Rhino Richards

I would have thought that 3/339 reflects a fair bit of momentum. Katich shot was not good. Watson got a very good ball. What was Clarke thinking? It would be good to see Watson get his breakthrough 100. He deserves it and has play well. He would not be the first player to have taken time to crack the ton (Simpson and S Waugh come to mind) However over the series, the middle order have played some pretty cavalier lightweight hands. Hussey is playing for his future today. Its the best I have seen him bat this year. Why the media goes on about Perth being fast bowlers strip I dont know? There is a bit of bounce but it is not a quick wicket. It played beautifully for first day wicket and I reckon looks good for 5 days of batting. Windies just cant sustain the pressure consistently. Just proves that Test Cricket is not dominated by one nation like Australia did for so long. The cricket has ben very enjoyable. i read somewhere that selectors are seeing ODI as a better proxy for Test than just Shield games. I dont think they were ever going to seriously drop Hauritz to go for Smith as a spinner here. Its more a reflection that he is definitely in the selectors eyes as a future prospect but more as a batsman. Krejza has bowled fairly well but cant get the wickets this year. Still a long way back. McGain might be a very outside chance for Melbourne (odds lengthened IMO). McGain at nearly 38 yo is finished By the injuries, they may only have Swann!

No issue there WYL. I noted your admission. A typical scenario in a Shield match is a fourth day run chase isnt it? And as SA prove it was a good track to start with and it got better. The drop in wickets at the MCG are producing flat lifeless wickets that bat well to the finish of a match. When White declared well short of the SA target it was going to be a case of SA setting up a run chase to push for full points. It was a fair ask at the start of the day and the powerful Victorian batting line up were equal to the task. I think these days WYL, the traditionalist would take that view, but the realists know that the preferred form of cricket around the world varies.

Its going to depend on the conditions. While on most occassions you will bat first, it is not golden rule. So the word "always" is simply wrong and history proves it. And using one game to back your argument is wooden thinking at best.

You could see it coming. 45hg16 had them summed up. Another instance of foot in mouth. Agree about the Test prospects. Spot on. Its not a miracle but a contrived result to push for a win. Check the scorecard. Both Captains played for the win. Wrong. Your earlier email was a flagship to some of the ignorance about calling the toss when you win. Its already been proven that while in most situations you bat first it will depend on the conditions. And it isn't "gutless" to send a team its actually brave call particular when know nothings spout such rubbish that "you always bat first". I would not be pushing any thing "meaningful" with that earlier opinion. Proof that some people never learn.

The first 10 overs were a little mundane. The wicket and the ball were doing a bit but they bowled too full at times. O'Brian bowled a better line than the first 2 and goty amply rewarded. Probably too much. But yes the batting ...the batting... I think Younis had a falling out with Paki management and refused to tour. I dont believe he was injured.

It was great bowling. Southee and Martin squander the new ball that was moving off just short of length. They repeatedly overpitched. O'Brian comes on and bowls just short of length on or about off peg with the seam high and bang look what happens. Good on him. Mind you it does not bode well for Pakistan. Both openers do play away from their pads too much. The lack Younis's class.

I guess that's Ponting fault too. We have come off the back of the retirements of extraordinary talents like Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist, Hayden and Langer and what have we replaced them with and what is there within Australian cricket to replace them? Capable cricketers but they are not of that calibre. In fact we dont have a front line spinner at all. Our batting at No 4 has been ordinary and Hussey should not see Test matches past Christmas. But who is staking their claims for for those spots.

Dont get out of your depth now......

There is no need to drop Watson at this point down the order. The openers aren't the issue. If it ain't broke dont fix it. Katich is in doubt for Perth. Hughes to replace him. Hussey might survive but Melbourne could be his swansong. Siddle in doubt. Hilfy or McKay or both. Good reason they wont play a spinner in Perth. If we did choose a spinner in the Test beyond, O'Keeffe suggested McGain who has a good record at MCG and SCG. Krejza? Any reliable form this year?

Well done Windies so far. Australia 5/139. Bravo Bravo with 3/14 off 8. S. Benn bowled super tightly. No wickets but has turned the screws. 0/30 of 23 overs. 24 more overs to go, 5 wickets to get. If the Windies win, they deserve it. If the Australians lose, they deserve too. Gayle, Bravo or Benn for man of the match. Hussey may finally be dropped after another fail. Questions have to be asked about Hauritz's effectiveness given Benn's efforts. No 4 batting spot and spinner position open. Applications can now be accepted for both spots!

Absolutely. Full marks to Gayle. Definitely made up for his soft performances in the Test so far. A great effort to carry your bat. Now we have seen three WI players stand up on this tour and go on and make tons. Does Australia have the mettle? Hussey wont want to fail now if he gets the chance. Very intriguing. Still think Adelaide Demon is a lucky bastard to be there though!!

Lucky Bastard! :D

Hmmm. 27 overs for 68 runs on the 4th day of a Test with the ball turning. Hauritz has not done himself any favours in this Test especially as the tall West Indian Benn took 5 wickets. Now if a good spinner was to show some good form........

We are still to play another minnow in Pakistan. Geez a guy makes 96 and puts on 170 for the opening partnership and we want to break it up. Amazing. I do recall Barath and Gayle playing worse shots to get out in this Test series. Lucky they are not genuine openers.

Has Hughes been amongst the runs recently? I dont think so. If he shows form then he gets considered for selection not before. Our problem is in the middle order. Watson and Katich put on 173 in the current Test for the opening partnership. No problem there. Hussey is like a chook scratch in the dirt. He is looking brittle even on a great batting strip like Adelaide. Its now 4/212. 20 overs to go and in the last 10 overs Windies have scored 28 and lost one wicket. Gayle would have to go ballistic to set a decent score. Still backing a draw but a score over 300 on a turning wicket might be interesting with the Windies plying two spinners (yes the Windies) from both ends.

I think the Windies should be congratulated for their pluck after a horrible perfomance in Brisbane and the soft dismissals of the top 3 batsman on Day 1. The efforts of Bravo, Nash and others to put a value on their wicket has been a positive. Their keeper has been impressive in both Tests. The issue with the Australian batsman is not that they get to the 90s and dont go on. Its the fact that they get to double figures and dont go on with it. A partial excuse for the openers who paved the way. But on a good deck with an honest but hardly lethal attack we have a few cavaliers who just wont do the hard work. I dont think the wicket will wear that much. It may play a little lower. Barring a batting collapse by either side I am calling this a draw. But the Windies deserve some congratulations for their efforts. So does Shane Watson who is doing what any batsman should do under pressure. Make runs. We are looking thin in the attack with Bollinger on debut, a sometimes wayward Mitch Johnson and a "part time" trundler in Watson. Hauritz is hardly likely to run through a line up on this wicket given his history. Its thin in the attack without Siddle and Hilfy. Clinton McKay might get a baggy green for next Test.

While the Windies bat like millionaires but perform like paupers. A perfect batting pitch and they blow it...

Well done 45! They are now 1/373 off 64 overs. At almost a run a ball!!! Virender Sehwag (rhb) 233runs 193 balls 31 fours 7 sixes. That is 6 200s in a career. Amazing player. Half way to the Don's record of 12. Best of the bowlers is UWMBCA Welegedara 16 2 73 0. Only bccause his runs per over is the lowest at 4.56. Why does he have so many names???

Brad Hodge retires. Good on him and well done on a fine career. Hodge has scored the most runs for Victoria in first-class cricket, 11,278 at an average of 47.39. Dean Jones is next best with 9622 at 54.05. Hodge has played 222 first-class matches making 17,012 runs at an average of 48.88 with 51 centuries and 63 ffities. In one-day matches, he averages 41.80, with 23 centuries and 35 fifties. In 73 Twenty20 matches Hodge averages 40.10 with one century and 17 fifties. Hodge has played 25 one day matches for Australia, averaging 31.33, with one century and three fifties. Time to focus on international 20/20 money now his Test window is closed.

It depends what judgements you want make. The start of this summer was not unexpected. The opposition this summer is pedestrian at best. But if there are wickets like Brisbane through the summer and you cant make runs against the Pakis or the Windies then it does send a messge. FWIW, I think the Windies have got a player in Barath. A plucky innings at 19. They need six of him. Gayle should have missed this Test. His batting has been poor and his judgement challenging the umpire on both occassions was just dumb. Its interesting I looked at the 2000/2001 Windies series in Australia where Aust won 5-0 and easily. It was a quick drop from world champions in 1995 to basket case in 5 years. They continue to bounce along the bottom of the standings 9 to 10 years later

6/371 WI plucky but lack class and application. Australia bats had nearly all got good starts and had thrown away a great opportunity to dominate despite the scoreboard. And who have thunk it? Qld wins toss and sends a strong Victorian batting line up in on a moist wicket with overcast cloudy sky and they are 3/47 with Hussey on 17 and Rogers GAWN cheaply.

Personally, I think Watson is a makeshift opener but neither proposed replacement has scored significant runs or demonstrated they are over their flaws. Anyone for Rogers?

The Age had him at 97kgs but Bailey on SEN described Gawn as a big unit. At 17 he is in the wings and will be developed. He is still a kid and an apparently still growing one too.

Any chance your side will call for a re- match? Defoe would be a dangerous FP in AFL. Knows where the goals are

Its hard to make it out TU. SL went in with one seamer and three spinners according to Cricinfo. Murali is in the twilight and Mendis is no mystery. The wicket was pretty ordinary the bowling was worse. Agree with that TU. Normally when you win the toss you want the "best of the pitch". Typically a good pitch should offer the bat and ball reasonable challenge. While the bowlers might get some green on the strip, the batsman have a hard true wicket where the bounce is reliable with little turn day one. Also the result of the game at the end of day 5 may not necessarily invalidate the toss decision on the morning of day 1. Interesting figures 45hg16. Well done. Cricinfo the bible???