1st Test Sri Lanka v Australia Jan 29-Feb 2 1500hrs @ Galle International Stadium

[Andronicus]

550-600 should be the ball park figure for declaration. Anything more and you start to think why.

Especially at the slow pace they were content to go at.

 

[boncer34]

Apparently the ground staff have been absolutely impeccable.

Says who?

 

[Plugger35]

Says who?

Russel Arnold

 

[DaRick]

Especially at the slow pace they were content to go at.

They went at over 4 an over.

I do think they batted for a bit too long, but it seemed to work pretty well at the time, what with those three wickets we got.

 

[Andronicus]

They went at over 4 an over.

I do think they batted for a bit too long, but it seemed to work pretty well at the time, what with those three wickets we got.

In the context of the game, the last 10 overs were unnecessary and far too slow.

 

[Voice of the G]

Annoying that the rain has returned, there is only so much women's test cricket I can watch.

Where is Trent Copeland bragging about "cricket being everywhere you look", I'm looking and there is nothing worth watching.

Actually enjoying the womens test match seeing we are smashing England at the moment.

 

[Plugger35]

Actually enjoying the womens test match seeing we are smashing England at the moment.

Well I'm not enjoying it, I support England as well as NZ and Sri Lanka along with every other team that plays Australia.

 

[Voice of the G]

Well I'm not enjoying it, I support England as well as NZ and Sri Lanka along with every other team that plays Australia.

Sorry mate.

 

[Borisdog]

Sorry mate.

Why?

Ungrateful bastard is over here, stealing an Australian job and throwing shit at us at the same time.

Deport them all I say.

 

[Plugger35]

Why?

Ungrateful bastard is over here, stealing an Australian job and throwing shit at us at the same time.

Deport them all I say.

Well you can't deport me I was born here to NZ parents and English grandparents, I support my O/S heritage more than Australia.

I support WA though, just a pity they don't get to play against Australia.

 

[Borisdog]

Well you can't deport me I was born here to NZ parents and English grandparents, I support my O/S heritage more than Australia.

I support WA though, just a pity they don't get to play against Australia.

Fair cop.

You get a 51% mark for supporting WA.

 

[PetterdHoisted]

In the context of the game, the last 10 overs were unnecessary and far too slow.

knowing it was being fed primetime, FTA, into Aussie TV, too.

Ch7 won't make that 'mistake' again.

killing this format of the game to puff their batting averages.

Surprising, given the Aust. Captain is a bowler.......oh wait.

 

[sr36]

knowing it was being fed primetime, FTA, into Aussie TV, too.

Ch7 won't make that 'mistake' again.

killing this format of the game to puff their batting averages.

Surprising, given the Aust. Captain is a bowler.......oh wait.

It reminded me of that incredibly dull MCG test just completed against India when Australia batted into the 5th morning when they already led by a heap...

 

[Bedi]

Looks like this Test is going nowhere. I feel sorry for Inglis making a century on debut in a Test that many people will probably forget.

Wtf you on about? Yeah lets start a Go Fund me for a bloke who just scored the second fastest century on debut. Likewise for Khawaja for making his first double century, the third biggest ever by an Australian in Asia. Poor buggers.

 

[PetterdHoisted]

It reminded me of that incredibly dull MCG test just completed against India when Australia batted into the 5th morning when they already led by a heap...

When does Pat Cummins make that declaration?

Selfish decision from a batsman on a batting paradise, for multiple reasons, unfit for the job.

Good to mention the recent India series, whatever traction test cricket gained in that awesome series, they just flushed, primetime.

 

[HugeJohnson]

****ing lol. Let's drop Head for the 19 year old with 2 tests at an average of 28 to his name guys.
It's a bit ironic because it seems like this guy was actually dropped on his head as a baby

 

[sr36]

Selfish decision from a batsman on a batting paradise, for multiple reasons, unfit for the job.

It does my head in.

So many people rant about decisions of the pros that they don't understand and make up ridiculous reasons for the decision.

If you don't understand a decision, 9 times out of 10, it's simply because you don't have the knowledge to understand or thinking skills to understand it. It's not because they're morons or selfish or whatever else the fictional reason is that fills in the gap in your understanding. That's not to say you have to agree with the decision, but unless you understand why they've made the decision you're not in a position to rip into them.

And the hindsight warriors come out blazing when a decision doesn't work. But in this case, not even hindsight supports you. Knocking over 3 on the second afternoon was an excellent outcome and would have been even if we had an extra 20 overs at them.

 

[Gough]

Well you can't deport me I was born here to NZ parents and English grandparents, I support my O/S heritage more than Australia.

I support WA though, just a pity they don't get to play against Australia.

Honouring your Sri Lankan heritage at the moment is it?

 

[sr36]

Wtf you on about? Yeah lets start a Go Fund me for a bloke who just scored the second fastest century on debut. Likewise for Khawaja for making his first double century, the third biggest ever by an Australian in Asia. Poor buggers.

It's unfathomable. We're in a great position and it's as good as we've ever looked in Asia, but the whingers keep coming up with things to slag the team off about.

The morons should have picked this guy. The morons aren't entertaining me enough. The morons declared at the wrong time.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

550-600 should be the ball park figure for declaration. Anything more and you start to think why.

With hindsight perhaps.
But this much rain wasn't expected, the pitch didn't look that difficult at the time so scoring first innings runs looked like being easier than scoring third innings runs, and the expectation couldn't have been for SL at home to be 3-bugger all.
The hope, sure, but you don't declare on hope unless you're behind in the series needing to win all of the remaining matches.

650 was fine in the known circumstances of the time.

 

[Andronicus]

It does my head in.

So many people rant about decisions of the pros that they don't understand and make up ridiculous reasons for the decision.

If you don't understand a decision, 9 times out of 10, it's simply because you don't have the knowledge to understand or thinking skills to understand it. It's not because they're morons or selfish or whatever else the fictional reason is that fills in the gap in your understanding. That's not to say you have to agree with the decision, but unless you understand why they've made the decision you're not in a position to rip into them.

And the hindsight warriors come out blazing when a decision doesn't work. But in this case, not even hindsight supports you. Knocking over 3 on the second afternoon was an excellent outcome and would have been even if we had an extra 20 overs at them.

So your heroes are infallible and never make a wrong call?

As for the hindsight, what about the many that were saying at the time it was more than enough runs, the slow rate they kept batting, and the likelihood of rain were all factors in it being a wrong call.

Stupid to say an extra 20 overs was useless because we managed 3 wickets. An extra 20 overs gives a chance at more.

That's a great wall of nothing you just posted.

 

[sr36]

With hindsight perhaps.
But this much rain wasn't expected, the pitch didn't look that difficult at the time so scoring first innings runs looked like being easier than scoring third innings runs, and the expectation couldn't have been for SL at home to be 3-bugger all.
The hope, sure, but you don't declare on hope unless you're behind in the series needing to win all of the remaining matches.

650 was fine in the known circumstances of the time.

Not even with hindsight. I don't know how many have spent hours being active in the tropical sun, but you're fried both physically and mentally. We knocked over 3 of their top 4 and had a chance to knock over the 4th - all to sloppy shots If we declared at tea, they would have had longer cold showers to freshen up. Straight after tea, they would have been fresher. We stayed out longer for them to be fried - and it worked - 3 poles in that final session was a win regardless of how many overs we bowled - as well as the extra runs putting us in a stronger position.

Rain means we'll need to knock them over and enforce the follow on, but are in a stronger position to do so because the bowlers have had two light days.

 

[Purple Suit]

With hindsight perhaps.
But this much rain wasn't expected, the pitch didn't look that difficult at the time so scoring first innings runs looked like being easier than scoring third innings runs, and the expectation couldn't have been for SL at home to be 3-bugger all.
The hope, sure, but you don't declare on hope unless you're behind in the series needing to win all of the remaining matches.

650 was fine in the known circumstances of the time.

650 was fine if the Test championship was on the line but it wasn’t. 20 overs too many which might make a difference.

I get giving Webster a chance in the middle but maybe 5 overs, then declare or bat him above Carey as we were flying.

 

[Wetdog]

The team has played very well in this Test. The selectors got it right. I can’t see how anyone could argue otherwise.

Maybe they should have declared a little earlier at 600 given the rain, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. That would have given us an extra 10-15 overs which may or may not be the difference.

I can’t see how anyone can fault our performance to date.

Head at the top order was the right call. Proven.

Not dropping Khawaja was the right call. Proven.

Playing Inglis was the right call. Proven.

Playing Kuhnemann was the right call. Proven (to date).

The rain could be a positive. The bowlers have had a rest. Now they need to go out there, take 5 quick wickets, follow on and then roll SL on the last day. All weather permitting.

 

[sr36]

So your heroes are infallible and never make a wrong call?

As for the hindsight, what about the many that were saying at the time it was more than enough runs, the slow rate they kept batting, and the likelihood of rain were all factors in it being a wrong call.

Stupid to say an extra 20 overs was useless because we managed 3 wickets. An extra 20 overs gives a chance at more.

That's a great wall of nothing you just posted.

Im certainly not saying they're infallible.

What I'm saying goes beyond cricket. Experts made a decision. A whole lot of punters have ripped into them. Punters, without enough knowledge to see any reason why that decision was made and are thus not in a position to evaluate it. I don't understand something - the experts must be morons is a growing sentiment. And we're getting ridiculous theories that Smith and McDonald were being selfish - when neither of them benefit.

And the most ridiculous thing is the decision, whether right or wrong, had a good outcome. We knocked out their top order in the final session on a good batting deck - an excellent outcome - regardless of how many overs we bowled. Would we have gotten more if we had more overs? Was the batsmen being more ****ed because of the extra time outside in the heat important in getting those 3 wickets? Could the extra runs have been important if it didn't rain? What advice did they get from the weather experts? Or are they expected to be meteorological experts who always get forecasts right too? We'll never know the answers to those questions, except the last one.

That's not to say it was the best decision, but to think that these guys made this decision without any reason other than selfishness or stupidity is just really silly.