Australia vs India - Second Test @ GABBA - Dec 17-21 - Day 3

[worbod]

No point beginning a new thread just to ask one question: Has Harbhajan Singh retired from international cricket?

 

[qman]

That's another thing - he's been a bit down on pace this season. According to Jarrod Kimber, he's been bowling a couple of kilometres slower than average. Not massively significant. The more significant thing is the relative lack of fire. He's rarely been outright atrocious and he has been unlucky RE poor catching, but he's not quite there and I think most of us know why that might be. It's easy to just say that a quick should get on with bowling short stuff, but saying that after the passing of a teammate to a short ball? His tentativeness about bowling too much short stuff is probably subconscious, not conscious. Consciously he knows that he's most effective when he does, but there's just something in the back of his mind holding him back - a nagging doubt. What Sean Abbott was forced to endure could happen to him.

On the day, a very good day for Australia. We got a lead of nearly 100 runs (helped by some poor Indian bowling and captaincy alongside some enterprising tail end batting from Johnson, Starc, Lyon and Hazlewood - and let's not forget Super Smith!) and have bowled fairly well after an erratic first few overs.

I have heard Hazlewood described as being McGrath-like with the bat and his stats aren't impressive but I was modestly impressed with what I saw - he has a reasonable forward defence and is not a bad strokemaker once set. The only thing is that he fends a bit gingerly at times, especially early on in his innings - Dhoni could have caught him early. But from what I saw, certainly superior to McGrath.

The first session will be quite important tomorrow though. We keep bowling well and we will probably maintain our advantage. If not...

You may be right as to the reason in regards to Mitchell's bowling. Whatever the reason, we may have lost our major strike weapon for a while at least. If Harris can get back on the park and stay fit for a while with Hazlewood aswell, we should still be pretty potent.

 

[western royboy]

No point beginning a new thread just to ask one question: Has Harbhajan Singh retired from international cricket?

No

 

[worbod]

No

Thankyou. Spoken like a true chief.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

That's another thing - he's been a bit down on pace this season. According to Jarrod Kimber, he's been bowling a couple of kilometres slower than average. Not massively significant. The more significant thing is the relative lack of fire. He's rarely been outright atrocious and he has been unlucky RE poor catching, but he's not quite there and I think most of us know why that might be. It's easy to just say that a quick should get on with bowling short stuff, but saying that after the passing of a teammate to a short ball? His tentativeness about bowling too much short stuff is probably subconscious, not conscious. Consciously he knows that he's most effective when he does, but there's just something in the back of his mind holding him back - a nagging doubt. What Sean Abbott was forced to endure could happen to him.

The first session will be quite important tomorrow though. We keep bowling well and we will probably maintain our advantage. If not...

Completely agree, Hughes's death and the manner of it is not in the forefront of Johnson's mind all the time, but it's sure as hell there. I'm not sure, considering the type of personality he is, that he'll get over that anytime soon.

The game looks set up to be a good one now.

 

[raptalia]

Haddin's batting is over rated. Do australia have any decent/good back up keepers?

Whiteman from WA is supposed to be pretty good but he hasn't done much with the bat this season. Whiteman is English born and at one stage there was a suggestion that he might play in England to see if he could get a gig with the Poms. Whiteman is only 20 and still on a rookie contract in the West so he has plenty of time.

I like Peter Handscomb from Victoria but the Bushrangers seem to prefer 'ol iron gloves Matt Wade. Handscomb has made runs and keeps tidily. Maybe Handscomb needs to do a Gilchrist and move to another state so he gets a regular game. Handscomb is 24 so even if he was getting a regular gig he is probably too young for the Australian selectors.

Tim Luddeman came across to the Deadbacks from Victoria because like Handscomb he could not get a game in front of Wade. He is a very good gloveman and a fair but not outstanding batsman.

I am pretty sure Nathan Lyon does not want to see Matthew Wade back anytime soon. Wade's batting is OK but he has no idea how to keep to spinners.

 

[western royboy]

Completely agree, Hughes's death and the manner of it is not in the forefront of Johnson's mind all the time, but it's sure as hell there. I'm not sure, considering the type of personality he is, that he'll get over that anytime soon.

The game looks set up to be a good one now.

Add Starc to that line of thinking, making runs today will have helped no end.

 

[western royboy]

Whiteman from WA is supposed to be pretty good but he hasn't done much with the bat this season. Whiteman is English born and at one stage there was a suggestion that he might play in England to see if he could get a gig with the Poms. Whiteman is only 20 and still on a rookie contract in the West so he has plenty of time.

I like Peter Handscomb from Victoria but the Bushrangers seem to prefer 'ol iron gloves Matt Wade. Handscomb has made runs and keeps tidily. Maybe Handscomb needs to do a Gilchrist and move to another state so he gets a regular game. Handscomb is 24 so even if he was getting a regular gig he is probably too young for the Australian selectors.

Tim Luddeman came across to the Deadbacks from Victoria because like Handscomb he could not get a game in front of Wade. He is a very good gloveman and a fair but not outstanding batsman.

I am pretty sure Nathan Lyon does not want to see Matthew Wade back anytime soon. Wade's batting is OK but he has not idea how to keep to spinners.

Tim Ludeman was regarded as the best keeper in Victoria, but an inferior bat to Wade. When he left this part of the world he was technically a very correct bat, he now hits to the legside a bit too much for me but nevertheless he can play and recently completed his 2nd shield ton. Handscomb is not a keeper, but to get a game he has been fashioned into one. I reckon he's got enough talent to make it as a bat alone. The Vics have invested a lot in Wade, if Haddin pulled the pin tomorrow, that's probably the way they would go, but Whiteman went on an A tour and he has probably the most upside of all of them.

 

[Arecsa]

Healy's thought on Haddin

http://www.cricket.com.au/news/ian-...n-form-and-future-after-gabba-test/2014-12-19

He's safe for as long as he wants to play and if his batting continues to plateau he won't enjoy playing so he'll get out, I'll reckon.

Urgh. That's a bad attitude to have regarding selection imo, one we seem to have with Watson. His leadership, to me, is over-rated compared to the actual job of scoring runs and being wicketkeeper which he is failing at. Time to tap him on the shoulder and say thanks, but we need to look at his replacement for the Ashes.

 

[philreich]

"Maiden over to start, India 97 behind still". Where do they come up with this stuff?

The late Tony Greig was good at saying what he didn't really mean to say. There was an Ashes Test at the MCG one year. Australia won the toss and decided to bat. Boon took a cheeky single off the first ball, and Greigy says, "And Australia is off the mark almost immediately."

And Bill Lawry also came up with a ripper. There was a one day game in Launceston one day. Bill was the first behind the microphone, and he came out with, "Good morning ladies and gentlemen. This is the first game of cricket at the Launceston Cricket Ground since the last one."

 

[Donnie Darko]

Completely agree, Hughes's death and the manner of it is not in the forefront of Johnson's mind all the time, but it's sure as hell there. I'm not sure, considering the type of personality he is, that he'll get over that anytime soon.

The game looks set up to be a good one now.

Maybe Johnson was firing himself up by thinking "I want to hurt the batsmen" to psyche himself up ,as the secret to his form revival. Now thats been taken away he is going back to what he was before. I remember his pre ashes quotes in the media and he was saying things like "Im gonna bowl it a throat height and if it hits the batsmen then so be it "...

 

[The_Reaper]

Maybe Johnson was firing himself up by thinking "I want to hurt the batsmen" to psyche himself up ,as the secret to his form revival. Now thats been taken away he is going back to what he was before. I remember his pre ashes quotes in the media and he was saying things like "Im gonna bowl it a throat height and if it hits the batsmen then so be it "...

Got to remember but Johnson probably took the whole barmy army taunting personally and felt he had a lot to prove.

Not only is the Hughes incident at the back of his mind but he also doesn't have the same rage

 

[philreich]

Got to remember but Johnson probably took the whole barmy army taunting personally and felt he had a lot to prove.

Not only is the Hughes incident at the back of his mind but he also doesn't have the same rage

Hopefully he rediscovers it for next year's Ashes!!!

 

[Donnie Darko]

Got to remember but Johnson probably took the whole barmy army taunting personally and felt he had a lot to prove.

Not only is the Hughes incident at the back of his mind but he also doesn't have the same rage

Remember when he first burst onto the scene and he looked dangerous when the team toured South Africa. He was arguably the best player in the series along with Hughes. Then he comes over to England and his mum attacks him in the media . He then completely falls apart mentally and showed nothing in the Ashes. Thats where he is now. He is back in that spot..

 

[raptalia]

The late Tony Greig was good at saying what he didn't really mean to say. There was an Ashes Test at the MCG one year. Australia won the toss and decided to bat. Boon took a cheeky single off the first ball, and Greigy says, "And Australia is off the mark almost immediately."

And Bill Lawry also came up with a ripper. There was a one day game in Launceston one day. Bill was the first behind the microphone, and he came out with, "Good morning ladies and gentlemen. This is the first game of cricket at the Launceston Cricket Ground since the last one."

A bit like,

'Welcome to Leicester where the Captain Ray Illingworth has just relieved himself at the pavilion end.' - Brian Johnston BBC

'Welcome to Worcester where we have just seen Barry Richards hit one of Basil D'Oliviera's balls clean out of the ground.' - Brian Johnston BBC

'The bowler is Holding the batsman's Willey.' - Brian Johnston BBC

'Butcher plays this off the black foot.' - Brian Johnston BBC

'There is Harvey with his legs wide open waiting for a tickle'. - Brian Johnston BBC

I didn't make 'em up Johnno actually said 'em.

 

[Hellgood]

Remember when he first burst onto the scene and he looked dangerous when the team toured South Africa. He was arguably the best player in the series along with Hughes. Then he comes over to England and his mum attacks him in the media . He then completely falls apart mentally and showed nothing in the Ashes. Thats where he is now. He is back in that spot..

Don't be silly. He's bowling nowhere near as poorly as back then

 

[Kram]

The 4th day coverage begins with a montage scored with 'Adagio for Strings'

 

[damochandler]

cracks are going to start coming into play now

 

[bkozican]

Steve Smith, A test Century on his test debut as Captain....Has a good ring to it.

 

[Neese]

Mark Nicholas re the Aussie bowlers "they probably will take some wickets"

******* really?

 

[thetradesman]

It's very 50/50 this game, I wouldn't say anyone is in front.

This session is crucial, get a few quick wickets and we are in front.

If they are 1 down at lunch then they are really in the box seat.

 

[Jascave]

Very important day for both teams today. This day could really set up the Test match and possibly the series as well. India really needs their key players to step up today, while Australia would look to turn the pressure up on India, especially their lower order.

 

[MisterMarcus]

Dharwan hurt in the nets, so Kohli is in now....

 

[JUBJUB]

Chicki Darwin retired hurt after being hit in the forearm in the nets this morning

 

[Millky95]

Dharwan hurt in the nets, so Kohli is in now....

Must be bad to not just shake it off