2nd Test Australia v NZ @ the WACA 10:30am WST

[Tiger Toffee]

Unbeaten in 14 home tests and only lost 1 of the last 21 tests on home soil ( South Africa in Perth December 2012)

Ravi Shastri a year or so ago when commentating on an Indian game said " No good playing at home if you cant play away " he was talking about India, i think the same could be said about Australia and it could be said about almost all nations in fact.

 

[Van_Dyke]

Does the next season of cricket start tomorrow?

If it was timeless test, New Zealand would probably be only into their 2nd day of batting

 

[Damon_3388]

Hahaha I've given up and Lyon ever being replaced, the bloke will probably play 100 tests lol.

Why should he be replaced?

 

[Tiger Toffee]

NZ were a silly chance at one stage to be in a position to exert some real pressure on Australia incredibly despite Day 1.

270 off 60 would've had NZ interested but 320 of 48 had NZ not interested, Smith could've been brave and made a gutsy declaration but instead took the soft option of ensuring Australia could not lose, not the first captain to take this option and most certainly wont be the last.

 

[Greasyrhys]

If this test was timeless, it would take us to the next cricket season.

The wicket was s**t for test cricket.

Agree. Hopefully the Adelaide pitch is a lot better.

 

[adelaidecrows]

270 off 60 would've had NZ interested but 320 of 48 had NZ not interested, Smith could've been brave and made a gutsy declaration but instead took the soft option of ensuring Australia could not lose, not the first captain to take this option and most certainly wont be the last.

I thought that was gutless by Smith. Completely s**t and Un-Australian captaincy. It appeared they went for the draw from the outset of the day. In 5 days Captains should have a moral duty to ensure a result. The only way a draw should happen is if a team is hanging on for dear life like having to bat the whole day just to save a test. To have the opportunity to get a result and be a coward is disappointing. I can't remember Clarke, Ponting or Steve Waugh being gutless like that. Should have backed the bowlers in to defend 290 in just under 60 overs considering there is no field restrictions. We have to ask the question now whether Smith is a genuine captain or a gutless one who won't gamble!

 

[adelaidecrows]

Agree. Hopefully the Adelaide pitch is a lot better.

Pitch will be but the ball most likely will end the test within 4 days. SA were gutted by NSW in the shield game and many players reported the ball virtually unplayable at times.

 

[Lebbo73]

I thought that was gutless by Smith. Completely s**t and Un-Australian captaincy. It appeared they went for the draw from the outset of the day. In 5 days Captains should have a moral duty to ensure a result. The only way a draw should happen is if a team is hanging on for dear life like having to bat the whole day just to save a test. To have the opportunity to get a result and be a coward is disappointing. I can't remember Clarke, Ponting or Steve Waugh being gutless like that. Should have backed the bowlers in to defend 290 in just under 60 overs considering there is no field restrictions. We have to ask the question now whether Smith is a genuine captain or a gutless one who won't gamble!

Please don't post again. You don't gift wrap a Test for your opponent!

 

[STFU Donnie]

270 off 60 would've had NZ interested but 320 of 48 had NZ not interested, Smith could've been brave and made a gutsy declaration but instead took the soft option of ensuring Australia could not lose, not the first captain to take this option and most certainly wont be the last.

I was at work and couldn't get to check the score until 2:15 (Adelaide time). I discovered that Australia had scored 24 runs in 17 overs.

Could. Not. Believe. It.

 

[adelaidecrows]

Please don't post again. You don't gift wrap a Test for your opponent!

Lol, if you dont know what your talking about I prefer you dont comment!

 

[Tiger Toffee]

I thought that was gutless by Smith. Completely s**t and Un-Australian captaincy. It appeared they went for the draw from the outset of the day. In 5 days Captains should have a moral duty to ensure a result. The only way a draw should happen is if a team is hanging on for dear life like having to bat the whole day just to save a test. To have the opportunity to get a result and be a coward is disappointing. I can't remember Clarke, Ponting or Steve Waugh being gutless like that. Should have backed the bowlers in to defend 290 in just under 60 overs considering there is no field restrictions. We have to ask the question now whether Smith is a genuine captain or a gutless one who won't gamble!

NZ making 600+ had them second guessing themselves i reckon, but still had a 193 lead with 7 in the bank going into the last day, could've easily piled on 150 in the first session and then threw NZ to the wolves for 2 sessions, it will be interesting to see what decisions he makes when faced with scenarios like this in the future remembering that Lehmann would've had a say in the matter as well.

 

[MisterMarcus]

I thought that was gutless by Smith. Completely s**t and Un-Australian captaincy. It appeared they went for the draw from the outset of the day. In 5 days Captains should have a moral duty to ensure a result. The only way a draw should happen is if a team is hanging on for dear life like having to bat the whole day just to save a test. To have the opportunity to get a result and be a coward is disappointing. I can't remember Clarke, Ponting or Steve Waugh being gutless like that. Should have backed the bowlers in to defend 290 in just under 60 overs considering there is no field restrictions. We have to ask the question now whether Smith is a genuine captain or a gutless one who won't gamble!

LOL, "moral duty"..........

 

[to1994]

I thought that was gutless by Smith. Completely s**t and Un-Australian captaincy. It appeared they went for the draw from the outset of the day. In 5 days Captains should have a moral duty to ensure a result. The only way a draw should happen is if a team is hanging on for dear life like having to bat the whole day just to save a test. To have the opportunity to get a result and be a coward is disappointing. I can't remember Clarke, Ponting or Steve Waugh being gutless like that. Should have backed the bowlers in to defend 290 in just under 60 overs considering there is no field restrictions. We have to ask the question now whether Smith is a genuine captain or a gutless one who won't gamble!

Garbage! If Cricket Australia want to roll out dead pitches to make quick bucks by dragging out mediocre games into Day 5 it shouldn't be up to Smith to make the game interesting by making stupid declarations! These wickets are not proper Test wickets and the Australian summer of cricket won't survive with them. Today's play was not a reflection of Smith it was a reflection of Cricket Australia.

 

[DaRick]

I agree with those who criticised the timing of Smith's declaration, but more because the chances of winning on this wicket were fairly minimal anyway. On Day 5 it played a few more tricks than before but it was nowhere near the Perth wicket of 2013, on which I would have had a go at bowling NZ out within 2 sessions.

Taking a longer view, I would have attempted to grind the NZ bowlers into the dust so they were less rested for Adelaide. Boult and Southee could be very dangerous with the pink ball and reducing their potential effectiveness is paramount in my mind. This is a rather English thing to do, but this AUS team always needed a bit more subtlety.

 

[adelaidecrows]

NZ making 600+ had them second guessing themselves i reckon, but still had a 193 lead with 7 in the bank going into the last day, could've easily piled on 150 in the first session and then threw NZ to the wolves for 2 sessions, it will be interesting to see what decisions he makes when faced with scenarios like this in the future remembering that Lehmann would've had a say in the matter as well.

Yep, that's my worry. I just have that feeling we could be a boring side that will play safe uninspiring cricket. Sure it may reduce losses but it will also reduce the amount we win.

 

[STFU Donnie]

I wonder if those clambering over each other to defend Smith would be burning Clarke in effigy if he were still captain as today's events transpired?

 

[Phone]

Australia were in the position where realistically, the only team that could lose the match was the team batting third.

They did not lose the test, so there's Smith's moral duty accomplished

 

[adelaidecrows]

Garbage! If Cricket Australia want to roll out dead pitches to make quick bucks by dragging out mediocre games into Day 5 it shouldn't be up to Smith to make the game interesting by making stupid declarations! These wickets are not proper Test wickets and the Australian summer of cricket won't survive with them. Today's play was not a reflection of Smith it was a reflection of Cricket Australia.

Sure it was a road but its up to the captains to play the conditions. It was possible to make a game of it by declaring earlier.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

I thought that was gutless by Smith. Completely s**t and Un-Australian captaincy. It appeared they went for the draw from the outset of the day. In 5 days Captains should have a moral duty to ensure a result. The only way a draw should happen is if a team is hanging on for dear life like having to bat the whole day just to save a test. To have the opportunity to get a result and be a coward is disappointing. I can't remember Clarke, Ponting or Steve Waugh being gutless like that. Should have backed the bowlers in to defend 290 in just under 60 overs considering there is no field restrictions. We have to ask the question now whether Smith is a genuine captain or a gutless one who won't gamble!

It would have taken 2 days to get 10 wickets on that road of a pitch. A draw is a result, and it was the only result. Declare any earlier and we lose. Look at how easy Taylor and Williamson were batting...with McCullum still to come. Good luck defending 250 odd. We are up 1-0, you ensure you can't lose a series before you be charitable.

 

[to1994]

Sure it was a road but its up to the captains to play the conditions. It was possible to make a game of it by declaring earlier.

I understand the logic but the Australian captain should be there to do the best thing by Australian cricket rather then please the public.

Clarke for instance declaring in the Oval was something crickets fans enjoyed and I admit it made for a better evenings viewing but in the interests of Australian cricket it was a stupid declaration that should've cost him if not for the bad light.

Smith didn't make a game of it today but I don't think he should be called a coward, he simply didn't take a huge and possibly foolish risk for the sake of entertainment.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Sure it was a road but its up to the captains to play the conditions. It was possible to make a game of it by declaring earlier.

It is also possibly both captains giving a big middle finger (rightly so) to the curators. If you prepare a road, we won't bother. Correct call. Move on...to yet another road in Adelaide...yay.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Clarke for instance declaring in the Oval was something crickets fans enjoyed and I admit it made for a better evenings viewing but in the interests of Australian cricket it was a stupid declaration that should've cost him if not for the bad light.

Gosh that was a dumb declaration lol, brings back bad memories of Clarke and his ultra aggressive captaincy.

 

[Scotland]

I wonder if those clambering over each other to defend Smith would be burning Clarke in effigy if he were still captain as today's events transpired?

I liked Clarke's captaincy, especially given what he had to work with.

Ponting on the other hand... well we'd probably still be batting.

 

[STFU Donnie]

I understand the logic but the Australian captain should be there to do the best thing by Australian cricket rather then please the public.

Clarke for instance declaring in the Oval was something crickets fans enjoyed and I admit it made for a better evenings viewing but in the interests of Australian cricket it was a stupid declaration that should've cost him if not for the bad light.

Smith didn't make a game of it today but I don't think he should be called a coward, he simply didn't take a huge and possibly foolish risk for the sake of entertainment.

Surely those goals should be one and the same?

 

[LukeParkerno1]

I understand the logic but the Australian captain should be there to do the best thing by Australian cricket rather then please the public.

No. The captain is there to win test matches and importantly test series'...and declaring for the sake of it with no result possible is only going to make you lose test matches. This match was great practice for Australia batting for 'time'