Australian Cricket Season 2018-2019

[Pushka]

Didn't get them very far though. Don't understand the decision to go into match without spinner. Lyon took 5 in first innings and has Kohli in second innings.

And sometimes it does. Aussies were a little lucky to survive that onslaught. The WACA was traditionally a non spin wicket. This ground is a new entity and was threatened to be a green top.

 

[rock86]

It’s good that the Aussies are emerging from the Warner malaise and starting to ‘comment’ more but with someone who’s a bit nastier than Paine how it could get very personal. Again.

There's not much wrong with that though, Kholi was absolutely into him when he was batting.

What didn't look good though was Head (I think) at silly mid-on just giving it to Vijay - I'm all for chat and banter bat a send-off about 1.5m away from a batsmen isn't needed.

 

[Pushka]

There's not much wrong with that though, Kholi was absolutely into him when he was batting.

What didn't look good though was Head (I think) at silly mid-on just giving it to Vijay - I'm all for chat and banter bat a send-off about 1.5m away from a batsmen isn't needed.

Agree. About the first instance. It was good to see a bit of spirit and minor nasty.

And not good about the second part. They don’t seem good at discriminating between idle comments and inappropriate.

 

[rock86]

Agree. About the first instance. It was good to see a bit of spirit and minor nasty.

And not good about the second part. They don’t seem good at discriminating between idle comments and inappropriate.

The umpires looked like they had a quick chat to him, which is good.

Aus v Ind always seems to be a bit of animosity, I do wonder if they have a drink together after the game (which I assume they would as a lot of them would play IPL together)

 

[JohnK]

But in the umpire's eyes the ball was caught fairly.In both cases-Kohli and our last wicket in the first innings I watched both video replays and quite frankly I thought neither really showed a clear decision.Hence the on field umpires decision stands.

Interesting article from Robert Craddock in todays Courier Mail.

 

[cjd600]

It’s good that the Aussies are emerging from the Warner malaise and starting to ‘comment’ more but with someone who’s a bit nastier than Paine how it could get very personal. Again.

Agreed.
2 way street.
Pant's banter seen as 'hilarious'. Virat running his own race, as usual.
Good to see Tim P chipping back in restrained but effective fashion.
Trying to imagine if Virat getting in Paine's face completing a run was vice versa?

 

[Cossie]

It’s good that the Aussies are emerging from the Warner malaise and starting to ‘comment’ more but with someone who’s a bit nastier than Paine how it could get very personal. Again.

Kohli's antics are in the true spirit of the game? Not in my opinion......

 

[turtlemichael]

At the end of the day this is not a wicket up to Test standards. It may be that the difference between the two sides is not Kohli or any one player but the fact that Australia won the toss and batted and had the first session and part of the second with the wicket behaving reasonably. After that it has been downhill. You expect a wicket to deteriorate but this is more than that.

 

[Pushka]

Kohli's antics are in the true spirit of the game? Not in my opinion......
.

I didn’t say that. I was referring to Paine.

 

[drron]

I liked Tim Paine's comment to Kohli when Kohli said they would go 2-0.
"You've got to bat first bighead."
5-112 looks like Tim may be right.

 

[cjd600]

I liked Tim Paine's comment to Kohli when Kohli said they would go 2-0.
"You've got to bat first bighead."
5-112 looks like Tim may be right.

I do suspect Tim was misquoted with the "big" bit of "bighead"?
Infintely accurate comment, either way

 

[QF WP]

Packed up at work ~6:15pm BNE time and drove to my parents place where we are staying for 2 nights. Solid 40 min drive.

I almost had an accident when Kohli got out - lucky I remembered to stop celebrating and start braking.

My dad and I were then trading scores after I arrived - me via mobile and him listening to ABC radio on his headphones until dinner was served.

Will be glued to cricinfo tomorrow

 

[Cossie]

I didn’t say that. I was referring to Paine.

Sorry, I was referring to Kohli's behaviour generally.

 

[rock86]

At the end of the day this is not a wicket up to Test standards. It may be that the difference between the two sides is not Kohli or any one player but the fact that Australia won the toss and batted and had the first session and part of the second with the wicket behaving reasonably. After that it has been downhill. You expect a wicket to deteriorate but this is more than that.

I vehemently disagree with that, this wicket has been beautiful. It has created for one of the better Test matches in Australia in the past decade because batsmen have had to fight and scrap to not only keep their wicket but also make runs - the way it should be.

And the reason Australia got off to such a good start to the Test had nothing to do with how the pitch has played, but because the Indian's bowled absolutely horribly most of the first session (cricviz had a good analysis CricViz Analysis: India's New Ball Mistakes – CricViz: Cricket Intelligence and Score Predictor). That horrible bowling to begin the match has ultimately lost them this test.

 

[turtlemichael]

I vehemently disagree with that, this wicket has been beautiful. It has created for one of the better Test matches in Australia in the past decade because batsmen have had to fight and scrap to not only keep their wicket but also make runs - the way it should be.

And the reason Australia got off to such a good start to the Test had nothing to do with how the pitch has played, but because the Indian's bowled absolutely horribly most of the first session (cricviz had a good analysis CricViz Analysis: India's New Ball Mistakes – CricViz: Cricket Intelligence and Score Predictor). That horrible bowling to begin the match has ultimately lost them this test.

Well I vehemently disagree with your vehement disagreement If you need a wicket like this to have a great Test Match, which I agree this is, then there is something wrong with the game. How Australia played in the first session certainly had something to do with the Indian bowling but also a something to do with the pitch.

 

[docjames]

The wicket appears to be well balanced between bat and ball. A five day match, a couple of 5 fors for the bowlers, a hundred and a well made 70 for the batsmen, I'd have said it's a shame more wickets aren't like this one.

I think we've got so used to the "roads" we've forgotten what a true challenge a 5 day pitch should be.

 

[rock86]

Well I vehemently disagree with your vehement disagreement If you need a wicket like this to have a great Test Match, which I agree this is, then there is something wrong with the game. How Australia played in the first session certainly had something to do with the Indian bowling but also a something to do with the pitch.

I love the different vehement views everyone has, otherwise this sport would be dull (which it may well be when they play on the MCG wicket)

But I would much rather having this type of wicket, then the absolute dross barren concrete-like wickets the WACA & MCG have thrown up in the past decade. It has gone 5 days and a true test between bat and ball.

India bowling terribly in the first session and them also not playing a spinner has been the difference, not the wicket IMO.

 

[turtlemichael]

I understand your opinion. I agree that we don't want a typical MCG wicket. But I also don't think we want one where a good length ball threatens to decapitate the batsman and goes over the wicketkeeper's head to the boundary or where the ball runs along the ground on the second day. Not just once either. If someone had been seriously injured in this match I'd be surprised if your view was not a minority view.

While Jadeja would be first pick in my side I think the decision to strengthen the fast bowling after Ashwin was unavailable was not unreasonable given the consensus view of the pitch before the match started. Hindsight is a special gift. I wonder who Australia would have brought in if Lyon had been the one injured? The problem with pitches generally at the moment is that they are being tailored to last a 5 day Test for economic reasons. Sometimes that doesn't work.

 

[QF WP]

[mod hat on]Well there is the perfect example of how a disagreement in opinion has been handled so very well - you two should be put up on a pedestal. If only we could have more like them, AFF would be an even better place...[/mod hat off]

I'm not so sure it's a wicket that is up to Test standard - but what exactly is Test standard these days? A wicket that gets a result (where the bowlers are in ascendance) seems to give more for everyone, versus a flat batting track (where one team can dominate the time in the middle and thus the score adn often its a draw). Some batsmen have had the internal fortitude to play out movement in the air or off the pitch (early in the day, or with the new ball) and once the ball is softer (read: older) they have been more comfortable playing their shots.

Kohli may be a magnificent batsman, but his sportmanship needs a lot of work - particularly when he announced that he was going to tone it down in this series. So he isn't as good as his word. He will get some detractors (as he did last night, Mike Hussey in particular) and he has lost some kudos from me. There's celebration getting a wicket with your teammates and then there's the Kohli antics. Similarly, as I have always felt, there has been a shift in sledging from the good natured to the downright inappropriate (and most teams are guilty of it). It takes a strong captain to play the ball and bat, not the man.

Well, today should be a pearler. Off to get some work done before the resumption of play.

 

[Pushka]

Maybe the pitch has helped to even up the competition with regards to the bats that require just a touch and it’s off to the boundary? But that doesn’t necessarily make for a good cricket wicket nor a safe one. But with the advent of helmets and flat tracks maybe batsmen haven’t developed the art of dodging the ball. I did think of Phillip Hughes a couple of times the other day.

Isn’t the MCG track on notice now?