What the **** has happened to this team?

[Foggle]

After the soft dismissal of Adam Voges, I couldn't watch any more of the trash being served up by our boys. It was simply pathetic and that's putting it nicely. I turned of f the TV in absolute disgust.

Now that I have calmed down I would like to pose the following question to the cricket brains on here: What has gone wrong? Why are we getting pantsed when England are supposedly nothing more than a mediocre cricket team? What does that make us?

What is the problem/s? Is it selection? Poor management/decision making from the top down? Rifts? Match fixing maybe? I just cannot understand how a team that looked pretty good can lose a test match in two days, especially after destroying their opponents comprehensively the test before.

Possible causes for me are: - Harris gone
- Clarke's back
- Lazy batting/shot selection
- Starc's pie shop reopening
- No Siddle to bowl consistent line and length

What do you guys think? Anything that you think has contributed to this appalling cricket, put it here.

 

[ChampRevesby]

Just some random thoughts:
1) They do not or refuse to do their homework on foreign conditions (coaching issue?)
2) There is a current critical mass of players out of form and its manifesting itself out on the field. There isn't a single player in this team that can/will take the responsibility and either bowl in partnerships or build an innings.
3) Terrible situational awareness as to where the game is at. The are far too many individuals that are incapable of adjusting their play to suit the context of the current situation. This has been evident in the downright insulting shot selection in this series.

 

[STFU Donnie]

Noone (apart from Rogers) appears willing (or even able) to put their heads down and construct a good old fashioned test match innings. Do people remember those?

 

[ChampRevesby]

Noone (apart from Rogers) appears willing (or even able) to put their heads down and construct a good old fashioned test match innings. Do people remember those?

These guys still think they are batting for an IPL team.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

Fact is we're not that good. On a day where most of the team put it together we will do very well,

I'm disappointed but not particularly surprised by what has happened in this match.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Frankly and I will say this nicely, when a 'solid at best' State cricketer Voges is next cab off the rank you know there is a severe lack of depth. I have said it for years, the worst thing Australian cricket has done is flatten the Shield pitches. It has enabled batsmen to be lazy and not move your feet. I would rather domestic pitches all be greentops. Make the batsmen construct an innings. Blind Freddy can get runs on a highway, the great batsmen get runs in tough conditions.

Also the selections have been poor.

1. Why did Clarke even though he was captain waltz back in, with no form?
2. Why was voges picked after Burns made a solid start?
3. Why was haddin playing in the West Indies when we could have given Nevill 2 tests to get used to keeping.
4. Why was Watson near the side?
5. Why pick an older side when it was as obvious as anything we needed to go younger.
6. Why pick MORE ODI players...did we not learn from the Glenn Maxwell fiasco?

 

[STFU Donnie]

These guys still think they are batting for an IPL team.

There's an element of that, I reckon. I'm all for test cricket being entertaining, but personally I find technically sound batsman surviving against, and then getting on top of a quality bowling attack to be entertainment of the highest order. But perhaps that's just me; I saw every ball of Kim Hughes' 100* against the Windies on the worst MCG pitch of all time and I can't imagine any of the current team being able to do likewise.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Warner, Clarke and Voges are dreadfully out of form. It is always hard when your 4 and 5 are struggling.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Just some random thoughts:
1) They do not or refuse to do their homework on foreign conditions (coaching issue?)
2) There is a current critical mass of players out of form and its manifesting itself out on the field. There isn't a single player in this team that can/will take the responsibility and either bowl in partnerships or build an innings.
3) Terrible situational awareness as to where the game is at. The are far too many individuals that are incapable of adjusting their play to suit the context of the current situation. This has been evident in the downright insulting shot selection in this series.

I agree with you about the situational awareness. But it has been like this for a while in these sort of conditions. Anybody who wants to find a DVD of the Lords test first innings 2009. About six of them got out going for the pull or hook in conditions exactly like this. Anderson and Onions thought all their Christmases had come at once.

Mike Hussey described it as 'picking the length and automatically going into the shot'. So no real idea of leaving it at all. And Hussey was one of the bright ones.

By the way, I have no idea if there is a DVD of that series. That innings, much like first innings Melbourne 2010 is burned into my head.

And like Smith's shot might be for the rest of my days.

 

[frankrizzo]

For me the biggest issue is our batting is awful against quality swing or spin and even if there isn't much bowler assistance on slow pitches we will simply become frustrated at the games pace and gift the opposition wickets(ali at cardiff)

In the 10 years since pidge did his ankle we have played 28 tests in india and england and tonight's loss will bring our record to an awful 17 losses 8 draws just 2 wins, this isn't some minor issue over a series or two this is a whole generation that play the same way game in game out and actually seem proud of their inability to adapt or slow down or sometimes concede that domination might be beyond them for a session or two and that sometimes just getting through an ugly stretch is enough to still win a game.

We are always the team looking to move the game along at breakneck speed even when we are the ones struggling to survive, it's just baffling even more so when we boast about it when it's so obviously failed us against half decent opposition on pitches that don't suit us.

 

[Kennedy Parker]

The team has been too reliant on too few for a while now.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

For me the biggest issue is our batting is awful against quality swing or spin and even if there isn't much bowler assistance on slow pitches we will simply become frustrated at the games pace and gift the opposition wickets(ali at cardiff)

In the 10 years since pidge did his ankle we have played 28 tests in india and england and tonight's loss will bring our record to an awful 17 losses 8 draws just 2 wins, this isn't some minor issue over a series or two this is a whole generation that play the same way game in game out and actually seem proud of their inability to adapt or slow down or sometimes concede that domination might be beyond them for a session or two and that sometimes just getting through an ugly stretch is enough to still win a game.

We are always the team looking to move the game along at breakneck speed even when we are the ones struggling to survive, it's just baffling even more so when we boast about it when it's so obviously failed us against half decent opposition on pitches that don't suit us.

Yes.

 

[Bucking Beads]

I don't think swing has had anything to do with our result in this test match. Finn isn't exactly a big swing bowler who will get you out because of his well placed swing bowling. Anderson only rolled through the tail in the first innings. Our team goes full ****** when conditions don't suit them.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

But but but they are "entertainers"!!

 

[Bucking Beads]

But but but they are "entertainers"!!

It is really odd the way Boof goes on about that. **** entertaining just win FFS

 

[Doodlesweaver]

It is really odd the way Boof goes on about that. **** entertaining just win FFS

Punter used to talk like that too. Sounded bizarre then. Sounds stupid now. I wouldn't put it past CA marketing directives to tell them to say that shit though.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

It is really odd the way Boof goes on about that. **** entertaining just win FFS

You know what I would find entertaining tonight? Going into the tea break with Nevill 103* and Hazelwood 15*(112)

 

[STFU Donnie]

For me the biggest issue is our batting is awful against quality swing or spin and even if there isn't much bowler assistance on slow pitches we will simply become frustrated at the games pace and gift the opposition wickets(ali at cardiff)

In the 10 years since pidge did his ankle we have played 28 tests in india and england and tonight's loss will bring our record to an awful 17 losses 8 draws just 2 wins, this isn't some minor issue over a series or two this is a whole generation that play the same way game in game out and actually seem proud of their inability to adapt or slow down or sometimes concede that domination might be beyond them for a session or two and that sometimes just getting through an ugly stretch is enough to still win a game.

We are always the team looking to move the game along at breakneck speed even when we are the ones struggling to survive, it's just baffling even more so when we boast about it when it's so obviously failed us against half decent opposition on pitches that don't suit us.

2-17, with 8 draws. I knew it was bad - 6 consecutive losses on the subcontinent - but those numbers are truly appalling. Of course after this summer when we bully NZ and the Windies, all will be rosy again.

 

[Slax]

Quite a few things and the selectors have a number of questions to answer.

1. Why did it take so long to dump Haddin & Watson when we could've got a soft tour of the West Indies in to Mitch Marsh & Nevill first?
2. Why have we had no back up plan for Clarke's batting
3. Why has CA overruled state bodies on the pitches they want prepared
4. Why are we place a pace attack that is full of bowlers who when off bleed runs, where is the next line and length bowler like Harris was
5. Why did we have only 2 warm up matches in England before the series began, when we know that pitches will seam more
6. Why do we have a batting coach when he clearly isn't teaching batsmen how to play test cricket.

 

[sunskee]

The only players (out of the current squad) who are decent enough to wear the baggy green right now are: Warner, Rogers, Johnson, Lyon and Smith. The rest can GAGF.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Quite a few things and the selectors have a number of questions to answer.

1. Why did it take so long to dump Haddin & Watson when we could've got a soft tour of the West Indies in to Mitch Marsh & Nevill first?
2. Why have we had no back up plan for Clarke's batting
3. Why has CA overruled state bodies on the pitches they want prepared
4. Why are we place a pace attack that is full of bowlers who when off bleed runs, where is the next line and length bowler like Harris was
5. Why did we have only 2 warm up matches in England before the series began, when we know that pitches will seam more
6. Why do we have a batting coach when he clearly isn't teaching batsmen how to play test cricket.

Answer to 1 is that it's what they always do. Harder to get into the team than out of it.

Watson may come back into the team if Marsh doesn't score runs. Be bloody insane, but I'd not put it past them.

Answer to 2 is that he's skipper and for some reason, they are always ring-fenced.

Answer to 4 is that the pace attack is the best we can muster. And they have up till this match taken 20 wickets in each game. Look at the bowlers in the A series. You want any of them in the Ashes? Everyone else is unfit or Pat Cummins.

I refuse to blame the batting coach. He can't do anything about Clarke or Voges. Or Watson. Or Haddin. These are senior players. I felt our batting success in the series was dependent upon Warner and Smith. Rogers has done better than I expected, but then this is familiar territory for him.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

This is a great cricket wicket but once again we get to see the real skill of the modern day batting bullies. They are all superstars on flat wickets which are consistently prepared for them but give them a wicket which does just a little and they have no idea. And even worse is the fact that they are giving and showing us their best, they simply do not have the ability or technique to bat well against good bowling.
The stats will say how great these modern players are, what the stats don't tell us is that they weekly play on highways.
This was always the way for England to win or match Australia, seaming wickets will keep all sides in the game. Just incredible it took them 2 tests to sort it out. I actually sit their cracking up laughing watching our batsman on these wickets, it is a must view as you know any moment they will get out.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

So whose dismissal was worse? Smith, Voges or Marsh? Or maybe Johnson's?

Answers on a post card, address: some drain in the street.

 

[Power Raid]

despair

 

[Barry_Badrinath]

Warner, Clarke and Voges are dreadfully out of form. It is always hard when your 4 and 5 are struggling.

Warner's scored 269 runs in 6 innings. He's scored a 50 in every test. His form line is ok without being great.