Anyone for cricket?

[H_T 2,941]

As Mark Waugh said....

[Sir Why You Little 34,554]

Hughes is so Lucky he has a NSW Passport.

How many times is a man allowed to go out playing the same shot?

If Hughes was a Victorian he would have already completed an apprenticeship and started a new career, post Cricket!

[Whispering_Jack 27,999]

It's not an easy one given our injury situation but because this would be a one off I'd open with Dave Warner and Usman Khawaja.

Did we open with those two or is Hughes out?

[H_T 2,941]

Result wise Hughes has fallen victim 19 times out of 30 innings between keeper and gully.

Correction. I was incorrect according to Mark Nicholas on Nine. It's 21 from 30.

Stupid Herald-Sun !

[45HG 1,539]

Is that now 22 from 31?

[Hulett Packard III 166]

Is that now 22 from 31?

Not till the second innings.

[Whispering_Jack 27,999]

Our batting line up is fast reaching the point where it's a one man team.

[Rogue 585]

Our batting line up is fast reaching the point where it's a one man team.

Yeah.

Siddle's opening the batting next Test.

[45HG 1,539]

Yeah.

Siddle's opening the batting next Test.

774 were just talking about this.

Open with Siddle or Pattinson to shield Hughes. Maybe bat Hughes at 9 or 10 in the first innings because of his rubbish average. Good stuff.

[Rogue 585]

774 were just talking about this.

Open with Siddle or Pattinson to shield Hughes. Maybe bat Hughes at 9 or 10 in the first innings because of his rubbish average. Good stuff.

I always knew I could be a commentator

[titan_uranus 22,436]

We've worked on our bowling line up, with Pattinson, Cummins and Lyon all showing promise (Starc looks out of his depth but that's acceptable). Our batting line up is still substandard. And badly so.

Hughes is done. I sincerely hope he doesn't make a decent score in the second innings, as the selectors/Clarke will hold onto anything they can to keep him in. He needs to go back to NSW and work on his game. We have better alternatives anyway.

Warner is still unconvincing and will make way for Watson/Marsh. Khawaja is an interesting one; he's not really making runs and he looked terrible today but he looks like a Test batsman (far more so than Warner or Hughes) and looks like he has the right temperament.

Ponting is close to done, Hussey is back to his pre-Ashes form (his Ashes and Sri Lanka credits can't keep him in forever), and Haddin's 80-odd in Brisbane ought not mask the fact that he's utterly terrible and should make way for Wade in Melbourne.

Clarke is in good form but can't do everything from number 5. He's coming in with too few runs on the board, and is getting no support from 6 and 7 and the moment.

Is the NZ series over yet?

Awks...

He played at a ball that was just too wide to play at. That wasn't a technique thing, but rather it was just a bad ball to play at on a seaming deck.

Rubbish. He played at it with an angled bat pushing away from his body. Look at how Khawaja went out. Straight bat. Straight down the line, pushing with bat next to pad. He got beaten, and he was bogged down, which contributed to his nervy push, but he played straight down the line. Hughes pushed away from his body (again), and didn't present the full face of the bat (again). His technique is exactly why he went out.

[Rogue 585]

^ Yeah, Hughes poked at it.

Jaques is unfortunate that he's been in a bit of a trough so far this season. The other forgotten opener, Rogers, is probably past it at 34 years old but he's in good form.

[45HG 1,539]

Vics are dominating.

8-93 in the first dig.

53 of 136 in our first innings, including the highest partnership of the innings.

5-95 and still rocking in the third innings. No doubt they'll be required to make some runs later too.

[Nasher 33,068]

Tasmanian* Ed Cowan is surely ahead of all those other openers (Jaques, Rogers at al). That said, I think it's all a moot point arguing over which almost good enough opener might almost deserve a spot. Warner is powering ahead of them all at this stage.

*State of birth doesn't mean a thing, unless I'm talking about Matty Wade in which case I, as a Tasmanian, feel compelled to take all the credit for.

[Axis of Bob 10,229]

I thought both Warner and Hughes batted exceptionally well today.

Hughes looked really solid from the get go, even against Martin. I think the main reason for this was because he left the ball much better, so he didn't reach for the ball and defended in a far more compact way.

Warner showed his worth in being able to shift the game momentum, as the bowlers were not able to completely dictate and instead were forced to employ more defensive fields.

And Clarke's captaincy was again excellent and shows great faith in Lyon. I also thought Starc was much better in his pre lunch spell. Didn't get rewarded, but bowled with very good pace.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I agree about Warner and Hughes. How anyone could have discounted Warner up to this stage has got me beat. Yesterday was a really good Test of attitude and application in conditions ideal for swing. He showed excellent temperament.

I know its only early days but Lyon looks the most capable spinner we have in the Test team since McGill's demise.

And provided he can stay fit, Pattinson looks an absolute beaut. i thought Siddle bowled the best i have seen him bowl in a long time. He needs to work hard to continually bowl in the corridor of uncertainty.

While i think Australia can win here, I think the Indians will be sobering opponent on flatter truer wickets. Should be fascinating

[titan_uranus 22,436]

And Clarke's captaincy was again excellent and shows great faith in Lyon. I also thought Starc was much better in his pre lunch spell. Didn't get rewarded, but bowled with very good pace.

Agree with this, I've been mighty impressed with his captaincy so far. He likes bringing the spinner on when needed and rotates the quicks quite well. I'm a bit surprised at how much faith he puts in Hussey's bowling but he's taking about a wicket per game so can't be faulted really!

I agree about Warner and Hughes. How anyone could have discounted Warner up to this stage has got me beat. Yesterday was a really good Test of attitude and application in conditions ideal for swing. He showed excellent temperament.

If that's a reference to what I said earlier, well done. I never discounted him. I said I didn't think he was good enough. Until this innings, nothing had changed. However, I'm happy to say he's playing a far better innings than I would have given him credit for, and he's heaping the pressure on Hughes, Khawaja and Ponting. He looks a lot more compact and stable than he has in any other innings I've seen from him.

I know its only early days but Lyon looks the most capable spinner we have in the Test team since McGill's demise.

I don't think it's too early any more re: Lyon, he's had 7 Tests now and to me he's shown more in these Tests than any other spinner we've tried did. Looking at how he bowls, with dip, bounce, curve and turn, it makes a mockery of some of the other bowlers we've tried. Hauritz, Dohery and Beer were all honest triers but didn't turn it much, didn't extract too much bounce, and didn't take wickets. Lyon, without a doubt, is the best spinner we've had since MacGill, and it makes such a difference to our bowling line up.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

If that's a reference to what I said earlier, well done. I never discounted him. I said I didn't think he was good enough. Until this innings, nothing had changed. However, I'm happy to say he's playing a far better innings than I would have given him credit for, and he's heaping the pressure on Hughes, Khawaja and Ponting. He looks a lot more compact and stable than he has in any other innings I've seen from him.

The only thing that has changed has been the level you unfairly discounted him by earlier and be shown up for it by the events. You havent seen him enough to make the blanket negative assessment of him like you have. Warner has previously shown this capability to bat well but not be subdued by opposition attacks atr Shield leve. This innings is a vintage Warner knock. Could be a valuable Test player with his good fielding, handy leg breaks and seemingly authoritative batting. He deserves his ton.

And FWIW, Khawaja does not look like a Test batsman with the right temperament if he continues not to make runs. Cant build on his starts.

[H_T 2,941]

Warner looks pretty solid defensively and has shown a great deal of patience at the crease, which is an essential attribute to have as an opening Test batsman. Hughes looked to have taken onboard some much needed advice on patience, particularly not having to play every ball outside off stump as I posted earlier. He was fortunate to still be there at stumps Yesterday despite looking more watchful. However they're opening stand did put the Aussies in a decent position for the match and series. Unfortunately for Hughes it came undone this morning and he didn't trouble the scorers.

[Sir Why You Little 34,554]

Khawaja should open with Warner on Boxing Day. Yes he has not made a stack of runs and his technique is still dodgy, but he values his wicket. His technique will improve with that attitude.

Warner has little technique, he has brute strength and power. If he can stay in long enough to get his eye in, look out. Without Warner today we would have been bowled out very cheaply. It's dangerous to bat in the fourth innings.

[H_T 2,941]

Maiden Test century for Warner 100 from 147 balls. Well done to him. Match winning innings.....maybe...

[Rogue 585]

We're not there yet!

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Khawaja should open with Warner on Boxing Day. Yes he has not made a stack of runs and his technique is still dodgy, but he values his wicket.

Thank God he values his wicket. He is not making many runs and this technique is still dodgy but he values his wicket.

Warner has little technique, ...... It's dangerous to bat in the fourth innings.

FMD. That is so gobsmacking wrong its laughable. He has shown himself in the toughest conditions to be a very good batsman with sound technique, wonderful concentration.

[Rogue 585]

Maiden Test century for Warner 100 from 147 balls. Well done to him. Match winning innings.....maybe...

I swear that didn't say maybe when I saw it

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

We're not there yet!

We are not there at all !

What an insult to a player who batted through the innings and hit a century....and apparently has very little technique. Absolute awesome effort. I cant work out the love affair with Khawaja and the dismissive attitude to Warner. He was badly let down by other players with better techniques and value their wickets.

I would have thought losing a winning test to the 8th ranked Test team is appalling.

Well done Bracewell....6 wkts. How long since the Kiwis won a Test without Vettori?