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Topic: God help me - the Test Cricket thread (Read 84871 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: God help me

Reply #15
I was listening to the cricket in the car and India was 5 for when I got home.  I had to do a couple of things before I turned the TV on but, when I did, it was game over  :o

Watching the highlights suggested that it was some of the best pace bowling ever.  Sunny Gavaskar reckons that apart from Shaw, the batters really didn’t do a lot wrong; the bowling was just too good.

Have the Indians played Burns back into form?
Not sure I agree with Sunny...Kholi's dismissal was a very soft shot, he guided it very nicely to the fielder...
I just dont trust teams from the continent and IMO the bowling was good but not that good to get bowled out for 36.

Re: God help me

Reply #16
There are rumours floating around today that if NSW do not get to COVID zero before New Years they are pulling the pin on the Sydney test, CA have offered them a no crowd lock out but the BCCI aren't interested!

To me if it's true it sounds more like a way to get out of a losing series than a genuine concern, surely the BCCI wouldn't behave that way! :o
The Force Awakens!

Re: God help me

Reply #17
All the damage occurred during the daylight on a good pitch, so nobody can bitch about pink balls and heavy night air yada yada.

Damage seemed to be caused by the ball decking away, which caused a lot of edges from balls that had to be played due to perfect line and length.   Seems that these blokes have learnt how to consistently bowl subtle leg cutters, a master level bowling skill.

A absolute master class in line,  length and subtle movement, the footage will be a coaching tool.   Move it too much and it looks great but misses edges.  Move it 2-3" and it's deadly.
DrE is no more... you ok with that harmonica man?

Re: God help me

Reply #18
I notice The Hun publishing more rubbish about the MCG Pitch being no good, boring, etc., etc., with alleged calls from Cummins and Hazelwood for a competitive pitch.

Except there have only been 2 drawn MCG Boxing Day tests in the last 22 years!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_Day_Test#List_of_Boxing_Day_Test_matches

Perhaps this is getting in early in case the Sydney test turns sour!
The Force Awakens!

Re: God help me

Reply #19
Gotta keep the BCCI happy
DrE is no more... you ok with that harmonica man?

Re: God help me

Reply #20
It makes perfect sense to do it though.  Should have two pitches ready to go.  No SYD HBA yacht race, no Test?  Good.

Re: God help me

Reply #21
It makes perfect sense to do it though.  Should have two pitches ready to go.  No SYD HBA yacht race, no Test?  Good.
I fell a bit sorry for the yacht people, not that we should feel sorry for those wealthy enough to participate, but because their situation is untenable.

No matter how slight the risk you can't have a $50M super-maxi surfing down the East Coast like a Ganges Death Barge!

At this stage, the Sydney Test proceeding in Sydney seems like the oddity, pretty tough for the McGrath Foundation!
The Force Awakens!

Re: God help me

Reply #22
I fell a bit sorry for the yacht people, not that we should feel sorry for those wealthy enough to participate, but because their situation is untenable.

No matter how slight the risk you can't have a $50M super-maxi surfing down the East Coast like a Ganges Death Barge!

At this stage, the Sydney Test proceeding in Sydney seems like the oddity, pretty tough for the McGrath Foundation!
Wealthy they might be, but its all relatiive, I still feel sorry for them as they have invested time and money only to be told at the vinegar stroke to pull out.
2017-16th
2018-Wooden Spoon
2019-16th
2020-dare to dream? 11th is better than last I suppose
2021-Pi$$ or get off the pot
2022- Real Deal or more of the same? 0.6%
2023- "Raise the Standard" - M. Voss Another year wasted Bar Set
2024-Back to the drawing boardNo excuses, its time

Re: God help me

Reply #23
Wealthy they might be, but its all relatiive, I still feel sorry for them as they have invested time and money only to be told at the vinegar stroke to pull out.
Worse for the tassie business folk who depend on that money, Yachties are big drinkers and spenders and its real bad for the local economy especially after the lockdowns with covid

Re: God help me

Reply #24
Ian Chappell published an article demanding improved protection from umpires for tail-end batsmen who get peppered with short pitched bowling.

I found this a little unsavoury, I realise times change, but back in the day I suspect Chappelli would have been encouraging his bowlers more than perhaps any other Australian Test Cpt, and I've heard reports of such coming out of WSC around the time helmets first started being used.

Shami as the most recent example isn't much of a good one, in reality he only receive two short pitch deliveries if you can even call the one that got him short pitched, because he basically took his eye off it and ducked into it, it collected his arm below what would be waist height in his normal stance.


I often wonder where the bread is buttered when I read such an article!
The Force Awakens!

Re: God help me

Reply #25
The idiot didn't even wear an arm guard

Re: God help me

Reply #26
Agree Shami and other average batting bowlers need to wear arm guards, I think its up to the umpires to judge the situation and use common sense to determine what is intimidation rather than judge by the number of short balls per over.
Its a fact of life that if you come to Australia the pitches favour the the 6' 6" quick who can bang it in and you wont see much swing or spin but every other country also has their home conditions favouring their attack ie if you go to NZ the ball swings everywhere and we all know India doctor their wickets to favour spin and you can bang it in all day and you wont get it over stump height negating our quicks.
Players will get hit in Aus and in countries like South Africa who nurture big quicks so you need to bring your protective equipment and pick players who are equipped for the conditions.

Re: God help me

Reply #27
He was wearing an arm guard, just not on that arm.  I don't think I have ever seen an arm guard on both arms.

He played it so poorly that being hit was the only outcome.

Maybe players need to spend some time practicing evasive action.  (If it was me batting, I would have been on the ground at square leg before Cummins had let go of the ball!)

Re: God help me

Reply #28
I suspect it's a symptom of T20, where the rules basically mean the batsmen moves about with impunity on dead flat lifeless bowling tracks, they may as well play on concrete.

So they get too comfortable not needing to deal with intimidating bowling.

Can you imagine these guys batting on a green top Gabba or WACA with Lillee and Thompson bowling, or worse still the same venue with Joel Garner or Andy Roberts?

(For the young'uns Roberts was scalpel precise and had more ways to harm a batsmen than The Surgeon of Crowthorne could describe. I think while most bowlers aimed for the head, Roberts picked out an eyebrow or earlobe!)
The Force Awakens!

Re: God help me

Reply #29

Can you imagine these guys batting on a green top Gabba or WACA with Lillee and Thompson bowling, or worse still the same venue with Joel Garner or Andy Roberts?

Apart from Smith, Payne and maybe Wade, the rest would fill their shorts. Chuck in Thommo and Michael Holding for good measure.
2017-16th
2018-Wooden Spoon
2019-16th
2020-dare to dream? 11th is better than last I suppose
2021-Pi$$ or get off the pot
2022- Real Deal or more of the same? 0.6%
2023- "Raise the Standard" - M. Voss Another year wasted Bar Set
2024-Back to the drawing boardNo excuses, its time