Third Test Australia v Pakistan Jan 3-7 1000hrs @ the SCG

[SSwans2011]

How can you not understand the point?

Australia are really good at Test cricket? Wowwww what a bummer. Gonna spend my Summer crying about it and cheering against them instead of doing something that I actually enjoy.

Are you that blind to what sports actually about?

Guess they should start selecting their third best XI to try to make it more of a contest, hey?

 

[Topkent]

Australia are really good at Test cricket? Wowwww what a bummer. Gonna spend my Summer crying about it and cheering against them instead of doing something that I actually enjoy.

Guess they should start selecting their third best XI to try to make it more of a contest, hey?

Now who's sooking lol
We are only good because test crickets standard is ****ing dog shit now.

 

[SSwans2011]

Now who's sooking lol

I enjoyed the cricket this summer

We are only good because test crickets standard is ******* dog s**t now.

Why do you watch then? Surely you've got better things to do if it's so dog shit.

 

[4Seasons]

Woahhhh they drew a 2 test series!!! Only time they've won here in 40 years can't wait to watch so much more of this exciting s**t lol

FMD…then don’t.
I’m amazed by the amount of sad sacks who go out of their way to be miserable.
It was a great series. Yes we won, even better.

 

[Topkent]

FMD…then don’t.
I’m amazed by the amount of sad sacks who go out of their way to be miserable.
It was a great series. Yes we won, even better.

Lol I'd hate to see a bad series in your eyes if you think that's a great series

 

[Topkent]

I enjoyed the cricket this summer

Why do you watch then? Surely you've got better things to do if it's so dog s**t.

If you enjoy Australia pounding minnows into the ground every single summer no matter who plays for us then all power to you.
I'd suggest enjoy it while it lasts cause it won't be around much longer

 

[SSwans2011]

If you enjoy Australia pounding minnows into the ground every single summer no matter who plays for us then all power to you.
I'd suggest enjoy it while it lasts cause it won't be around much longer

And if you hate watching it but do it anyway, all power to you as well, I guess!

 

[Topkent]

And if you hate watching it but do it anyway, all power to you as well, I guess!

I hate watching boring home summers yep. I'll watch the ashes in England because it's actually interesting

 

[PhatBoy]

Now who's sooking lol
We are only good because test crickets standard is ******* dog s**t now.

Is it?

India and SA have just played an incredibly entertaining drawn series.

Australia and England played an incredibly entertaining drawn series.

Australia played a good series against India and lost.

Sri Lanka drew with Australia.

The West Indies beat England.

England went to Pakistan and won 3-0 with the highest run rate ever recorded.

Australia won 1-0 in Pakistan for their first series win in the subcontinent in forever.

Bangladesh drew a series in NZ for their first win away from home against anyone of note.

West Indies chased down 400 in Bangladesh with a guy on debut making 200.

England have chased down a handful of 350-ish totals at 4.5 an over after being in all sorts of strife, played a very entertaining drawn away series with NZ.

England won a great 3-2 series against India.

India were rolled for 36 against Australia a few summers ago and came back and won the series here.

New Zealand won the world test championship 2 years ago, their first meaningful title in any format.

If I didn’t know better I’d almost think test cricket is reasonably interesting of late.

 

[PhatBoy]

If you enjoy Australia pounding minnows into the ground every single summer no matter who plays for us then all power to you.
I'd suggest enjoy it while it lasts cause it won't be around much longer

Again, as you seem to be very keen to ignore, for 15 summers Australia were unbeaten. In 15 summers since, they have been beaten, on average, every 3 years.

 

[Topkent]

Again, as you seem to be very keen to ignore, for 15 summers Australia were unbeaten. In 15 summers since, they have been beaten, on average, every 3 years.

If you think I'm stupid enough to get in a conversation with you you're kidding yourself lol. India and england are minnows according to you now

 

[PhatBoy]

If you think I'm stupid enough to get in a conversation with you you're kidding yourself lol. India and england are minnows according to you now

Based on what?

At some point are you going to address any fact presented to you?

15 years undefeated vs 15 years 5 defeats.

What’s more boring and predictable

It shouldn’t be a difficult question to answer

 

[DaRick]

I don't think it's that complicated Bancroft still has same obvious technical issue which selectors worry will be exposed quickly at test level and he is a very slow scorer in a top 4 of slow scorers.

I'm fine with him getting one more shot but the concerns over him are legitimate concerns.

Bancroft/Harris/Renshaw have clear technical flaws which arguably haven't been properly addressed.

Unless you take a fourth/fifth option and parachute in Burns or Green, then you must also consider intangible factors.

Bancroft's fielding IMO should give him the edge if Harris/Renshaw are the alternatives. Should.

 

[JimmyBC]

Smith opening is a road to nowhere.

 

[DaRick]

Smith opening is a road to nowhere.

A very English move which fails to consider Smith's issues with the moving ball.

 

[James Colorado]

Seems to me that CA has gone cold on the three earlier opening candidates if they are looking at shoehorning in the likes of Marnus, the bison, Trav and now Smudge, the only one of the four to actually put up his hand. I reckon the maestro sees opening as a new challenge. Crash Craddock puts up a strong argument for him with telling stats, on News Corp website.

I did read Craddock's article, and while he makes a very good case based upon stats, my concern is it's all related to the form of Smith as a much younger cricketer. While he hardly flounders against fast bowling, opening isn't really a position you can move to if there's any hint of a decline in eyesight or hand-eye coordination, which does give me pause given Smith's last year or two. The point that Craddock does raise, which is more of an intangible, is that Smith may need to find a new challenge to keep him interested, the implication being that Smith's current form slump (in relative terms, ofc) may be more of a mental thing than a physical.

 

[Tandy]

Always think I'm in the Bay when reading this thread.

 

[The Casey Cat]

If you think I'm stupid enough to get in a conversation with you you're kidding yourself lol. India and england are minnows according to you now

Because he brings facts to it that don't fit your sore, pathetic 'Australia won and I don't like it' carry on. Phat doesn't particularly want Australia to win either. But doesn't post sore, ignorant horse shit when it doesn't happen. If there's someone who's proved themselves unworthy of having a conversation with it's you.

 

[PhatBoy]

Because he brings facts to it that don't fit your sore, pathetic 'Australia won and I don't like it' carry on. Phat doesn't particularly want Australia to win either. But doesn't post sore, ignorant horse s**t when it doesn't happen. If there's someone who's proved themselves unworthy of having a conversation with it's you.

Thank you.

There’s no one that wants to see competitive cricket here each summer more than I do and it disappoints me if there isn’t, and yeah there were moments in the series where things went south for Pakistan quickly and the games got beyond them but the fact is they put themselves in positions where they could have conceivably won them which for starters doesn’t always happen when teams tour here or other places for that matter. I would rather watch that than what we have seen on other occasions through the years at various times

 

[The Casey Cat]

Thank you.

There’s no one that wants to see competitive cricket here each summer more than I do and it disappoints me if there isn’t, and yeah there were moments in the series where things went south for Pakistan quickly and the games got beyond them but the fact is they put themselves in positions where they could have conceivably won them which for starters doesn’t always happen when teams tour here or other places for that matter. I would rather watch that than what we have seen on other occasions through the years at various times

Yep. Was way better than expected. Australia didn't score 500. Scored more than 400 once. Won a test by 79 runs where Pakistan 5 down with 100 to get and won another where they trailed first innings and at one point Pakistan were 2 down and 65 ahead. I can't think of many (if any) home series Australia have won in the last 35 years that have been that close.

 

[PhatBoy]

Yep. Was way better than expected. Australia didn't score 500. Scored more than 400 once. Won a test by 79 runs where Pakistan 5 down with 100 to get and won another where they trailed first innings and at one point Pakistan were 2 down and 65 ahead. I can't think of many (if any) home series Australia have wonin the last 35 years that have been that close.

Ironically some of the Pakistan series Maybe, and the SA tour in 97-98 are the only ones really that come to mind: SA did get flogged in Sydney admittedly but in Melbourne Kallis batted them to a draw 7-down in a relatively low scoring game (Australia made 300 in the highest score of the match) - it was Kallis’ first century I think.
In Adelaide I think Gary Kirsten made a big hundred and Mark Waugh got Australia to safety 7-down when he knocked the bails off after being hit in the arm, SA had much the better of that game. It was a good series - Hansie put a stump through the umpires’ door afterwards remember?

 

[JimmyBC]

Speaking of scoring 500 in an innings I'd like to see stats on whether it's decreased across the board since the early 2000's, I suspect it has though I'm just going on the vibe.

 

[Soggy2112]

Now who's sooking lol
We are only good because test crickets standard is ******* dog s**t now.

The struggles of some nations in Test cricket does contribute to our winning. However this team is also very good, as proven by the fact that this core group of players (particularly the pace bowlers) has also won a World Cup in both white ball formats.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Bancroft/Harris/Renshaw have clear technical flaws which arguably haven't been properly addressed.

Unless you take a fourth/fifth option and parachute in Burns or Green, then you must also consider intangible factors.

Bancroft's fielding IMO should give him the edge if Harris/Renshaw are the alternatives. Should.

If we’re including things other than runs scored, surely run rates need to be included;

Harris - 52.8
Bancroft - 42.9
Renshaw - 48.5

FC strike rates.

Head - 64
Marsh - 55.5

Test strike rates

Love or hate Warner, one thing he did give us was a good scoring rate at the top of the order. I think it will need to be replaced in some form. Not a huge variation between Harris/Bancroft/Renshaw although Bancroft is the slowest of the 3, the two middle order options have them all covered. I imagine this will be something the selectors consider.

 

[Topkent]

Because he brings facts to it that don't fit your sore, pathetic 'Australia won and I don't like it' carry on. Phat doesn't particularly want Australia to win either. But doesn't post sore, ignorant horse s**t when it doesn't happen. If there's someone who's proved themselves unworthy of having a conversation with it's you.

Except he didn't
He said wed lost series, yeah to India and england so **** all to do with the minnows. It was completely irrelevant