Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

[laj]

Yes, but the way he is playing, or not playing, the Kiwi quicks is nowhere near Test standard batting.  I'm surprised that Langer hasn't intervened - or perhaps he has ...

The issue is when Wagner is bowling short they set up with 6 blokes out on the leg side. Essentially it's the risky shot or don't play. Wade has decided not to play a shot at it, similar to Smith. Hence his figures aren't reading too badly. Normally a batsman wouldn't have trouble with a bloke bowling bouncers at 130k but the field settings, being not far off bodyline, makes the cross batted shot risky. 6 blokes out on the leg side with at times no slips, are they kidding? What it does do, especially in Smith's case using up 400 balls combined in both first innings for 43 and 85 (don't worry about the 2nd innings where they are hitting for quick runs), is wear the bowlers into the ground allowing other to make hay with tired bowlers. Hence scores of near 500. Thing is, while they are bowling short at Smith and Wade, they are not getting them out exhausting the bowlers. They are just letting their short balls go. Kiwi's think their tactics might be successful but they're not, other than slowing down scoring.