5th Test Border Gavaskar Trophy January 3-7 1000hrs @ the SCG

[Adelaide Hawk]

We doctored the pitch.

Strange attitude from India, the pitch gave them a chance to win with Bumrah. If we really wanted to doctor the pitch we would have poured a strip of concrete.

 

[Sydney Kicker]

Kohli and Sharma, problem is both of them are bigger than Cricket over there and the BCCI won't make the tough calls and remove them from the team because of the backlash they will receive. The fans see them as gods and that's the problem. Kohli doesn't really care anymore if he's in the team or not he's made his millions from the game and will forever be worshipped.

Not the way I see it. Based on reading Indian Cricket fans the BCCI head honchos are more at risk of a lynching if they persist with the same old underperformers. If Kohli hangs on it will be more about being mates with those in power and sponsors, not to please the fans.

 

[SportsCentre]

3-0 loss to NZ at home
3-1 loss to us, to lose the BGT

How good would an Aus-Ind-NZ tri series starting this week be?

 

[Sydney Kicker]

The start date of the 2025 IPL was brought forward to give India better preparation for this year's World Test Championship final, a match India won't be involved in now in any case.

I wonder if Modi was already booked in to present the trophy?

 

[Richard Pryor]

Great series all in all. India has enough villains to get you invested, enough drama to make things spicy, our batting lineup scraping enough together out of an out of form and aging lineup to set up a great bowling attack, and Bumrah putting in a legendary effort for Australia to compete against.

 

[Borisdog]

Every player in our side over 30 plus 1 teenager, need to flick a couple of them ASAP.

Yeah.

Imagine how much we would've won by if every player in the side was a teenager.

 

[grumbleguts]

Isa looks as though she had her money on India

She literally said "That's not what WE wanted first ball" when Siraj threw down the five wides. Tripe commentary.

 

[kickazz]

I wonder if Modi was already booked in to present the trophy?

And rename it after himself

 

[smasha]

3-0 loss to NZ at home
3-1 loss to us, to lose the BGT

How good would an Aus-Ind-NZ tri series starting this week be?

Kiwis respect!
Our bros over the ditch!!!

 

[Jimthegreat]

A good win, but it might be the last one we have for some time, the team is old and even the new boy Webster is 31. At least Webster played like a Test cricketer. I was a huge supporter of Konstas until today, but after that shot he is NOT the future of Australia's top order at the moment. Usman is 38, Smith is 36 in June, Boland is 36 in April, Mitchell Starc is 35 in a few weeks, Hazlewood is 34 in a couple of days, Marnus could be lost and he's a youngin' at 31 this year! Konstas should be one of the batting answers, but i have my doubts now. Can't wait for Green to return. The other replacements might be hard to find and are pretty thin on the ground. Still, this win was a good one, but i suspect the team come Boxing day 2025 could be a vastly different one. We could see 5 or 6 new players facing the Poms?

Henry Hunt, Kurtis Patterson, Spencer Johnson, Jhye Richardson, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy just some waiting in the wings. Reasonable choices. Like them to come in gradually with some senior blokes there, not all at once.

Marnus teased us with good glimpses but way too unreliable, Smith showed he might have one more in him, time to retire Ussie, a nice score and the BGT is good one to go out with. What's Starc going to be like in a year? That an interesting one for selectors. Died in his arse again the last 2 Tests. That one might be time. There's 6 Tests over winter, SL, West Indies and the WTC Final, so we might find out. I'm thinking he might hit a wall by the Ashes.

 

[Richard Pryor]

Not the way I see it. Based on reading Indian Cricket fans the BCCI head honchos are more at risk of a lynching if they persist with the same old underperformers. If Kohli hangs on it will be more about being mates with those in power and sponsors, not to please the fans.

Indian cricket fans forum are the "cricket" fans, cricket in India transcends genuine enthusiasts of the sport itself and the casual fans love the stars, not the stats.

 

[JimmyBC]

I reckon they were 40 runs short Bumrah or no Bumrah.

 

[smasha]

Labs was tremendous Melbourne test.
Still a valuable member of our team.

 

[Black Diamond]

My thoughts from the series:

I'm loving
1. the bowler-friendly pitches that we've served up lately. Test cricket in Australia was slowly dying for a time.
2. Aggressive young batsmen - Jaiswal is a gun and I love what Konstas has shown thus far.

Not sure I like:
1. The batting of both sides doesn't fill me with confidence. England will be viewing both teams as beatable.
2. Our ageing stars. We don't transition the side well.

You can pick one of these.

 

[Gavin Excell]

The ICC have confirmed our place in the WTC final at Lord's

Out of interest, but do people regard this as a key match? Seems to be a lesser thing than Border Gavaskar and the Ashes

 

[Andronicus]

Isa looks as though she had her money on India

Doesn't hide her indian fan girling.

 

[Lunchtime]

3-0 loss to NZ at home
3-1 loss to us, to lose the BGT

How good would an Aus-Ind-NZ tri series starting this week be?

Even better:

Australia vs India vs Pakistan tri ODI series. Plus the India vs Pakistan matches would be well attended too.

I actually miss the 1990s and 2000s of the tri ODI series. They were always good fun. Even when Australia wasn't playing and it was the two visiting teams playing at an Australian venue. Good fun. Great era.

 

[ABAB]

We doctored the pitch.

You'd like to think so, but we all know how this will play out.

Strange given Bumrah won the toss with cloudy condition for a majority of day 1 on a fresh green wicket. He would have bowl us out for 120 within 1.5 sessions.

 

[Father Jack]

She literally said "That's not what WE wanted first ball" when Siraj threw down the five wides. Tripe commentary.

What's wrong with that? Why would a neutral want poor bowling?

 

[samFFC]

Not all of us older Aussies fit your stereotype.

And that’s great!

Can’t dispute that a heavy proportion of the group in question does fit the stereotype though!

 

[Andronicus]

What's wrong with that? Why would a neutral want poor bowling?

 

[Jimthegreat]

Hated to be a spinner this series. Bar a couple of spells they barely touched the ball. Hence neither bowled great as they weren't getting the continuity needed to fall into their line and length automatically. Lyon's last session in Melbourne and the first innings here were the only time he looked like his normal self.

 

[kickazz]

Out of interest, but do people regard this as a key match? Seems to be a lesser thing than Border Gavaskar and the Ashes

It is a rung below those for sure, but I got into it last time we played

 

[Borisdog]

Out of interest, but do people regard this as a key match? Seems to be a lesser thing than Border Gavaskar and the Ashes

Some decent cricket to watch in winter.

 

[kickazz]

Hated to be a spinner this series. Bar a couple of spells they barely touched the ball. Hence neither bowled great as they weren't getting the continuity needed to fall into their line and length automatically. Lyon's last session in Melbourne and the first innings here were the only time he looked like his normal self.

Pitches didn't really deteriorate, did they?

I don't recall seeing the footmark wear and tear that Warne used to use on day 5