I am a big fan of test cricket but over the last ten years or so I have become fairly disappointed with the attitude of some of our test cricketers. I thought that would have changed after that embarrassing cheating at Newlands in South Africa and the appointment of a new captain but that was not to be. It seems the minute we are getting outplayed the ugliness comes out with a few of the players. I think Cummings and Hazelwood and Will Pucovski are both talented and understand sportsmanship but the rest seem lacking. I thought it was a bit rich of Paine, after giving the Indians a mouthful, to come out and warn the Gabba crowd about verbal abuse. I also thought his tactics of bowling short pitched bowling to a number 10 and number 11 batsman was cheap. He would not have been game to do that if the batsmen were Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose or Michael Holding, that is for sure.
I was never a fan of Langer being appointed the coach as I always thought the person to control this team and ensure they play in the right spirit is Jason Gillespie. I watched yesterday as the coach knocked over a bottle of water that came close to spilling onto his laptop. Instead of doing anything he merely got up and walked away whilst some lackey came running over with a paper towel to clean up after him. Sums it up pretty well I think.
I like this Indian team. They are real fighters and if they can't win this test, then I certainly hope they can hang on for a draw and retain the trophy.
-- Edited by DMaxer on Monday 18th of January 2021 10:41:53 AM
We are a cricket household. But I'm not so sure much has changed over the years except for the media. The game and players are scrutinized to with in an inch of their lives. There are cameras and microphones everywhere. Players habits and personal life is 'news'. Remember the bodyline series? No I'm too young but imagine the media field day with that series.
I do think that Australia is to loyal to it's team. India is doing well with new players that are playing for their future. Australia needs to rotate some young blood and expect a few losses in the meantime.
I have mentioned this before and I will say it again here.
I totally object to the fielding side, most of all their bowlers shining one side of the ball.
Of that is not ball-tampering, then can you tell me what is ball-tampering.
OK, I know it has been the practice for decades, but many rules, etc have changed over the years, and it is time that this ball-tampering is eliminated.
I am a true blue Aussie, but I think that India will play for a draw, plus rain again tomorrow morning and storm in the afternoon. So a draw is most likely and India retains the Trophy.
It is classed as maintaining its condition JayDee. It is not altering its condition to make it easier to induce reverse swing. Much the same as washing a golf ball between each hole whilst playing or wiping a lawn bowl in wet weather.
I remember back in the sixties when the West Indies toured here that they rubbed the ball into the pitch at the SCG to enable better grip for their two spin bowlers. No one was concerned, it was done in front of the umpires and everyone thought it to be a brilliant tactic. Times change.
JayDee, shining one side of the cricket ball has been around almost as long as the game itself, both sides do it, so what is the problem.
It is part of the game and probably makes the game a lot more interesting because of it, other wise you would have scoes like 500-600 in each innings(no time for seconf innings) causing more and more draws, BORING.
I think it best you stick with golf
Ian
JayDee, shining one side of the cricket ball has been around almost as long as the game itself, both sides do it, so what is the problem. It is part of the game and probably makes the game a lot more interesting because of it, other wise you would have scoes like 500-600 in each innings(no time for seconf innings) causing more and more draws, BORING. I think it best you stick with golf Ian
Ian,
like I said ""OK, I know it has been the practice for decades""
I agree, for me "I will stick to golf" but I also have the right to put my point of view into the post.
Played this morning, and as usual, the course was the winner once again.
JayDee, shining one side of the cricket ball has been around almost as long as the game itself, both sides do it, so what is the problem. It is part of the game and probably makes the game a lot more interesting because of it, other wise you would have scoes like 500-600 in each innings(no time for seconf innings) causing more and more draws, BORING. I think it best you stick with golf Ian
Ian,
like I said ""OK, I know it has been the practice for decades""
I agree, for me "I will stick to golf" but I also have the right to put my point of view into the post.
Played this morning, and as usual, the course was the winner once again.
Happy Days
Jay&Dee
Ofcourse you have the right to put your point out there, but also, you put it out there and you have to expect incoming.(inswinger without the polish)
I played a lot of cricket in my early years and not a bad bowler if I may say so.
One aspect of the tests that I have never agreed with. If the team batting 2nd in the last innings fail to reach the score of the opposition,
it becomes a draw. In my opinion, if you don't reach the score within the last day of play, you lose. A lot of tests would have been decided instead of a boring draw.
I played a lot of cricket in my early years and not a bad bowler if I may say so.
One aspect of the tests that I have never agreed with. If the team batting 2nd in the last innings fail to reach the score of the opposition,
it becomes a draw. In my opinion, if you don't reach the score within the last day of play, you lose. A lot of tests would have been decided instead of a boring draw.
Dick.
That has some merit Dick, but the bowling side has also failed to take the 10 wickets to end the other sides innings.
How about some of the comments were hear and read from the so-called expert cricket commentators.
All of them on many occasions failed to reach their goals in batting, bowling, and especially fielding.
Drop catches win matches. Perhaps at times, less than 10 runs could lose matches and bowling 20 overs with no wickets can also lose matches.
Now for a large part of my viewing, I mute the sound, similar to what I do re Rugby League TV.
I enjoy watching rather than st times listening.
One of Australian's great leg spinners is a very outspoken commentator. I think he wants to be a selector.
Gone are the days of the great Alan McGilvray.
I quote "It was the voice, of course, which set Alan McGilvray apart from other sports broadcasters. None sounded as rich or resonant as McGilvray, no matter how hard they tried, which in the final analysis was probably the secret of his appeal."
My above comments refer to Sheffield Cricket and of course the 5 days Tests
One of my differentiation of an EXPERT is:-
EX = HAS BEEN
(S)pert.= IS A DRIP.
But the real meaning is
as an aside,
My memory recall is that Dennis Lilly had bowled a number of swingers to Ian Botham.
Botham had played and missed on each occasion.
Finally, Lilly walked up to Botham and said.
Why don't you just hold the bat out there and I will hit it for you.
