God help me - the Test Cricket thread

[LP]

The commentary keep talking Starc up like he's bowling grenades, but Pak are 8/246 and Starc is o/62, then we hear over and over he's the top dollar in the IPL.

In the meantime we keep watching him bowl left and right wide of the stumps while the tail end belt him around the ground, so the team complain about the ball. No such problems for Cummins or Hazelwood.

We'll good luck to the IPL, let's give the next kid a chance while the likes of Starc and Warner build a pension fund at India's expense!

[Professer E]

Starc is bowling like crap - and has for some time.  I'd be playing Morris next test because Starc's not contributing enough.  Seriously, Paddy can't bowl him versus the tail, he's too expensive.

[LP]

Starc is great in his match winning moments, but in-between he is too costly, when things aren't in his favour he struggles.

I was pleasantly surprised in India, he seemed more focussed, but back here at home he is back to his old ways. We should be crushing this Pakistan team, instead Starc was keeping them in the game every time Cummins or Hazelwood tired. I said to some mates yesterday they would have been better off bowling Marsh or Head, and that really says something.

[LP]

This game could be over by tea.

All playing these has-beens has done is teach Pakistan that if they maintain the effort we'll collapse like a house of cards, now we see the true cost of those cheap runs that Starc gives up!

[kruddler]

This game could be over by tea.

All playing these has-beens has done is teach Pakistan that if they maintain the effort we'll collapse like a house of cards, now we see the true cost of those cheap runs that Starc gives up!

Don't count your chickens.

Sure, its a very poor start, but have you known an Australian side to roll over and give up? Pakis will be batting last, chasing our 2nd innings total + 50-odd, plenty to happen from here.

[LP]

And I'm over Ponting thrashing the Pakis, Aamir came on a leaked runs and Ponting flogged him for letting the pressure off, didn't Ponting watch Starc?

[Professer E]

Can't bag a sacred cow LP.  But apparently it's the best attack since whenever.

[Professer E]

Time to break up the NSW bowling quartet....Cummins and Lyon can't carry the other two forever. 

[DJC]

Not a bad effort from Pat Cummins; a tenfa!

I sometimes think that his captaincy is lacklustre and/or unimaginative but that was a captain’s bowling performance.

The much-maligned Mitchell Starc did OK too.  I don’t really understand the criticism he cops.  Wasn’t he the Australian player of the recent Ashes series?

It was interesting to read that he was unhappy with his action in the Perth Test and had a net session after play to sort it out. 

If the Pakistanis held a couple of catches, it could have been a very different game …

[Gointocarlton]

Not a bad effort from Pat Cummins; a tenfa!

I sometimes think that his captaincy is lacklustre and/or unimaginative but that was a captain’s bowling performance.

The much-maligned Mitchell Starc did OK too.  I don’t really understand the criticism he cops.  Wasn’t he the Australian player of the recent Ashes series?

It was interesting to read that he was unhappy with his action in the Perth Test and had a net session after play to sort it out. 

If the Pakistanis held a couple of catches, it could have been a very different game …

From an absolute layman's point of view (which I am), it seems to me the Aussies manage to win games using a "whole of team" mentality. One or two bowlers or one batsmen don't dominate, others seem to pick up the slack when needed or hold up an end. It's weird to me but they just seem to find a way. Cummins may well be a very underrated captain and some of the blokes who don't seem to do much actually do plenty.