SECOND TEST: THE MCG

My prediction is that Pakistan will win the toss, bat, and be 2 for 60 at lunch.

Comments

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

gosh Tony you are a modern day Nostradamus.

[Philsgone]

Will Starc ever pitch the ball up again. 1 yorker an over just doesnt do the damage

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

Tonee,
whatever happened to your famous fans who made comments?

[Big Rammer's mum]

I have been very busy lately.

[m0nty]

I also have been occupied, mostly with work.

[Big Ramifications]

I miss carrot.

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

Test cricket means no work only watching cricket.

[Carrot]

Ha ha - Merry Christmas, Rammers (and all)! Was either performing or between countries over the last few days, but am now in Sussex for my annual pilgrimage of booze, food and nocturnal cricket. Pakistan have done well here - again - it's just a pity that the weather has got in the way.

[Carrot]

What's the story with Voges? I read about his concussion, but he's captaining the Scorchers at the moment so he's obviously fit - what's the official line? Has he been dropped?

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

No point in taking Voges to India.
Far better for young players learn to play there. That is where Chappelli, Redpath and Dougie honed their skills in playing spinners.
Playing him against the Poms would be just as silly given his age.

[Carrot]

Er - yes, but has he been dropped, or not?

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

Dropped after the Tassie debacle. sorry for not realising your intent

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

Surely the Pakis must declare now. some big hits from the fast bowler!

[Tony Tea]

Australia cannot win this Test, they can only save this Test. How well does Australia save Tests? Pakistan will bat until Australia can reeeaaaaly not save this Test.

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

I think for the first time The nein commentators are saying a foreign bowler is fast close to 150 k or better.

[Philsgone]

Smivvy will talk tonight about getting 150 in front and then put the pakis under pressure. Its a long way off from here. Also assume more rain will arrive?

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

Pakis make over 450 and now Australia is 1 for over 200 and the nein team think this is a good wicket.

no it aint. no batsman should get over 200 on a decent cricket wicket. No team should get even near 300 let alone 400.

Trumpism comes to cricket!

[Professor Rosseforp]

Seasonal greetings to all, I have had one of my busiest work years for a while and was relatively unexcited by the cricket on offer.
Have watched patches of the Pakistan tests, and apart from their first test, first innings collapse, they have looked pretty good.
Khawaja has suprised me, as I didn't think he had the makings of a test batsman, but he has has scored well and provided some backbone to the Australian team. Lyon remains an enigma, in that I always thought he was hopeless, even when he surpassed my hero, Ashley Mallett. Now when I have accepted that he might actually be good, he's performing badly.
I heard the radio commentators saying he spends hours before each day's play, examining the pitch, warming up, etc. I would advise a good serving of mashed spuds the night before, a night on the town, a sleep-in, and maybe an late morning slug of a spirituous beverage mixed with tomato juice and worcestershire sauce.

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

Warner hit a ton and good luck to him but please he played and missed more times than I have had hot dinners!

Who is helping Wahab with his run-up? Brett Lee?

[m0nty]

I like the ad where the kids don't pick Brett Lee. There should be a series of them. Except instead of the kid saying they wouldn't pick him due to the pitch, they should just sledge him for being shyte.

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

I am surprised there isn't many articles talking about whether the Paki captain has stayed on too long.

My memory has Aussie captains who stay on to long captained below par. Taylor went from very good to adequate, Waugh went from adequate to average and Border went from average to poor.

I haven't recognised the Paki captain from the one I watched in England!

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

Can I just say hello to all my friends.

A belter is not a good cricket wicket. Handscomb can walk down the pitch when it isn't spinning on the second last day but will he be able to do this in India and will he adjust.

Why do foreign bowlers rarely adjust. how is it the SA bowlers can bowl reverse but the pakis find it hard?

[Carrot]

Steve Smith: modern great or still too early to tell? He's averaging close to sixty and has been on or around that mark for quite awhile. It's a pretty phenomenal record, to be fair.

[Tony Tea]

Smith is currently phenomenal.

[Philsgone]

Maddimson is currently on borrowed time

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

Nah he was merely copying Strauss's wonderful technique to Warne.

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

it is the last day and the ball should be spinning like a top. It ain't because the pitch is woeful

[Carrot]

I love your "cricket by numbers" mentality, Homer - which is to say that I don't - what pitch anywhere in Australia has consistently "spun like a top" in living memory on Day 5, merely because it's Day 5? Let alone a pitch that is essentially about a Day 3.5 pitch on account of all the cricket we've missed due to rain? Australian decks have been spinners' graveyards for everyone except Warne and possibly MacGill for decades. There's no reason to believe that this one should be any different.

[m0nty]

Blame the BOM. They got the long-term forecast wrong, the groundsman prepared a pitch for a different set of conditions.

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

I said it should be spinning like a top. A decent pitch would, I did not say it occurred here

[Philsgone]

Lippy setting it up nicely. His stats vs every touring off spinner in the last 20 years would make interersting reading I would think

[Professor Rosseforp]

I've also been disconcerted by the idea that Australia may have a test player called "Hilton". The only previous Hilton I knew is survived by his widow, now aged 101. If we let in a Hilton, there'll be Clarries and Alberts all over the place.

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

I guess Hilton would be a reserved kinda guy! he must open!

[Big Ramifications]

Anyone still not on board? http://www.cricket.com.au/video/kevin-pietersen-says-kfc-big-bash-league-second-to-none-worlds-best-t20-competition-melbourne-stars/2016-12-30

[Big Ramifications]

These interviews have carry the moral weight of a 'paid piece,' but I like how thick he laid it on, and how genuine it sounded.

[Professor Rosseforp]

"Australia cannot win this Test" -- Tony Tea, above.

[Philsgone]

After starting so accurately. TT fell at the final prediction hurdle

[Tony Tea]

2016 takes another victim: my prediction.

[Philsgone]

My prediction for 2017 - unless we give up our search for a non-existant all rounder in the test team, we are doomed to be average. Our give Ben Stockes an Aussie passport.

[Philsgone]

lets try that again. Or give Ben Stokes an Aussie passport.

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

what happened to the third test tones?

Why is it most O/S teams cannot bowl a decent length in Australia Why would you have three fast/medium fast bowlers in Sydaneee?