2nd Test Border Gavaskar Trophy December 6-10 1430hrs @ Adelaide Oval

[Lunchtime]

So India need as many runs as they scored in the first innings, except they are already half out and all the bats are in the rooms watching.

Thats right

 

[Lunchtime]

He might have a better record, but for me I'd pick Lee ahead of him any day. Maybe it's nostalgia, maybe I just don't like the guy. I just think Lee had something intangible about him that Starc has never had. Starc drops his head too easy and when he's off his game it's been disastrous for us. Maybe Lee was just better supported with an attack including McGrath and Warne but I feel like he showed his class at the end of his career when he was the leader. Lee/Starc/Cummins all have equal merit to a spot on the team of the 2000s imo. McGrath is the only lock.

Yep. Lee for me.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Of course, but their capacity to get that far ahead is what is in question. Would depend almost entirely on Pant producing something even better than Head’s innings

Pant will if he doesn't run out of partners but the issue is they are 5 down not 3 down. India are probably regretting not having jadeja at 7 about now.

 

[StillAtLarge]

He might have a better record, but for me I'd pick Lee ahead of him any day. Maybe it's nostalgia, maybe I just don't like the guy. I just think Lee had something intangible about him that Starc has never had. Starc drops his head too easy and when he's off his game it's been disastrous for us. Maybe Lee was just better supported with an attack including McGrath and Warne but I feel like he showed his class at the end of his career when he was the leader. Lee/Starc/Cummins all have equal merit to a spot on the team of the 2000s imo. McGrath is the only lock.

What about Ryan Harris? Gillespie was bloody good also

 

[sabso]

What about Ryan Harris? Gillespie was bloody good also

I would have replaced Gillespie with Marina Prior. They look the same and she's netting well.

 

[HugeJohnson]

What about Ryan Harris? Gillespie was bloody good also

Rhino was awesome but can't seriously pick him ahead of those guys when he only played 27 tests. Gillespie was a great support but was rarely the main man. Probably have him level with Stuart Clark.

 

[Underarm]

What about Ryan Harris? Gillespie was bloody good also

Harris could never get his body right. Dizz would be battling to make the 2nd XI of the 20th century.

I'd have it as:

Mcgrath
Cummins
Starc
Warne

Lee
Hazlewood
Johnson
Lyon

Gillespie
Siddle
Harris
Mcgill

 

[Drunkcat]

I'm actually rather surprised that no-one from the Indian Management has come out complaining about the racist, obnoxious Australian crowds booing their innocent little cherub, who is rapidly developing form for what is best described as sooky petulance.

Don't take much to call white people racist, that's the norm these days.

 

[JimmyBC]

India's only hope is the tail wags, Cummins' is asleep at the wheel with field settings and garbage tactics against the tail (not unusual for him) & they can stretch it to the night session with some sort of a lead.

 

[Gough]

India's only hope is the tail wags, Cummins' is asleep at the wheel with field settings and garbage tactics against the tail (not unusual for him) & they can stretch it to the night session with some sort of a lead.

You'd think if Pant goes early so do India.

 

[SSwans2011]

He might have a better record, but for me I'd pick Lee ahead of him any day. Maybe it's nostalgia, maybe I just don't like the guy. I just think Lee had something intangible about him that Starc has never had. Starc drops his head too easy and when he's off his game it's been disastrous for us. Maybe Lee was just better supported with an attack including McGrath and Warne but I feel like he showed his class at the end of his career when he was the leader. Lee/Starc/Cummins all have equal merit to a spot on the team of the 2000s imo. McGrath is the only lock.

Fair enough, it's all subjective but we'll have to agree to disagree there. Starc has more wickets at a better average and a better strike rate and is a better batter. For mine it's hard to look at their stats and say Lee was a better bowler. Lee also played in gun teams with an all-time pace bowler in McGrath and perhaps the GOAT spinner in Warne.

Starc has been part of a gun attack for several years, but the first few years of his career he played with a number of bowlers that were barely Test standard.

 

[Borisdog]

Fair enough, it's all subjective but we'll have to agree to disagree there. Starc has more wickets at a better average and a better strike rate and is a better batter. For mine it's hard to look at their stats and say Lee was a better bowler. Lee also played in gun teams with an all-time pace bowler in McGrath and perhaps the GOAT spinner in Warne.

Starc has been part of a gun attack for several years, but the first few years of his career he played with a number of bowlers that were barely Test standard.

Dunno about the last sentence. Hastings is probably the only one that really springs to mind, and played as many Tests as his talents dictated.
Hilf, Sids, Johnson, Lyon, Harris, Pattinson. Hilf and Patto if you were being overly harsh, but both very fine bowlers, and certainly better than barely Test standard.

Watson was a batting all rounder.

 

[sabso]

Many of you seem to be forgetting Doug the Rug Bollinger

 

[PhatBoy]

Pant will if he doesn't run out of partners but the issue is they are 5 down not 3 down. India are probably regretting not having jadeja at 7 about now.

This. He’s literally a better batting option than some of their specialists imo. Crazy that he doesn’t get more consideration.

 

[Rookie]

No issue with players being the villains, winding up the crowd and feeding off it.

But don't do it if you are going to stop play for 20 minutes and get people thrown out because all they did was call you Shiraz.

The sad part about that incident was the "Siraj" chant was a sign of respect more than mocking him. IIRC he was bowling with heart and the crowd was feeling it. He's definitely a polarizing figure but I've seen enough gutsy performances to have a wary respect for his heart and ability, suspect the Aussie dressing room does too.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

This. He’s literally a better batting option than some of their specialists imo. Crazy that he doesn’t get more consideration.

I find their line up choices very odd for this series.

 

[SSwans2011]

Dunno about the last sentence. Hastings is probably the only one that really springs to mind, and played as many Tests as his talents dictated.
Hilf, Sids, Johnson, Lyon, Harris, Pattinson. Hilf and Patto if you were being overly harsh, but both very fine bowlers, and certainly better than barely Test standard.

Watson was a batting all rounder.

Fair call - a better way of phrasing it was probably that there was a period where our bowling attack isn't nearly what it is now or what it had been prior with Johnson, Harris, Sids and Lyon, hence we saw bowlers like Mennie getting a chance.

Even though there's some quality bowlers you listed there, none of them had much Test experience compared to now or what we had throughout most of the 2000s.

We've obviously always been blessed with solid fast bowling depth this century and it's a testament to Starc's quality that he has some of the best stats of any of those bowlers.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

Not sure why Trav is having a sook about the send off in the post day 2 interviews tbh we have a history littered with send offs, huffing and puffing & swearing so just suck it up.

He didn't?

 

[Bedi]

You'd think if Pant goes early so do India.

disadvantage of playing Ashwin over Jadeja is they're down one less batsman

 

[Fade to Gray]

Rhino was awesome but can't seriously pick him ahead of those guys when he only played 27 tests. Gillespie was a great support but was rarely the main man. Probably have him level with Stuart Clark.

So Ryan Harris plays 27 tests and that is not enough for serious consideration, but Clark plays 24 test and that is enough to have him level with Gillespie? Strange criteria you have.

 

[SSwans2011]

So Ryan Harris plays 27 tests and that is not enough for serious consideration, but Clark plays 24 test and that is enough to have him level with Gillespie? Strange criteria you have.

It is a shame about Rhino's body failing him. Could have been an all-time great for us with some more luck.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

I find their line up choices very odd for this series.

Thought he’d at least bat before Sharma who is like Smithy and co he’s pretty cooked.

 

[JimmyBC]

Gillespie being criminally underrated I can only assume it's because he had that horrible ashes series when he was nearly cooked.

 

[Stig O'Hara]

A day of highlights.

Saw Mighty Trav crack a ton -
Got into the pink Smirnoffs -
Somehow managed to get lost walking to the Queens Head (a monumental stuff up) -
Dropped near on 300 bucks -
Finished it all off with a bit of Sammy Hagar Van Halen -

……& I’m doing it all again today.

 

[golions]

I'm actually rather surprised that no-one from the Indian Management has come out complaining about the racist, obnoxious Australian crowds booing their innocent little cherub, who is rapidly developing form for what is best described as sooky petulance.