Australia v India

[Aidan11]

Great finish to the game. 35 from 15 balls required at the time looked out of reach.

[Greatbatch]

Pandya > Kohli

Absolute clutch player Pandya.

[square leg umpire]

Saw the end, wasn't impressed with the captaincy or bowing. Australia bowled wide of off without a third man and conceded numerous boundaries in that area as a result.

[MRNC4.0]

Originally Posted by square leg umpire

Saw the end, wasn't impressed with the captaincy or bowing. Australia bowled wide of off without a third man and conceded numerous boundaries in that area as a result.

Credit to Pandya but that was absolute dross Australia fielded with the ball. How the likes of Tye, Sams can still be relevant to the national set-up is pretty damning to the depth in this format.

[MRNC4.0]

Pucovski & Burns gone cheaply. I wonder if this opens the door for Harris (again)

[MRNC4.0]

Going to love hearing the mental gymnastics from Langer after this as to why they've decided to stick with Wade ahead of Green for the first test. I expect to hear the words 'gritty', 'fighter' & 'incumbent' along with some vague reference to the ANZACs or war.

[ConfusedMale]

Umesh has the most wickets and even the best economy! It isn't often that he does it so effectively. I just hope he keeps up the good work once the tests start, though I wonder how weak our lower order is going to be if it is going to have Umesh, Shami and Bumrah in it.

[ConfusedMale]

Originally Posted by Greatbatch

Pandya > Kohli

Absolute clutch player Pandya.

Let Pandya show consistency and then we will look at comparisons.

A consistent Pandya would be a very valuable asset to India in all forms of the game, but a busy schedule might mean he would have to miss out on any one form. Considering his hitting power, I think they might choose to sit him out of test matches.

[MRNC4.0]

Originally Posted by ConfusedMale

Umesh has the most wickets and even the best economy! It isn't often that he does it so effectively. I just hope he keeps up the good work once the tests start, though I wonder how weak our lower order is going to be if it is going to have Umesh, Shami and Bumrah in it.

He bowled very well, troubled batsman with pace and bounce off a good length who are used to facing pace and bounce on a good length. Has to play. Making runs won't be India's greatest feat on these wickets, if Australias quicks are too good (they weren't last time), then so be it, but taking 20 wickets each game is the real challenge. Don't be New Zealand and bowl a Colin De Grandhomme with the new ball. Bad idea.

[ConfusedMale]

Originally Posted by MRNC4.0

He bowled very well, troubled batsman with pace and bounce off a good length who are used to facing pace and bounce on a good length. Has to play. Making runs won't be India's greatest feat on these wickets, if Australias quicks are too good (they weren't last time), then so be it, but taking 20 wickets each game is the real challenge. Don't be New Zealand and bowl a Colin De Grandhomme with the new ball. Bad idea.

I feel that our bowling would be Bumrah, Umesh, Shami and Ashwin with probably Jadeja acting as a fifth bowler.

The worry for us is that both Shaw and Gill haven't taken the limited chances they have got. I really don't think Shaw would do well there, trying to punch the ball on the rise. The extra bounce in Aussie pitches would ensure he is an early wicket. Pujara, Kohli, Rahane and Vihari might be the middle order with Jadeja, Saha, Ashwin, Shami, Umesh, and Bumrah bringing up the lower order. If we do go with Dhawan and Shaw, it is (even more of an) advantage to Australia.

[tony p]

Originally Posted by MRNC4.0

Credit to Pandya but that was absolute dross Australia fielded with the ball. How the likes of Tye, Sams can still be relevant to the national set-up is pretty damning to the depth in this format.

With those guys playing for Australia, you know we aren't really treating this seriously.
International T20's to me are pretty irrelevent, Domestic T20 leagues are really the only way to go in this format.
I didn't care less that we lost last night, doesn't mean anything.

[Sir Coolerking]

Originally Posted by tony p

With those guys playing for Australia, you know we aren't really treating this seriously.
International T20's to me are pretty irrelevent, Domestic T20 leagues are really the only way to go in this format.
I didn't care less that we lost last night, doesn't mean anything.

Slightly odd given we have a T20 World Cup coming up. England have started prioritising T20 cricket over ODI. It strikes me as strange that other teams wouldn't be doing likewise.

[Chin Music]

Originally Posted by Sir Coolerking

Slightly odd given we have a T20 World Cup coming up. England have started prioritising T20 cricket over ODI. It strikes me as strange that other teams wouldn't be doing likewise.

I find it hard to take seriously the results of T20 games outside the world cups if I'm honest. Then again I barely pay that much attention to bi-lateral ODI series.

With Australia, they don't really seem to have that much power hitting in their lineup, Warner, Finch & Maxwell apart. I don't think they have the batting to really consistently set or chase large scores. That said, it is strange that they are picking some rather obscure t20 specialists. I can't say I follow bilateral t20s enough to know who might be make a bang ordinary t20 side of specialists other than Kieron Pollard, a domestic megalith who has done very little at international level.

[tony p]

Originally Posted by Sir Coolerking

Slightly odd given we have a T20 World Cup coming up. England have started prioritising T20 cricket over ODI. It strikes me as strange that other teams wouldn't be doing likewise.

It might be coming up, but I have a very low care factor about it.
It's a game I watch for 10 or so minutes, leave for half an hour, comeback and watch the last couple of overs.
I've never been a fan of utter bat domination, after about 10 boundaries and the 5th six, that will do me.

[Sir Coolerking]

Originally Posted by Chin Music

I find it hard to take seriously the results of T20 games outside the world cups if I'm honest. Then again I barely pay that much attention to bi-lateral ODI series.

Well I agree with you there. But you'd think teams would be prioritising T20 at the mo. Australia seemed to pick their best XI for the ODI's and have now brought in a bunch of T20 regulars to replace some of the big guns.

I get that the Test series is coming and should take priority, maybe would've made more sense to play the T20's first with the likes of Starc/Cummins then rest them for the ODI's.

[Sir Coolerking]

Originally Posted by tony p

It might be coming up, but I have a very low care factor about it.
It's a game I watch for 10 or so minutes, leave for half an hour, comeback and watch the last couple of overs.
I've never been a fan of utter bat domination, after about 10 boundaries and the 5th six, that will do me.

You may have a low care factor, but I'd have thought the players would quite like to win it. Doesn't seem like Australia are giving themselves the best opportunity at the moment.

[sanskritsimon]

Originally Posted by Sir Coolerking

You may have a low care factor, but I'd have thought the players would quite like to win it. Doesn't seem like Australia are giving themselves the best opportunity at the moment.

Plenty of time before next October.

[MRNC4.0]

Originally Posted by tony p

It might be coming up, but I have a very low care factor about it.
It's a game I watch for 10 or so minutes, leave for half an hour, comeback and watch the last couple of overs.
I've never been a fan of utter bat domination, after about 10 boundaries and the 5th six, that will do me.

Even so, it's odd that you wouldn't attempt to put your best foot forward given that you're hosting the world cup pretty soon no? At least use this series as an opportunity to develop younger players or have a look at someone else more likely to be relevant to the side in 12-24 months time, instead of, old hacks, to put it bluntly, who are and were never cut out for it. Much like ODI's, I don't care about/quickly forget series results, but world cups are a different matter, and should be the end goal.

[ConfusedMale]

Meanwhile, India just clinging on to avoid a defeat against Australia A. A very sad performance from our batsmen, and we reached this far thanks to Rahane and Pujara in the first innings and Saha in the second.

[MRNC4.0]

A duck for Burns to continue his run of awful form, averaging just 8 this season. Would not surprise me at all if this is a plot to get Shaun Marsh back into the side. They may go with a Harris/Pucovski combination for the first test, but who knows at this point.