Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

[Professer E]

The preparedness to grind was a positive move IMO.

[sydneybluesfan]

A lot of god stuff on this tour, but also a lot of bad and repetition of the same old mistakes.

Putting performances of individuals to one side, the selection policies and tactics have at times been beyond baffling - all the talk pre series about all rounders, and then across 4 tests Marsh / Maxy bowled 8 overs!!! How can the selectors and captain be so out of sync??? Same happened at the SCG with Cartwright - we just keep doing the same thing over and over. If Smith doesn't rate these guys as bowlers then just pick the best No6 batsman and be done with it.

And the batting of Wade yesterday was some of the dumbest cricket I've ever seen - to bat for 15 overs on that pitch for 15 runs was just pure madness. Our only chance was to score runs, push the field back and put some pressure on India. Instead we did exactly what they wanted us to do. Finally Cummins gets out, and when Lyon comes in Wade takes a single off the first ball of the over to expose Lyon, who nicks the second ball he faces. At this point, 9 down, Wade starts swinging and get 15 runs before mistiming a run on the last ball of an over to expose JH. And that was all she wrote.

These guys are professional, full time cricketers with a coach, and this is the sort of stupidity they show when the game and series is on the line. It annoys the hell out me that we get undone by boneheaded play so often.

[laj]

Wow, you are not impressed with Maxwells batting?
I think he looks far more composed than anyone bar Smith.
He is a class above the others and makes Warner look foolish.
I also think Handscombe, for his first tour has done pretty well.

Yes, Maxwell looked at home and deserves first go in the Ashes series. I wouldn't mind going 4 quicks, Starc, Hazelwood, Cummind and Pattinson with Maxwell in the First Test, although Lyon's done a great job. Batting will look alot stronger at home with each position covered. Indian conditions are so foreign to most of our batsmen. Bar the 3rd Test it was a tough low scoring series so not worried so much batting averages in the series. I thought we'd be whitewashed totally, like every other country has been in India, but to make such a tight contest was very encouraging.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Yes, Maxwell looked at home and deserves first go in the Ashes series. I wouldn't mind going 4 quicks, Starc, Hazelwood, Cummind and Pattinson with Maxwell in the First Test, although Lyon's done a great job. Batting will look alot stronger at home with each position covered. Indian conditions are so foreign to most of our batsmen. Bar the 3rd Test it was a tough low scoring series so not worried so much batting averages in the series. I thought we'd be whitewashed totally, like every other country has been in India, but to make such a tight contest was very encouraging.

I agree...be the 4 quicks for me vs the Poms, especially if Ali is batting down the order at 7 or 8 as their frontline spinner...we need the firepower to clean up their tail and
not give cheap late order runs away. India got way too many runs from their bowling allrounder types and from the keeper...Pattinson can also bat a bit as he showed in the shield final...

[malo]

Kohli........ensuring he'll get a nice warm welcome form the Aus crowds next time he's here.

Honestly, what a prat.

[flyboy77]

Kohli........ensuring he'll get a nice warm welcome form the Aus crowds next time he's here.

Honestly, what a prat.

Strong early leading candidate for DH of the year!

[IvanAwfulbigone]

Kohli........ensuring he'll get a nice warm welcome form the Aus crowds next time he's here.

Honestly, what a prat.

What the hell?  What DID we say/do to make him so embittered!?!

And while I'm at it - Aussies cricketers in India. Brave under the conditions? Playing in a cauldron? Intense pressure and scrutiny?

Pffft. Pussies.

Reminds of a certain justifiably arrogant football club that used to intimidate and dominate all comers.  Now we're everybody's biatch.

[Pratty]

Whats the Ashes team look like?

1. Warner
2. Renshaw
3. Smith
4. Khawaja
5. Handscomb
6. Maxwell / Turner
7. Wade (wk)
8. Starc
9. Cummins
10. Lyon
11. Hazlewood

Reserves - O'Keefe, Pattinson, Bird, Maxwell / Turner, Stoinis.

[LP]

What the hell?  What DID we say/do to make him so embittered!?!

They called him out for all his bullsh1t!

[sydneybluesfan]

Whats the Ashes team look like?

1. Warner
2. Renshaw
3. Smith
4. Khawaja
5. Handscomb
6. Maxwell / Turner
7. Wade (wk)
8. Starc
9. Cummins
10. Lyon
11. Hazlewood

Reserves - O'Keefe, Pattinson, Bird, Maxwell / Turner, Stoinis.

Cartwright would also be in the mix at No.6 after a strong finish to the season, but Maxy will probably get first shot at it and deservedly so.

I'm no fan of Wade - he is an average keeper [at best] and an average batsman as well. We need a better batsman than him with a longish tail. Nevill is the best keeper batsman on form, or give Alex Carey a run. But I highly doubt that will happen - it looks like Boff and Smith love the bogan in him, despite the fact that he doesn't appear to add anything tactically to the team except for sledging the opposition. His batting in the 2nd innings of the last test was the final straw for me - dumbest cricket I've seen in a long long time...........