Cricket X

[Jeor]

Australia absolutely dominating in a tour game vs. Indian President's XI. It's a far cry from the first test, but still some positive (worrying from my perspective) signs for Australia. Good to see North make a statement though - he had a lot to prove and he certainly fired with a run-a-ball century.

I wouldn't put too much stock in the tour game. Sure, the Aussie batsmen are scoring runs, but they're meant to on lifeless Indian pitches (at least for the first couple of days). The Indian bowling is quite strong for a first-class side (Chawla, Ohja and Sreesanth) but it's still not the Indian Test attack.

The real challenge is whether the Australian bowling attack can take wickets on Indian soil against a powerful batting lineup. So far they seem to be bowling well, but again, it's not against the Indian Test team. The actual Test series is probably going to be much closer, and I reckon there will be some big totals in there from both sides.

[Paxter]

Yeah, I agree about the troubles Australia will/may have taking Indian wickets on this tour. But I am worried about India's fairly pedestrian attack, especially if Australia bat first in one or both matches. TBH, the line-up of Chawla, Ojha and Sreesanth isn't a great deal worse than what we'll actually end up seeing in the first test (Khan, Sharma, Harbhajan, Mishra/Ojha/Chawla). That test attack allowed Sri Lanka to score some pretty massive totals in the series that India just barely drew earlier in the year.

As an aside, I think this kind of series really raises the argument that coin tosses should be done away with. In a short series in India, two losses of the toss could pretty much kill off any chance of getting a series victory. Maybe the better approach would be to do a coin toss on Day 1 of the first test, but then do away with the toss for the second test and let the other side have the chance to pile on the runs on Days 1/2 and bowl last.

[Paxter]

Well, the second innings of the President's XI innings will certainly be a wake-up call for the Aussies (if they even needed one after drawing against Pakistan)...174-0 at around 5 runs per over. Johnson, Hauritz and Hilfenhaus all given the long handle by the Pres XI openers.

[Paxter]

I know it's early days in this series, but the signs really aren't great for India. They've had their moments (dropped catch and wicket off a no-ball), but in general their attack looks pedestrian and Sharma in particular has been incredibly poor :worried:.

As an aside: Watson looks a much better player in Indian conditions than he did batting down the order last time around. That's confidence for you I suppose.

ETA: Well, Dhoni's brought Sehwag on now and we're still in the first session. This is not good.

ETA: Comeback! Zaheer Khan has come to India's rescue right at the end of the day's play. Hussey is partly to blame though for turning what could have been a dominant day for Australia into an average day - 17 off 76 balls let India back into the game after Ponting's knock.

[Stubby]

Marcus, Marcus, Marcus. Tsk.

:uhoh:

[Paxter]

Yeah, classic dismissal for a West Australian in Indian conditions - underestimating both the lower bounce and the reverse-swing. There were definitely shades of W Akram in Khan's performance today.

BTW, thanks for posting Stubs, it was getting a bit pathetic in here with three consecutive posts coming from me. Where are our test tragics? :P

[ljkeane]

That definitely went downhill for Australia after Ponting got out, they're on their way to a very poor score in Indian conditions at this rate, especially considering the Indians only had 3 frontline bowlers most of the time.

On the plus side for the Australians though with the way the ball kept low and how threatening Khan looked in comparison to the spinners their bowling lineup with three seamers looks like it might be the better selection at the moment.

[Jeor]

Well, a disappointing score, although there still might be more to come from Paine. Given how Ponting and Watson were going, the innings now looks like a complete throwaway. If Ponting hadn't thrown away his wicket, I'm sure he would have scored a big hundred, probably 150. It was good to see him in that sort of form and that he could still play like that - although to be honest there isn't much pace in the pitch, so it wasn't as if Khan could surprise him with some fast, short stuff.

The scoreline is particularly disappointing given that India only have one pace bowler. Essentially three spinners and one paceman (Khan). Australians really don't play spin all that well judging from this...spinners can tie down a lineup too easily, even if they don't necessarily get wickets. Practice for Graeme Swann in a few months' time! In previous years, India might have had a part-timer like Ganguly who could come on and bowl some mediums, but all their part-timers are spinners. Ganguly wasn't express by any means but he could have at least extracted some seam movement if there was any to be had. As it is, India have to go with a phalanx of spinners and then short bursts of Zaheer.

[Paxter]

In the end that was probably a decent score from Australia, but really India shouldn't have too much trouble getting close to or even surpassing it after the quick start that Sehwag has given them. Overall, the test match is interestingly poised.

Brad Haddin might be getting a bit nervous - that was an excellent performance from Paine and he might not be that far away from booking an Ashes spot.

[Jeor]

Brad Haddin might be getting a bit nervous - that was an excellent performance from Paine and he might not be that far away from booking an Ashes spot.

It was definitely a good innings from Paine but I think Haddin will still be put in at the first opportunity. It's tough on Paine who has done a very good job deputising for Haddin, but Haddin averages 40 and has that impact as a power hitter. That being said, they'll still want to see some first-class matches from Haddin since he's been out of cricket for a while. He'll probably get some tour games against the English side.

Sehwag will be kicking himself getting out near the end of the day like that. It doesn't look like India will have too much trouble scoring, and the Aussie attack has looked rather innocuous. There isn't pace in the pitch, although I suppose the cracks later on could still assist pacemen as much as they do spinners with some variable bounce and movement. Tidy as Hauritz is, the Indians know how to play spin on their own turf, so this is going to be the real challenge for Australia, to bowl India out for a reasonable score. With the pantheon of players to come (Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Dhoni) on a slow pitch that they'd be used to, I'm not rating Australia's chances all too highly...

[Ser_not_appearing_yet]

Man, I will never understand how Johnson takes wickets. It seems to me that 75% of what he bowls could easily be termed 'dross'. Its like every time he bowls he plays bingo or something. I suppose he comes from a strange angle which batsman aren't used to, but its still very puzzling to me.

Pissed of that Sachin missed another century, to Marcus frigging NORTH of all people (why is this guy still playing international cricket? Why?).

The match is still in the balance though, so thats interesting at least. India need Harbhajan and Ohja (I wasn't impressed by him in the first innings, felt he just bowled the same line over and over without any variety) to shine now, while Australia need to bat untill an hour in the final day and then hope Sehwag and Tendulkar fail. We'll see.

[Paxter]

Great match unfolding, India require just under 200 with wickets in hand. Still anybody's game if Australia get on a roll as in the first innings. As an aside, I've really missed the referral system in this match - the umpiring has been pretty ordinary at times.

@SNAY: Check out the dismissals of De Villiers and Kallis in

. Sometimes sheer pace (generated by the slinging action) and the angle from left-arm over the wicket is all you need to dismiss top-class batsmen.

But yeah, I'm guessing that the first wicket of McKenzie in that WACA test match is probably more what you (and also Jeor) would classify as the "usual" Johnson wicket.

As for Marcus North, another pair of failures in the next test match will probably open the door for Callum Ferguson or maybe Stephen Smith. FWIW, if I was a selector I'd be tempted to give Shaun Marsh a go in the middle-order.

[Paxter]

India three down now! Game on...

[Jeor]

India three down now! Game on...

Make that four down, Australia look to be on top. But Tendulkar is still at the crease and Dhoni is also yet to come in, with Laxman also ready to block up one end (and I wouldn't put it past even a crook Laxman to put us to the sword once more). Australia got rather unceremoniously bundled out there but I think the key wicket was Sehwag, who could have attacked with another half century and gotten the chase off to a flier.

I agree that Johnson's figures seem to be inflated from the sheer amount of rubbish he serves up. At least half of his wickets caught in the slips are from dodgy wide half-volleys that opposing batsmen have gone after to punish and then nicked instead. I have no idea how he does it but it isn't exactly convincing...

[Paxter]

Yeah, great day's play ahead tomorrow, but Australia definitely have the edge.

[Ser_not_appearing_yet]

Wow, amazing days cricket. Pissed that I missed it, but oh well. I'll watch the final day. Obviously Tendulkar is the key, but it sounds like the pitch is talking.

On the North thing, as an England fan I don't want to see him dropped. I was secretly hoping he'd bail Australia out with a century in the second innings. :P

[Paxter]

Damn, at 5-119 I was still hopeful of an Indian victory but they've now collapsed to 124-8. This one's over.

[delete this account pls]

OR IS IT?

Holy shit has this game turned into a nailbiter.

[Jeor]

Laxman killed us like I predicted!

In a hotel watching (work conference) on iPhone so can't post much!

[Ser_not_appearing_yet]

Things we learnt from this match:

1. Laxman is in fact a being from out of space created by the emperors of the universe specifically to soulcrush Australia.

2. Sharma is a gutsy bastard.

3. Australia still have a dangerous pace attack.

4. The BCCI are a bunch of wankers for not implementing IDRS.

5. Ponting is a horrible captain.

6. Test cricket is better than sex.