The Australian cricket non-official thread!

Rarely have I ever been so angry watching a cricket match - the refusal of the ICC to FORCE India (or any country for that matter) to use the DRS technology in its matches represents corruption, pure and simple.

You cannot have three international series running concurrently (Aus vs India, Sri Lanka vs England, Pakistan vs New Zealand) where the board of one of the competing nations can refuse to use a playing condition.

Don't for a second fall in to the "blame India" trap - this rests with the ICC. It is pretty simple - these are the playing conditions and laws of the game....if you don't want to abide by them, enjoy your forfeited results!

Why do umpires like Gunner Gould and Marais Erasmus deserve to be humiliated on the world stage, when their incorrect decisions could have been overturned quickly and correctly?
 
Great win to Australia.

I was at my own cricket in the afternoon, and with India two down at tea, I joked in our drinks break there was NO WAY Australia would take 8 wickets in a session to win.

How glad I am to once again be proven completely and utterly incorrect.
 
Great win to Australia.

I was at my own cricket in the afternoon, and with India two down at tea, I joked in our drinks break there was NO WAY Australia would take 8 wickets in a session to win.

How glad I am to once again be proven completely and utterly incorrect.
Join the club my dear boy - admission is free....and comes with a membership card! :)
 
Really, though. 2 down. One session to play…draw at best.

Hopefully it gets some off Lyon's back too.

Interesting 2nd test looming. You'd have to start to think Smith for captain as generational change, but they'll probably plump for Haddin.

But they have to be thinking about blooding a new keeper soon too. A replacement for Rogers and Clarke.

I don't want to change a winning side, but I'd like to see Siddle get 6 or so wickets at the Gabba or it's time for Hazelwood or Cummins or Starc.

Ah…who knows. I don't, that's for sure. NFI for me. :)
 
If that was to be Michael Clarke's final test, it is our loss.

100+ tests. 8000+ runs. 6th all time Australian run scorer.

I for one will miss his dashing batting, his left arm spin (criminally under utilised in the Ponting era and put away lately due to his back problems) and his uncanny captaincy.

At a time when Ponting was withering on the vine, he took the broken corpse of Australia cricket and Generation-next, and with Lehmann's input, put the heart, soul, joy and fun back in to Australian cricket.

This was a boy who was always destined to be great. He delivered in spades.

His century on debut in India, his century on debut at the Gabba (the only Australian to score tons in his home & away test debuts), his 6/9 against at Mumbai, his last over heroics vs India at the SCG in 2007/08, his 151 (out of 284) at Newlands [quite possibly his best ever test innings], his 329* at the SCG in 2012 (when he declared his innings shut early and could have scored 400+ for sure) just to secure the test win, the 210 the next test in Adelaide, the 259* at the Gabba and 230 at Adelaide vs South Africa (still the only test batsman to score FOUR double tons in a calendar year), his Ashes 5-0, his ton in South Africa earlier in the year, are all legacy enough in my books.

And despite what the wankers say, he has been an ornament to Australian cricket and has carried himself wonderfully well.
 
Steve Smith apparently will be next captain.

I don't have a problem with that at all. I love Haddin, but I think you might see some generational chance in the next month or so. Would be a good time to tweak the side. I think Mitch Marsh has cemented his spot, so Watto and Rogers will be in the firing line too IMO.

But congrats to Smithy. Let's hope he leads us to a series win over India, a World Cup triumph and an Ashes series win in England.
 
Test XI for Brisbane:
Warner, Rogers, Watson, Smith ©, S Marsh, M Marsh, Haddin (wk/vc), Johnson, Hazelwood, Starc, Lyon.
 
I love Siddle. But you can't be one of 4 bowlers in this test side if you don't take wickets especially with Starc, Hazelwood and Cummins all lining up, raring to go, along with Coulter-Nile and Pattinson when they come back from injury.

Siddle has been a marvellous servant. Probably was unlucky to be ill in Adelaide and not bowl at 100% on a batsman's paradise strip. But that said, he has looked tired and timid since mid-Ashes last summer. Whether that has to do with age and/or diet, who knows. I really hope he rests up and gets back in because I want him to get 8 more wickets and crack that magic 200 test wickets mark.
 
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You know my stance on these things.

4 bats, 6 quicks and a wicket-keeper. ;-)

I wonder who will do the donkey work without Siddle? Really, the bowling attack is Johnson, Starc, Hazelwood, M Marsh, Lyon with a little Watson and Smith for good measure. The next batsman who scores a mountain of runs should really add a string to their bow by bowling handily. Surprised Warner never gets a bowl either. Handy spinner.
 
I wonder if Smithy will give himself more of a bowl now that he is skipper? It will be a difficult decision for him I guess, being a part-timer as he is with the leg spinners. I think Watto and Mitch Marsh might get an extended go at the bowling crease, although if the Gabba plays true to form you could see Starc, Johnson and Hazelwood ripping through India.

I like the bowling line-up and hope that Pat Cummins is given a Shield game or two to prove his actual match fitness before the selectors even contemplate him for the Test team.

Peter Siddle - geez I feel sorry for him. He did look "off" in Adelaide and I'm not sure that he will regain his spot to be honest.
 
Finally they dump Siddle!
People may well remember this,Siddle has been a workhorse over the years and you don't take 192 test wickets if you are a dud and also remember no bowler took any wickets in the U.A.E,and he was a little ill in Adelaide,and should have been selected for Brisbane and more so since Harris is not playing,good luck to the new boys who I'm sure will do well
I hope Siddle gets another chance,as I would like to see him get to the 200 club
Go sidds
 
I thought that Siddle's spells to Kevin Pietersen in the last Ashes series were as important as Johnson's firepower and Rhino's new ball bowling. KP has admitted that Siddle got inside his head with the constant pressure. Siddle dismissed him three times in a row during the series as well.
 
This is where you'll find all Victoria's cricketing talent these days:

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:p:lol:
 
Congratulations Australia. Half hour in to the 2nd day and you've got Day 1's 90 overs bowled.

Note to Smithy: stop spitting in to your hands between each delivery and marshall your bowlers.
 
Congratulations Australia. Half hour in to the 2nd day and you've got Day 1's 90 overs bowled.

Note to Smithy: stop spitting in to your hands between each delivery and marshall your bowlers.
As I said earlier in thread,you will only have to suspend the captain for a test and that would soon smarten them up with there over rates,they do it in other forms of cricket so why not tests but having said that I think you have to take in the conditions especially in very warm conditions as they do have a duty of care to the players
 
Note to Smithy: stop spitting in to your hands between each delivery and marshall your bowlers.

Got that disgusting habit from Ricky Ponting....:eek:
As for not getting through overs, yes, a one game holiday for the skipper. Too many conferences, run-up checks, fieldsman fiddling, helmets on/off and so on.
Back in the day there were only drinks breaks on the hour (or 40mins on really hot days) Now they seem to come on every over....
 
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