Pakistan vs Australia (in the UAE)

[Gray Day]

Some of the 'Umpire's Call' calls look dodgy. Perhaps the margin of error should be trimmed.

Also have an issue with a team losing one of their referrals to 'Umpire's Call', especially the fielding team. The referral isn't necessarily wrong and the challenge should remain intact. I would rather this than a reset of referrals after 80 overs.

 

[Blue Dimension]

Lyon looked unthreatening for most of the day. But what do you expect? It's a day 1 pitch.

The last few overs of the day he really got that ball to grip and turn. He will take the majority of the rest of the wickets imo. Pakistan were lucky to get out unscaved after his late spell.

My only concern about the spin is the fact that our batting lineup are going to have to play extremely well to negate it.

Should be an interesting few days... provided Pakistan pick up the scoring rate. One of the slowest days play i've ever seen.

 

[copthat]

He must do better on day two. He has been in the side long enough to do better. This is where we need him to perform more than anywhere else and to barely threaten the batsmen all day and be easier to get away than any other bowler is very disappointing.

It was day one... even Smith who normally rips it could hardly get it to straighten.

 

[western royboy]

Dont put your head in the sand and pretend that 100% certain that Test cricket will live forever. The fact is Test cricket has been played at reduced rate more so today then at any other time in its history. Secondly, Test cricket is being sustained by T20 and ODI cricket.

From the official Test Records, Test Match Numbers by decade

1870-79 3 Tests
1880-89 28 Tests
1890-99 36 Tests
1900-09 69 Tests
1910-19 29 Tests (Test Cricket ceased in 1914 due to WW1 and did not resume until 1920)
1920-29 51 Tests
1930-39 85 Tests
1940-49 45 Tests (WW2)
1950-59 164 Tests
1960-69 186 Tests
1970-79 198 Tests (despite the introduction of ODI, WSC & World Cups)
1980-89 266 Tests
1990-99 347 Tests
2000-09 464 Tests

Already up to an including now we are up to 196 Tests in the period '10-'14 with probably a dozen more before the end of the year. Given Zimbabwe have pulled out of playing Tests - we are on track.

 

[Hudu Gurusingha]

It was day one... even Smith who normally rips it could hardly get it to straighten.

Um that's cos he couldn't land one on the actual pitch

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Yes, umpire's call makes perfect sense when you're talking about a ball trajectory prediction because it's not 100% accurate, but it doesn't make sense when used for objective facts like where the ball pitched or impacted.

Neither of those are exact. They would most likely have a lower margin of error - but still not exact.

As far as I'm aware (and happy to be wrong) - the rules of cricket don't stipulate how much of a ball has to pitch in line or on impact.

Is it half a ball? all the ball?

 

[Hudu Gurusingha]

Like a third seamer should and All Rounder should
Provided solid support for Siddle and Johnson, was economic as hell
Dont recall him creating too many chances

Rogers dropped a tough chance

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Rogers dropped a tough chance

Off Johnson yes, not off Marsh. It wasn't that hard anyway, smith wouldn't have dropped it.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Some of the 'Umpire's Call' calls look dodgy. Perhaps the margin of error should be trimmed.

Also have an issue with a team losing one of their referrals to 'Umpire's Call', especially the fielding team. The referral isn't necessarily wrong and the challenge should remain intact. I would rather this than a reset of referrals after 80 overs.

For the last time IT IS NOT A HOWLER! That is sort of the point, you shouldn't be challenging ones that are 50/50. Those are the challenges I hate. In fact I wish they would lower the challenges to ONE, you have one for a howler, that is all you need.

 

[Tyberious Funk]

Hmmm... First day of the Test match, lifeless pitch, our young, (relatively) inexperience off-spinner doesn't rip through the Pakistani batting lineup which includes one of the best players of spin bowling in the world... knives come out immediately.

Yep, it's gonna be a long summer.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Hmmm... First day of the Test match, lifeless pitch, our young, (relatively) inexperience off-spinner doesn't rip through the Pakistani batting lineup which includes one of the best players of spin bowling in the world... knives come out immediately.

Yep, it's gonna be a long summer.

How is Lyon inexperienced? O'Keefe yes, actually thought he was okay without being great on day 1. Lyon is experienced enough! What has he been doing with Murali? Having a coffee all day?

 

[copthat]

How is Lyon inexperienced? O'Keefe yes, actually thought he was okay without being great on day 1. Lyon is experienced enough! What has he been doing with Murali? Having a coffee all day?

What do you expect him to do on a day 1 pitch?

 

[LukeParkerno1]

What do you expect him to do on a day 1 pitch?

Stop bowling half trackers would be a good start. I'm not asking him to pick up 4-5 wickets. I am asking him to keep it tight and create some opportunities or at the worst keep the runs down to build pressure. He did neither, that is the problem.

 

[MisterMarcus]

Some of the 'Umpire's Call' calls look dodgy. Perhaps the margin of error should be trimmed.

Also have an issue with a team losing one of their referrals to 'Umpire's Call', especially the fielding team. The referral isn't necessarily wrong and the challenge should remain intact. I would rather this than a reset of referrals after 80 overs.

If you did that though, teams would challenge everything. There'd be interruptions every second over if fielding teams knew they could refer anything without penalty.

You'd struggle getting through 70 overs a day if that happened.

 

[copthat]

Stop bowling half trackers would be a good start. I'm not asking him to pick up 4-5 wickets. I am asking him to keep it tight and create some opportunities or at the worst keep the runs down to build pressure. He did neither, that is the problem.

He normally does. He had a bad day on an absolute road of a day 1 pitch. Not unheard of.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

He normally does. He had a bad day on an absolute road of a day 1 pitch. Not unheard of.

Maybe..but it is becoming too often of a re-occurance with Lyon. Good spinners bowl well on roads, not every pitch is tailor made and it isn't as if it was that much of a road...look at his last over....why the heck wasn't he doing that all day. That is what the least should be expected, create opportunities.

 

[Noobz0r]

I haven't been on the cricket board for a while, but it's good to see that the same tired Lyon debate is still raging.

I didn't catch any of the coverage, but the Day 1 report on cricinfo says that it took one boundary for Lyon to stop bowling over the wicket into Johnson's foot marks, and go around the wicket. Is that accurate? Although it is only day 1, I would hope that he isn't that defensive in the second innings.

 

[MisterMarcus]

Any chance SOK might stop bowling leg stump darts... This is red ball cricket Steve...

I always noticed that about O'Keefe, he fires in quick darts like Doherty. I always wondered if that was why he was always back in the queue for Test cricket. But then again, I've only really seen him in the shorter forms, when you kind of have to bowl like that.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Mitchell Johnson bowled 120 deliveries yesterday, 111 were dot balls.

 

[Bomber Bears]

Pretty tough to do anything threatening outside of a new ball it seemed.

Tell you what, poor test cricket is always enjoyable on the radio (sometimes moreso than good cricket, with the right commentators), but on TV test cricket on a lifeless pitch like this can be a little dull. It never felt like particularly tense low scoring, just very attritional

 

[The Falcon Strike]

I always noticed that about O'Keefe, he fires in quick darts like Doherty. I always wondered if that was why he was always back in the queue for Test cricket. But then again, I've only really seen him in the shorter forms, when you kind of have to bowl like that.

Only spinners who aren't very good resort to leg stump darts.

Quality spinners still use flight, changes of pace and guile to get a batsmen out in short form cricket.

That isn't to say quality spinners don't bowl leg stump darts, rather it is just one part of their armoury

 

[Tyberious Funk]

I haven't been on the cricket board for a while, but it's good to see that the same tired Lyon debate is still raging.

Is there really a debate? Or is just the same particular poster, ragging on Lyon again and again?

I didn't catch any of the coverage, but the Day 1 report on cricinfo says that it took one boundary for Lyon to stop bowling over the wicket into Johnson's foot marks, and go around the wicket. Is that accurate? Although it is only day 1, I would hope that he isn't that defensive in the second innings.

IMHO, there is a persistent problem with Lyon (and pretty much any post-Warne spinner in the Australia side). Bowl aggressively and you might take wickets. But if you leak runs, you'll be criticised. Bowl tightly and you won't be expensive, but you probably won't take wickets. So you'll get accused of being too defensive. I don't think people realise how few spinners can be both economical and attacking. Warne, Murali... even Swann... are pretty rare types.

People need to accept that our spin stocks are really bare.... there's no-one really banging down the door. So for the time being, Lyon will have to do. Suggesting Maxwell could take his place is just... laughable.

 

[The_Reaper]

Is there really a debate? Or is just the same particular poster, ragging on Lyon again and again?



IMHO, there is a persistent problem with Lyon (and pretty much any post-Warne spinner in the Australia side). Bowl aggressively and you might take wickets. But if you leak runs, you'll be criticised. Bowl tightly and you won't be expensive, but you probably won't take wickets. So you'll get accused of being too defensive. I don't think people realise how few spinners can be both economical and attacking. Warne, Murali... even Swann... are pretty rare types.

People need to accept that our spin stocks are really bare.... there's no-one really banging down the door. So for the time being, Lyon will have to do. Suggesting Maxwell could take his place is just... laughable.

That said- the way Pakistan approach batting you won't get a better opportunity to be able to settle in to an attacking rhythm. Misbah is about as aggressive as chihuahua

 

[Noobz0r]

Is there really a debate? Or is just the same particular poster, ragging on Lyon again and again?



IMHO, there is a persistent problem with Lyon (and pretty much any post-Warne spinner in the Australia side). Bowl aggressively and you might take wickets. But if you leak runs, you'll be criticised. Bowl tightly and you won't be expensive, but you probably won't take wickets. So you'll get accused of being too defensive. I don't think people realise how few spinners can be both economical and attacking. Warne, Murali... even Swann... are pretty rare types.

People need to accept that our spin stocks are really bare.... there's no-one really banging down the door. So for the time being, Lyon will have to do. Suggesting Maxwell could take his place is just... laughable.

I agree with you, but I would like to see him persist with bowling over the wicket for more than one boundary.

 

[Arecsa]

Having some visual and audio issues here....