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

[sr36]

Tendulkar's wagon wheel has been doing the rounds, so thankfully not too hard to find
Here's only his boundary hitting:
View attachment 2205518

Full wagon wheel

View attachment 2205519

Jeez. Did he put away the cut as well as the cover drive?

 

[troybe]

This is a turn up for the books, Ch7 have secured the rights for the Sri Lanka tests

 

[MarcMaverick]

This is a turn up for the books, Ch7 have secured the rights for the Sri Lanka tests

That's great!

Speaking of, I now fear Sri Lanka more than India.

 

[Soggy2112]

We have only had maybe six genuinely good leg spinners ever.

Warne
MacGill
Benaud
O’Reilly
Grimmett
Mailey

Lucky to average one each generation.

It is the most difficult discipline to learn and master. It is not like other nations are churning them out.

The other thing that I wonder with Australian cricket now, is how relevant is the skill set of leg spin in red ball cricket. Drop in pitches just don’t seem to fall apart the way the old wickets did, having a leg spinner who can make the ball talk on day 5 just doesn’t seem as much of a benefit, and no wrist spinner is ever going to be able to bowl with the same control (and probably extract the same bounce) as a high quality finger spinner can in the first innings of a test.

 

[Borisdog]

The other thing that I wonder with Australian cricket now, is how relevant is the skill set of leg spin in red ball cricket. Drop in pitches just don’t seem to fall apart the way the old wickets did, having a leg spinner who can make the ball talk on day 5 just doesn’t seem as much of a benefit, and no wrist spinner is ever going to be able to bowl with the same control (and probably extract the same bounce) as a high quality finger spinner can in the first innings of a test.

The difference between a good leg spinner and a good finger spinner is turn at any stage of the match.

A good leggie can turn it on anything, and any day. As opposed to the multitude of "leggies" playing hit and giggle now who just roll it out, instead of ripping it out, in the name of said control.

If it was easy there'd be heaps of them. I'll still take a good leggie in Australia over ANY finger spinner.

There's a massive place for them in red ball cricket. The problem is there's simply none good enough. At the moment.

 

[getthefooty]

The other thing that I wonder with Australian cricket now, is how relevant is the skill set of leg spin in red ball cricket. Drop in pitches just don’t seem to fall apart the way the old wickets did, having a leg spinner who can make the ball talk on day 5 just doesn’t seem as much of a benefit, and no wrist spinner is ever going to be able to bowl with the same control (and probably extract the same bounce) as a high quality finger spinner can in the first innings of a test.

It really makes you appreciate how truly great Warne was. Growing up watching him it just seemed normal that we had him, but he was arguably a once in a century aberration. He had similar control to an off spinner but could rip it on any surface. I would love to see another leggie play a significant amount of tests for Australia but as each year passes, I am more and more willing to accept that I'll be very lucky to see another in my lifetime.

 

[JimmyBC]

Real leg spinners the ones that really rip it and give it air need the love of a captain, I really don't think the modern players have the patience to nuture it.

 

[sr36]

It really makes you appreciate how truly great Warne was. Growing up watching him it just seemed normal that we had him, but he was arguably a once in a century aberration. He had similar control to an off spinner but could rip it on any surface. I would love to see another leggie play a significant amount of tests for Australia but as each year passes, I am more and more willing to accept that I'll be very lucky to see another in my lifetime.

I just wish Rashid Khan played for a country that played regular test cricket. I'd love to see what he became as a test match bowler.

 

[Bletch]

Real leg spinners the ones that really rip it and give it air need the love of a captain, I really don't think the modern players have the patience to nuture it.

Yep, agree, but... Been wondering for a while whether there's more to it than this. Has T20 "ruined" potentially good (test quality) wrist spinners? The demand to bowl flatter and faster, and bring out your change up deliveries two or three times an over instead of once every 3 or 4 overs? The advancement in command of the sweep and reverse sweep? Quality of bats (mishits traveling further)?

I don't know, and I'm not sure there's any way we can know. Time will tell, I guess. But I'm missing leg-spin.

 

[sr36]

Yep, agree, but... Been wondering for a while whether there's more to it than this. Has T20 "ruined" potentially good (test quality) wrist spinners? The demand to bowl flatter and faster, and bring out your change up deliveries two or three times an over instead of once every 3 or 4 overs? The advancement in command of the sweep and reverse sweep? Quality of bats (mishits traveling further)?

I don't know, and I'm not sure there's any way we can know. Time will tell, I guess. But I'm missing leg-spin.

There never has been many good ones. They're a rarity. But I think the biggest change recently is results based pitches and balls. It's changed the dynamic. It's no longer won by deceiving the batsman or waiting for the error. The pitch does it for you. On spinning or seaming pitches hitting the line or length and taking advantage of the pitches variations is king.

 

[Bletch]

There never has been many good ones. They're a rarity. But I think the biggest change recently is results based pitches and balls. It's changed the dynamic. It's no longer won by deceiving the batsman or waiting for the error. The pitch does it for you. On spinning or seaming pitches hitting the line or length and taking advantage of the pitches variations is king.

True on the first point, and I think we discussed that a week or so back. Legspin is a fine art, and the masters have been few and far between. I don't need another Warne (as much as I'd love it), a Higgs would do me fine.

However, I'm not convinced that "result pitches" is anything particularly new. It's a change from maybe the previous 15-20 years, but I think we saw a greater variety and variability in pitches in the 70s, 80s, 90s than we do now. But again, I think the short form game might be a factor here. While batsmen now are way better at sweeping (inc. reverse) than in the past, I think the quality of batting in testing conditions has dropped considerably. The number of top order batsmen worldwide who lack basic defensive attributes is astounding. imo.

 

[Soggy2112]

The difference between a good leg spinner and a good finger spinner is turn at any stage of the match.

A good leggie can turn it on anything, and any day. As opposed to the multitude of "leggies" playing hit and giggle now who just roll it out, instead of ripping it out, in the name of said control.

If it was easy there'd be heaps of them. I'll still take a good leggie in Australia over ANY finger spinner.

There's a massive place for them in red ball cricket. The problem is there's simply none good enough. At the moment.

The point is just how good a bowler has to be to have that control, and rip it like you say.

There’s arguably only been one guy in history able to do that.

Compared to Lyon, whose skill set is extremely effective, when his main weapons is how he’s able to get up and over the ball to create that bounce, and his ability to land the ball in the exact same place all with different amounts of speed, drop and drift.

The likelihood of a guy repeating what Lyon can do is far higher than anyone getting remotely near what Warne could do.

 

[sosos]

Sangha bowling his leg spin beautifully in BBL. Would love to see him play some rep cricket for the country one day. Lad can flight, and rip it. Half decent batter too.

Watch.

 

[Gethelred]

Yeah I agree, it's why Khawja's comments were dumb, honestly it was the best he's looked all summer in the second innings. Everyone will say Melbourne but in Sydney we saw the Khawaja of old you know why...and wait for it here, he played good solid cricket shots and waited for the bad ball. Half of Khawaja's dismissals this series were prodding at balls a foot away from the stumps

We saw the Khawaja of old because Bumrah wasn't bowling, and literally nothing else.

 

[MarcMaverick]

We saw the Khawaja of old because Bumrah wasn't bowling, and literally nothing else.

TBF Bumrah was making everyone look foolish.

 

[sr36]

We saw the Khawaja of old because Bumrah wasn't bowling, and literally nothing else.

He got better in Melbourne when the team pretty clearly shifted tack to bat more aggressively.

 

[Soggy2112]

He got better in Melbourne when the team pretty clearly shifted tack to bat more aggressively.

Did he though?

Khawaja’s best innings coincided with him only facing 3 balls in Bumrah’s opening spell.

As he’s proving, Khawaja is still very good, so long as he’s not facing Bumrah:

 

[sr36]

Did he though?

Khawaja’s best innings coincided with him only facing 3 balls in Bumrah’s opening spell.

As he’s proving, Khawaja is still very good, so long as he’s not facing Bumrah:

I thought he batted well in Melbourne, but didn't realise he didn't face Jasprit much at all.

 

[Blightys Barrel]

I reckon when the Aussies begin their chase down of runs in the 2nd Innings, that if we lose an early wicket that Marnus’s sphincter will be tighter than a wound up watch. He should not have been picked for the match as he is horribly out of form. He has everything to lose by getting dismissed cheaply, and not much to gain scoring some cheap runs in a small chase down.

I wonder if the Selectors give him the same liberty extended to Mark Junior Waugh who departed a 2 test series against SL without troubling the scorers in 4 innings. Team mates nick named him Audi for a while to note the occasion. He retained his position in the Test Team back in Australia, at the expense of Dean Jones who had a slow start to the Shield season.

It’s the old saying that it’s harder to get out of the Aussie cricket team than to get in it.

 

[sr36]

It’s the old saying that it’s harder to get out of the Aussie cricket team than to get in it.

The squeeze is definitely on with a fair few competing for a test spot with strong claims. I didn't think Uzzy is particularly safe either when we get back to playing pace. I think all of Uzzy, Marnus, Inglis and Green should be looking for a County stint before the WTC to press their claims for selection.

 

[Cleavy]

The squeeze is definitely on with a fair few competing for a test spot with strong claims. I didn't think Uzzy is particularly safe either when we get back to playing pace. I think all of Uzzy, Marnus, Inglis and Green should be looking for a County stint before the WTC to press their claims for selection.

Green is, pending fitness

 

[Snarls Barkley]

Rohit Sharma retires from Test cricket

Sensible decision, has looked a long way passed it in the last couple of years. Especially in this recent BGT, how long before King Kohli joins him?

 

[Soggy2112]

Rohit Sharma retires from Test cricket

Sensible decision, has looked a long way passed it in the last couple of years. Especially in this recent BGT, how long before King Kohli joins him?

I really hope he doesn’t tbh. Test crickets future will largely be dictated by how long India remains interested. Virat has as much influence on the Indian public as anyone, if he solely focuses on white ball cricket, I seriously worry what that does to test cricket.

 

[sr36]

I really hope he doesn’t tbh. Test crickets future will largely be dictated by how long India remains interested. Virat has as much influence on the Indian public as anyone, if he solely focuses on white ball cricket, I seriously worry what that does to test cricket.

Plus Kohli is a great. He's not finished. Most of the greats have had a late career slump only to adjust and then have a glorious Indian summer after the slump.

 

[Andronicus]

Test cricket is already dead if we are reliant on Kohli for its success.