1st Test Australia v West Indies Jan 17-21 1000hrs @ the Adelaide Oval
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I’m not sure that’s a bad wicket. It wasn’t dangerous like Brisbane last year or the recent South African test and it didn’t fall apart from the first session like a lot of the Indian wickets.
It was definitely bowler friendly and perhaps a little bit too far that way, but most people would agree that it’s better to be bowler friendly than batter friendly.
It looks like a bad wicket because you’ve got the best bowling attack in the world and one of the best ever against a batting lineup that is barely Shield standard. So we end up with a 2 day test. If the opposition is able to scrape out a 250 score which was very achievable as Trav showed then we get a competitive and entertaining test.
It’s also a wicket that has largely been set up for pink ball cricket, and it’s been very good for that.
It was definitely bowler friendly and perhaps a little bit too far that way, but most people would agree that it’s better to be bowler friendly than batter friendly.
It looks like a bad wicket because you’ve got the best bowling attack in the world and one of the best ever against a batting lineup that is barely Shield standard. So we end up with a 2 day test. If the opposition is able to scrape out a 250 score which was very achievable as Trav showed then we get a competitive and entertaining test.
It’s also a wicket that has largely been set up for pink ball cricket, and it’s been very good for that.
I am also surprised the likes of Smith and Head don’t duck or sway against the short ball when they have placed so many leg side fielders out. Unless they hit the pull perfectly, the best you are getting is a single but the risk is so high. If you leave them, the bowlers will get tired and have to try something else.
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Maybe for Smith but that would go against the method that works for Head. I’m one of his biggest fans but the reality is he’s probably got the worse defensive technique of our top six. When he first came into test cricket he tried to be this grinding, accumulating batter and he wasn’t as good. Once he said * it, I know they’ll get me out but if I’ve scored 100 runs by the time they do who cares, he became really dangerous. Putting a shot away because there’s risk attached to it isn’t his game.
Head's problem is the armpit short ball angle from over the wicket, right hand bowlers bowling bouncers around the wicket to him is food and ends up 10 rows back in the stands and has done since his early slogging days in the BBL.
I don't think his defensive side is any worse than Warners either tbh attacking players just need to attack ugly dismissals be damned it's the nature of the beast.
I don't think his defensive side is any worse than Warners either tbh attacking players just need to attack ugly dismissals be damned it's the nature of the beast.
His defence looks worse when he is predicting the short ball.
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I’m not talking about when he gets out attacking, I’m saying his defensive technique isn’t as good as other guys. Again, it’s not necessarily a criticism, he is far better at attacking than any of them. What I’m saying is he needs to play to his strengths, so for him to just refuse to score off anything short isn’t smart IMO.
Warner had a far more solid forward defence and was much better at keeping out a good ball, he was also far better at dropping the ball at his feet to get off strike.
Head I think is a great puller of the ball but watching us bowl to him I couldn’t help but lament that we didn’t test him out a bit more outside off stump with a third man and some concentrated off side fields because he’s a bit compulsive and never really tries to keep the ball down.
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WA will threaten to secede, yet again
Can we get Hutt River Province to take their place?
Well the last time Renshaw played against the good honest trundlers of SA he could only manage 26 and 3.....funny that
and he could only score 2 tons in the last three years against the good honest trundlers in the shield ..you would think someone who can make tons against touring 11s on nice flat batting decks..should be able to dominate against the trundlers in the shield ???
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Cleavy
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Ussie passed concussion tests today.
Khawaja cleared to play home Gabba Test after head knock | cricket.com.au
Veteran opener has 'no symptoms of delayed concussion' and has been passed fit for the second Test…
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yeah stuff off cyclone if games not done or almost done after first two days wont be much chance of a result if we actually get all that rain.
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The Curator said that they had used a pitch that was for pink ball cricket and that he wouldn’t do that for future red ball cricket - apparat he type of grass on it was the issue.. It wasn’t an awful pitch, but neither was it a good pitch. It was a bit too paced, had sone inconsistent bounce and carry and a fair bit of seam movement - definitely not dangerous but certainly difficult to bat on for the first 2 days, which is not ideal.
I don't think Head can do that consistently, he has a few mates in today's modern test cricket too.
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Very droll Gough.
Crankyhawk
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Health and safety issues have progressed I think
Gough
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If you would all like to kindly step this way.
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2nd Test Australia v West Indies Jan 25-29 1430hrs @ the Gabba
Australia from, Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc. West Indies from, Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Alzarri Joseph (vc), Tagenarine...
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Not ideal absolutely, but I think we would mostly all agree that it’s better to be bowler friendly than too flat
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Completely agree. The pitches this year have been for the most part good to very good, from my point of view;
Perth - Good
Melbourne- very good
Sydney - decent, could’ve been better
Adelaide - ok, could’ve been better
The way some people talk, you'd think the Adelaide Oval deck was a minefield with inconsistent bounce and balls exploding off the wicket. All we saw was sideways movement which was exploited by world class bowlers against some very ordinary batting.
The number of shorter forms of the game has ushered in a "see ball hit ball" mentality which has diminished the art of leaving the ball which is my biggest concern when it comes to batting. Forgetting Australia for the moment, the West Indian player McKenzie has all the ingredients of becoming a fine Test batsman. In the 2nd innings, he was cruising on 26, on comes a new bowler Green of whom he wouldn't have seen much, if at all.
Second ball he faces is wide outside the off stump. Rather than just bide his time and let the ball go, assess the pace and bounce, he decides to belt the hell out of it and hits it straight to Labuschagne at short cover. Pitches offering sideways movement is not an excuse for a Test match to end in the first session of day 3.
The number of shorter forms of the game has ushered in a "see ball hit ball" mentality which has diminished the art of leaving the ball which is my biggest concern when it comes to batting. Forgetting Australia for the moment, the West Indian player McKenzie has all the ingredients of becoming a fine Test batsman. In the 2nd innings, he was cruising on 26, on comes a new bowler Green of whom he wouldn't have seen much, if at all.
Second ball he faces is wide outside the off stump. Rather than just bide his time and let the ball go, assess the pace and bounce, he decides to belt the hell out of it and hits it straight to Labuschagne at short cover. Pitches offering sideways movement is not an excuse for a Test match to end in the first session of day 3.
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You can't win either way as soon as someone plays an anchor innings and leaves the ball outside off-stump alone people whinge about them plodding along like Boycott.. I'm positive I'm guilty of it.
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