Hats off to Hilfo . 8 wickets for the match . Gee wizz , has this bloke turned things around . He's been quoted as saying that he's going back to bricklaying after cricket . What a top Aussie bloke .

Whilst I didn't say anything on this thread I thought he was in a bit of trouble with regards to his career . Well done Ben !

Oh and Mitch Starc has a huge upside . How on earth are we going to fit all these quicks into the side ? Nice problem to have .

India have been really poor . Good at home but atrocious away . Who could captain apart from Dhoni ?

Question without notice.

How many members of the current touring Indian team have captained their country?

I'd like them to keep their mitts off the opening partnership for a while. It seems to be working, so leave it alone.

Absolutely. Why oh why would you move Warner??? Hells bells we finally find a batting pair that works well together then we want to split them. Oh they are obth left handers.

Hilf has been a revelation. All the quicks have bowled well. Very disciplined.

Mitch Johnson was our No 1 and bowl us to victory in Perth against the Poms. One Year later I would rank him seventh in the list behind the present four bowlers and Pattinson and Cummins.

WJ, I would go for 4 players having captained their side before. I think in 2008 it was 5 players...Sachin, Laxman, Ganguly, Kumble and Dravid.

Mitch Starc LBW on Tendulkar was almost the best ball of the series. Scary upside for a 2m left hander.

I'd like them to keep their mitts off the opening partnership for a while. It seems to be working, so leave it alone.

What, you think so, against this hack attack, and side.

No, a right & left hand opening combo with Warner to 3 or 4, IMO will be thew best. Cowan looks like a traditional opener, & Warner looks like someone who hasn't the best technique, but is a strokeplayer.

Marsh is battling and we need a No 3 and a Keeper as well.

Question without notice.

How many members of the current touring Indian team have captained their country?

I'm going to guess that three have been appointed captain on a non-temporary basis; Dravid, Tendulkar and Dhoni. Sehwag (current VC) and Laxman may have stood in at times. I'm not sure there'd be anyone else.

Warner has the quickest hundred by an opener and did so on a difficult. He has also carried his bat through an innings on a difficult wicket.

Pidgeon hole at your peril. I cant believe so many are dismissive of Warner's technique. Unbelievable.

If we move Warner from opening it makes as much sense as turning Pattinson into an off spinner to reduce pressure on his foot.

Mitch Starc LBW on Tendulkar was almost the best ball of the series. Scary upside for a 2m left hander.

I get your sentiment, but it's not even close to Hilfenhaus' ball in the second innings in Sydney which bowled Laxman.

The following players from the starting 11 in the third test have captained India in some format and some stage are:

G Gambhir: 6 ODIs

V Sehwag: 3 tests, 11 ODIs and 1 T20

R Dravid: 25 tests, 79 ODIs

S Tendulkar: 25 tests, 73 ODIs

MS Dhoni: 37 tests, 112 ODIs and 27 T20s

Total: 90 tests, 281 ODIs and 28 T20s

Since August 28 1996, the first time any of this team has been captain, India have played 163 tests, 505 ODIs and 31 T20s. Current players have skippered the side 57% during this time.

So in the past 15 years; 73 tests, 224 ODIs and 3 T20s have been led by other players (by my reckoning).

Of those matches, S Ganguly captained 49 tests and 147 ODIs. A Kumble captained 14 tests and 1 ODI.

Take them from the mix and only 10 tests and 76 ODIs have been captained by players outside this current Indian 11 (12%).

This, of course, removes the fact that many of the current team have been around during much of this period - surely adding to the "leadership" credentials.

I get your sentiment, but it's not even close to Hilfenhaus' ball in the second innings in Sydney which bowled Laxman.

Not even close?

I'd put it very, very close.

I may have inadvertently tipped this in post 3218 ! Dhoni out !

http://www.heraldsun...o-1226244905418

Hilf to Laxman was good but here was a 2nd gamer who shows promise bowling an unplayable jaffa to the Little Master. If Starc can consistently shape the ball like that at Test level, he is going to be a very awkward customer.

Dhoni out of Adelaide...... Oh dear.

Cant get much worse for the Indians. The criticism of the BCCI is welcome and long over due.

For all its incredible money, resources and talent pool, I cant understand why India cannot produce world number 1 sides in all forms of the game. Their beneficial disposition should be putting them on dynastic global surpremacy that could challenge and dwarf the recent Australian and WI domination of the game.

The fact they arent is a terrible indictment on the integrity competence and governance of those in charge.

Oh and given the buckets that they have incurred on the thread, I think the selectors, adminstrators and Michael Clarke deserve huge praise for the turnaround. And Clarke is making all the right noises in the Press conferences and handling himself very well in public as an Australian Captain is expected too.

I may have inadvertently tipped this in post 3218 ! Dhoni out !

http://www.heraldsun...o-1226244905418

Seems an extreme punishment for slow overrates in a Test that finished in under three days.

I am not sure the length of the Test dictates this. However the rules are there to stop fielding captains turning the play in a Test to a meandering farce. There have been a number of examples over recent years where the minimum 90 overs has not been even closely achieved in a day. Its bad for the paying spectator, its bad for the batting side and its not good for cricket to allow the unfair manipulation of the tempo of the game.

Seems an extreme punishment for slow overrates in a Test that finished in under three days.

Over rates do need to be looked at though . As a means to an end , a zero tolerance type of attitude may improve things .

It's interesting that Shield teams are asked to bowl 100 overs in a day ( think that's still the rule , might be 96 overs )

I'm all for the ICC showing a bit of muscle at last . As long as it's shown in the best interests of the game .

Here is another interesting little article involving the ICC and India . Surprised me .

http://www.theage.co...0114-1q0qh.html

Seems an extreme punishment for slow overrates in a Test that finished in under three days.

Not sure the distance the game travels is that relevant to the underlying problem of captains being too lax about over rates. Whether a game goes for 1 day or 5, you need to ensure that across the board, captains are getting their overs out in reasonable time.

Not even close?

I'd put it very, very close.

Really? I still rate Hilfenhaus' ball well above Starc's. Oh well.

Warner's superb innings has finally allowed me to get back on topic and refer to my OP about Shiv Chanderpaul.

The connection is the record they now share for the fourth fastest test century:-

Fastest Test centuries No. of balls Player Opponent Venue Season

56 West Indies Cricket Board Viv Richards v England Antigua Recreation Ground, St. John's 1985–86

57 Australia Adam Gilchrist v England WACA Ground, Perth 2006–07

67 Australia Jack Gregory v South Africa Old Wanderers, Johannesburg 1921–22

69 West Indies Cricket Board Shivnarine Chanderpaul† v Australia Bourda, Georgetown, Guyana 2002–03

69 Australia David Warner† v India WACA Ground, Perth 2011-12

The funny thing from my point of view is that I always thought of Shiv as a dogged batsman rather than a big hitter. I can't recall that century in 2002-03 but it must have been out of character.

Anyway, it's good to know that the Aussies finally did find a way to end his innings as per my my post #1.

Seems an extreme punishment for slow overrates in a Test that finished in under three days.

There was a long delay late on the first day when Warner was hit on the head by that short ball but, based on the cricinfo score report they were six overs short at the end of the day. That's still a fair bit even when you're getting carted around all over the place and quite significant if taken over the course of a whole test match. If the authorities want to crack down on slow over rates, the sanction against Dhoni is correct.

Will Dave Warner still be an effective opener against a crack bowling attack or could he be even more lethal coming in at 3 once the bowlers are a little puffed out and the ball has aged? He is a brute V8 that could change batting culture at Test level. He plays the 3 types of cricket exactly the same way!

I am happy if Warner opens, but is it his optimum spot. Thinking ASHES here kiddies.

Will Dave Warner still be an effective opener against a crack bowling attack or could he be even more lethal coming in at 3 once the bowlers are a little puffed out and the ball has aged? He is a brute V8 that could change batting culture at Test level. He plays the 3 types of cricket exactly the same way!

I am happy if Warner opens, but is it his optimum spot. Thinking ASHES here kiddies.

When you open the field is up and the ball is hard. I reckon that's quite a good situation for Warner.

When you open the field is up and the ball is hard. I reckon that's quite a good situation for Warner.

Yes it is, i would also love to see him Bat fresh against an attack that has already spent a bit of energy. Gilchrist was so good at it. Warner could be even better. Nice situation to have hey.

I would have batted first, but as india is a shot duck i doubt it will matter either way....

4 down already...could be done and dusted by sunday...but then again....

Why did we bowl first ?

Saying it didn't matter either way is ridiculous and more confirms your method of avoiding your wrongful opinions on matters - particularly batting first every time.

You would make a brilliant captain taking everything into account and all.

I am happy if Warner opens, but is it his optimum spot. Thinking ASHES here kiddies.

Why would it be different in the Ashes?

Sharma, Khan and Yadav have been very good this summer. They have been terribly let down in the field and the batting unable to chase or set score. In addition Warner has show his application is sound carrying his bat in difficult batting conditions in Hobart. Warner has shown he is more than up to the challenge.

Of course he should open. I not sure why you think he can be hidden at 3. Even worse would be to bat him at seven. It was Ok for Gilchrist given we had established openers and Ponting and let Gilly focus on his keeping. He has shown comprehensively he likes the ball coming onto his bat. He is going to be stand and deliver. So why wouldn't let me do that from the front when the ball is hard?

We get a player who emphatically demonstrates that he can open the batting in spades yet we seek to oversmart by trying to move elsewhere in the order. Ridiculous.

Sharma, Khan and Yadav have been very good this summer. They have been terribly let down in the field and the batting unable to chase or set score. In addition Warner has show his application is sound carrying his bat in difficult batting conditions in Hobart. Warner has shown he is more than up to the challenge.

That's giving the Indian bowlers too much credit. They haven't been as bad as the batsmen, but they haven't been 'very good' at all. They've been OK.

The three I mentioned have been credible under the circumstances.

Yadav is young and looks good. Both Sharma and Khan have done well after injury lay offs. At 3/31, it was series on! It took a truly awesome innings from Clarke and then Warner's special cameo to break then but FMD they have been given no totals to bowl at by the insipid batting.