Indian Test Series post-mortem

[Bigelow]

Who watches them? Serious question

All those people who complain test matches are too long and that draws are boring.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Also I think he ran out of petrol at the end of the series, dropping catches and playing some uncharacteristic shots. He is a baby in cricket terms but he needs to rise up to meet the level required.

You're right, there's much to like about Renshaw, but as the series progressed, he went backwards. From my observations, he allowed the Indians to get inside his head and didn't handle it well. He'll learn from it and be a better player.

 

[DaRick]

My thoughts:

Carlos Danger: IMO Dharamsala was much more like a South African wicket than an Indian wicket. It had enough to interest everyone - swing, seam, bounce and turn. On those types of wickets you usually play 3 seamers and 1 spinner, not 2 seamers and 2 spinners. It's just that both sides misjudged the pitch. I will also note that none of SOK, Jadeja or Ashwin were particularly threatening in the first innings. The latter two did pick up wickets in the second innings but that was IMO simply because we fell in a heap. Lyon picked up wickets because he relies on overspin, not sidespin, and so could exploit the pitch's bounce.

chunkychicken SherbertLemon: I would say that the Bangalore chase was 50/50. I do think a better/less fragile batting lineup than ours would have stumbled over the line.

RE Handscomb and Renshaw, I would say that Renshaw had the slightly better series. His 68 and 60 are better than they look, coming as they did on rather poor wickets. Handscomb on the other hand contributed pretty cameos but only fired once. Luckily when he did it saved the match.

One thing I will say about Renshaw is that he was at times vulnerable to being set up. Sharma for example pinned him back with shorter deliveries before trapping him with the fuller ball in the second innings at Ranchi. As has been mentioned, he was also worked over with the short ball at Dharamsala. I suspect he will become wise to these set ups as he gains more experience.

He also reminds me a little of Trescothick in that he plays and misses quite a bit outside offstump. Those types of players tend to be quite vulnerable to metronomes who can move it away.

 

[WCE Wizard]

The reality is we should have been 2-0, that is where we lost the series. That 2nd test should have been a sitter of a chase instead we had blokes trying to win it in 4 overs.

Batting showed some signs going forward with Renshaw and Handscomb. Maxwell provides an option at 6 (although I'm sceptical whether he will do as well at home).

Negatives are the continual Marsh selections, they are both awful, stop picking them. They either do nothing or get injured, sometimes both! 1-2 innings' in 8 is a rubbish return!

That second test wicket was a minefield, saying that we showed no patience to grind out and make ugly runs Steve Smith the exception

 

[LukeParkerno1]

That second test wicket was a minefield, saying that we showed no patience to grind out and make ugly runs Steve Smith the exception

We still should have chased that down.

 

[CrazyInjun]

We still should have chased that down.

Steve Smith papered over what was mostly an abysmal batting performance by the Australian batting unit. Sure they salvaged a draw in Ranchi (T3) but that was on a dead track. Forgotten in the Kohli-bashing and crying like little pommie girls about the pitches, is the fact that Australia had an 80 run lead in Bangalore with a 1-0 series lead. Either India played amazingly well, or the Australians wilted when the going got tough - probably a bit of both.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Steve Smith papered over what was mostly an abysmal batting performance by the Australian batting unit. Sure they salvaged a draw in Ranchi (T3) but that was on a dead track. Forgotten in the Kohli-bashing and crying like little pommie girls about the pitches, is the fact that Australia had an 80 run lead in Bangalore with a 1-0 series lead. Either India played amazingly well, or the Australians wilted when the going got tough - probably a bit of both.

We bowled awful in that 2nd innings too in Bangalore. We should not have had to chase more than 75-100 at the most. Instead we were chasing 150 odd. That test typified our tour really, whilst it was tight we went through periods where we were flat out poor. You can't do that overseas especially in India.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

We bowled awful in that 2nd innings too in Bangalore. We should not have had to chase more than 75-100 at the most. Instead we were chasing 150 odd. That test typified our tour really, whilst it was tight we went through periods where we were flat out poor. You can't do that overseas especially in India.

"You can't do that sort of thing in international five day cricket, not even over here in Bangalore"

Tend to agree. Most matches Australia were competitive for much of the game, but not all of it. India had their bad periods all in one Test, Australia had theirs affect multiple Tests and that was basically the difference.

That, at least, was better than 2013 when Australia had average patches, in a storm of ineptitude so strong Zimbabwe could only look on with awe.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

"You can't do that sort of thing in international five day cricket, not even over here in Bangalore"

Tend to agree. Most matches Australia were competitive for much of the game, but not all of it. India had their bad periods all in one Test, Australia had theirs affect multiple Tests and that was basically the difference.

That, at least, was better than 2013 when Australia had average patches, in a storm of ineptitude so strong Zimbabwe could only look on with awe.

Definitely agree. If you told me we'd win a test, be close to winning another (test 2), fight for a draw in one test...I'd take it and run! This was a very positive tour for everyone.

 

[BigCat2]

For those being critical of Renshaw, I'd like to just say that I haven't ever heard of a batsman who is the finished product at 25, let alone 20. Most batsmen mature in their late 20s and have their prime either side of 30. Only exceptional talents shine from very early on.

Renshaw has much to work on, but show me a 20 year old who doesn't. He's made a good start already, and has good maturity. He is also very willing to graft it out when required. With these traits, I'd back him to make it.

 

[sabashahid]

Yeah right I totally agree with you.

 

[DaRick]

That second test wicket was a minefield, saying that we showed no patience to grind out and make ugly runs Steve Smith the exception

Hmm...we clearly tried to adapt our batting approach but it didn't always work.

Part of the problem of course is that touring sides often collapse spectacularly in India so an inexperienced Australian side doing so was not a big shock, though it was obviously disappointing.