4th Test Border Gavaskar Trophy December 26-30 1000hrs @ the MCG

[JimmyBC]

I hope there was nothing awful said

Because we'll never hear the end of it

Hard to decipher aside from "w***er" and I suspect there were even a few Indian supporters throwing a barb they turn quick.

 

[theiaofseed]

Because he's been the ultimate player in all formats in this generation, there has been none better.

That was true once, but hasn't been the case for half a decade. Test average down to 47 and has average 31 in test cricket over the last 5 years. Quite clearly isnt up to test standard anymore.

 

[Mr Meow]

Yes.

As they say, you can build a thousand bridges but if you make love to just one goat, they don't call you a bridge builder.

Celebrate just one drawn series and I call you embarrassing.

There's room for nuance where that series was neither embarrassing or a complete triumph.

England have had 13 wins, 4 losses and a couple of draws against other teams in home Tests since they discovered their new identity. So 2 wins, 2 losses during Australia's tour was a solid result given they were the holders.

I don't think Aussie players or supporters were ecstatic, but all that the England equivalents got out of it were a few feel good sessions and a decent send off match for Broad. Retaining by draw is better than losing them. Avoiding series losses to good teams abroad are the first thing to tick off, then winning the series outright comes after. This squad has missed out on being a truly great team by failing to do the latter, but they've hardly been a disgrace.

 

[beatnik]

There's room for nuance where that series was neither embarrassing or a complete triumph.

England have had 13 wins, 4 losses and a couple of draws against other teams in home Tests since they discovered their new identity. So 2 wins, 2 losses during Australia's tour was a solid result given they were the holders.

I don't think Aussie players or supporters were ecstatic, but all that the England equivalents got out of it were a few feel good sessions and a decent send off match for Broad. Retaining by draw is better than losing them. Avoiding series losses to good teams abroad are the first thing to tick off, then winning the series outright comes after. This squad has missed out on being a truly great team by failing to do the latter, but they've hardly been a disgrace.

I don’t apologise for celebrating the drawn series because we only had to draw it it to win it….to say say otherwise is just a variation on the ‘moral victory’ brainrot narrative

It’s important not to feed the trolls

 

[Mr Meow]

I don’t apologise for celebrating the drawn series because we only had to draw it it to win it….to say say otherwise is just a variation on the ‘moral victory’ brainrot narrative

It’s important not to feed the trolls

Well that's also the way I've looked at the Ashes. Whoever ends up holding them at the end of it are going to be happier no matter what. Then the cherry on top of course is to outright win the series once the urn is secured. Which I imagine is how India would feel about this series. 2-2 and keeping the trophy after an Australian tour, that's them having bragging rights and feeling like their main job is done (albeit without the absolute dominance of winning the series outright 2-1 or 3-1). Losing the trophy is the thing that stings...or failing to get it back, especially if it's your home series.

A drawn cricket series is not the same as a drawn match of footy for instance.

 

[Lunchtime]

Rubbish logic…consistency is a far better batting attribute than beating up on a poor attack on a flat track (or a raging turner when your team have the best two spinners in a match/series)

Smith is better than both Lara and Tendulkar

I disagree. At the very least he is in same tier as those two.

 

[MJG14]

Might be on the outer here but Alyssa Healy is great on commentary.
Very knowledgeable but can explain things simply ( which sometimes isn't easy) and just seems a real natural in front of the camera.

Better than Uncle Ian. Although it's a pretty low bar because some random yobbo dragged out of the pub would be a better commentator than Ian Healy.

 

[RookiePick]

Thank **** for Virat. Jaiswal was on for a million.

Work to be done tomorrow but Aus in the drivers seat. Nab Pant early and we'll be through them before tea.

 

[Mr Meow]

Better than Uncle Ian. Although it's a pretty low bar because some random yobbo dragged out of the pub would be a better commentator than Ian Healy.

Sadly Uncle Ian was still an upgrade on at least a few of the current ones. A couple of former Test openers come to mind.

 

[SC_Power]

Now you’re just hiding in semantic gibberish…in no way have we benefitted from the BCCI’s corruption of world cricket

No worries, we agree to disagree maybe.

And look forward to next year when we’re travelling to NZ and SAF for Boxing Day and New Years….you know, how it’s on rotation in order to share the altruistic joy, and all that….

 

[Xtreme]

It's all good fun and adds to the atmosphere. Kohli has earnt the right to do that.

Kohli is the king after all, every cricket pitch is his home ground whether he's at Lords or the MCG or the Gabba.

 

[Lunchtime]

Within reason. The spirit of cricket still needs to be upheld. What Kohli did wasn't good. We don't want to see that in cricket games at any level. He shouldn't have done it and being a senior player, he should know better.

 

[Richard Pryor]

On Kohli, I think he historically has always pulled out the macho man antics when he can't impose himself on a match with cricketing skills. For mine he's among the few professional sportsmen who always has a significantlly worse performance when he gets white line fever.

 

[Ohitsthatguy]

I wonder if Kohli ever stops and thinks "yeah, I was a massive campaigner"

 

[1990crow]

I wonder if Kohli ever stops and thinks "yeah, I was a massive campaigner"

Narcissists literally cannot think that way.

 

[eltrain]

Kohli is the king after all, every cricket pitch is his home ground whether he's at Lords or the MCG or the Gabba.

On this point, he is used to having crowds either on his side and cheering for him, or at least respecting him. I dare say he probably hasn’t faced a crowd as hostile as today’s in his whole career. He was booed in the field and when he walked out to bat as well as every single ball of his innings.

The abuse from not only Bay 13 but even the MCC Members was unrelenting. I’ve never seen a cricketer cop it quite like that at the MCG. Broad in 2013 was the closest but this was another level.

It all probably got to him in the end hence the song and dance in the tunnel walking off.

 

[revo333]

BJ and Brad Haddin were clear last night what they thought. I thought Warner was reluctant to give too much of an opinion.

Warner is very popular in India, sometimes you have to protect your brand!

 

[Linda Lovelace]

I don’t apologise for celebrating the drawn series because we only had to draw it it to win it….to say say otherwise is just a variation on the ‘moral victory’ brainrot narrative

It’s important not to feed the trolls

'We only had to draw it to win it' - said in all seriousness - while accusing the person of pointing out how ridiculous this plainly oxymoronic statement is of having 'brainrot'.

Incredible. And hilarious.

 

[DaRick]

On Kohli, I think he historically has always pulled out the macho man antics when he can't impose himself on a match with cricketing skills. For mine he's among the few professional sportsmen who always has a significantlly worse performance when he gets white line fever.

Siraj does as well.

The more you attack him, the more he loses it, and he's already pretty unthreatening when the ball doesn't move.

 

[revo333]

Can we all just imagine Kohli giving that shoulder to Andrew Symonds.

Or someone over 20 years of age.

 

[revo333]

Yup Lara for me too

Always pick the match winner.

There is a reason why people don't rate Kallis as highly as his stats suggest he should be.

If Lara batted like Kallis he would have finished with an average close to 60.

 

[big_e]

I didn’t say it was corruption. I just said he was under penalised.

Wouldn't mind betting the Indian management went to the referee and said Kohli would plead guilty to a level 1 offence and the ref thought, "you beauty, no hearing, no potential appeal, etc". Smart tactics.

And I'm glad SC_Power posted the article, as it clearly spells out the actual penalties for the offence, not the multiple-test suspensions that were in some posters' wet dreams.

 

[revo333]

Have a look at this:

https://www.howstat.com/Cricket/statistics/Batting/BattingMostRunsYear.asp

Merv Hughes 21st for most runs in 1989!

 

[HK_Hawk]

Narcissists literally cannot think that way.

Bingo. I haven’t heard anybody else call this yet. It seems fairly obvious the guy is a narcissist, and has been enabled most his life on the back of his cricket talent, Indian fanaticism, and the rise to power of the BCCI

 

[Lunchtime]

Rubbish logic…consistency is a far better batting attribute than beating up on a poor attack on a flat track (or a raging turner when your team have the best two spinners in a match/series)

Smith is better than both Lara and Tendulkar

So Lara scoring three 200+ scores against the powerful Australia is not good enough?