Cricket XVI

[Stubby]

Pretty much agree with Jeor, save that it is effectively a 4th day pitch. And Pujara is opening. Anyone know why Dhawan isn't?

Edit:

This from Cricinfo:

Dhawan has an injured hand and didn't field. So he can't bat before No. 7

[Stubby]

So the new equation is:

An hour plus 15 overs to get 103. That's about 4 runs an over or just a bit more than that.

Should be doable for this lineup.

[arya_underfoot]

There's a scathing article in today's SMH (http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/clarkes-pain-not-an-excuse-20130318-2g9vk.html) about Clarke's decision-making in this series. Some of the criticism is reasonable, particularly the baffling underuse of Pattinson when India was in trouble in the 1st test. But if he couldn't bat because of back spasms, I don't see how he could be expected to come in at first drop.

Anyway, it looks like India will close out this test match, but it won't be as easy as Hayden and Shastri seem to think. They should expect lots of deliveries well outside offstump with a stacked offside field. And I doubt we'll see much spin in the last session.

[brAnthelAstgreenseer]

This is getting interesting 30 of 56 balls..

[The Winged Shadow]

Hard to think of India fucking this up, specially with so few runs and so many wickets on hand.

Bangladesh have impressed me this SL series. They batsmen, specially the new ones (Mominul, Jahurul) impressed with their cool heads. While neither made a big score yet, they've played with a very patient mindset that is so uncharacteristic of the Bangladeshi batsment. Hell, even Ashraful looked solid and patient! Very happy with the new top order :)

The new seam bowlers have also been impressive, compared to previous Bangladeshi seamers. Robiul and Abul have both bowled consistently in the 130s with some minor swing. While it's nothing great, it is a big step for Bangladesh's pace attack. Previously we've had Rubel, who bowls in the 140's but not very consistent, and Shafiul, who bowls accurately but pretty slow (120s mostly). So good to have some decent fast medium pace attack.

[sh_wulff]

So the India - Oz game almost a nailbiter

[Lord_Baelish]

India really are making hard work of this run chase. Not sure why Dhoni is scoring so slowly, but at least Jadeja had the right idea when he came in.

And just as I type this, Dhoni hits a four.

[sh_wulff]

And it's all over!

[Jeor]

And India win!

Dhoni always plays like that...putters around doing nothing for his first 20-30 balls, and then suddenly flicks a switch and hits boundaries all over the place. He plays the same way in ODIs and T20s.

Unlike the other two matches, Australia can take some positives from this match - Cowan, Warner, Smith and Hughes all made half-centuries, and they scored 400+ in the first innings without Clarke. Siddle also bowled well, although none of the other bowlers backed him up.

Still, it's hard to dodge the fact that if the first day hadn't been rained out, India would have won much more comfortably. The only reason it was close at the end was due to time, not wickets.

Can Clarke and Australia avoid a 4-0? Hard to say. And man, Duncan Fletcher is becoming the Aussie-killer. Every team he coaches seems to beat us.

[The Anti-Targ]

And there goes the second test. I wonder what the Auckland weather forecast is...

Theoretically we're still in a drought, so it would be pretty bad luck for a second downpour with match affecting rain to hit Auckland 2 weekends in a row. No doub, being Auckland, it will rain a bit at some stage, but probably not so that it eliminates the possibility of getting a result. Forecast is for a chance of a showers on Thursday afternoon, if it does come it might be brief enough that they don't even have time to go off the field..

[Jeor]

In some further hilarious news, Michael Clarke may not be fit for the Fourth Test. And another of our fast bowlers has broken down, Starc sent home.

Which means the Goober-Who-Sulked-and-Flew-Home after being dropped for the Third Test could be our skipper. Ahahahaha.

It's either him, or Person-Who-Wasn't-Even-Originally-On-Tour (Haddin) to captain the side.

One hopes Clarke is fit to avoid this farcical turn of events, but who knows. The sooner this tour is over the better!

[arya_underfoot]

To be fair Jeor, Starc hasn't broken down. He's just been told to use the dead-rubber as an excuse to get some semi-elective surgery that he would have to have at some stage anyway.

But the captaincy debacle, as you imply, is a sick joke. It's reminiscent of England cricket teams, and their selectorial strategies, from the 90's. Anyway, the priority now is to get five or six fast bowlers fully fit and ready. I don't think it really matters who, any of Australia's top 8-10 bowlers would do a decent job in England I think, as long as a Siddle type is present to lead the attack.

I read in the paper that Mickey Arthur is keen to get Hussey back for the Ashes. That would probably provide the single biggest boost to Australia's chances against England.

[Stubby]

Captain Goober?

Spare us. But realistically, the next most experienced after Haddin is Siddle, so I'm guessing Jeor is right and it's either the Goober or Haddin.

[Jeor]

Thanks Arya for the info on Starc - not so bad I guess, although he'll be glad to get out of India. He could prove useful in the Ashes though; I think I rate Starc as a bowler more highly than Johnson. At least he's slightly more consistent, and it looks like his batting is at least roughly as good as Johnson's too.

I believe Haddin was captaining in the field when Clarke was off injured in the Third Test, so if it's not Watson it's likely to be him.

Hussey won't return for the Ashes. The selectors already stuffed him around by not selecting him in the ODIs, he's retired with universal adoration to his name, he went out on top in good form. There's nothing in it for him to return to a lost cause. And while Mr Cricket would do something for the good of Australian cricket, I don't really see it happening. In Australia our retirements usually stick. ;)

[Maltaran]

Is Hafeez the first player to be out obstructing the field in international cricket?

[The Anti-Targ]

I'm not going to make any really positive comments about NZ's batting until the score get's much higher. But it is nice to see NZ get through the first 15 overs without losing a wicket.

[The Marquis de Leech]

I'm not going to make any really positive comments about NZ's batting until the score get's much higher. But it is nice to see NZ get through the first 15 overs without losing a wicket.

A quick look at the weather forecast says we're not going to be rescued by rain this time. We'll have to survive purely on our own merits.

[Zoë Sumra]

Is Hafeez the first player to be out obstructing the field in international cricket?

The sixth, and the first under the new rules. Apparently!!!

[The Anti-Targ]

I kbnow it's still early in the innings yet, and NZ is not beyond a collapse leading to a sub-300 total. But things are looking pretty good at the moment. Fulton and Rutherford saw off the new ball and laid a good foundation. A good opening partnership. I hope Rutherford can back up his debut ton with at least a 1/2 century before this series is done. He's got one more innings to do it. It would be great to have an opener who starts life with a >50 average and keeps it going long term.

if I put

maiden test hundred for Fulton hopefully

in spoiler tags does that mean I haven't really written it and I'm not jinxing it? Fulton is somewhat reminiscent of Jeremy Coney who took a long time to get his first, and he's a tall and lanky guy as well.

[Stubby]

It's Captain Goober.

Hughes retains his spot and Khawaja still doesn't get a game. Johnson and Pattinson in for Starc (inj) and Doherty (dropped). Maxwell replaces Henriques. Wade is back and Haddin is out.

5 different players from the last test. I wonder when the last time we had 5 changes to a test occurred?

On another note, congrats to Fulton.

Edit: Also, Dhawan is injured and Rahane is in to open.