Australia v India

[Greatbatch]

Pucovski with a 50 on debut thanks to a couple of dropped chances from Pant.

I'm a big fan of Pant and his attacking batting but when he drops a couple of crucial chances on a flat wicket it can outweigh his batting ability.

He needs to score at least a 50 to make up for it.

[ConfusedMale]

That is the eternal debate about Pant - whether we sacrifice his keeping for batting. Unfortunately, he is nowhere as consistent as a Gilchrist or even a Dhoni, so I would always go with a Saha. The other option is yet another mercurial batsman-wicketkeeper in Ishan Kishan. Unfortunately, the keeping skills of all of these new guys aren't great.

This looks like a long day for India, with Ashwin reverting to his old self of underperforming away, Indian fielders chasing leather all over, dropped catches and Aussies racking up 400+ scores.

[Greatbatch]

India got Pucovski out with a good ball from Saini so it didn't cost them too much.

Tough work for the bowlers though, it looks like a typical flat SCG pancake where India scored over 700 in 2004 with the Little Master scoring over 200 no.

[MRNC4.0]

Joe Burns scored a 50 in the first test sorry. I'd forgotten about him already. India weren't quite on it today, and Smith and Labuschagne played Ashwin much better. Still, pitch not doing much. India will enjoy batting on it so Australia need a big score to put pressure on them.

[Sir Coolerking]

Originally Posted by MRNC4.0

Joe Burns scored a 50 in the first test sorry. I'd forgotten about him already. India weren't quite on it today, and Smith and Labuschagne played Ashwin much better. Still, pitch not doing much. India will enjoy batting on it so Australia need a big score to put pressure on them.

Is there much more rain in the forecast? This has the look of a draw about it.

[Sir Coolerking]

Originally Posted by Greatbatch

Pucovski with a 50 on debut thanks to a couple of dropped chances from Pant.

I'm a big fan of Pant and his attacking batting but when he drops a couple of crucial chances on a flat wicket it can outweigh his batting ability.

He needs to score at least a 50 to make up for it.

Just seen the drops. The first was regulation off the spinner, a shocking drop. The second looked tough, but he probably should have held on.

[Chin Music]

Originally Posted by Sir Coolerking

Is there much more rain in the forecast? This has the look of a draw about it.

forecast suggests there might be some interruption tomorrow but fine for the last 3 days so there is time enough to get a result if the batting implodes.

Originally Posted by Sir Coolerking

Just seen the drops. The first was regulation off the spinner, a shocking drop. The second looked tough, but he probably should have held on.

I watched some of the evening session and saw the highlights. He simply didn't look very competent. Apparently he has a good record keeping seamers but an appalling one for spin, a little better than 1 in 2.

The only thing that I can really say for him is that he's still young at 24 and younger keepers have the ability to improve with good coaching. Even Rod Marsh was known as 'iron gloves' as a young guy.

[Midnight]

Sydney pitch tends to be too flat on day one.

[ConfusedMale]

Whatever impact we need to make need to be made early tomorrow morning. Otherwise, I can see Australia scoring 400+ easily, especially since Smith Ver 1.00 and 2.00 seem to be batting well out there.

[MRNC4.0]

Originally Posted by Midnight

Sydney pitch tends to be too flat on day one.

..and day two, and day three and even four. Used to be that it was near impossible to chase anything above 150 batting last but the the wicket has softened up and the turn is very slow. Takes a batting collapse to offer a result now.

[MRNC4.0]

Originally Posted by Sir Coolerking

Just seen the drops. The first was regulation off the spinner, a shocking drop. The second looked tough, but he probably should have held on.

Yep. I was all for Pant coming into the side after Saha's poor first test, but his keeping is of Wade/Bairstow standard, hard hands with soggy footwork, you'd want to average 50 to justify your spot.

[sanskritsimon]

Originally Posted by MRNC4.0

Yep. I was all for Pant coming into the side after Saha's poor first test, but his keeping is of Wade/Bairstow standard, hard hands with soggy footwork, you'd want to average 50 to justify your spot.

That would justify a batting spot.
The only way that you can justify the keeping spot is through your keeping.

[MRNC4.0]

India turned up today. Been unplayable since the new ball. 350 might be a very nice score on this track actually, if they can get there. Another brain dead rank shot by Wade to start the nonsense.

[MRNC4.0]

Best Smith has batted in yonks. Scored heavily off his legs which is a good sign for Australia, bad for India going foward. Still reckon Aus are a good 50 runs off being par on this.

[MRNC4.0]

Good recovery from Aus' bowlers after getting nothing out of the new ball. Feel like this is the key partnership of the match, and probably the series. If Pujara/Rahane can get through the morning session, India will be sitting pretty.

[ConfusedMale]

It was a good comeback by India, and it was a wonderful century by Steve Smith. The pressure he must have been immense, but he did manage to overcome that. As MRNC says, that is bad news for India for the rest of the series.

Our openers started well, but then managed to throw it away. If Pujara-Rahane combo can stay on for the day and start tomorrow afresh, it might be a good thing that they might be playing a softer delivery which wasn't doing much.

[Greatbatch]

Pretty evenly poised test match, India looked on top with that good opening partnership but those late couple of wickets have evened things up again.

A lot depends on the Pujara and Rahane partnership, if they can bat through a session or two tomorrow India will be right back on top again.

Originally Posted by MRNC4.0

Best Smith has batted in yonks. Scored heavily off his legs which is a good sign for Australia, bad for India going foward. Still reckon Aus are a good 50 runs off being par on this.

Not sure it's a good sign that Australia is still so reliant on Smith to score runs, Labuschagne and Pucovski the only other meaningful contributors.

[ConfusedMale]

I was amazed Aussie tail didn't score much runs against us. After all, we must be the team against whom all tailenders make merry (frustration over a long period of time, not really backed up by solid data).

[MRNC4.0]

Originally Posted by Greatbatch

Pretty evenly poised test match, India looked on top with that good opening partnership but those late couple of wickets have evened things up again.

A lot depends on the Pujara and Rahane partnership, if they can bat through a session or two tomorrow India will be right back on top again.



Not sure it's a good sign that Australia is still so reliant on Smith to score runs, Labuschagne and Pucovski the only other meaningful contributors.

I'll take three meaningful contributions ahead of none, and better Smith in form than not I say, especially with three away test tours coming up after this, doubt there are any bats in the world more capable of making big scores abroad than Smith so we need him to get his groove back sooner than later. Today was a very good sign that he has after looking very out of sorts in Melbourne.

[MRNC4.0]

Key session of the series here. Bowler's giving the batsman nothing, but Rahane & Pujara refuse to budge. This is test cricket. Who will break first?