Did anyone notice that Hussey scored a century? :-) I reckon Hussey's knock will sadly be forgotten with the passing of time, as the Punter and obviously Clarke knocks register so much more significance in people's minds.

  On 05/01/2012 at 02:43, H_T said:

Best 5th wicket partnership of all time against India. Now 302* (now ranked 8th)

Remarkable that two partnerships of 288 and 302* have been made in the same innings. I wonder if that is a record in itself....

Maybe - but they're still less combined than the highest ever partnership on its own! Ridiculous. He's certainly going for it now, at about a run a minute. If he lasts til tea he'll pass 400.

  On 05/01/2012 at 02:50, Nasher said:

Did anyone notice that Hussey scored a century? :-) I reckon Hussey's knock will sadly be forgotten with the passing of time, as the Punter and obviously Clarke knocks register so much more significance in people's minds.

Much like Gilly's when Hayden scored 380

  On 05/01/2012 at 02:50, Nasher said:

Did anyone notice that Hussey scored a century? :-) I reckon Hussey's knock will sadly be forgotten with the passing of time, as the Punter and obviously Clarke knocks register so much more significance in people's minds.

Yeah, brillinat innings Nasher. He's highest Test score of 195 is definitely looking like it will be surpassed.

Just for comparison Clarke's strike rate is around 70 runs per 100 balls, Hussey's is 57 runs per 100 balls.

  On 05/01/2012 at 02:50, 45HG16 said:

Maybe - but they're still less combined than the highest ever partnership on its own! Ridiculous. He's certainly going for it now, at about a run a minute. If he lasts til tea he'll pass 400.

How and the hell did Sth Africa let Sangakarra and Jayawardene get ~624 odd. That is ridiculous !

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Test_cricket_records

Weather:

Today - Possible late shower.

Tomorrow - Isolated early showers.

Saturday - Partly cloudy.

It looks like we should have plenty of time to bowl India out, but Hussey and Clarke are making the pitch look like a dream to bat on. The outfield seems pretty quick and we've hit 650 so far.

Do we want to bowl at them tonight? What do we want as a lead? It currently stands at 459.

We're 4 minutes shy of halfway in the test.

The statistician in me just wants them to bat. And bat.

And bat.

  On 05/01/2012 at 03:03, Rogue said:

Do we want to bowl at them tonight? What do we want as a lead? It currently stands at 459.

I'm no captain of any sort of cricket side, but surely there's absolutely no danger of losing this test now, so would we not want to force them to bat for as long as necessary? An Australia win or a draw are the only outcomes available now, so no matter what happens India will surely just be batting for the draw. The longer they have to bat for, the greater the chance of them not managing to bat for long enough. I'd have already declared by now.

I don't like the declaration.

Obviously it's best for the team, but just so much could've happened!

  On 05/01/2012 at 03:12, 45HG16 said:

I don't like the declaration. Obviously it's best for the team, but just so much could've happened!

I find the nobility of declaring while short of personal milestones just as pleasing as I would've if he'd passed them.

Fabulous innings. To do that after coming in with the team in trouble is massive. He scored so quickly too, which still gives us 2 and a half days to bowl them out.

Imagine SRT getting his 100th century in this game. What an anti climax!

Agreed Nasher. It's just a number and he only had one more thing to prove.

And he did.

  On 05/01/2012 at 03:16, Axis of Bob said:

Imagine SRT getting his 100th century in this game. What an anti climax!

It'd be a shame. That make what should be a milestone to be celebrated completely hollow. As a lover of the game I want him to score it in a meaningful match so that he and the crowd can enjoy it.

When we bowl them out in under 90 overs, I'll get back to you.

There's a bit of irony bemoaning a personal milestone for Sachin, considering Clarke was well on his way to the highest score ever.

In the scheme of things, obviously you'd go the win. But in 20 years time I won't remember who won the test, we won in Melbourne and I left early, but I'd certainly remember seeing Clarke create history. Oh well, can't change it now.

  On 05/01/2012 at 03:03, Rogue said:

Weather:

Today - Possible late shower.

Tomorrow - Isolated early showers.

Saturday - Partly cloudy.

It looks like we should have plenty of time to bowl India out, but Hussey and Clarke are making the pitch look like a dream to bat on. The outfield seems pretty quick and we've hit 650 so far.

Do we want to bowl at them tonight? What do we want as a lead? It currently stands at 459.

I like 45HG's post, I want them to bat too.

I sort of covered it earlier today in another post. But I think around 550. Maybe declare either at tea or half an hour into the last session.

I think you would have to be liasing with the weather bureau regularly.

And as I've just heard, Clarke has declared leaving a 468 run lead.

I think they must be eliminating the risk of any stoppages due to rain that maybe forecast. Clarke's a team player.

  On 05/01/2012 at 03:20, 45HG16 said:

There's a bit of irony bemoaning a personal milestone for Sachin, considering Clarke was well on his way to the highest score ever.

There isn't, really.

According to someone on cricinfo, it's the first time in test history there have been two 250+ run partnerships in the same innings.

Another thing I like about Clarke is his positive attitude.

It was only a little thing, but when Hussey made his 150 I'm pretty sure I saw Clarke punch his fists as he ran through for the first. Great to see.

  On 05/01/2012 at 03:25, 45HG16 said:

According to someone on cricinfo, it's the first time in test history there have been two 250+ run partnerships in the same innings.

For the record, Clarke & Hussey's 5th wicket partnership of 334* finished the 4th highest of all time.

See you later Sehwag....

  On 05/01/2012 at 03:33, 45HG16 said:

Another thing I like about Clarke is his positive attitude.

It was only a little thing, but when Hussey made his 150 I'm pretty sure I saw Clarke punch his fists as he ran through for the first. Great to see.

Happy for the Huss, and just maybe happy to declare whilst on 329* (unbeaten).

Fabulous catch to Warner to remove Sehwag.

Pitch is a peach to bat on with little swing so catches like that are gold.

And I agree with whats been said about Clarke's milestone and Bob put it well.

Hussey has backed up MEL well. And to think people were prepared to drop all Ponting Hussey and Clarke without decent replacements last summer.

Hilfy breaks through 'the wall !'

He is a revelation this Summer to date.

Enter SRT.

  On 05/01/2012 at 05:40, H_T said:

Hilfy breaks through 'the wall !'

Hope the walls in my house are stronger than that one. His stumps seem to have been awfully easy to break this series.

It's ridiculous.

He's been bowled 4* times in two tests now.

In 278 innings he's only been bowled 49 times. That's 3 times in 4 innings.

* Though one was given out from that ridiculous rule.

Edit: Those stats actually aren't nearly as impressive as I was expecting. Interesting.

I've had enough of Haddin.

  On 05/01/2012 at 06:17, 45HG16 said:

Edit: Those stats actually aren't nearly as impressive as I was expecting. Interesting.

Nonetheless, I had the same impression as you: that he's a staunch defender of his stumps, and historically he's been very bloody hard to get out. I didn't see the ball today but his bowleds (inc. the no-ball) in Melbourne were embarrassingly poor. I wonder what's wrong. Technique?

  On 05/01/2012 at 06:36, 45HG16 said:

I've had enough of Haddin.

+1.