Nasher

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.

There isn't, really.

It'd be a shame. That make what should be a milestone to be celebrated completely hollow. As a lover of the game I want him to score it in a meaningful match so that he and the crowd can enjoy it.

I find the nobility of declaring while short of personal milestones just as pleasing as I would've if he'd passed them.

I'm no captain of any sort of cricket side, but surely there's absolutely no danger of losing this test now, so would we not want to force them to bat for as long as necessary? An Australia win or a draw are the only outcomes available now, so no matter what happens India will surely just be batting for the draw. The longer they have to bat for, the greater the chance of them not managing to bat for long enough. I'd have already declared by now.

Did anyone notice that Hussey scored a century? :-) I reckon Hussey's knock will sadly be forgotten with the passing of time, as the Punter and obviously Clarke knocks register so much more significance in people's minds.

*blink*