Australia vs India, 4th test at the SCG, Jan 3rd - 7th

[Cupid Stunt]

Couldn't squeeze a couple more marshes in there warney?

He has beautiful handwriting I must say though!

 

[RookiePick]

Comprehensive demolition job by India.

Aussie bowlers are broken...and the poor bastards will be back on the job by tea tomorrow most likely.

 

[Gough]

Doesn't make any sense to me why the commentators or India would contemplate declaring right now rather than just tell the batsman to go the full tonk.

491 is (probably) not going to be enough to bowl Australia out twice on this pitch. India will be able to make the runs much quicker now than at the beginning of the 2nd innings with two set attacking batsman. May as well pile on the runs now with reckless abandon and declare when you lose their wickets. It will actually save time.

We have a weird obsession with declarations, the channel 9 boys endlessly crapped on about it as well.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

If the series was tight, no doubt you'd bat till about 20 mins before stumps. In the context of this series, India have more than enough and won't lose from here. Psychologically declaring now would say "We don't rate you so we'll give you a whole session. You've picked Lasagne at 3 ffs"

Kohli's priorities:
1. Win the series - already done
2. Grind Australia's noses into the dirt as much as possible
3. Win the Test.

I'll be very surprised if Australia bat before they've taken 10 Indian wickets.

 

[matty lloyd the champ]

Would Pant make our team?

Paine's been better this series. They've probably made similar amount of runs begore this innings but Pant comes in when India are about 5 for 300 whilst Paine comes in at about 5 for 100.

 

[Tassieboy]

There's very few Indian batsmen who wouldn't make our team? I'd take Cummins over Shami. That's probably it. Lyon stiff.

 

[corbies]

You tell me, why did the average drop in one year? We know it’s not because of bowler friendly pitches as they don’t exist. Bad year of batting maybe?

A few reasons:

1. There has been a shift towards bowler friendly pitches. A lot of the test matches played in 2018 were played on bowler friendly pitches (Australia v SA, India v SA, India v England, NZ v England) have been played on very bowler friendly wickets. As much as you don't want to admit it they have been. It hasn't meant batting first hasn't been an advantage just the pitches have had a fair amount of life in them.
2. Quality of bowlers - I know every cricketer is worse now then back in the good ol' days but we are actually in an era of some real quality bowling attacks. Arguably all of Australia, NZ, England, India and South Africa have some of the best bowling line-ups they've ever had. Even Yasir Shah in the UAE is as dominant a bowler in home conditions as there has been and someone like Jason Holder from the Windies has had an incredible bowling year.
3. Statistical Anomoly - Sometimes you just get matches where ball dominates bat for no reason whatsoever. We've just had a few of those grouped into one year.

 

[GROTTO]

Bat until middle of Day 3.

They should bat till Day 5 to not give a chance.

 

[GROTTO]

There's very few Indian batsmen who wouldn't make our team? I'd take Cummins over Shami. That's probably it. Lyon stiff.

Rahul is a walking wicket.

 

[Ron The Bear]

bat for 30-45 mins after tea. Have an hour at Australia before stumps.
Australia 2-50 at stumps.

Hoping we don’t attempt to force the pace unless the bowling warrants it. That policy is bringing us unstuck and jeopardising careers.

 

[KennyHuntersBlues]

I agree but people (mainly from a certain part of the country) are carrying on like leaving these guys out is a sporting selection crime of the century.

I mean Glenn Maxwell has had 14 Test innings and made literally ONE score above 50. He should get another imo but it's not like he has never been given a decent opportunity either.

None of those test innings were in Australia on our roads
Given the chance here in a series I would be confident that he would be score better than at least 1 or 2 in this side
People seem to forget the patience and time batted to make his test 100 in India and 250 in the shield last summer
No he hasn’t been given a decent opportunity because he hasn’t played in comfortable home conditions
Unlike many in the current side who have received multiple chances

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Commentators excited about the next session. Obviously told to inject some interest in the Test.

 

[swanssince2002]

Nobody should get riled up over a retweet but I reckon Maxwell has expressed his displeasure over his non-selection. Probably the player that gets screwed up the most by the selectors.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

Apprantly the bowlers got baked last night. Can't of been that much of a bake going off today.

 

[PhatBoy]

Lost the toss in Perth and lost. Only reason we won in Perth was because we won the toss.

No, it was because Harris and Finch put on an excellent opening stand on a fairly bowler friendly pitch which ultimately proved the difference.

 

[PhatBoy]

I witnessed a short mid on and a short mid wicket against Finch, with a stump to stump attack. That’s about it. Maybe a fine third man for Head in Perth in the second innings. Winning the toss has had much more influence in India’s fortunes in these last two tests rather than any execution of team planning.

Yeah absolutely. The slower ball Yorker to Marsh was an accident. Bumrah was trying to bowl a fast bouncer.

 

[jackster83]

The selections for this test reek of the selectors not wanting to admit they got it wrong. So much so that they changed the batting order to accommodate an extra middle order batsman coming in for an opener.

Finch was lucky to play the first three tests before being dropped.
S. Marsh was lucky to get a gig at all after his shocking UAE form (he at least made shield runs though).
M. Marsh being recalled despite poor shield form, then dropped after one test.
Handscomb dropped for poor form/severe technical issues then recalled after one test.
Labuschagne being recalled despite poor recent form largely because of his part time bowling.
In-form guys such as Wade and Burns ignored.
No changes to the bowling attack which has looked increasingly toothless as the series has progressed. Starc should have been dropped after Melbourne.

 

[frankrizzo]

Nobody should get riled up over a retweet but I reckon Maxwell has expressed his displeasure over his non-selection. Probably the player that gets screwed up the most by the selectors.

He had a right to be shitty over the UAE but it was bloody stupid doing that on twitter, you would think by now sports people would get somebody to manage their accounts so they don't stuff themselves up.

 

[bh90210fan]

Yeah absolutely. The slower ball Yorker to Marsh was an accident. Bumrah was trying to bowl a fast bouncer.

That was a spur of the moment suggestion from Sharma, not a coach or captain inspired team tactic.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Apprantly the bowlers got baked last night.

That would explain a lot

 

[Gough]

More Stuey MacGill than Warne in his action which is unusual for an Aussie leggie.

 

[danielnajdek]

No, it was because Harris and Finch put on an excellent opening stand on a fairly bowler friendly pitch which ultimately proved the difference.

Yeah they got that partnership when the pitch was okay. It only got worse after that first session and a bit. India would've had the best of that pitch if they won the toss.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

Pant gets his ton there will be a declaration.

 

[treefingers]

When was the last time Australia lost a home series so embarrassingly?

 

[Gough]

When was the last time Australia lost a home series so embarrassingly?

86/87 Ashes is the worst I can remember.