Rhino Richards

You can if the opposition have declared in the first innings B) I see your point. I dont think you can have one without the other. While the Windies and Australia had great bowlers they were also blessed with some great batsman and good keepers. Windies: Richards, Haynes, Greenidge, Richardson, Lloyd with Dujon as keeper. Australia: Hayden, Langer, Taylor, Waughs, Border and Ponting. Healy and Gilchrist as a keeper. I guess the alternate view is you wont take 20 wickets in a test if you can set enough runs for the opposition to chase.

You do talk some absolute crap for the sake of taking an opposing view. Asif set the game going and Hussey changed it and arguably won it. Hussey's knock changed the game regardless of how many times he was dropped. Siddle was only the foil. Of course his innings was gutsy and gritty. Its was not polished but it does not reduce its impact.The gems keep adding up WYL. What false sense of security?? We have got problems a plenty. In the last 5 years when havent we had around 3 players in their mid 30s? Keep them coming WYL. Its a rich vein of form you are in.

For someone who has never doubted Ponting as a batsman, you have all the hallmarks of someone who does. Ponting is good enough to understand the changing of the season and adapt his batting to the needs of the situation. Many of the top batsman modify their game in their final years. S Waugh and Tendulkar are good examples. And if he is going to be found out at No 3 by England who is going to do it??? In your own view you dont rate Broad or Anderson. You forget that Roach, Asif and Aamer (at times) were world class. England certainly dont have any pushing 150kmh. We know exactly how good this side is. Its better than the WI and Pakistan but its not the intimidating side it was. I think we will have a very close contest with England and tie the series. Australia has lapses during a Test but it knows how to eek a win out of a tough situation. It does not lay down easily. You need to look beyond the results in the paper. Hussey and North did little to convince indeed. Hussey may have been lucky to have to been dropped but his gritty and gutsy innings anchored the win. Of course he should have been man of the match. Who else could have got it? Another of your gems there WYL .

Ponting is still better than most other cricketers at 3. He carried an injury through most of the Test but he will have to evolve his game at 35. He still went onto make his century count. He is hardly a worry. Your attitude toward him may be so. I thought we learnt heaps about the team and the way its plays. Watson stepping up, North and Hussey. Its a worry if you watch six tests and you cant draw anything from them. We had clear evidence about where Hauritz is out. Unless teams are giong to go the slog, Hauritz, nor any of his teammates have the individual class to run through a batting line up. Hauritz is the best option we have atm. I dont think he is a match winner and I dont think he is potent enough. Solid team teams will keep him out. Class teams will cut him to pieces. We are along way from the days of having McGrath,Warne and Gillespie at their peak

Fair enough but you have highlighted some compelling reasons why we will struggle. I agree about the openers. I think Watson and Katich have been good in Australia and deserve their chance. Watson's reverse swing complements the other fast bowlers. Katich...dunno about him. Why hasn't he bowled earlier..injury..confidence. We3 need wrist spin. If Hauritz wickets flatter him what of Katich?? Katich had on easy street with kamakaze batmen with no hope of winning. Our middle order has real holes at 4 and 6. I am worried that 2 test against NZ and Pakistan (in England) wont help solve it. There's the rub. I dont think we have a capable enough 4th innings bowler...England will not prostitute their wickets as willingly as the Pakistanis. Then so will Bollinger. I dont mind either bowler. I want the one that gets the most wickets. Problem is that there were times that Siddle look straight up and down throughout the summer.

Says nothing why Ponting going for zero would have been better for Australia in the LT. Another of your ridiculous gems WYL.

Why?

FWIW, I thought both WI and Pakistan would be easy beats this summer. I was pleasantly surprised by the WI and there some hope for the future there. Not so Pakistan who have deep problems on and off the field. Besides the first day or so in Sydney, Australia played both sides on pitches that were absolute belters. Australian benefited from and capitalised on mental lapses from both sides (in the case of Pakistan..huge ones!). Both sides played to form although many of the WI's really stepped up. Its clear that when we play the Ashes next Summer, we will face an English team that will not [censored] their wickets easily nor give away an advantage when they are in front. They are unlikely to have any real weak links in their team that will give Australia an easy opening in a match. The Australian team are young and still inexperienced in cricket terms and have shown the following characteristics: 1. They no longer have a true match winner with either bat or ball. Gone are the days when any of Hayden, Ponting, Gilly, McGrath or Warne would change a game. Ponting is a class act but at 35 off his best (He is still Australia's premier bat nonetheless). Johnson takes wickets in spasms but we have no bowler that can rip through a batting line up. We require 5 bowlers bowling well to chip in with 1,2 or 3 wickets here or there. 2. Ponting has had to work harder marshalling his bowlers to make the break and was at most times superior to Yousuf and had the wood on Gayle. However Gayle impressed at times. 3. We found an opening pair in Watson and Katich. We have question marks at 4 (Hussey) and 6 (North). Ponting despite his injury will still be effective at 3. He just wont be intimidating as in past years. 4. Watson may be the all rounder we have been looking for (pray his body holds up). His batting has been great at opening and his ability to reverse swing important at critical times. 5. Dont let the figures fool you, Hauritz is pedestrian as a spinner. He will never have it as easy as he had this summer and was the chief beneficiary of some truly suicidal batting. At no time did he look like he would rip through a side. But I cant think of someone better. But the question mark remains on him and the selectors are wise to explore all options at this point. Its a pretty bare cupboard. 6. The pace attack is workmanlike and honest. Johnston can hurt in a couple of overs and is a genuine wicket taker but is hot and cold. Bollinger bowled well. Siddle lacks a killer delivery and is a little straight up and down. Hilfy back would add a good blend. While much can happen to both sides in 12 months, at this point I think Australia could draw the the series in Australia for the Ashes but not win the coveted urn.

Or if she had allowed someone access to the keys.......... Hmmm On a better topic, Punter gets a ton and the owner of the Top Gear Toy is getting close. 3/226 of 61 overs. Pitch is a belter. We need to bowl well to get 20 wickets.

I was being sarcastic over the Melb test when he squibbed the final overs on day 1 of a Test match. His alleged fiancee *cough* can look after the Aston Martin. Its not good having a bingle around such a fine car.

Shouldn't Hauritz come in before Clarke to protrect him from the new ball?

Only if she can bat at 6. Not playing for NSW will work against her chances somewhat.

The Age reported a punter dropped a sum on Pakistan at a $1.06. http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/pun...00106-luah.html

No problems. I regularly scroll the Bible....Cricinfo

Still reeling how Pakistan stole defeat from the jaws of victory. Australia is in special company being the sixth side to win from being over 200 runs behind on the first innings. Australia completed one of the most remarkable comebacks in cricket's history when they beat Pakistan by 36 runs at the Sydney Cricket Ground. This was only the sixth time that a team overcame a first-innings deficit of more than 200 to win a Test. Australia have been involved in each of those six matches - thrice at the receiving end and thrice victorious. Victories after conceding first-innings leads in excess of 200 Team Opposition First-innings deficit Ground Margin of victory Start date Australia Sri Lanka 291 Colombo (SSC) 16 runs 17 Aug 1992 ---> Emergence of the great SK Warne India Australia 274 Kolkata 171 runs 11 Mar 2001 --> When S Waugh sent India in again and Laxman and Dravid did the unbelievable. England Australia 261 Sydney 10 runs 14 Dec 1894 Australia South Africa 236 Durban 5 wickets 20 Jan 1950 England Australia 227 Leeds 18 runs 16 Jul 1981 --> When Beefy Botham belted Australia Australia Pakistan 206 Sydney 36 runs 3 Jan 2010

Very interesting comment. It was indeed a memorable day. Takes the stuffing out of Hobart for a "dead" test though. (Sorry Nasher)

Bad luck Jaded. it rules you out of the 3rd test then. What a Test. Unbelievable. Pakistan will be crushed. They took their foot off our throat with feckless batting in two innings, poor fielding and catching and terrible captaincy in the way they allowed Hussey/Siddle to pick easy and regular runs. Australia was quite the opposite today to Pakistan and they won the day that counted. Well done Aussies and for you WYL well captained in the end by Ponting in the use of his bowlers and fielding settings. Yousuf could learn plenty from that.

Agree. However, I do find it annoying that a spinner bowling off a couple of paces at no more than a trot bowls no balls.

While it may not appear so in Australia and England, Test cricket is seriously on the wane in the sub continent (key importance) and the West Indies. Its also poorly attended in South Africa. Its a terrible state of affairs and has been so for a while. The more I think about it, I am more [censored] off with the Australian's 2nd innings than the first innings. Losing 8/170 on a better batting track after getting to 100+ opening partnership is very poor and reflects the lack of concentration that has been with the Australian batting all summer and during the Ashes. Ponting's injury, lack of fitness and consequential form has really hurt Australia. He has been a rock at 3 for years. But the recent Tests drop in runs has exposed and not balanced the other cracks elsewhere. Hussey may get a ton today and good on him if he does. However, he should buy K Akmal some velcro for his keeping gloves. He is lucky to be still there. Regardless, today wont change my view that his star is fading and has been for the past 12 months. He should not be there for the next Ashes challenge and should be moved out of the team prior to then. Clarke has been a worry all summer. Good enough to dominate the WI and the Paki attacks and hasn't and has got progressive worse. Rumour has it that things off the field are not going well for him and the mystery of the disappearing and re appearing Aston Martin has given rise to suggestions that the planets are not lining up for him privately and its affecting his game. His back would also be a worry. North should go. Does not get runs when its tough. We dont use his off spin which is not Test standard. We already have one of those in the team. I recall him taking some good grabs in the Ashes. I also recall him dropping a couple of sodas though. The catch he dropped in the first innings was a sitter at a critical time. Should have been taken. Goodbye. I would play Bailey (There you go Nasher!) Haddin has had an indifferent season with the gloves and the bat. A great flat track striker of the ball and will have days where he scorch the opposition. But he is not solid enough to play 6 and should stay at 7. Hauritz aint there in my book. He had a day out at MEL (a one off) but has not done much otherwise. Watson is and has been the premier batsman for Australia this summer. Notwithstanding his dismissals in the 90s, his season has been outstanding. HIs leadership and aggression at the start of the batting yesterday was outrstanding. Got a great ball but deserved a ton. He was badly let down for his efforts. If anything he is more secure than Katich and Hughes to open and comments that he should be batting six have been and are folly. He is the one strength at the moment. I am not sure whether Hilfy is going to be fit enough for Hobart but if so Siddle can be deemed unlucky to go. Bowled as well as the other bowlers but has not has the luck. Would have felt wretched after North's fumble. A good innings wont save him either. What this summer and the Ashes have shown is that the Test attack is at best honest where all bowlers apply to game plan and the wickets are shared. We dont have a real match winner like a McGrath, Warne or Gillespie. Johnson can do jaffa cameos but can vary from missile to monkey quickly. The distance between 1st and 6th on the Test rankings is probably closer than its been for 40 years.

It would seem so. Runs aside, Hussey is scratching around again. He is on borrowed time as well. If I was Test batting aspirant, I would be wanting to make sure I got amongst the runs. Pity there is little domestic cricket on beyond 20/20 at the moment. At 7/255,49 runs in front, Australia are fooked. Again a disappointing batting performance by all bar Watson. At one stage 0/104 and then to lose 7/151 is really poor. Kaneria is bowling them over on a seemingly reasonable batting strip. Shows the value of a good wrist spinner. Australia dont have one ATM.

Great session for Australia. 0/86 and 120 behind. They need two more good sessions today(100 runs per session few if any wickets) then the pendulum starts to move back. Still a lllooonnnggg way to go though.

Not sure about that one. But it the batting captains choice whether he has it rolled between innings before his side goes into bat. Pitch looked firm with no signs of being dusty or cracking.

That is what brought the Aust batsman undone in the first dig. They ignored the conditions on the first day. However today should be more to there liking. The initial start is good. Now to build on that....

Clear skies in Sydney today.... Pakistan well in front but they failed to kill the snake when it had its foot on its throat. After some good work early, their batsman were too cavalier and their tail too timid. A bit of grit and being only 5 to 6 wickets down then Pakistan could have well and truly batted Australia out of the contest. Australia need to wrap up the last wicket for less than 20 more runs and get to the task of batting when the wicket is arguably at its best. TU rightly points out the Australian batting line up has alot to play for. If they bat all day today for say 85 overs and go at 3.5 runs per over and are no more than 2 or 3 wickets down then its game on with Australia taking a lead into day 4 and its game on. There is a golden rule in Sydney...You dont want to be chasing runs in the fourth innings at the SCG. If Australia can set them 220 to 250 or more then we are set for a beauty. On the other hand if Asif and Sammi bowl a line and length that the Australians struggled with demonstrating then this Test could easily be over today. The fascinating Chess game of Test cricket.

Onto to more relevant and interesting topics..... Pakistan 3/221 ...and Umar has just spanked four 4s off 5 balls of Hauritz. Might have had his day in the sun our Nathan. This is a nasty situation for Australia now. Looking at 200+ behind on the first innings unless they can fold the Pakis batting line up. And a few batsman playing for their Test spots...Hughes, North and the undroppable Hussey.