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

[sherb]

I think broadly the that the pitches were a little (and I mean just a little) too spicy, 3 day tests aren't ideal imo. Would like most to at least make the 4th day, but that's just me.

This Sydney pitch was way too much. A 2.5 day test isn't great. If the same were to happen in India the pitch would be ripped to shreds.

2.5 day Tests aren't necessarily a comment on the pitches - they can also be due to the approach and technique of the batsmen.

I didn't think the Sydney pitch was that bad (certainly not as bad as many seem to be making out) to be honest. There was more bounce than normal but apart from that it wasn't too bad. It certainly didn't seam any more than you would expect and it wasn't turning on day 2 or anything like that. A number of the wickets were due to either poor shots or by unnecessary fishing expeditions outside the off stump.

 

[PhatBoy]

And if Bumrah bowls yesterday he might have gone 0/80. Possibly.

Based on all available evidence across the series and his career, do you think that is likely?

 

[Coops93]

Based on all available evidence across the series and his career, do you think that is likely?

In fairness, the way India have ridden the Bumrah train and bowled him into the ground they're fortunate he lasted as long as he did. So him being out for me wasn't actually a big surprise or something to look back on and say "Oh but Bumrah was out".

Several days in the past 2 tests he's looked like he could barely move in the last session fielding yet they kept juicing him up and asking him to save the day. I don't look at his injury as fortunate for us but rather an inevitability.

 

[Jimthegreat]

Yeah let's produce roads where both sides make 500+. Great stuff to watch.

Best pitches are where the first innings par score is 280 to 320. Means if you bowl well, you can them out for lower 200s, bat well, can go 400. In other words, something for both if you can execute well.

 

[Underarm]

Best pitches are where the first innings par score is 280 to 320. Means if you bowl well, you can them out for lower 200s, bat well, can go 400. In other words, something for both if you can execute wewell.

Yep. And Only Melbourne achieved that.

 

[PhatBoy]

In fairness, the way India have ridden the Bumrah train and bowled him into the ground they're fortunate he lasted as long as he did. So him being out for me wasn't actually a big surprise or something to look back on and say "Oh but Bumrah was out".

Several days in the past 2 tests he's looked like he could barely move in the last session fielding yet they kept juicing him up and asking him to save the day. I don't look at his injury as fortunate for us but rather an inevitability.

Indeed, I don’t look at it and say that it was an excuse etc. Teams have players missing regularly and their attack lacked depth.

SA and Australia have 6-7 fast bowlers you could draft in and do a job. India don’t. For a brief period they probably did, not now.

 

[Black Diamond]

Stop your right wing politics on this board.

Rich for you to tell anyone off about politics given your avatar.

 

[The Lobbster]

Indeed, I don’t look at it and say that it was an excuse etc. Teams have players missing regularly and their attack lacked depth.

SA and Australia have 6-7 fast bowlers you could draft in and do a job. India don’t. For a brief period they probably did, not now.

It basically summarises Indias tour. If Bumrah didn’t get early wickets, India were ****ed. If Jaiswal/Reddy didn’t get runs, they were ****ed.

Australia had Cummins, Starc, Boland, Smith, Head and Webster all play match winning moments. You can’t just have a good bowler (even if he is truly great), you need at least one bloke to regularly contribute with the bat.

 

[BStaff17]

On another note TGC poddy has become Captain Serious all of a sudden. Don't want to upset the Indians it seems.

The Live show in Sydney on Thursday night with Punter & special Guest Gilly was a roast of India, Hayden, Darren Lehmann and some other stuff i cant repeat on here.

 

[BStaff17]

Got to give credit to both teams for how this rivalry has developed. It's been a decade or so since there's been a shut out in the series, the away team has won a test each time- we're 8-9 in test wins (including WTC) since 2014. Feels like a real contest with ebbs and flows.

The Ashes has the history, but the English team's complete non-competitiveness in Australia takes a lot of the lustre out of it. During the same time we're 14-7 against England. (draws excluded obviously).

Be nice to win a series in England.

Its mind boggling we havent won since 2001 yet England have a shorter drought beating us in 10/11.

 

[Black Diamond]

2.5 day Tests aren't necessarily a comment on the pitches - they can also be due to the approach and technique of the batsmen.

I didn't think the Sydney pitch was that bad (certainly not as bad as many seem to be making out) to be honest. There was more bounce than normal but apart from that it wasn't too bad. It certainly didn't seam any more than you would expect and it wasn't turning on day 2 or anything like that. A number of the wickets were due to either poor shots or by unnecessary fishing expeditions outside the off stump.

The bounce certainly seemed consistent (not up and down). I think you’re understating the sideways movement though.

 

[sherb]

In fairness, the way India have ridden the Bumrah train and bowled him into the ground they're fortunate he lasted as long as he did. So him being out for me wasn't actually a big surprise or something to look back on and say "Oh but Bumrah was out".

Several days in the past 2 tests he's looked like he could barely move in the last session fielding yet they kept juicing him up and asking him to save the day. I don't look at his injury as fortunate for us but rather an inevitability.

It's interesting this perception, because Cummins (1002 deliveries), Siraj (943) and Starc (920) all bowled extensively in the 5 matches too (Bumrah bowled 908 deliveries).

Yes, I know Bumrah was out of action for essentially one and a half innings of the final Test, but the point is that other bowlers had comparable workloads at least.

In any case, what happened here with Bumrah reminds me of Lillee in the 72 Ashes, where he took 31 wickets, although that was in another league entirely. In five Tests he bowled 1499 deliveries - that's one delivery short of 250 overs, or on average 25 overs in each innings of every Test.

Little surprise that by the end of the tour he was having back niggles, it got worse in the following Australian summer and he broke down completely in the 73 tour of the West Indies. He didn't play again for 18 months.

 

[AJ_2000]

What are we going to do now? No bloody cricket except the 'Go the Bash". Bring on the footy!

 

[grumbleguts]

The best thing about this series is our celebration for winning the series was more understated than India's celebration for avoiding the follow on in Brisbane.

 

[Lebbo73]

Based on all available evidence across the series and his career, do you think that is likely?

Nailed on certainty

 

[grumbleguts]

It's interesting this perception, because Cummins (1002 deliveries), Siraj (943) and Starc (920) all bowled extensively in the 5 matches too (Bumrah bowled 908 deliveries).

Yes, I know Bumrah was out of action for essentially one and a half innings of the final Test, but the point is that other bowlers had comparable workloads at least.

In any case, what happened here with Bumrah reminds me of Lillee in the 72 Ashes, where he took 31 wickets, although that was in another league entirely. In five Tests he bowled 1499 deliveries - that's one delivery short of 250 overs, or on average 25 overs in each innings of every Test.

Little surprise that by the end of the tour he was having back niggles, it got worse in the following Australian summer and he broke down completely in the 73 tour of the West Indies. He didn't play again for 18 months.

Bowling properly puts less stress on your body than what Bumrah does.

 

[PhatBoy]

Bowling properly puts less stress on your body than what Bumrah does.

Probably why he hasn’t missed a test with injury since 2023.

 

[Voice of the G]

Haha! I'm down in Melbourne today. This isn't even remotely heavy.

I can assure this is heavy rain for Melbourne which usually has this annoying drizzle especially during the winter months.lol.

 

[Jimthegreat]

Be nice to win a series in England.

Its mind boggling we havent won since 2001 yet England have a shorter drought beating us in 10/11.

Yes, but I prefer to draw away and retain the Ashes than their 5-0,5-0,4-0,4-0 around that win they had though.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

Rich for you to tell anyone off about politics given your avatar.

What's wrong with my avatar exactly? Take your racism to the srp board.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

And if Bumrah bowls yesterday he might have gone 0/80. Possibly.

possibly, but also incredibly highly unlikely when he avgs 17.......

 

[Mateyman]

Anyone else noticed mates of theirs who aren't usually into cricket getting into it this year? Maybe it's just me but multiple of my mates who usually pay 0 attention to the cricket got into it a decent amount this summer.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

Anyone else noticed mates of theirs who aren't usually into cricket getting into it this year? Maybe it's just me but multiple of my mates who usually pay 0 attention to the cricket got into it a decent amount this summer.

how can you not be into it?

summer and test cricket is like ****in eggs and bacon!

 

[Soggy2112]

Kohli is interesting his average could end up trailing back to a Langer-esque type figure, I mean low to mid 40's is a damn good average at Test level but it certainly doesn't leave you retiring in the air of Tendulkar, Lara, Ponting etc. etc.

At his peak Virat was as good as anyone.

The thing that tarnishes his legacy to me is not so much the diminished average, it’s just how easy it has become to take him out of games. He gets out so consistently fending at balls outside off that he just doesn’t need to play, and has done so for a long time. For a player of his quality to not have fixed that, when all he has to do is let those balls go, is bizarre.

When you compare that to Smith, he got “figured out” by Wagner in 2019, and since then he’s been constantly adjusting to find ways to counteract that approach. His year by year average shows that while he’s never returned to peak levels, he has still found a way to be a consistent high level contributor.

 

[chunkylover]

how can you not be into it?

summer and test cricket is like ****in eggs and bacon!

It happens. Had mates in high school (mid 1990s) that would say cricket sucks, so boring etc. Then you lose contact and run into them 5 - 10 years later and they say gotta admit, crickets pretty good. It’s a bit like wine I think. As you mature you tastes change and you enjoy different things and kicking back with beers on the couch or pub watching cricket on a hot summers day is pretty appealing