titan_uranus

You've gotta go with Warne on this one. I struggle to believe that Nathan Hauritz is so highly respected by Punter that he gets to set his own field. Furthermore, I struggle to believe that Ponting couldn't change the field if he wanted to. The problem, though, isn't the field (though our field placements aren't helping. We needed tigher fields and a stump-to-stump line from our pacemen, and needed to attack more on Day 5). It's the bowler. Look at every other Test playing nation. They all have at least one spinner who's better than Hauritz: Swann, Harbhajan/Ohja, Ajmal/Kaneria, Vettori, Murali/Mendis/Herath/Randiv, Harris (debatable), even Shakib al Hasan from Bangladesh is better. And what's worse is that there's no real stand outs in the Shield. Steven Smith is next but he's way off, and can't yet be selected as an all rounder either. It actually proved a lot. Proved that Hauritz is terrible. Proved that our pacemen need to lift. Proved that North is just as bad as he has always been. Proved that India are a much better side.

The numbers I put up were the averages for matches played in 2010.

I assume you mean 'can't' make the team? Jaques is patchy, but has the Test form. Khawaja and Ferguson will make it eventually. Hughes and Rogers are openers, true, but in Hughes' case I can certainly see him thriving at number 6 as a counter-attacking batsman. Would take a bit of a change but he won't make it at the top for another 2 seasons. McDonald's batting is on the up. But combined with his bowling I still think he's good enough atm. And disagree re: Hussey, he's a first-class performer. Leading run scorer in the Shield last season, and he also bowls well. Took the two big wickets today vs WA (Pomersbach and Swart). I don't really have time, but I'm doing it anyway: MEK Hussey: Batting Average = 36.83 (1 x 100, 2 x 50, 1 x 0) MJ North: Batting Average = 32.38 (2 x 100, 1 x 50, 3 x 0), Bowling Average = 16.71 (1 x 5WI, 0 x 10WM) NM Hauritz: Batting Average = 29.20 (0 x 100, 0 x 50, 0 x 0), Bowling Average = 41.31 (1 x 5WI, 0 x 10WM)

Moving away from WYL's senility... They might not have the 6-12 months of form on the board, but Usman Khawaja and Callum Ferguson are the two young guns who should be in the side soon. Then there's still Cameron White, Phillip Hughes, Phil Jaques, David Hussey, Chris Rogers, even Andrew McDonald and Michael Klinger, and the option of playing Haddin/Paine as a batsman. As for Hauritz, the options are less convicing, with Steven Smith the only possibility really. Shows the dire position spin bowling in this country is in. But despite Warne lashing Ponting's field settings, Hauritz is really struggling to bowl a decent line/length and bowls far too many boundary balls.

Ponting's just gone out. Flawless 72 till Zaheer got it to reverse. We're in danger of losing now, 6 down with a lead of only 164. That century he hit will do more harm than good.

Tendulkar got out to a debutant again. Did it with Cameron White and Peter Siddle 2 years ago, and apparently has done it numerous other times, now George got him. We did well to get back into the game by taking the last 5 wickets for 9 runs. If Vijay had been given out lbw to Hilfy when he should have been who knows what would have happened. But we're struggling with the bat. 3/66, all wickets falling to spinners, and Clarke out to a spinner again for just 3. Something's not right with him. Time for Hussey to stand up and score some runs. PS: If the fourth wicket falls soon, and North comes in with the pressure on and not many runs on the board, I wonder how he'll cope...

Along with AB McDonald's 163, Usman Khawaja is currently 204*. With Hussey, North and Hauritz all flailing at the moment, there are options popping up.

Insipid bowling so far today (though Hilfenhaus just had a plumb lbw shout turned down). Hauritz is just so far off it it's not funny. Harbhajan and Ohja were getting decent turn on Day 1. Hauritz can't hold a line nor length, doesn't turn it enough, and is just not threat at all. We need to blood a new spinner, it should be Steve Smith, and it should have been done already. We're risking the Ashes with Hauritz as our frontline spinner. North has delayed his demotion with yet another timely century but no one should have confidence in him going into the Ashes. I know I don't. Hussey is close to gone IMO. Just not producing any more. His only century since the Ashes was the controversially made one in Sydney vs Pakistan. Bear in mind we've played West Indies, Pakistan and New Zealand in this time period, and he hasn't cashed in. Clarke doesn't seem to be coping too well at number 4. I'm not sure if he'll stay there for the Ashes but he's struggling in India at the moment, another concern. Without Bollinger we look toothless. Johnson can't bowl with the new ball and is once again too erratic and George isn't proving the selectors right at all (why was McKay overlooked?). We need Bollinger back, and IMO we should be playing Siddle. Also, Andrew McDonald just cracked 160-odd runs off 120-odd balls. Is more than capable at Test level IMO and if we bring Smith in for Hauritz we could well bring McDonald in for Hussey to give us both batting and bowling support.

What's the bet North makes a century today, thereby securing his spot for the Ashes, and allowing the selectors to claim they were right, and then for him to start another run of 5 matches where he fails to pass 20?

I think he does too. But it was clear that Hauritz was not going to bowl us to victory, and he was leaking runs, so taking him off was always going to happen. If we play Paine and Haddin together it's Haddin who plays as a batsman. In fact I reckon if he ditched the keeping and focused solely on batting that wouldn't be a terrible idea.

Because I haven't seen any footage I can't comment on field placings but Ponting's never been the best at setting fields IMO. At one point on Day 5 Tendulkar prodded a short ball to short leg, which Ponting responded to by putting second slip in that position. Next ball Laxman edged through second slip. As for the bowlers, we had Watson and North going together at the end because Bollinger was off injured and Ponting wanted to keep Johnson and Hilfenhaus for one last assault. Which almost worked, with Hilfenhaus getting Sharma and Johnson almost getting Ohja. Too true. Hussey, Gambhir, Sharma and Ohja all got the wrong decision. All would have been reversed with technology. Should be funded by the ICC and made available for every single Test. Everywhere.

Fantastic match. Over 400 for both first innings, with a century and numerous fluent half centuries, then under 220 for both second innings with plenty of wickets falling. This match proves how Test cricket is totally a better form of the game than ODIs or T20s. A great showcase, and pity there's only one more match in the series. Having said that, it exposed more of our flaws. Our middle order is weak and should have been changed for this series in preparation for the Ashes. North is crap and has to go. Everyone except, supposedly, the selectors can see this. He is horribly wrong for our middle order, and only scores runs when the pressure's off and he enters with plenty on the board already. At number 6 you either need a stable rock who can steady the ship regardless of the situation or someone who can provide a counter attack. North is neither of these, and should not be retained based on some flimsy off spin that picks up the occasional helpful wicket. Hussey is struggling too, with only two centuries in the last two years, one of which is arguably tainted given it came in the Sydney Test vs Pakistan where he was dropped three times in now dubious circumstances. His career is coming to an end. The other big flaw is our spin bowling. Hauritz should have helped bowl us to victory yesterday, as he should have done in Cardiff last year. The ball was turning and bouncing, there was rough, there were footmarks, the pitch was breaking up, yet he couldn't maintain a decent line nor length and leaked far too many runs. Ponting needed him, especially when Bollinger got injured, but he couldn't rely on him. He just isn't good enough, and we need to find a replacement. IMO it should be Steven Smith. He could bat at 7 or 8 if we swap North for a batsman, or he could bat at 6 and we could play an extra bowler, or someone like Andrew McDonald. Our pace bowlers are undeniably good at their best, and at times in that test we saw them all reach their best, but none of them are consistent enough. Too many legside half volleys for my liking. VVS Laxman is a star. Tendulkar aside, the rest of the Indian batting line up struggle massively in the fourth innings, Sehwag especially (average of 50+ overall but only 28 in fourth innings). I felt he was, with SRT, the key wicket, and I wasn't surprised at all to see him overcome his back injury to defy us, given he made an unbeaten century in Sri Lanka a few months ago to do the same thing there.

What a comeback! 4/48 chasing 216! Gambhir, Sehwag, Dravid and Raina all out. We're a chance! And yes, North has to go. Hussey shouldn't be too far behind him. Our middle order is a joke. If Michael Clarke doesn't score, we collapse. We can't rely on Watson and Katich to produce the bulk of our runs, or Paine, Johnson and Hauritz to bail us out late. We need a stable middle order, and North is as far from stable as can be.

Took their last 6 wickets for 50-odd runs, which is a good effort in India. Draw looks the most likely outcome but we've performed OK so far. Watson, Ponting and Paine with the bat looked good, then Johnson and Hauritz with the ball looked OK. Undoubtedly handy. But not enough to keep him in the side. Needs to make some runs in the second innings.

We can't take North into an Ashes series. He's just not good enough. Time to go. Callum Ferguson is back and healthy again, did really well in the Champion's Leage (which is nothing like Test cricket but it was a good performance coming of a knee reconstruction nonetheless) and is one option for the spot. I still believe Cameron White would do better than North, David Hussey is available, as is Phillip Hughes if they can find a way to restructure the side, or Steven Smith as a batsman. There are options, and North shouldn't be one of them. Watson's in sparkling form at the moment. Twin centuries in the tour game, now another century with only Ponting for support. Pity he didn't kick on though, he should have taken that run a lot more urgently. If we lose this series, which is a fair chance, we'll start the Ashes as the fifth ranked side in Test cricket. That'll mean we'll be below England, and above only the West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh. How times have changed.

I was just about to say that Ponting was looking good for his maiden century in India, but he's gone and run himself out. Seems like it's his fault. Looked very good for his 71 but as has been the case with our batsmen of late, he hasn't pushed on to 100. Hopefully Watson can.

Since I don't have Foxtel, the football. Was a close call though... Seriously, though, it should be interesting to see if our bowlers can take 20 wickets in either Test. People keep saying that this is the worst preparation possible because the Indian conditions are so different to Australian conditions. I say if we are able to take 20 Indian wickets on an Indian pitch then our bowlers should be right to take 20 wickets anywhere. Should also be interesting to see if Hussey and Bollinger play, and if they do, whether or not they have much effect.

True, but I still say we're better. Still, shows the strength of Australian domestic cricket. In the last two years the Sri Lankan, New Zealand, and West Indian representatives (T+T aside, but they had Pollard and Bravo) have been mediocre at best. It's largely a contest between the Indian IPL sides and the Aussie domestic sides.

How frustrating. Well, I guess that's the price you pay for such a lacklustre opening game. Our NRR took a hit because of that game, and despite beating CSK and thrashing the two other sides easily, we're out of the tournament. I maintain that we're the best team there. At least the most well-rounded.

Hopefully the Warriors from Sth Africa beat the Super Kings (or better yet, it rains), so we qualify for the semis. And it would be against South Australia, too. Our form is dramatically on the way up, with 3 wins in a row after that early loss. It would be kinda hard to swallow for the team I reckon to finish 3-1 and not make the next stage.

I reckon Hazlewood and Starc are two promising young bowlers (both NSW by the way). George too. I reckon they're all better than Pattinson atm. That's one option. The other would be for Hughes to open, Watson to shift down the order and North to go away. White's batting is getting to the point where he doesn't need his bowling to be considered for selection. Actually, it is at that point. He is a better batsman than you, and presumably the selectors, are giving him credit for. Definitely a batsman who bowls. At the moment his bowling isn't good enough to get him selected as the spinner in front of Hauritz.

To move on from the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Pakistan, the squad for our two tests in India has been announced: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke (vice-capt), Doug Bollinger, Peter George, Nathan Hauritz, Josh Hazlewood, Ben Hilfenhaus, Phillip Hughes, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Marcus North, Tim Paine (wk), Steven Smith and Shane Watson. Hughes was named, a good thing IMO. I hope he gets a game somehow (would it be too much to ask for North to be dropped?) and makes some runs, I still reckon he's going to be a good player and thus should be getting time in the team.

Let's be honest about what's happened at Lord's. Mohammad Amir is 18. He earns something like $35,000, where for any other country he'd earn in the hundreds of thousands. A man offers him money to do nothing other than bowl a few no-balls. Not to deliberately drop a catch, or give a wicket away, or try not to take wickets. Just to bowl 2 or 3 no-balls. Sure, it's the wrong thing, and it's corrupt, but in my mind it's not match-fixing per se. Outside of those no-balls he did what he was expected to do, which was to take wickets. He did take 6 of them. Match-fixing is one thing. Bowling no-balls is another, and whilst it's corrupt and wrong, and he should be punished, I see the kid's reasoning. Hopefully we don't over-react to this if this is all he is guilty of, and he can learn from this mistake and continue what will be a fine career. This is, of course, separate to the possible (and likely) rigging of the Sydney test. Amir didn't play in that Test, but I would be fairly confident that the Pakistanis threw that match for money. Possibly Salman Butt fixed the Hobart match, too. But I want to defend Amir until I'm proven wrong, I think he is just too young to fully understand what he did and he is poor enough to do what is asked of him for extra cash.

Read this: 184, 169, 26, 22, 21, 13, 13, 10, 10, 10, 6, 6, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 The scores of all the dismissed batsmen in this test. It's really hard to work out exactly how Broad and Trott managed to make those scores, when in every other partnership the ball has dominated.

One of, if not the, best ball I've seen since the Gatting ball was from Swann to Farhat in the recent Test. You can see it in the video in this article: http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/the-english-ball-of-the-century-20100810-11wcb.html?autostart=1 The two can't really be compared as the bowling styles and circumstances were quite different but Swann's is still a beauty.