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

[juice t]

Lucky Kohli is a pissant compared to Matty Scarlett

All he could do was throw a weak hip and shoulder compared to a left arm jab

 

[JimmyBC]

The WTC needs to a three match series in my view I'm not sure how you'd schedule it or why Lords needs to be involved tbh.

 

[kickazz]

The WTC needs to a three match series in my view I'm not sure how you'd schedule it or why Lords needs to be involved tbh.

So the Marlybone Cricket Club can watch a game that England doesn't lose.

 

[Richard Pryor]

A Cricket Australia spokesman confirmed the plan to have Border present the trophy if Australia won it and Gavaskar if India retained it.

Feel like it would have been a nice gesture to have them co present regardless of who won. I personally am not a fan of Gavaskar but neither he or Border are going to be around forever so makes sense to me to include them both in moments like presentations.

 

[nobbyiscool]

The WTC needs to a three match series in my view I'm not sure how you'd schedule it or why Lords needs to be involved tbh.

I don't hate it, I'm quite intrigued by the notion of Australia vs South Africa on a neutral ground that is likely to favour fast bowling.

 

[Pistol Night]

Some saying his technique looked terrible etc. I thought his defensive stuff and noodling ability off his pads looked very solid. Just needs to temper his inclination to launch every 3rd ball for six and he'll be a serious player.

Clearly can play shots all around the ground so he'll be hard to bog down even by the best like Bumrah.

Yeah if anything his ramp looks solid and he just needs to put away bad balls instead of pre meditated slogging. Having the ramp as a pressure release and to upset the field can be a huge weapon if he gets his temperament sorted

 

[tugga]

He made a point of difference.

He broke the 'same old same old' we were seeing, and by their own admission, he brought a new vitality and excitement to the veterans.

He clearly rattled the Indians, and had them more focused on 'playing the man' than focusing on the long game.

He played a positive role indeed.

Plus McSweeney was crawling along like the others, so Konstas certainly did offer something unique.

 

[Joffaboy]

You need to have watched Konstas this year at Shield to understand there was clearly a strong directive from the team for him to play as loose and aggressive as possible. He made his runs at Shield playing more traditional while still keeping a good strike rate.

Clearly, the team was getting too bogged down with 4 stodgers in the top 4 and frankly, The Don would have struggled a bit against Bumrah on those decks with these Kooka balls. The team made the right decision to get in a prodigious talent to rankle the Indian team and be aggressive.

Now, his shot today was shithouse but hardly a surprise given he's 10 years away from learning his game properly. He's still been the best opener for Aus this series and there's not much more to replace him at Shield anyway, especially considering Ussie is on his last legs.

But again, go watch some of shield digs this year to understand what he normally plays like and how special he's going to be.

Saw him at the G v Vic's in November and while he played some aggressive shots he was much more orthodox.
I think they said play how you like,you hot the green light.
The kid is not the finished product, 6 of 7 outs in the u19 WC he was out LBW or bowled.
He has got a lot of work to on his defence, but he has time.

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[SparklingAle69]

I wonder if he's allowed to consume zero alcohol beer? There's actually some decent ones getting around these days.

Hes allowed to do whatever he wants.

 

[Joffaboy]

Tell me Kohli is not a wash

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[Pistol Night]

I reckon Kohli has a bit of Maynard about him, in that he wouldn't try to act intimidating in the face of say a Beau Webster.

He will be licking his lips at the idea of fronting up to Duckett though.

I give a Geelong player a reach around and you counter calling Maynard a pansy. Mental disintegration activated.

 

[Blackhawk42]

Yeah I know Muslims who gets stuck into the zeroes.


I think it's a no to advertising booze thing. Recall after winning a world cup or similar, he stayed away from the photo where they were about to spray the champagne. Captain Woke* then called him up and held off the spray until they got some good shots as a team.

Similar to how Fawad Ahmed was the only player in our ODI team to not have a VB logo on his top.

*Used as term of endearment

I now recall Hashim Amla having sponsors removed from his playing shirt for the same reasons, re. Advertising alcohol.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Yeah if anything his ramp looks solid and he just needs to put away bad balls instead of pre meditated slogging. Having the ramp as a pressure release and to upset the field can be a huge weapon if he gets his temperament sorted

If he keeps it in his arsenal enough that teams continue to start innings with a fine and third man that is an absolutely massive advantage for him. Dragging an extra fielder out of the ring to defend a relatively useless spot on the field opens up things up for him to score freely with traditional shots.

 

[Cataholic]

Plus McSweeney was crawling along like the others, so Konstas certainly did offer something unique.

I feel for McSweeney.

He was crucified by the selectors opting to play him as an opener.

Imo, he should've replaced Labs.

They threw him to the wolves and I hope he has the intestinal fortitude to stay confident and bounce back.

I'd happily bring him back in the next Test tbh.

 

[Richard Pryor]

Tell me Kohli is not a washView attachment 2198124

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Victim of his own ego and status. For most test teams he would have been ushered out and coordinated with the board for a dignified farewell to test cricket years ago, instead he's been plodding along since covid stinking up his legacy and carrying on like a dickhead.

 

[peternorth]

You need to have watched Konstas this year at Shield to understand there was clearly a strong directive from the team for him to play as loose and aggressive as possible. He made his runs at Shield playing more traditional while still keeping a good strike rate.

Clearly, the team was getting too bogged down with 4 stodgers in the top 4 and frankly, The Don would have struggled a bit against Bumrah on those decks with these Kooka balls. The team made the right decision to get in a prodigious talent to rankle the Indian team and be aggressive.

Now, his shot today was shithouse but hardly a surprise given he's 10 years away from learning his game properly. He's still been the best opener for Aus this series and there's not much more to replace him at Shield anyway, especially considering Ussie is on his last legs.

But again, go watch some of shield digs this year to understand what he normally plays like and how special he's going to be.

That does suggest hes been told to play risky shots, and if he goes out cheaply its ok as his spot is guaranteed for the foreseeable future. No pressure, can play with gay abandon

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Warner could pick his moment and play 'proper' cricket shots when he wanted to.

Compare Konstas today to Ussie, Head and Webster - calculated shot making when it was on offer, but most of the 'aggression' came from quick singles, hitting the gaps, turning ones into twos etc.

The difference between being assertive and being a brain dead moron....

Warner early on had NFI how to play a "proper cricket shot"
If he wasn't best mates with the captain, there's no way he held his spot whilst he was learning

 

[Borisdog]

I reckon Kohli has a bit of Maynard about him, in that he wouldn't try to act intimidating in the face of say a Beau Webster.

He will be licking his lips at the idea of fronting up to Duckett though.

Duckett looks an angry little blighter.

I'd reckon he'd tear Kohli's head off and poo down the hole it left.

Kohli's as hard as a marshmallow.

 

[Lunchtime]

The WTC needs to a three match series in my view I'm not sure how you'd schedule it or why Lords needs to be involved tbh.

I think a one-off match isn't enough. 2 matches and a third match if required.

The World Test Championship concept is a good one but it does need to be tinkered with I think. Some changes need to happen.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

I feel for McSweeney.

He was crucified by the selectors opting to play him as an opener.

Imo, he should've replaced Labs.

They threw him to the wolves and I hope he has the intestinal fortitude to stay confident and bounce back.

I'd happily bring him back in the next Test tbh.

Imo he showed enough to be first in line for a call up in future tests. Just not as an opener, more suited to 3/4/5 imo. When you can only select 11 players unfortunately it's cutthroat.

 

[240volt]

Huge shoutout to Webster. Must be kept in the squad.


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It’s like having two Green’s in the side.
Very similar in a lot of ways.
Marsh will struggle to get back in.

 

[PhatBoy]

He made a point of difference.

He broke the 'same old same old' we were seeing, and by their own admission, he brought a new vitality and excitement to the veterans.

He clearly rattled the Indians, and had them more focused on 'playing the man' than focusing on the long game.

He played a positive role indeed.

Not sure pissing an opponent off is the same as rattling them. Boland rattled them because they didn’t have an answer to him.

Konstas obviously pissed them off and I don’t doubt that his approach did present some conundra as to ‘how do we actually bowl to him’ after that initial assault in the first innings at Melbourne.

But he lasted:
6.3 overs in the second innings in Melbourne for 8.

11.2 overs in the first innings in Sydney - and they lost 2 other wickets before that. So they were ‘rattled’ so much by him that they took 3-35 by the time they removed him for 23

3.5 overs in the second innings in Sydney for 22. They bowled a bit of garbage to him trying to target his stumps and gave him some freebies through the onside and some of those wides were bafflingly bad but again it took them less than 4 overs for him to fall.

Clearly he really pissed them off. No doubt there.

But I’m not sure after that first innings what direct impact it had on the game itself.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

That does suggest hes been told to play risky shots, and if he goes out cheaply its ok as his spot is guaranteed for the foreseeable future. No pressure, can play with gay abandon

Whether one believes he's "up to it" or not. One thing can't be denied... If he was tasked with throwing the Indians off their game and ruffling a few feathers he's absolutely done his job.

Hopefully we see him working through building an innings etc in future test series.

 

[norway blue]

Last day was T20 like so it could be argued that Sam got us off to a great start off three overs . Sure lost a couple along but Usman the rock. Fantastic test.


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[Cataholic]

Imo he showed enough to be first in line for a call up in future tests. Just not as an opener, more suited to 3/4/5 imo. When you can only select 11 players unfortunately it's cutthroat.

This.

But - and I know this will make sound like a smart **** with hindsight - there was a compelling case to have Konstas open, McSweeney at 3 instead of Labs, and Webster instead of Marsh at the time.

Instantly makes our batting stronger.

The selectors got part way there in the end, but had to begrudgingly overcome some favouritism.

I hope we move toward this sooner than later, and look at someone like Hunt in lieu of Uzzie.

Mind you, we get Greene back at some point so there's another consideration.

Somewhere amongst all that we also need to look at evolving our bowling attack.

Interesting times ahead.