Most of our test players and the the ones who were in the test side recently are performing badly at test and shield level.You cannot select players based on T20 or 50-50 form.The Big bash is one of the reasons why we cannot produce decent test players.We cannot seem to find a decent all rounder,S.Africa have produced Kallis and Pollock as all rounders and this seems to make a difference when playing in India. I would like to see the big bash scrapped and go back to the state sides playing T20. as this help pay wages for the players. Perhaps we nned to bring in an U21 squad to play shield matches.We also need pitches that can take spin thus replicating Indian pitches.Each shield side should have one all rounder which the side nominates and that person must bat at no.5 and bowl a minimum of 15 overs per innings. 

I like the look of Renshaw ... calm at the crease and that's a great sign for someone so young.  His technique is fine and you can see what the selectors have seen in him. 

Handscomb is getting a terrific introduction to test cricket by being able to bat at no.5 ... he can bat higher but may not have to for a few years (if all goes well)

I just hope the selectors don't overreact if our batsmen don't excel in India ... we'll go in as big underdogs for the 4 test tour (Feb/March) and rightfully so.  In order to hold our own over there we're going to need Warner,  Lyon, Smith & Khawaja to lead the way.  Ashwin,  Jadeja,  Kohli,  Vijay,  Pujara, Nair and co are going to be hard to beat .. a quality spinner like Ojha can't even get a game

As for this test, Warner (and Renshaw) have given us a great start again and we need to capitalise.

3 hours ago, Macca said:

I like the look of Renshaw ... calm at the crease and that's a great sign for someone so young.  His technique is fine and you can see what the selectors have seen in him. 

Handscomb is getting a terrific introduction to test cricket by being able to bat at no.5 ... he can bat higher but may not have to for a few years (if all goes well)

I just hope the selectors don't overreact if our batsmen don't excel in India ... we'll go in as big underdogs for the 4 test tour (Feb/March) and rightfully so.  In order to hold our own over there we're going to need Warner,  Lyon, Smith & Khawaja to lead the way.  Ashwin,  Jadeja,  Kohli,  Vijay,  Pujara, Nair and co are going to be hard to beat .. a quality spinner like Ojha can't even get a game

As for this test, Warner (and Renshaw) have given us a great start again and we need to capitalise.

Agree on all fronts Macca.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how we bat on the Indian pitches. I'm confident there will be at least one bad innings, probably a few more than that, and the reaction will be interesting.

Still a few question marks over the team, though. Wade is struggling (IMO we never should have dropped Nevill and the switch hasn't yet worked), Lyon traditionally doesn't bowl that well in the subcontinent, and of course there is the ongoing debacle of number 6. We'll see how Cartwright goes but I'm not sold on a half-baked "all-rounder", I'd prefer a proper batsman.

I am going to my first BBL tonight, any tips?

The squad for the India tour has been named.

We've picked three "all-rounders" (Maxwell, M Marsh, Agar), none of whom are good enough to bat at 6. Wade is also batting so poorly at Test level that he doesn't command the number 6 spot. 

Our obsession with finding an all-rounder to provide the third pace option (Marsh) to allow O'Keefe or Swepson to bowl alongside Lyon, or to be a second spinner (Agar/Maxwell) to allow us to play Bird means we're going to continually fail to put enough runs on the board, something which we've just seen cost England a few Tests when they failed to go on to post 500+ runs in the first innings. We are not going to win if we don't score runs and only playing 5 batsmen and then a hodge-podge of players who average 25-35 at 6-9 is not going to work.

More importantly, none of Maxwell, M Marsh or Agar are any good.

What a crazy ODI today!

Hazlewood run out for a diamond duck after being part of a 50+ run partnership without even facing a ball!

Funny how some players seem more at home at international level than domestic. We saw Handscomb and Renshaw over the test series and now Stoinis at ODI level.

Eleven sixes. Phenomenal innings to watch. 

It looks like international cricket is heading for a major re-structure ... Radical schedule shake-up proposed at ICC meeting

I'll just comment on the proposed changes for test cricket ...

In a nutshell, the changes would result in a 'rolling' 2 year cycle where 9 test nations (excluding Zimbabwe) would all play each other once in a series (even 1 test qualifies as a 'series') - culminating in a final involving the 2 best performed teams. 

When & where the final might be played is obviously open for discussion as well.  Mid January might suit the Southern hemisphere nations where as August/September might suit the Northern Hemisphere nations.

Maintaining interest over 2 years might be tricky but as with anything that is new, the adjustment in thinking can happen.

Let's face it, the current overall test structure has no real structure ... series are often planned way in advance based on home team ideal outcomes and revenue goals.  However, apparently none of the iconic series (Ashes etc) would be effected so those revenue goals could still be reached.

Another factor is that another 3 nations (Zimbabwe,  Ireland? & Afghanistan?) would operate concurrently (but separately) within that same 2 year cycle with the other 9 nations all playing those 3 nations once as well.

That's a lot of test cricket with each nation being required to play 11 other nations over a 2 year period ... it's do-able as long as a number of those series' are only 1 or 2 tests in length.

The Australian 2 year calender could read as follows (in theory - for 1 cycle only)

           1st Year

Sept/Oct .......... Sri Lanka (3 tests - Away)

Oct/Nov ........... NZ (2 - Home)

Nov/Dec/Jan ... England (5 - Home))

Apr/May .......... West Indies (3 - Away)

July ................. Ireland (1 - Cairns)

July ................. Zimbabwe (1 - Darwin)

           2nd Year

Sept/Oct .......... Pakistan (3 - Away - Dubai,  Sharjah,  Abu Dhabi)

Oct/Nov .......... South Africa (3 - Home)

Dec/Jan .......... India (4 - Home)

July ................. Bangladesh (2 - Away)

Jul/Aug ........... Afghanistan (1 - Neutral venue)

 

 

 

 

 

.

Edited February 4, 20178 yr by Macca

For those without cable TV, you can listen to the tests from India here ... the ABC are providing coverage but not through their normal radio outlets.  The link should work through your phone (if it's compliant)

Good on Renshaw for making a half century despite sickness.

The rest of the batting card looks about right, save for 4 wickets falling to Yadav's pace.

Mitch Marsh 4, Wade 4. I wonder if they'll be 6 and 7 come the fourth Test of this series.

Brave innings from Renshaw. Hard to believe he's still only 20 (about to turn 21). 

Cracking innings from Mitchell Starc as well. Doing more with the bat and ball than Mitch Marsh, our preferred all-rounder.

7 hours ago, Demon Jack said:

Brave innings from Renshaw. Hard to believe he's still only 20 (about to turn 21). 

Cracking innings from Mitchell Starc as well. Doing more with the bat and ball than Mitch Marsh, our preferred all-rounder.

And in a short space of time the Aussies have found themselves in a very strong position.  Bowling India out for 105 was probably not in the thoughts of many.  Huge kudos to O'Keefe (6-35) but all the bowlers contributed.

Agree on Renshaw ... looks to have a very bright future.  I still see Starc as more of a clean hitter - no.8 is his spot.  Mitch Marsh is still young enough to improve - he can be rotated in or out depending on whether we may prefer to play a pure batsman at no.6. 

The no.6 spot can be used in a flexible way and I reckon it will be used that way by the selectors - I'm not rusted on to a certain type of player.  It would help if Warner & Smith bowled a bit more and could hold their own.

 

I'm at the match. Best day of cricket I've ever been to. Such an intense experience in the crowd, cannot imagine what it would be like in the middle. The boys stood up, stoked and proud of what they achieved today.

Incredible stuff, with India losing 7/11. That's the kind of stuff we all expected to see from Australia, not India.

If we can get another 100 runs, get the lead up past 400, we'd have to back ourselves in to win this. I don't imagine we're going to knock India over for 105 again but only one team has ever chased more than 300 to win a Test in India so I think 400 will be a useful target to set.

Renshaw is a find. A half-century under duress on Day 1 (in the context of the match, vital that he came back out and scored runs) and then an important 30-odd under more duress in an unfamiliar position today. 

So we've set them a target of 441. History says that should be enough but if don't get some early wickets (especially Vijay and Kohli) I'll remain concerned.

Would be a great win, for the series and for the team.

Where's O'Keefe been?

geez i'd hate to see what this wicket would be like on day 5

that'll serve the icb right trying to interfere

 

Incredible result. More a combination, I think, of India's over-confidence and Australia doing its homework than the pitch - it wasn't some sort of unplayable grubber (which has existed before in India). Smith showed patience could net you runs, as did Renshaw (don't underestimate his two innings, both with sickness). Just a strong all-round performance, the likes of which we just don't see in Asia these days!

Just got back from the ground. Unbelievable stuff. O'keefe and Lyon unplayable; the ball to take Virat's off stump was a piece of low, straight magic following some absolute curlers. 

Let's see what happens for the remainder of the series but suffice to say, that was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

57 minutes ago, AmDamDemon said:

Just got back from the ground. Unbelievable stuff. O'keefe and Lyon unplayable; the ball to take Virat's off stump was a piece of low, straight magic following some absolute curlers. 

Let's see what happens for the remainder of the series but suffice to say, that was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Wow. You saw that game..

 

"Blitz 'em over there"...

On 25/02/2017 at 5:23 PM, Sir Why You Little said:

Wow. You saw that game..

 

"Blitz 'em over there"...

Yep. Did not see that coming. Also, if you're looking for a new chance in life, go to India and become famous. It's easy. "Selfieselfie? Signature, sir?" Amazing place.

Mitchell Marsh has played ( hopefully his last test match Pizz poor bowler ( 2 overs at half rat power) and makes a duck when we really needed him to stand up!  Pizz of lightweight!

The Indian guys I met in a Cambodge Hotel were enjoying the prospect of a good thrashing.

I did mention to these fine salesmen of Ceiling tiles  from Bangalore that " it's a funny game".

We laughed,we chatted,we drank ,I paid,we mused.

I listened to their claims about all types of superiority we can expect from the "Jewel in the Crown" as I call it.

Only now am I disappointed in myself for tossing out their contact details the next morn.

Funny game.Funny game.

Ripping Test, this, but looks over now. Ashwin taking those two wickets in the last three overs before tea, leaving us 87 behind and with only 4 wickets left. Handscomb looks comfortable but I can't see him staying long enough, or the tail hanging around long enough, to score another 87 runs.

If we lose, it will come down to the poor bowling yesterday in India's second innings. We let them back into the match with loose bowling early. 

S Marsh not reviewing his LBW decision doesn't help, either.

Also, M Marsh has now scored 48 runs in four innings, and has only bowled 5 overs in the two Tests so far (for 0 wickets). He is adding close to nothing to the side and should be dropped, win or lose, for either Khawaja or Maxwell in the next Test.

big advantage on this pitch to not having to bat last. agree our bowling a bit loose in their 2nd innings gifting a few runs