Rhino Richards

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.

More fool you then.... Worst case of buttering the bread on both sides on this site for awhile. Most definitely. *Squirm* *squirm*. No you didn't. Just makes you more like Basil Fawlty. Nothing exceptional. They're should be more wickets like this. Wickets fine...Pakistan are 1/134

Must be about 11 beaten edges now. They have to keep at it.

The rumour is the old AAMI girl has won a bigger contract wearing a tight pair of shorts for a VB pop up Pub ad. B) Siddle is bowling well (#@$% North) but Bollinger is not having one of his good days. 0/40...they need to get a couple of break throughs....now!

It was a half hearted pull shot trying to protect his injured arm. I doubt whether he would have done that if 100% fit. Worst shot I have seen Ponting play. I dont think it has anything to do with attention span. More protection. Pakistan bowled superbly on a wicket that finally gave a contest between bat and ball. A rarity in Test cricket over the past 10 years!!! Its a pity that when there was a challenge there, not one of the batsman rose to meet it. A few of our Test batsman have been on cruising control this summer and have looked better than they are due to lame featherbeds that break a bowlers heart. Clarke, Hussey (He's finished for mine), North (His spot is in starting to look shaky) and Hughes all played poorly under the conditions. The 1st day was further proof that the Australians cannot play the moving ball. They struggled with it in South Africa and England. In the modern age of dead lifeless wickets we dont have the technique nor the mind set to cope with it. He clearly does not have any of your 35 years of cricket wisdom WYL. History will show Ponting made a bad call with the toss. The pitch did look a tinge green but it was the sideways movement that brought Australia undone. Aside from Geoff Lawson, I cant recall any other "expert" stridently saying they would bowl. I noted that Yousuf said he would have bowled. Fair enough. He also said he would have bowled in Melbourne had he won the toss there!! You were saying about strategy!! Brilliant, Napoleon.

Must have been odds on to have been evicted from the MCG for behaviour issues.

I not sure what he believes but he did not look any better today against a pretty meek batting line up. Welcome to the 21century and thev era of slow lifeless flat wickets which prevent any proper battle between bat and ball. I would also add Yousuf and Umar aside the batting is pretty brittle. Geez, it must have been bad. For mine I cant stand people who run onto a sporting arena during a sporting event. They should double the fines and give security free reign on them once caught.

If Hauritz belongs out there it is with the ball. He wont get an easier shot at a Test ton. Flat deck, pedestrian one string attack, village green fielders. Clarke should have batted out there. I saw little from Hauritz's bowling that has changed today. If I recall correctly the last mightwatchman to hit a ton for Australia were Tony Mann 1978 vs India - hit 108(?) in Perth could not take a wicket as a bowler (leg spin) and got dropped next test. Jason Gillespie 2005(?) vs B'desh - hit 240(?) n.o. and was dropped soon after because he could not cut it anymore as a bowler. Hauritz should not rest on his laurels. Now I know Pakistan is beset with political and cultural problems including civil war and terrorism but...... is this the most uninspiring team of cricketers I have seen. Their performance has been overall and flat as a pancake and I struggle to find one highlight. Aamer Mohammed at allegedly 17 is a find and could be something in the future but is too young and to raw to be thrown on the Test oven at this stage. I worry that unless treated properly the poor kid will be broken and burnt out by the time he is 21. I was worried what the Windies were serve up this summer and was pleasantly surprise but Pakistan (even allowing for the two last minute injuries) look a fair cut below the standard. I hope they can muscle something up that is more competitive going forward than what they have shown so far in this Test.

Regardless of how many he score I cannot fathom why Hauritz was nightwatchman. For the player with leadership aspirations, I can see no reason why Clarke did not come out to bat last night at 3/290 and the pitch was a batting gem. I felt Australia lacked momentum in the first session today.

From time to time the issues bubble up into flashpoints but there is simmering undercurrent of dissatisfaction about the way recent Australian sides have behaved here and overseas particularly outside of the UK. Cricket is a great game that binds different cultures for the moment they play. However the robustness and at times viciousness of the Australian on field aggression upsets other cultures and teams. And while we can be dismissive of it, Australians dont like the same standards put back at them. Incidents with McGrath, Symonds and Haddin give testimony to the fact that Australians have not welcomed the feistiness served on them that they serve on others. I wonder how sensitive the microphones are when they could not pinpoint Warne's ungracious "Cant bat, cant bowl" sledge of Scott Muller. Blaming Tom(?) the cameraman fooled no one. In the recent series there has been consistent heckling going on between Benn and the Australians. Some of it particularly from Benn has been borderline in behaviour but none of it was taken in the microphones. I dont think it is an effective deterrent. I think Pakistan may surprise with some of their young stars. Consistently inconsistent as a team Pakistan can still manage to unearth a prodigious talent now and again. They certainly need one.

Lehmann was suspended for calling an opposition player a b---- c----- . Unfortunately, some of the sledging was pointed and aimed at a target as low blow. I think the public would have been disappointed in the cricket team if the truth came out. The India blow up 2 years ago over Singh has its seeds sown over a number of years of Australian behaviour. Unfortunately winning ugly has its ramifications. I share your disappointment but this is not a strong Australian team at all. Your missing out on a good day's cricket by doing that. I am fascinated at how we will go. I hope he has been permanently barred from the agro bar for his own sake!!!

My source is an ex player manager of Test and interstate cricketers. The comments made to me were done so around and after the time of Waugh's Australians being labelled ugly winners. And from the publicised behaviour of the Warne, Lehmann, McGrath, Hayden and Waugh on occassions plus the information passed to me from this source, it is clear that the Australians sledging was far more than friendly banter some of it was disgusting and beyond comprehension. Australia may have been a successful cricket team but they were not a respected team by other nations and some of that bad blood carried for years afterwards. And it does not take much for some of that animousity from opposition teams to the behaviour of the Australian team built up over a number of years to surface. Its ironic but unreasonable that there were complaints about Singh's "monkey" call. It was disgraceful. But its a pity that the Australians had institutionalised racial taunts as something tactical in their game for some. In particular the Indians struggle to comprehend the incident when they have felt that have subject to as much more often over a number of years Its also amusing that you lambast Haddin for his behaviour but you blindly and naively accept the sledging of past Australian teams Its clear you are not aware to the extent and manner to which the Australians behaved and you would like to believe what fantasies you conjure. I dont why you rank the Perth test behaviour as worse than the matters I refer as you clearly dont have a clue about what went on. I guess its on a par with "when you win the toss you always bat".

Did I say that?? No I didnt. No Australia gave more than it got and in some cases in the most reprehensible manner. In some cases it went beyond the verbal and it went physical Harbinjan Singh is on par with some of the behasviour exhibited by up 5 members of the Waugh Australian team. I am glad you are appalled by him. He would have fitted well into the Australian teams of that time. You clearly have little clue about what actually happens out on the ground in particular in regard to some of the teams you revere. As I initially stated your meldramtic bleating over the behaviour of the Australians in Perth is in double standard given the regard you have had for Waugh's sides which were persistently and continually exhibiting unsportsmanlike behaviour on the field that earned them the reputation as ugly Australian at home and abroad. Even worse given they went public on the "Spirit of Cricket" pledge which they did little to uphold.

Hughes may not open and could bat three. Gee if they were really serious at disciplining Watson they should have batted him at 11 or better still declare 9 down and not bat him at all? He needs to be taught a lesson. How about we say we brought Hughes in and for team balance we put you at No 6? That would be logical and sensible reason.

As usual its got nothing to do with winning or losing but Steve Waugh and his team's participated in some of the most offensive and disgraceful sledging and mocking of opposition players. It was unnecessary and for many teams culturally offensive. But like I said it all acceptable... if your winning. As players they were very good and set performance standards that were high. However on the behavioural front on the field they were a fail. As sportsman they were not respected for the sportsmanship at all and the Australian cricket team of that time was not seen positively by oppositions, by the media or by Australian audience for some of the publicised indiscretions. The Australians were not respected overseas for their conduct at all. You have potted knowledge and view of cricket and your myopic stance is typical of that. It not an issue of the fact they sledge, its the manner and conduct of it. The same principles you apply to behaviour. I am not sure sensible people would find the debasing taunting of an opposition players family members funny but there you go. The referral system is the least of the problems if players of both sides can curb their behaviour.

In the manner of which the sledging has been routinely dished out by past Australian teams particular Waughs you should be more concerned if you want to bang on about behaviour. I dont condone Watson's behaviour and he should be punished. But sending off? There is no send off rule in cricket. They are better ways to deal with it. Benn effort to collide carelessly and wantonly with Johnson without regard was callous, provocative and appalling in cricket terms. He made no effort to avoid Johnson and clearly impeded the batsman even when the batsman had already had their course altered. he should have clearly given the batsman right of way. He made no effort to do so and no effort to apologise in recognition of the error of his poor actions. Benn has been spoiling for an confrontation all tour and was rightly sanctioned. Haddin unnecessarily verbaled him. His offence was minor to Benns but regretable. Like I said you obviously fit into the bucket that says anything is allowed when you are winning. For some who abhors arrogance, Waughs teams reeked of it and the team were renowned for their ugly gamesmanship which has poisoned the standing of Australian teams internationally well after the main combatants had retired.

We have three relatively minor incidents involving Bollinger, Watson and Haddin/Johnson. The Haddiin/Johnsons incident was clearly incited by Benn who has been bad mouthing the opposition all series. You might want to reflect on the poor standards of the teams that played Steve Waugh. Wonderful team ability wise but they were A grader sledgers whose spirited and sometimes nasty antics were the bane of every other cricketing nation. Unfortunately the World Champion crown came with some negative hubris. Waugh, McGrath, Warne, Lehman, Hayden were all persistent and nasty sledgers. But its alright if you are winning. This team does not suffer from arrogance but more inexperience and they need to mentored to the corect behaviour. In particular Watson whose antics were immature but not arrogance. And Ponting's cap is another reason he should be removed from the Captaincy. :angry: Fat lot of good that did. Waugh's teams were some of the most obnoxious sledgers around. Talk ideals about being honoured in the breach

I think your premise for pushing Watson down the order is wrong. There are more appropriate means of punishment for misbehaviour. And I dont think pushing someone down the order is indeed a punishment but more a measure of team balance. And Watson is hardly physical straining under the bowling demands so far. It is likely we will play Siddle, Bolly and Johnson so I dont think Watson will be overbowled. It might also be a thought about Hughes batting at 3. Its an interesting one if Ponting does not come up. A real test for Michael Clarke as Captain.

George Bailey is a fair call and a worthy consideration. But not Geeves over our boy McKay. B)

Spoken like a true Tasmanian!!

Yes lets punish him for his bowling antics by breaking up what has been a strength for the team. That makes sense. The punishment should be specific to the crime. His behaviour was embarrassing and unnecessary. He should have been fined more heavily and possibly suspended if it had been worse. If Ponting cant play then I would pick either Klinger or Hughes to play or elevate Hussey for one test to No 3 and pick a middle order batsman. He aint making runs at 4 he may as well perform at 3 in final summer in Australia. If Hughes plays push be push Watson to 3. If Klinger plays I would play the SA at 3. I would get either Hilf or Siddle a rest depending on who is the least fit. Bollinger plays and so does Johnson. I would not advocate 4 quicks but Hauritz is about at useful as a wet match. Good point about the standings. Jim Maxwell said he did not think its been that open at the top since 1974 before Australia and then the WI dominated cricket.

In England Clarke against better bowling on more difficult pitches knocked up 445 runs in the series at 64 with 2 centuries. He was our premier bat there. If he showed the same application here in a batting paradise that he showed there he should be dominating and needs to be if he has aspirations of captaincy. How much better is WI when Gales leads with the bat?