Macca

Over rates do need to be looked at though . As a means to an end , a zero tolerance type of attitude may improve things . It's interesting that Shield teams are asked to bowl 100 overs in a day ( think that's still the rule , might be 96 overs ) I'm all for the ICC showing a bit of muscle at last . As long as it's shown in the best interests of the game . Here is another interesting little article involving the ICC and India . Surprised me . http://www.theage.co...0114-1q0qh.html

I may have inadvertently tipped this in post 3218 ! Dhoni out ! http://www.heraldsun...o-1226244905418

Hats off to Hilfo . 8 wickets for the match . Gee wizz , has this bloke turned things around . He's been quoted as saying that he's going back to bricklaying after cricket . What a top Aussie bloke . Whilst I didn't say anything on this thread I thought he was in a bit of trouble with regards to his career . Well done Ben ! Oh and Mitch Starc has a huge upside . How on earth are we going to fit all these quicks into the side ? Nice problem to have . India have been really poor . Good at home but atrocious away . Who could captain apart from Dhoni ?

Yep , a great win by your blokes . Smith was fantastic in the clutch moments . Well coached are the 49ers with the emphasis on "Team" . Very impressive . If my Packers can get over the line it sets up a top notch Championship game .

Wow ! What a game and what a finish ! 49ers were terrrific . They beat a very good team today .

Tips - 49ers , Pats , Ravens ( though I would like the Texans to win ) and of course the Packers ( in a close one ) . San Francisco have been terrific all year and have a real hard nosed Head coach . This should be a great game . The Tebow show will end you'd think esp at New England . Brady to step up . Baltimore should be too strong but Houston were good last week and could surprise . And the New York Giants are very good away from home so I'll be happy with any sort of win . Denver provided the upset last week so who's it gonna be this week ? ( if at all ) Saints are favoured but I reckon that game should be even money Looking forward to all 4 games - bring it on !

And then there were 8 . Sehwag gone !

Macca 4.8

Ha ha ha ! Ya had me there Nasher . He's just a brutal batsman isn't he ? Substance over style will do me with this fellow . He could post a big number tomorrow . Fingers crossed .

A ton to Warner ! How good was that ! And brings it up in true style with a six ! Wow !

He's a beauty . I want this bloke to succeed like no other . He's a crowd pleaser and a crowd puller . Gilly had the same qualities but we had to wait for him to come into bat . With Warner opening up people can go to a day expecting to see him .

Warner looks like he wants to set up the win - tonight !

So we've got an opposition team on their knees and what does Brad Haddin do ? He decides to motivate them with his disparaging remarks . He is Vice Captain of the side and should know better . This is not a comment on Haddin's cricketing ability because I see that as a separate issue . If , as reported , the Perth wicket is a green top then batting on the first 2 days could be a nightmare . Especially against a fired up pace attack . ( Theirs ? Ours ? ) Pattinson not playing leaves a big hole I believe and brings India right into proceedings . So in an evenly matched game it can come down to who is the more motivated . So why give them any extra ammunition? Disrespecting the opposition is a big no-no at any level of sport . Of course the Indian media have run with the story more than our media so most Aussies will fob it off as no big deal , but , if India wins this Test Haddin's remarks will come to the surface again .

Macca 4.7

Couldn't help but notice that the 'Big Bash' is taking a break of 4 days during the Perth Test (from Friday) . Would have been an ideal time to play some Shield cricket or at least a 3 day scratch match for our 1st class cricketers . Ok , there's only the Adelaide Test to go but what if India strike back in Perth . Without big Patto the Aussies don't look as formidable .

This track is by the late Grover Washington Jr . His music lives on forever though . A fantastic saxophonist . The song is called "Tell Me About it Now" Macca 1.3

Thanks for that WJ , read the article the other day . Amazing where life can take you sometimes . I'll have a look at the game later that day . Did they play a few months ago ? 9 - 6 scoreline to LSU ? As for this weeks games , all the favourites should win though there's nearly always an upset or 2 . Your team ( the 49ers ) and mine ( the Packers ) await . Good luck to Houston . There's a couple on this thread that support them .

Fair old game tonight ! 399 runs in 3 hours . Best game so far and young McDermott was very good in the last over . The Heat get a win at last though they probably can't make the finals .

Macca 4.6 This retro(ish) sounding track has been the no.1 rock song in the US for a number of weeks now . And it is 'The Black Keys' official video of 'Lonely Boy'.

CA has a very close relationship with India and we play them in some form of International cricket every year (We're supposed to play them in 4 Tests in India in Feb/March of 2013) . And I've also heard that we do very well financially out of the deal ( TV rights etc etc ) . On the ABC today they were saying that the TV audience back in India for this Test was between 200 and 300 million . That's one of the reasons we play them every year . Money talks . So , here's my point . India control World cricket because they bring the most amount of money to the game . I've heard that it's more than 80% . And now everybody wants to play them more often which in turn makes them stronger . India know this of course and use it to their own advantage . No DRS is your classic example of how India are flexing their muscles . The reality is that their power base will probably get stronger and the cricket world should find a way of working with them . Another example is the IPL and the Champions League t20 . India wanted a window for the latter and got it . Australia and South Africa are heavily invested in the Champions League t20 as well and do quite nicely out of it . As for the IPL , there seems to be less and less cricket "clashing" with it . You can just imagine the BCCI saying to another Nation - " Yes , we will play you in 3 Tests and 5 ODI's but we need you do something for us ................

Well , where do India go from here ? Hopefully a nice green bouncy wicket greets them in Perth . I really hope we play 4 quicks there to deliver the knockout blow . My preference would be Starc but it looks like Harris will get the nod if they go down that track . And you might rest Pattinson in Adelaide if we're 3 nil up . A 4 nil series win against this lot would be beautiful . Sachin might have to wait until Adelaide to get that ton . And 'Chelly' , I've heard that Watto has just started running so he's highly unlikely and I doubt they'll change the Keeper . I reckon they will wait for Tim Paine to be fit and then make the move . Well done to the Aussies again and a special congratulations to Michael Clarke for his triple century and his leadership . Even his harshest critics must be changing their mind about him . After his innings his Test batting average is now 48.66 - not too shabby . Siddle , Patto and Hilfo all had terrific games and whilst I thought father time had caught up with Punter and Mr Cricket I'm quite happy to be wrong and I hope they can both keep going .

I get what his point is . I read the whole article and all his quotes . I see sport as winning and losing so his opening comment baffled me and still does . If people want to see "into" his comment then so be it . That's what we're debating here - those who see it as black and white and those that see the grey . Most times I see the grey but not this time . Most people do expect them to lose but Dravid shouldn't be thinking this . I believe he is with his "nothing to lose" comment . The Aussies would have seen his comment as a sign of weakness . Or they should . We're talking elite competitive beasts here .

I didn't see into the Dravid comment the way you think I did . I took it on face value and thought it was an oxymoron. And if Dravid's comment is such a non-issue then why did the sub editors of the 'Age' use it as the headline of the article?

So if India lose this Test they haven't really lost . I get it now . How silly of me not to see this . In all seriousness that "We've got nothing to lose" line is trotted out far too much . To me it's a total cop out and is just another way of making an excuse . It is often said when an individual or team has been completely outplayed . It never ceases to amaze me how , in a match where there is a winner and a loser , one competitor can say that they've "Got nothing to lose". Ah , yes you have , because if the other mob win , you lose ! In that 'Age' article Dravid also made a veiled reference to Sachin hopefully making "that" ton . I thought it was supposed to be a team game . I can't imagine an Australian player focusing on an individual performance if we were similarly precariously placed .

I'm not nitpicking at all . I made a comment on what I reckon is an outrageous statement by Dravid . The bloke has an excellent command of the English language so there's no excuses . "Clearly not the words he meant" ? Can you please explain what he did mean to this mere mortal .