God help me - the Test Cricket thread

[dodge]

I wouldn't dream of stealing Richie's work - had no idea!  Yep 15 wickets for that match - not bad.

[Professer E]

Been a lot of undercooked wickets in the shield this year, not surprising given the very wet spring this year.  Soft wickets have been the norm at club level too.  Queensland is notorious for early season greentops, but mid December is much later than usual.

[LP]

They bitch and moan about the pitch, having scored nearly 600 run between them in less than two days!

[ElwoodBlues1]

Bazball wins again Pakistan...will be a record 3-0 defeat for the Pakis at home who are about as competitive as the West Indies. Test cricket clearly not a priority  there  and that manic support they had at home isn't there either.
We are watching the sad demise of test cricket unless something changes....

[LP]

While it is quoting former top level bowlers, I have to say I agree with the general comments in this Rage Article;

The mental and technical approach of batsmen who struggled in the two-day Gabba Test have been questioned by former bowling greats Jason Gillespie, Merv Hughes, Geoff Lawson and Daniel Vettori after Australia’s six-wicket win.

Gillespie, now coach of South Australia and the Adelaide Strikers, suggested most batsmen had been mentally defeated by the green colour of the pitch and the quality of the opposing pace attack before they went out to bat.

I think much of the Gabba wicket hysteria is coming from people who think T20 pitches are fair cricket.

To me that is more of a commentary about the state of test batting than the pitch!

[Professer E]

Don't get the hype around Green.

[LP]

Don't get the hype around Green.

Agreed, bit at this stage he's just a kid in cricket terms.

He needs to start piling on the runs because he's really just a utilitarian bowler at this stage, he's not that destructive and he does tend to let the pressure out.

In my experience young bowlers either have it when they are young or they don't, I've never come across a young bowler that develops an explosive / destructive streak as they develop. They tend to develop consistency and control, not the explosive part!

[ElwoodBlues1]

Don't get the hype around Green.

Prof...3 mill plus at the IPL based on promise more than stats, his place in the Aus short format teams isnt really cemented and at test level his batting is iffy imho, bowls at a good pace and swings the ball away well for a 5th bowler which makes him a handy package but nothing outstanding as yet other than his gully/slip fielding which is very good.
Simon ODonnell was in the press recently questioning his place at No 6, good thing for Green is there isnt another of his type pressing for that allrounder role in Aus at the minute.
[member=153]LP[/member]..I think he tends to let the pressure of when he bowls because the opposition see him as light relief after facing the other primary bowlers and tend to play a few more shots when he is bowling.

[Professer E]

He took five today but gees his first two spells were rubbish.  I thought it was a very poor day of test cricket, very average batting, bowling and fielding (I'm looking at you Usman).

[DJC]

Don't get the hype around Green.

Green is the all rounder we’ve been crying out for for decades.

Greg Chappell identified him as the best batting prospect in years and he can consistently bowl at over 140kph with good control … and his fielding is damn good.

Cricket Australia showed remarkable foresight to sign him up before he could be lured to footy.