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

[Jim Prideaux]

Bad feeling this will be a classic win toss, win game test match. Need to be 50+ runs ahead before India bat again.

Have a feeling we will be, but being a whiney pessimist is much easier.

 

[The hands of stone]

I’m a bit bemused by how Konstas has so quickly turned into a supervillain in the eyes of the Indian team.

If it’s sledging then that’s just part and parcel of test cricket, especially against Australia.

Is it really because he played some T20 shots against the esteemed Jasprit Bumrah and scored a 50 doing so?

It is actually . They were insulted that a debutant would bat that way against their champion bowler.
They saw it as disrespectful . Hence Kholi's reaction to it all when it went from a laugh to , gee this kids actually making runs .

Konstas is typical of your young elite sportsman . They aren't shy , they play to the crowd and are pretty happy to rev opponents and oppo crowds up .

The key is whether you can consistently back it up .

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

I hope the umpires did their job and gave Australia an official warning.

Will they be fining Shubman for the same?

 

[Pera]

What cracks on the pitch????

They were showing aerial shots while the roller was on the pitch, decent cracks running down the pitch which are closed for now but with the sun over the next 2 days, they were alluding to the fact that Sydney pitches generally break and crack as they go deeper into the test I.e when Graeme Smith had his arm broken by Mitch Johnson.

 

[Andronicus]

Bumrah was ready to bowl, Khawaja was deliberately time wasting, Bumrah appealed to the umpire, Konstas became involved… he just needs to focus on batting not get involvef in bullshit - it backfired spectacularly

Does Bumrah address it with his team in the dressing room when they repeatedly do it?

 

[Neese]

Good test for Konstas tomorrow

Compulsory viewing

I am working tomorrow and not happy about it.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

Didn't need that

But will Bumrah get a please explain for immediately turning around and going to Konstas?

No, because Konstas is a mouthy 19yo and Bumrah is a great of the game.

 

[ABAB]

They were showing aerial shots while the roller was on the pitch, decent cracks running down the pitch which are closed for now but with the sun over the next 2 days, they were alluding to the fact that Sydney pitches generally break and crack as they go deeper into the test I.e when Graeme Smith had his arm broken by Mitch Johnson.

I don't recall the SCG pitch breaking up for years??? It's always been flat with slow spin.

 

[Kapow!!!]

Watching the replays...yeah, Konstas is definitely in Bumrahs head.

 

[Ohitsthatguy]

Watching the replays...yeah, Konstas is definitely in Bumrahs head.

I agree but what will it achieve?

Maybe he will be off his length again tomorrow?

 

[beatnik]

There are some serious trolls on this thread…the behaviour of the Indian cricket team in this series has been worse than I can ever remember from The Ugly Australians of yesteryear

Yet here they are, consistently blaming the Australians for bad choices from an entitled, rattled, in-fighting Indian team staring down the barrel of consecutive series losses and hysterically looking to start a fight to distract their supporter base from their shite performance

I suspect a lot of them are low-key Indian, English or Kiwi fans campaigning against past hurts, which is fine, but at least declare your loyalty…I’m fine with people being biased, just don’t pretend you’re not

You know who you are…

 

[FlowersByIrene]

Blame Konstas for that wicket. It was never gonna end well with a fired up Bumrah.

Khawaja played it terribly?

 

[western royboy]

Does Bumrah address it with his team in the dressing room when they repeatedly do it?

I don’t know, this is only his second Test in charge. I am referring to a specific incident where it was obvious to everyone what was going on. The Umpires should have been on to it. Ultimately it backfired on Khawaja…spectacularly. You can’t have it both ways and if you see bullshit you have to call it, irrespective of which team does it.

 

[PhatBoy]

Amazed people are saying Bumrah and/or Konstas were in the wrong

Players fired up, passionate, emotional. Playing for keeps. Spot fires. Game and whole series on a knife's edge.

The theatre of it all!

This is sport at its absolute best. Gets the blood boiling.

More or less this.

Don’t really think anyone broke any ‘rules’: Sam probably looked a bit silly as a wicket fell two balls after the exchange which is always the risk in cricket when you’re a batsman (even though it wasn’t him that was dismissed) and there will always be people who think ‘why is a bowler giving it to a bloke he didn’t dismiss’ which is fair enough.

But it’s not blokes pointing each other to the sheds or making contact or vilifying each other so beyond looking stupid there’s nothing worth being particularly upset over

 

[ABAB]

Khawaja played it terribly?

Stuck on the crease and both feet in the air.

 

[Kapow!!!]

I agree but what will it achieve?

Maybe he will be off his length again tomorrow?

It will achieve only as much as Konstas is able to take advantage of it. Maybe the odd length is off, questioning bowling plans, bitterness between fielders.

Amounts to nothing if it doesn't go on the board. In fact, could end up being a massive curse if he starts falling cheaply to him...

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

There are some serious trolls on this thread…the behaviour of the Indian cricket team in this series has been worse than I can ever remember from The Ugly Australians of yesteryear

Yet here they are, consistently blaming the Australians for bad choices from an entitled, rattled, in-fighting Indian team staring down the barrel of consecutive series losses and hysterically looking to start a fight to distract their supporter base from their shite performance

I suspect a lot of them are low-key Indian, English or Kiwi fans campaigning against past hurts, which is fine, but at least declare your loyalty…I’m fine with people being biased, just don’t pretend you’re not

You know who you are…

What reason is acceptable to mouth off at Bumrah? He's one of the fairest players in cricket.
It makes our reputation worse than it is. We are cheats with sandpaper remember.

 

[western royboy]

Stuck on the crease and both feet in the air.

Which Ponting had noted earlier in the over.

 

[ABAB]

What reason is acceptable to mouth off at Bumrah? He's one of the fairest players in cricket.
It makes our reputation worse than it is. We are cheats with sandpaper remember.

Didn't Kontas only say "he is not ready", that's not mouthing off.

 

[Jack Lord]

Spot on.

I had us marked down for 500+ but when Konstas said "he's not ready" I revised it down to 82.

Nonsense. Yeah, we might get rolled early. But Sam is a roll a dice type of player. When he comes off, you can see him carrying the whole Australian team with him.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

Didn't Kontas only say "he is not ready", that's not mouthing off.

Konstas was being a smartass.

 

[Black Diamond]

I don’t mind what Konstas did today.

Must be very rattled to send off the non striker. Bumrah was a goose.

 

[ABAB]

Which Ponting had noted earlier in the over.

Has a habit of doing this as Bumrah's pace is too quick for him. Sign he should retire.

 

[ABAB]

Konstas was being a smartass.

Bumrah had both his hand out and all Kontas said was "he is not ready" and that's being a smartass????

 

[aabp1978]

Bad end to the day, but all in all not awful. actually thought the Indians (who I swear are the biggest hypocrites in world sport) threw away at least 5 wickets. Pitch is moving, but 9 catches? That is on them. No issue with Konstas…Ussie is a walking wicket at the best of times atm