INDIA v. AUSTRALIA FIFTY/50

Bugger me if I didn't just turn on the telling vision to discover the India Australia one day series had already started. Australia have already batted. The commentators have already drooled over Tendulkar. Studsy Johnson has already rolled his ankle. The H&R Block Paper Man ad has already put in an appearance.

Comments

[Tony]

TLM gawn. Top tactics to get him driving on the up through the off side. That's about the fourth or fifth time he has diced with the off-side fielders in the ring.

In fact, good commentators would have spotted that earlier, rather can collectively rave about his off side shots and ignore that TLM was chasing wide ones.

[Tony]

Come on, Kaspers. You can't make a comparison about Mitchell Johnson in South Africa v. Mitchell Johnson in the Ashes and not mention the comparative lack of life in the England wickets.

[Tony]

Can I just say this: Ritz is turning into a pretty good spinner.

[Tony]

Marsh, ya goose. When they hit it straight down your throat you're supposed to swallow it.

[Tony]

If it's a deliberate tactic to bowl at leg stump to Rollerboy it's not working.

[Tony]

If it's a deliberate tactic to bowl full tosses it's not working.

[Tony]

This full toss business is a complete and utter fiasco. What's Paper Cut doing on, anyway? Where's Lee?

[Throbber]

Paper cut is bowling the biggest load of drivel ever.

[Adsy]

I don't like all the blue numbers coming up on the Cricinfo feed.

[Tony]

Agree. Lee must be injured.

[Tony]

The ball that bowled Rollerboy was the first ball for ages that wasn't a juicy full toss or a piece of pie aimed (or otherwise) at the pads.

[Throbber]

Phew.

[Tony]

* wipes brow *

[Adsy]

Now if we could have that game and somehow get rid of Overs 20-40 where they just plodded around we'd have a real concept on our hands...

[Tony]

Nick McArdle asks the question we've been asking here of years: Why have we got no idea how to bowl to tail-enders?

[Tony]

Ads

Thirty/30?

[Adsy]

Brilliant.

Get a patent lawyer to this blog, stat.

[m0nty]

I, for one, applaud this new tactic of underbowling Slot, even when other bowlers get injured. Having said that, Slot did have an outstanding Champions League final.

Ritz is becoming a good bowler, but only in limited overs comps. I have yet to see him become a genuine attacking option in Tests.

We should never have let it get that close, really. You look at the Indian middle order and there's no one there apart from MSD. Then again, this might be the series when it becomes clear that the IPL/ICL/T20CL has trained up a crop of new Indian stars a treat.

[Tony]

Monty

There's no way Paper Cut should have bowled the second last over. He bowled overs 42, 44 and 46 and was looking cooked. He was even lucky to get the 46th over. His last over was your classic "one too many".

Lee, with 26 off 6, was the logical replacement. That said, he is Lee, and has been known, on the odd occasion, to serve up tripe.

Then again, maybe the Aussies are sticking to their experiments; in this case looking for someone else to handle the closing overs.

[Tony]

On the up side: it was the rubbish shot Rollerboy got out to that lost India the game. Eight off five is close to a doddle, but he blew it.

[Tony]

Hey, Crooky! How did you turn "Australia fall over line" into "Australia hold nerve in thriller"?

[Adsy]

Interesting to note Hopes does something to his leg and only bowls two overs, Johnson rolls his ankle but is okay to bowl, Lee does something possibly and only bowls six and we still scrape through. May not have done so previously?

Meanwhile Punter goes with the part time dobbers of Voges instead of the used-to-be-full time straight breaks of Cameron White. Has he hung up the bowling spikes for good?

[Lula]

You can only hope that White never gets thrown the ball even in extremis. I can't watch him bowling. It makes me grind my teeth, wince and get colic all at once.

Has Watson bowled a worse over at international level? I can't remember if he has. Shite doesn't even begin to describe it.

Very brave of Punter to 'stick with his plan'. Or at least that is what I assume he was doing. It's an effing mystery otherwise, but well done Psiddle for remembering that you are an international bowler now, even if Watson can't even remember his own name.

[Hangover Black]

In a bit of cross-blog promotion, Shane Watsonia (WA smallgoods manufacturer) Watson produced possibly the wurst tripe filled over since Mick Lewis graced the team.

Siddle on the other hand was a real bacon saver.

[Tony]

I had colic on grand final day last year. Flippin' agony.

Paper Cut bowled an offal couple of overs, but Pete was a sausage Siddle.

[Tony]

What do you mean: "that was terrible"?

[Tony]

Hopes is out for at least the next match, while The Slot Lee & Studsy are doubtful. If the selectors are serious about player burnout and workload they won't risk the latter two.

Who's over in India? Is Doug The Rug Bollinger there? Boiled Owl McDonald? If the pitch suits, construction magnate John Holland should get a run. Any chance for Moses Henriques? He's got unfinished business after his auspicious T20 debut last summer.

Soon, the only person not injured will be the Paper Cut of Steel!

[Hangover Black]

Was thinking the same thing re the bowling stocks. Very thin. If not the Rug, then maybe Clark might be worth a run.

[Yobbo]

Hauritz has always been a good 1-day spinner in the sense that he keeps it tight and is hard to score than 4 an over from. Crap spinners and slowies have always been good in 1-dayers if they know where to bowl. Botha and Jayasuriya are other examples.

How that translates into test selection though is beyond me though. Might as well play Dave Warner in the test side too.

[Hangover Black]

From the Oz: "The touring party is heavy on quick bowlers, with Doug Bollinger and Ben Hilfenhaus waiting in the wings alongside spinner Jon Holland and batsman Shaun Marsh."

No need to call the cavalry just yet.

[Tony]

Hopefully, before it gets down to Marsh, you send out skirmishers.

Cavalry fact! General Custer once went hunting and shot his own horse in the head.

[Hangover Black]

Seems the selectors don't agree with my reading of the situation, and have indeed called up a reservist. As correctly predicted by our host, Henriques has been given a shot : http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26266937-2722,00.html

[Adsy]

Wasn't the call pre-series to play two spinners/spini? Perfect opportunity in a meaningless series to do so, especially after we are one up with our quicks falling all over the place. Lets save our blokes for the summer and bowl Bollinger, Hilfenhaus, Hauritz, Holland, and Watson with Voges covering spin and Henriques covering Paper Cut if he bowls like the first game.

Watson
Paine
Ponting
White
Hussey
Henriques
Voges
Hauritz
Hilfenhaus
Bollinger
Holland

Rest and/or injury forces out Siddle, Johnson, Hopes & Lee. Play this side for two/three games, allow the others to fully recover and then we bring our "A" side back for the last 3 or so games. Benefits the quicks, gives young or fringe players experience in the subcontinent and confidence of two or three straight games. They do it in footy, why not in cricket?

[Tony]

We've been doing it for years. It's only recently that we've been doing it overseas. A more severe turnover of players forced by the key retirements and the increasingly cramped cricket calendar has exacerbated the tactic.

[Tony]

Home now. India 4/246 off 40.

Anything happened? Dropped catches? Crowd riot? Rollerboy sledge madness?

[Tony]

So here's what's happened since I've been watching: India have scored about 90 in 7 overs and Straya don't look even remotely like being able to stop them slogging virtually every ball for runs.

[Vindicate]

Cracking track with pies being served up.

[Tony]

Hey! Siddle bowled a yorker!

[Tony]

A Hitler mask in the crowd!

[Tony]

And now Ponting completely stuffs up a sky-ball.

[Tony]

"The moon was in my eyes."

[Tony]

If McCauley Paine could bat a bit better Klutz Haddin would be no chance to get his spot back.

[Tony]

I wouldn't be surprised if Dhoni Kebab's left arm is a spindly stick, while his right arm is a muscle-laden monster limb.

Olive Oyl on the left; Popeye on the right.

[Hangover Black]

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Here is something the Hun prepared earlier:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/the-other-side/arm-wrestler-matthias-schlitte-has-popeye-potential-in-right-forearm/story-e6frfhk6-1225788283695

[Tony]

Calling Sly Stallone in Cobra. What better than a Hollywood film about the noble art of professional arm wresting to best capture the vicissitudes of human condition.

(First comment from Pobhockle: "I believe Stallone did this. That's how emotional his films are.")

The bloke I had in mind was Guillermo Vilas, who was reputed to have a massive left arm.

[Bruce]

How many match overs has Brett Lee bowled in this comeback? He's on his way home after breaking down again. I don't think his elbow will ever be fully right again.

I would think he's bowled less than 100 overs in this return. This number may not stand up to much scrutiny but that's less than 3 test matches worth of bowling. The schedule he's played lately gave him plenty of rest between shorter stints with the ball so it probably extended his run.

I think vindicates the decision not to play him in the Ashes. I consider likely he would have broken down sometime during the second test he played.

[Vindicate]

I did what now?

Either way, gunna be a tough slog from here. Be interesting to see how Manou shapes up behind the stumps - better than seeing Braddin back anyway, who had the potential to turn the remainder of the series into a byefest.

[Tony]

Not only can't Chris Rogers win a gig for Straya, he was the only Victorian (excluding the keeper) not to get a bowl in the second dig on the road that is the track at the SACA.

[Tony]

Has there even been an Aussie opener who threatens to get out elbee more than the Paper Cut of Steel?

[Tony]

This one-day series has been nigh-on drama free, so I think it's time to fire up the burners: the umpiring has been pretty dam good, so far.

[Tony]

How come "famously reclusive" Damien Martyn is not giving his special comments via SMS?

[Tony]

Kaspers must be lonely as the only commentator in the box who doesn't barrack for India; what with Sunny, Shiv, Ravi and Bruce Yardley cheering for the home team.

[Tony]

Now come on! Who gets four run-outs against India? Has an Indian fielder ever hit the stumps from the boundary?

[nick]

and a stumping!

Good to see our superior fielding (certainly catching injuries very well) is proving decisive.

[RT]

Managed to watch a fair chunk of the Indian innings last night. Started with Studley getting smacked by Sehwag at one end, Siddle bowling tight to TLM at the other. The batsmen didn't rotate, so felt a tad sorry for the Stud. Then Bolly comes in and changes the game. Not so much getting the slogger out with a regulation slog to mid off but had him playing and missing at a couple before that, set him up nicely. Be good for Bolly to back it up but even if there are to be no immediate casualties from the Ashes, Studley has to be in the thin ice category for a test spot. He just doesn't react well to getting a pasting.

Ritz is turning into a very solid OD bowler, is a more than adequate fielder and a handy bat. TLM got a very dodgy LB however.

OD cricket vs India is about the only time Oz OD cricket is worth watching. Turning into a great rivalry.

Watched a bit of this Walter dude from Qld in the FRC. Looks impressive. Obviously has to bed in properly to the Shield stuff and do the biz away from the Gabba but our left arm fast medium stocks have gone from bare to fairly healthy in a couple of seasons. I've been told to watch out for a left armer called Starc from NSW too.

[Tony]

I copied the following figures down after the sixth over, just before I went to bed in disgust.

MG Johnson	3	0	34	0	11.33	(2w)	
PM Siddle	3	2	6	0	2.00		
DE Bollinger	0.1	0	0	0	0.00

[Vindicate]

It didn't get any prettier later on either Tone, even when they were 7 down and we were containing em with some tidy bowling from Ritz and Douggy - Studs came on for two overs of pies to Rollerboy to get the crowd cheering again.
Paper Cut saved the day however, which is ironic seeing as he was the villain in the death overs not so long ago.

[Tony]

Sizzler's on the way home, too, now. This truly is an arse-horribilis for injuries. In the current circs, Watto truly is The New Paper Cut of Steel.

[Adsy]

Play. The. Kids.

I don't care if we get smashed in these next few games. That's the state of 50/50 at the moment unfortunately.

[Adsy]

By the way, we have won the last four major 50/50 tourneys if my memory serves me correct (2x Champions Trophies & 2x World Cups) and last night we were still in danger of being dethroned of the top one day ladder.

Are these rankings the red headed stepchild of the ATP ones? The ones where Safina hardly won a tournament all year, no grand slams and was ranked number one? Shouldn't major tournaments mean much more points wise than meaningless one dayers like this? I think the FedEx Cup golf had similar issues this year didn't it?

[nick]

But Adsy, that's because every 50/50 game must be meaningful...

Too much 50/50 cricket - more injuries, less interest.

Will we have 11 fit players for the Aus season?

[Russ]

I doubt any of these "injuries" are serious. Little niggles every player gets from time to time. The difference is, neither the players nor the management care enough about this series to want to them play through soreness.

Adsy, all these meaningless games add up, ranking wise, and Australia haven't exactly been brilliant in the past year. Bring on the domestic league structure I say. Four months a year of internationals is more than enough.

[Big Ramifications]

Little niggles...

Let's not be racist, now Russ.

///leave that to the Indians

[Russ]

Damn you biggy, you made me look up niggle in a dictionary to make sure I hadn't inadvertently used it incorrectly. Turns out I had, "little" is redundant.

[Tony]

Pretty much everything out of the mouths of the Aussies during this tour (also during the seven match series in England, and even the Champs Trophy, which we won almost by accident) has the same ring to it: "It's a great learning experience for the young players." Eventually the has to be a tipping point where the public start to ignore international limited overs cricket like footy fans largely ignore the NAB Cup.

[Tony]

And. By the way. For what it's worth.

I saw the Tendulkar elbee and in normal speed it looked out. Granted it was probably sliding down leg, but it wasn't a howler. Hawk had it missing leg by about 18 feet, which exacerbated the error. Yet another instance of Hawk getting it wrong for balls angled in towards leg.

[nick]

http://www.cricinfo.com/indvaus2009/content/current/story/432891.html

I see we now have Cockley's chance of winning this series.

[Tony]

A Cockley implant.

[Vindicate]

Adsy says play the kids, guess we don't have a choice now.

Still, be interesting to see what Punter can do with the unknown quantities that are the new lads - amazingly paper cut is still going. And with that massive mozz, watch him break down in the first over tonight.

[Tony]

I've been mozzing PC since last week and he hasn't broken down... yet.

[Nick]

What a game to go to bed early...
Still another day, another 700 run odi...

[RT]

Watched the midnight to 2.30am shift. Cracking catch by Voges to get rid of Dhoni. Then White immediately drops Raina who starts hitting 6's. Went to sleep thinking TLM would be the hero. McKay looks a decent type and better value than Studley at the moment. TLM can get 90 of 70 balls and hardly look like he's tonking it. Paper Cut comes good at the death. What a Gladiator?!

[Tony]

Awards presenter: "697 runs - it doesn't get any better than that."

Depends what you mean by better, but, you know...

[Tony]

TLM's 175 is the third highest Fifty/50 score in a losing side after our very own Reverend FTB Haydos and Zimbabwe's Gordon Coventry. Or Syd. Charles, then. Coventry's innings was only a couple of months ago. How come I can't remember a Zimbabwe Bangladesh game?

Most runs in a match on the losing side.

[Adsy]

How the hell do you score 194 not out... and lose?

[Tony]

Having said this:

Bruce Yardley gives me GBH of the earhole.

can I just say this:

I'm sick of the radio voices saying they went to bed after Australia's innings, thinking we had it in the bag.

This statement displays a fundamental lack of understanding of the caper. Australia's patchwork attack, up against a dangerous batting line-up, on their own turf, on a road. Hello, Wanderers. Have they never heard the maxim: judge the situation after both sides have batted?

Despite the costly drops (did the Indian bungles cost more than our bungles?), India were a very real chance. At around 6/300 they should have strolled it, but instead they they pulled off a gag of Shark G.W. or even South African proportions.

Should Australia win this series India will be kicking themselves. Or slapping each other. Or the burgeoning middle class will rise up and slap them.

India's three losses have been decided by their own gag-worthy lack of poise. Rollerboy & Kumar at No.10 slogged them into a winning pozzy in game one, only for Rollerboy to try and win the match with one shot. In game four India forgot to keep wickets in the bank and blew a cruise. Last night.

It leaves me wondering.

England didn't bother coming at Australia, played passive cricket, and were hammered 1-6. Australia somehow, without anything exceptional, won the Champs Trophy. Now, with a third XI on the paddock we are leading India, in India, 3-2.

What's going on?

[Hangover Black]

Two words for you. The Huss.

The bowling attack has been the area most beset by injury - the batting is relatively untouched. Voges out for Clarke might be the only change to last night's batting lineup. And the batting has generally fired, with an in form Hussey the mainstay. The scores put up by the bats have been defendable, even with our weakened (and some may say out of form (Mitch))attack. Equally the team has done very well keeping their heads while the Indians lose theirs. Pretty good signs, I'd say.

[Tony]

Bloody hell. Who turned the cricket on early? They started at 8:30 in the morning! With India currently 5/61 off 25, will we get rolled chasing 150-odd on a minefield? Has Bruce Yardley called him Cliff McKay yet?

[Tony]

If Straya lose this they can blame their catching.

White puts one down in slips. Doug the Rug drops one at mid on. Voges drops the easiest catch an Aussie has dropped since Bob Holland. Was his catch on Thursday a fluke?

[Tony]

According to the tone of the commentary, India are home. Virtually no mention that the pitch has flattened out since the breakfast start.

[Tony]

Kaspers has played a lot of cricket, right. So, how come he is surprised that India recovered from 5-30 to all out 170? That kind of situation is almost standard for F50 matches. Take yesterday as an example: the Vics were 5/149 off 29 overs chasing 300, but made 6/301 to win.

Top order chaos followed by a recovery? Run. Of. The. Mill.

[Vindicate]

If we win this and take the series I'm putting me house on the Indians to win the last game, dead rubbers n all that.

[Russ]

Tony, that's because no matter the situation, odi captains always pull their good bowlers to "get through the part-timers" (or in this case, Hauritz and McKay). If you did it in a test match they'd think you were mad, but finishing an innings with overs in the bank for Studs is somehow astute in a f50 game.

[RT]

Ray Bright could've got spin out of this pitch.

[pat]

Oz in a canter for an impressive series win. Hope it translates to success in the Tests.

[Tony]

Vin: Cut me in for some of that.

Russ: Yep. Agree. When Australia were 3 for about 100 the circs screamed out for India to close up the field, but they let it drift. I don't think India have a very good bowling side at the moment. Ponting made a good move when he brought on Doug the Rug when India were 5 for 80 odd. Got two, one lucky, and we were away. Would have won by a street if we'd held our catches.

Rich: Heard on SEN the other day that Construction Magnate Jon Holland is the "best left arm spinner since, well, Ray Bright."

Pat! Pity it's not against the Poms. I'm gagging for pay-back already.

The Indomitable Paper Cut of Steel (opening bat, close-out bowler, all-round ice-man) for the player of the series?

Or Hussey? HB is right about his ability to put the cherry on top of any innings, and today he closed the game out nicely. McArdle, AB and Stuey C. had a long discussion about Hussey's place in the side. AB was adamant that you think long and hard before you consider dropping Hussey.

[Bruce]

I can't believe it.

The boys are playing some pretty good cricket. An opposing captain gets the pitch wrong after winning the toss. Punter makes an astute move in bringing the Champagne back on. Papercut is unstoppable. Shameless is piling on the runs.

I may have to rethink my position on the coming summer.

And did I hear right that Murali is no longer turning out for the Vics?

[Intemperate S. Warrior]

Hello, monkeys.

When I said 5-2, I meant Australia would win 5-2.

Roll on.

[Vindicate]

So Roller predicts a washout? Pity, I'd have liked to see the newly-capped ones getting a trundle - actually it's a moot point as I'll be working most of the time the match is on, and ABC radio doesn't cover 50/50 dagnabbit!