Australia vs India, 4th test at the SCG, Jan 3rd - 7th

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Caesar

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What an absolute fizzer of a summer of cricket. Lots of fans wont be back next year
Short memory. First two tests were pretty exciting.

Why do we have to be held to such a bullshit standard when the rest of the cricketing world don’t give a s**t about ball tampering South African captain been done for it twice.
I don't really care whether people think the penalty was too harsh or too lenient, but if you're setting your own ethical standards by looking at what other people get away with then you're doing it wrong.

You’d think Sri Lanka would fancy their chances in the coming 2 tests.
No chance, have you not been watching them?
 

STFU Donnie

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So, have we hit rock bottom?

You’d think Sri Lanka would fancy their chances in the coming 2 tests.

As an oldie, this has the same feeling as ‘78/‘79, the utter nadir.

As another oldie, I nominate '85/'86. Flogged home and away by the Kiwis!

At least in '78/'79 we had WSC as a genuine excuse.
 

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Interesting to see M.Marsh and Siddle have flown back from Big Bash duties to be with the Test squad. I would’ve thought they’d just stay with their t20 franchise.

They are in the ODI squad
 
Alternatively, the one kid at the moment who look like he might have the game to play that way gets left out of the UAE tests for a white ball player who doesn’t even open in First Class cricket. The Aussie way.
Cowan as well earlier on but yes renshaw isn’t exciting enough for the dumb campaigners. Channel 9 at the time wanted him to bat like Maxwell in a t20
 

to1994

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In reality 2 - 1 to India is probably generous for us, we may have won in Perth but if we lost the toss we weren't a chance (don't think it would've mattered in the other Tests, our batting is too poor).

Only positive of today's rain out was Shaun Marsh wasn't able to score a 50 to save his place. If the selectors gift him the Sri Lanka Tests that would be incredibly poor. He's at the stage where his cards just need to be marked and good Shield form should not have any basis in looking at him for next years Ashes. CA should have a word in his ear that his focus from now should be on the Big Bash and the ODIs to work towards next years World Cup as that should be his swan song at international level, he's scored runs in England in One Dayers but his Test career should be finished.

For the series, Harris and Cummins were the biggest positives (well Harris gets a pass, he was far from outstanding but a pass mark actually looks great compared to some of the others). With Paine you pretty much got what you can expect and we need to live with the fact he'll score a few 30s/40s with the odd 50 and provide good leadership and great keeping. For now that's enough to see us through the next couple of years.

Khawaja has enough credits in the bank given the poor state of our team to be safe and I don't think they can drop Handscomb given they've just recalled him. It's stupid and despite his technique he's more mentally sound then Head and the Marshes.

The bowling attack needs a shake up for Sri Lanka even if it weakens the team on paper. Guys like Tremain are no guraentee at this level but if Joe Mennie can earn a shot then there's no reason he shouldn't. Worst case scenario we learn a bit about him and give Starc/Hazlewood a rightful kick up the ass. Lyon's critisism from Warne was probably sound but he was probably due a bad couple of games and given the state of the wickets he didn't discrace himself.

First Test against Sri Lanka I'd be going:

Harris
Renshaw
Khawaja
Head
Handscomb
Labuschagne
Paine
Cummins
Lyon
J Richardson
Tremain

I wouldn't put too much pressure on the last two bowlers, but at least you get a look at them and if you take them all to England you've got some options. Hazlewood underwhelmed in England last time and we can't afford to play Starc there on current form, needs to turn it around. Plus you've also got Siddle which at least ensures the cupboard isn't bare.
 

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Short memory. First two tests were pretty exciting.


I don't really care whether people think the penalty was too harsh or too lenient, but if you're setting your own ethical standards by looking at what other people get away with then you're doing it wrong.


No chance, have you not been watching them?
Test cricket is struggling world wide banning the players to come across as noble has hurt the game here crowds are down ratings are down as is interest in the form of the game.
 

STFU Donnie

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1985-6 squad: Kim Hughes (captain), Terry Alderman, John Dyson, Peter Faulkner, Mike Haysman, Tom Hogan, Rodney Hogg, Trevor Hohns, John Maguire, Rod McCurdy, Carl Rackemann, Steve Rixon, Greg Shipperd, Steve Smith, Mick Taylor, Graham Yallop.

Alderman was the only real loss, IMO. Hogg was finished as a frontline test bowler as were the batsmen - Yallop, Hughes, Dyson.
Rackemann was quality but he could never get fit and Hohns played Test cricket after his ban expires. With hindsight Rixon was a big loss.
 

toml

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Cowan as well earlier on but yes renshaw isn’t exciting enough for the dumb campaigners. Channel 9 at the time wanted him to bat like Maxwell in a t20
They commentators were insane on his debut against SA. First test since we got rolled for 80 innings Hobart, 130 odd run chase to win with 4 sessions to play and the commentators were losing their minds that he was leaving balls and defending.
 

STFU Donnie

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Rackemann was quality but he could never get fit and Hohns played Test cricket after his ban expires. With hindsight Rixon was a big loss.

Rixon certainly would have been an improvement on Wayne Phillips and Greg Dyer. Did we really pick Dyer??
 

TigerCraig

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DT_fanatic Park cricketer, where have this generation of India's fast bowlers emerged from? Is it because groundskeepers are finally making home wickets conducive to pace bowling, or because they finally got development right?

From what Bogle, Craddock and some others were saying part of it is that there are more hungry young guys from non-typical backgrounds being able to come through under the current setup.

Rather than having to be a good boy from the right family who went to the right school in the right state who was raised to bat.
 

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