FIRST TEST: THE GABBA

Welcome to the new summer of cricket. Australia, fresh from retaining the Ashes 2-2 (instead of winning them 4-0), taking on Pakistan in what could be a wild shoot out if the reports of Pakistan's bowling are to be believed. Forget the batting. Smith is the only Aussie worth his spot, and Baba Azam the only Pakistani worth his spot.

Quick game's a good game.

(PS: I was seriously disappointed to have missed meeting the legendary Carrot when he was singing in Melbourne last month, and now he's back in Dodgy Streamland. Hats off to you in absentia.)

Comments

[I am Not Trampis]

Tim Lane does not know the difference between a ball swinging or it seaming.

Should be with nein.

[I am Not Trampis]

Damien
The key to Starc is his right foot.When it points to the wikkie or worse he loses speed and worse his swing.
When it points to first slip it doesn't

[I am Not Trampis]

Pakistan usually back Australia when playing here. Have they backed themselves?

[I am Not Trampis]

Ricky Ponting is very good in commentary.

He is telling me something.
Rarely occurred at Nein

[I am Not Trampis]

It is good to see all my friends here 😂

The Aussoes are well down on pace. Why?

[I am Not Trampis]

even Aussies

[Tony Tea]

Ricky is the best Aussie commentator by a mile.

[I am Not Trampis]

Ed cowan and Dirk Nannes are very good but unlike the BBC we have almost no-one who can call cricket

[Tony Tea]

You mean ball-by-ball?

[I am Not Trampis]

yep that is calling cricket alah Jim Maxwell or better Aggers.
If I can make a sexist comment. I am happy to look at Mel McLaughlin but I do not want to hear her on cricket ( or football for that matter)

[I am Not Trampis]

I was wrong they have backed us.
Those last two shots I see in 4th grade Shires in Sydanee

[2BarRiff]

Pakistan to get a minimum of 300 with at least one of the Shafiq and Rizwan partnership to get a hundred.

[I am Not Trampis]

They won't make 200

[2BarRiff]

At this rate they will

[I am Not Trampis]

The 3rd umpire needs to go to specsavers

[2BarRiff]

I don't like to big up myself, but that reverse mozz was delivered like a Starc yorker.

*Chef's Kiss*

Beautiful.

[Carrot]

Hello all, managed to avoid watching a single ball yesterday - I think that’s the first time done that on the first day of an Australian Test summer since, well - ever. The ‘Gabba Test isn’t on at the greatest time for me though, play starts at 1:30am! I’d followed some of the warm-up matches though, and it looks like some of the Pakistanis can really bat. Highlights packages of yesterday backed that up to a point, there were definitely some attractive strokes on offer, but all out for 240 tells its own story.

Was sad we didn’t manage to meet up too, Tones! But we will be back, there’s another tour planned in 2020. Hopefully we’ll be able to try again then.

[I am Not Trampis]

yep well done.

Hmm a paki 16 yr old. Probably 18 still impressive pace thus far

[2BarRiff]

Good start today and hopefully the reversal of a trend. Good opening partnerships were sorely lacking in England.

[I am Not Trampis]

How could the Pakis omit Abbas. something fishy here

[Smivvys back]

Moral to the story - If we are 300 odd for 2, dont expect Smivvy to make any runs. Save them for a rainier day - like most of the rest of the test matches where we are 2/40.

[Tony Tea]

My prediction up top is wildly off tap.

[Smivvys back]

Looks like the kiwis will be more of a challenge then the Pakis, but that was always going to be the case. The GABBA might not get the crowd, but it should never lose its first- test-ground-status-in-the-Aussie-summer.
Top 3 done good played strong. Ditto the pace attack. Travis Head needs to sort his shit in Adelaide, currently the weakest link. Apart from the captain, who has fingers made of balsa wood by the sound of it.

[Carrot]

So we won by an innings, pats on the back all round. The thing is, I wonder whether it was all a bit of a waste of time and whether certain quarters of CA might actually be a bit frustrated. We already know we can bowl, it’s been our strongest suit for years, but this thing we have where we can only bat at home is just so annoying. It’s all very well racking up 500+ against a popgun attack, but we need to be actually challenged to improve and become a decent side, as opposed to playing like India in the nineties and noughties. To a point, we’d rather NOT produce one-sided results like this, it’s far better to grind out good wins, struggle a bit and actually learn something.

PS, can we have a think about the use of the word “Pakis”. It’s tantamount to “nigger” in various parts of the world. I know Australia isn’t necessarily one of those, but as much as I try to ignore it, it really does makes me wince when I read it.

[Sturdy]

Well. They have been winning most of the matches at Gabba lately. Pakistan needed to get more runs on the board, but Aussies simply outplayed Pak. Three cheers to Aussie teams.

[Smivvys back]

India NZ and us - the 3 home teams - all had innings victories. Being on the road is hard. Fair point Carrot. from now on its Pakistan.

[Carrot]

So as not to be completely humourless about it, I have actually used “Stornis” quite regularly here in the past. As in a shortened version of “Pakistanis” with a Tony Greig accent.

[BBL Ladder]

Historic Brisbane cricket ground is commonly known as the Gabba located in Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland Australia, to stop the nickname Gabba derives from Woolloongabba, where it found precisely. Present Brisbane cricket ground is home run for Queensland balls in domestic cricket and Brisbane Heat in Big Bash League. Gabba is also home ground to Brisbane Heat Team in women’s Big Bash League and the Brisbane Lions of the Australian Football League.

Brisbane Cricket Ground