In short, too much respect is being shown to the bowling and some batsmen are trying to play it too safe which can only lead to disaster if the technique is lacking and there is no relation to an overall plan to score runs and dominate proceedings. Warne is already having a go at Graeme Hick I see.

In all fairness though , LD , the scoring rate was snail-like throughout the match. Even the normally aggressive Kohli batted more like Trevor than George Bailey     Suggests this pitch just wasn't that easy for stroke playing although you could stay in on it all right...  And I guess some credit to the bowlers on both sides.

Handscomb is a bit weird ; but it works for him ...he still possesses rather good Test figures though I think many of us suspect they flatter him a little.  Time will tell , no ?

As an England fan I am praying Handscomb somehow makes his way into the Aussie XI for the Ashes next year - Anderson and co will have him on toast with the swinging duke!

alfie wrote:

Pal Joey wrote:Yeah, Ishant's delivery to dismiss Head was a beauty... that really jumped on him. He probably could have got out of the way like Marsh did a couple of times. After that I did think that India were going to really get stuck into the tail aggressively... and it would be all over shortly afterwards.

That incredibly low run rate - was nearly at 2.0 at one stage (and 1.71 v Ashwin as Olly points out) is a dangerous sign for Australia. How can Handscomb bat so far back on his crease? That surely limits his scoring options and increases Ashwin's chances of success for more modes of dismissals. It's a serious technical flaw in my opinion. Make yourself bigger; not smaller at the crease and turn the heat back on the bowler.

In short, too much respect is being shown to the bowling and some batsmen are trying to play it too safe which can only lead to disaster if the technique is lacking and there is no relation to an overall plan to score runs and dominate proceedings. Warne is already having a go at Graeme Hick I see.

In all fairness though , LD , the scoring rate was snail-like throughout the match. Even the normally aggressive Kohli batted more like Trevor than George Bailey     Suggests this pitch just wasn't that easy for stroke playing although you could stay in on it all right...  And I guess some credit to the bowlers on both sides.

Handscomb is a bit weird ; but it works for him ...he still possesses rather good Test figures though I think many of us suspect they flatter him a little.  Time will tell , no ?

Yes Alfie, I'm aware the pitch wasn't so easy, but still believe Australia need to address ways of improving their scoring rate in such situations.
Credit to all the bowlers of course. However, it's almost as if they've imported their UAE mindset (that was painful to watch) to the home turf and are overly defensive - or far more tentative in their stroke play. It shows. A far cry from the team which basically trademarked higher scoring rates in tests - and set the mark for others to follow. Seems they've gone way back the other way these days and I just hope this isn't some new habit of batting.  

As for Handscomb... Victorian yes?
He'll need to lift his game at this level or he may not last long. I wish him well but would prefer someone stronger at the crease.
Australia traditionally does better stuffed full of NSW players after all.

We'll probably hear the sound of the jailer's keys after Warner and Smith have finished their sentences at the end of the first quarter... next year.  

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:As an England fan I am praying Handscomb somehow makes his way into the Aussie XI for the Ashes next year - Anderson and co will have him on toast with the swinging duke!

Oooh... I bet you are Olly. I bet you are. You were about 5-6 years old when we last won... there.

It really does hurt, you know, but I'm always looking for good signs. I saw some today but there are still some big holes obviously.
I think the Aus team will be a little different next winter. (your summer) Too early to make predictions but it should be an interesting series.