Test The Ashes Fourth Test December 26-30 1000hrs @ The MCG

[Pistol Night]

Test Match Cricket is the only form of cricket I watch.

After this farce of an Ashes series, I'm seriously considering dropping that too.

Whatever hapeened to the once beautiful game?

Just a one off. Last year was awesome and the Ashes prior were gripping. It'll be fine

 

[Osho]

I'm lovin the reactions to Australia losing a test match (to an England who 24 hours earlier were derided as useless) equals the end of test cricket (or the world as we know it).

The Poms did well I thought to get one back, bowled well, batted nicely in innings 2 with a fair bit of application and concentration.

Now that they have acclimated, they are a good show to again exploit those of the Australian Dad's Army that can manage to get on the field.

 

[Pistol Night]

I'm lovin the reactions to Australia losing a test match (to an England who 24 hours earlier were derided as useless) equals the end of test cricket (or the world as we know it).

The Poms did well I thought to get one back, bowled well, batted nicely in innings 2 with a fair bit of application and concentration.

Now that they have acclimated, they are a good show to again exploit those of the Australian Dad's Army that can manage to get on the field.

Makes you wonder what might have been with better preparation

 

[Saint12]

When I was a kid i'd pick up a new cricket bat and play a solid defensive block...what do the kids of today do I wonder

 

[Osho]

Makes you wonder what might have been with better preparation

Indeed. Under prepared, then over trained, then got on the piss, all the while squinting into the sun.

 

[Pistol Night]

When I was a kid i'd pick up a new cricket bat and play a solid defensive block...what do the kids of today do I wonder

Ramps and reverse sweeps like they see on TV

 

[foxdog50]

I can't stand Indian fans.
But I can see from the outside on them asking questions on if this pitch was in India the outside public would be up in arms cracking the about it.
Even the pitch is no where is as bad as the dust bowl pitches they come up with. But the pitches except Adelaide and Brisbane have been good

 

[JimmyBC]

batted nicely in innings 2 with a fair bit of application and concentration.

Rubbish they were kitchen sinking it just came off in a low chase.

 

[Osho]

Rubbish they were kitchen sinking it just came off in a low chase.

So, how will you be spending days 3, 4 and 5?

 

[Pistol Night]

So, how will you be spending days 3, 4 and 5?

Drunk, drunker, drunkest

 

[Cleavy]

What are we gonna do today???

"The Summer Fest fan zone in Yarra Park will be open to the public on Sunday December 28, 2025, from 9:00am. Members of the Australian team will be in attendance from 10:15am in recognition of fan support during the Ashes series."

 

[Pistol Night]

What are we gonna do today???

Find out where the curator lives and egg his house and do a shit in his letterbox

 

[JimmyBC]

Imagine watching that and thinking application & concentration were key to their victory when they were swinging like rusty gates & ramping from the get-go while going 6 down in a low chase.

 

[spike101]

Yep and its getting worse. Curators prepare pitches for a five day game based on weather forecasts - batsmen play as if it a one day game.

Very early on in the series someone connected with the English team said their attitude was that they should allow players to play on "instinct".

My response was how about playing for the team occasionally.

Smith should have taken more of the strike when the tailenders arrived but he mainly plays for himself..

 

[Cleavy]

Find out where the curator lives and egg his house and do a shit in his letterbox

if they were smart, they would set him up in a dunk tank and charge $5 for 3 throws to claw back some of the losses

 

[philreich]

real issue is george bailey as selector. can’t make a tough choice to save his life for batsmen

He made a call on McSweeney after 3 Tests against Bumrah. I'm not saying McSweeney should be recalled, but he was no worse than Marnus, who just keeps getting picked regardless.

 

[sr36]

Rubbish they were kitchen sinking it just came off in a low chase.

Look how the top scorers batted. Controlled accumulation just wasn't going to work on that pitch. No one was middling it so you had to reduce the chances of edges being caught.

 

[Cookie]

When I was a kid i'd pick up a new cricket bat and play a solid defensive block...what do the kids of today do I wonder

Just gave me a mental picture of a kid hitting a ball on a length of rope for hours on end.

 

[philreich]

A total of 1699 deliveries in Perth and Melbourne. That's 283.1 overs for 2 completed Tests!!!

 

[sherb]

I'm lovin the reactions to Australia losing a test match (to an England who 24 hours earlier were derided as useless) equals the end of test cricket (or the world as we know it).

It's not the loss that is leading to that conclusion though.

 

[Pistol Night]

Look how the top scorers batted. Controlled accumulation just wasn't going to work on that pitch. No one was middling it so you had to reduce the chances of edges being caught.

It was a lottery and those lucky flogs pulled the right ticket

 

[Black Diamond]

They’re very impressed with a dead rubber win.

Recalling the 2015 series, it was alone I’ve going in to the 4th which we lost, and lost the series.

We won the 5th. I wasn’t super pumped.

 

[Sonny Hayes]

I know we will play Khawaja at the SCG but there's no way we should. Farewell tests are a complete joke. Blood some talent and let us rejuvenate our team ffs.

It isn’t a farewell test, it’s playing a guy who is clearly still in our best 11. Dropping him for someone when no one else is deserving of the spot isn’t going to rejuvenate the team

 

[Sonny Hayes]

I can't stand Indian fans.
But I can see from the outside on them asking questions on if this pitch was in India the outside public would be up in arms cracking the about it.
Even the pitch is no where is as bad as the dust bowl pitches they come up with. But the pitches except Adelaide and Brisbane have been good

Except it’s a shit argument from them

The ‘well of that was an Indian pitch everyone would be sooking’ argument is so stupid… Everyone is sooking here.

The difference between a lot of Indian fans and most of the rest of the world is when we deliver a pitch like this we will absolutely smash it for being a disgrace, they will sook about how they are the home team and can do what they want blah blah blah

 

[MisterMarcus]

I can't stand Indian fans.
But I can see from the outside on them asking questions on if this pitch was in India the outside public would be up in arms cracking the about it.
Even the pitch is no where is as bad as the dust bowl pitches they come up with. But the pitches except Adelaide and Brisbane have been good

1) Most Australian fans are disappointed/upset, or at least wanting some sort of answers, about this pitch. We're not defending it like many Indian fans often do.

2) This deck didn't suit Australia over England. So it's fair to call it a genuine screw-up, and not something intentionally prepared to favour the home side over the visitors.

3) IMHO green seaming decks are much less bad than sandpits. At least a green bowler's paradise has the potential to flatten out later in the game to become better for batting. A dirt bowl that is turning square on day one is only going to get even worse to bat on.