AGB Cricket

SICK LIST

On the upside: against India we twice scored over 300.

Country	Total	City	Date
India	212	Perth	16-Jan-08
West Indies	167	Kingston	22-May-08
West Indies	251	Bridgetown	12-Jun-08
India	268	Mohali	17-Oct-08
India	195	Mohali	17-Oct-08
India	209	Nagpur	6-Nov-08
New Zealand	214	Brisbane	20-Nov-08
New Zealand	268	Brisbane	20-Nov-08
South Africa	247	Melbourne	26-Dec-08
South Africa	207	Johannesburg	26-Feb-09
South Africa	209	Cape Town	19-Mar-09
England	215	Lord's	16-Jul-09
England	263	Birmingham	30-Jul-09
England	160	The Oval	20-Aug-09
West Indies	150	Perth	16-Dec-09
Pakistan	127	Sydney	3-Jan-10
New Zealand	231	Hamilton	27-Mar-10
Pakistan	253	Lord's	13-Jul-10
Pakistan	88	Leeds	21-Jul-10
India	192	Mohali	1-Oct-10
India	223	Bangalore	9-Oct-10
England	245	Adelaide	3-Dec-10
England	268	Perth	16-Dec-10
England	98	Melbourne	26-Dec-10
England	258	Melbourne	28-Dec-10
England	280	Sydney	3-Jan-11
England	281	Sydney	6-Jan-11
Sri Lanka	273	Galle	31-Aug-11
Sri Lanka	210	Galle	2-Aug-11
South Africa	284	Cape Town	9-Nov-11
South Africa	47	Cape Town	10-Nov-11
South Africa	296	Johannesburg	18-Nov-11
New Zealand	137	Hobart	9-Dec-11
New Zealand	233	Hobart	9-Dec-11
India	240	Melbourne	26-Dec-11
West Indies	259	Roseau	23-Apr-12
South Africa	163	Perth	30-Nov-12
Sri Lanka	278	Hobart	14-Dec-12
India	241	Chennai	22-Feb-13
India	237 (9)	Hyderabad	2-Mar-13
India	131	Hyderabad	4-Mar-13
India	223	Mohali	17-Mar-13
India	262	Delhi	22-Mar-13
India	164	Delhi	25-Mar-13

IN DEPTH SHIT

Gideon Haigh:

George Bailey's plight reveals where all our Test tons have gone

Six-one: that's the ratio of Indian to Australian centuries at Chennai, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. Since Michael Clarke battled his way to three figures on the first day of the series, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay have done likewise, the last named twice.

Will Thompson:

Australian cricket's shallow talent pool

The lack of depth is alarming to say the least, but not just because there is little to call upon, but little to push those to levels we're more accustomed to.

Once again revisiting the Summer of Kidding Ourselves, which was three years ago, the AGB:

ASHES SIDE SET TO BE DAD’S ARMY AGAIN

It’s true that most everyone is calling for Hussey, North, Katich & Ponting to have a good hard look at themselves, but apart from Our Phil Hughes, who in the Shield is a ready replacement? No one seems to be “knocking the door down”, as they say.

I dearly love to say "I told ya so."

FOURTH TEST: FEROZ SHAH KOTLA

LLL? ????? ????? Three down. Eleven to go. Unlucky 2013.

THIRD TEST: PUNJAB CRICKET ASSOCIATION STADIUM

After an honourable loss in the Second Test, a galvanising distraction over player sackings, and with a full and fit squad to pick from, Australia should comfortably win the Third Test in Mohali. Look out, India. (And look out, England. Australia is timing its run to perfection.)

A DOG ATE MY EXPLETIVES!

Fortunately. Otherwise they would get a good run:

Quartet including Shane Watson axed for third Test after failing to complete homework

FOUR players have been sensationally axed from selection for the Australian team to face India in the third Test in Mohali. Vice-captain Shane Watson, batsman Usman Khawaja and fast bowlers James Pattinson and Mitchell Johnson will not be chosen for the match after failing to complete a task set for the side.

The team was asked by coach Mickey Arthur last Tuesday night to do a presentation on how the side could improve after losing the first two matches, and give it to him by Saturday.

SECOND TEST: RAJIV GANDHI INTERNATIONAL STADIUM

Out of the five officials on duty in the Second Test in Hyderabad - Kumar Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Broad, Ravi Underarm and Subrat Das - Dharmasena's CricInfo profile page has the most "likes".

PATCH DOCTOR

K. Parthasarathy, the Chennai curator, should be sacked if it is true that has prepared selected patches of pitches to suit the home team:

Pitch doctor tells how he foiled Michael Clarke's men

The curator revealed he had doctored the pitch in 1998 to spoil Warne's attempts to bowl around the wicket to Tendulkar.

"I kept the square patches outside the leg stump, on either side of the wicket, really hard. It was difficult to get turn from that part as there would be no rough there. After that game, Warne came to me and asked why he wasn't getting the turn and others were. I told him it was because of his dodgy shoulder that was to be operated on later in the series."

That, or every curator everywhere starts serving up sand pits.

ON TRACK

The BIG Question: will 2013 be Australia's worst ever year in Test cricket? @cricketaus #TakingTheNegatives

— Tony Tea (@AfterGrogBlog) January 2, 2013

BOARD GAME

While Dean Jones is perfectly sanguine about the BCCI's prominence in world cricket, the Herald Sun appears less impressed with the Indian board's extortionate demands for Border-Gavaskar coverage.

FIRST TEST: MA CHIDAMBARAM STADIUM

Can Australia's pace attack skittle India's comparatively inexperienced batting line up enough times to win a four Test series? Doubtful. Can Australia's dodgy top seven handle Rollerboy, OJ and Rashy enough times on spin friendly tracks to set targets for the bowlers? Doubtfuller.

Fingers crossed we win the toss in Chepauk and bat first.