Nasher

Chances of Michael Clarke beating his highest test score?

Yeah, it's the fact that it's India we're playing that made me ask the question. You're right, their batting has been sensational* this summer. They've definitely* proven they have the ability to bat for any length of time. The only point I'll concede is the track. I've got no belief whatsoever in their batting though.

Premature I realise, but what are the chances of Australia beating India by an innings three times in a row?

The Ponting-Clarke partnership is really (finally) blossoming, now that we're right at the tail of Ponting's career (or maybe not, if current form holds). Never too late, I guess. Both commented during the other mega partnership that they'd hardly spent any time together in the middle at all in two otherwise successful careers. Great to see them leading from the front.

Just goes to show how seriously they're taking the T20, really.

I don't watch a great deal of cricket outside of Australian matches except for the odd bits here and there in SA series (and only because they're on TV at a convenient time). Therefore I hardly see Pakistan play - but each time I have they've been bordering on diabolical (like the last series here). I'll have to take your word for it if you believe they're underrated in general. That said, it's nice to see them bring the poms down a peg. If you read any cricket forums online, you'll know their supporters are bloody unbearable when they're up. The world cricket equivalent of Collingwood.

It was - he left Tassie because he was behind Paine in the pecking order. http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/story/293443.html

Wade actually has a more favourable first class record than Paine. He also looks tidy enough with the gloves - I don't see why he couldn't take the next step. If Paine came good I don't he's so far ahead of Wade that he'd be able to waltz right in and take Wade's spot, especially if Wade found good form in the mean time. The big question is, Tassie has produced the two heir apparents for the keeping job - what the heck are you other states doing? :-)

I've read a few articles in the local rag that indicate Paine is a while off after setbacks with his finger. I expect he'll miss the remainder of this Shield season when it kicks off again, so I can't see him getting a real lot of miles in the legs between now and Windies, and he's missed a tonne of cricket as it is. If they give Haddin the arse, it'll be Wade that goes, not Paine.

Seems an extreme punishment for slow overrates in a Test that finished in under three days.

I'd like them to keep their mitts off the opening partnership for a while. It seems to be working, so leave it alone.

Agree. If I was an Indian fan and they'd dropped Kohli for Sharma I'd have been livid. One of the struggling oldies must go and you'd think Laxman would be first cab off the rank. I think Kohli will (or should) blossom in to a good batsman, but won't do that unless he's given some milage.

I prefer the term "dry humour" over sarcasm (or killjoy)! It was an absolute ripper.

Pretty crap 100, really.

Australia have chosen to bowl first. Mark this one down as a loss already.

That is an unbelievable display of poor judgement. Mind boggling stuff.

He was? I was a teenager when Dale was at his peak, and spent more time playing cricket than watching it. My only memory of him in the field was that catch, so I'd always just assumed he was a reasonable fielder.

I did a dive catch like that Adam Dale one when I knocked one of my wife's vases off the mantle piece when I may or may not have been kicking a ball around inside (my mother always told me not to do that - could never figure out why!). Of course, nobody saw it, and even if anyone (my wife) had, I doubt I'd have been getting props for it.

Wasn't it! I missed the first innings, but saw the chase put on by Birt and Shah, and there was some seriously good hitting in that. To me Owais Shah has always just been that forgettable guy that played for England when they were shit in the mid-00s, but he's been a great pickup by the Hurricanes so far and was desperately unlucky not to take the chocolates in the end there.

I already explained my take on it. Let's move on.

I just don't see the point in harping on about a comment when the words he said were clearly not the words he meant. It's just nitpicking.

It wasn't a great choice of words, but his point was that their aim is to go out and win the Test match.

It sounds bad when you quote that one line out of context. I don't think he's said anything too outrageous there.

Nonetheless, I had the same impression as you: that he's a staunch defender of his stumps, and historically he's been very bloody hard to get out. I didn't see the ball today but his bowleds (inc. the no-ball) in Melbourne were embarrassingly poor. I wonder what's wrong. Technique? +1.

Hope the walls in my house are stronger than that one. His stumps seem to have been awfully easy to break this series.