God help me - the Test Cricket thread

[LP]

Yep,  just pleased we didn't lose the game,  I hate the SCG pitch.  It's like we custom make it for the other mob, which craps me to tears.

The SCG has four no results since 2015, and these NSW Norbits have the temerity to bag the MCG which has four no results in 30 years!

[ElwoodBlues1]

Crap keeping ... dropped 3

Not sure what he was thinking when he sledged Ashwin either, he had a crap day behind the stumps, had his usual DRS issues in the game and the bloke he was chirping at has made 4 test centuries to Paines nil.
I dont mind some mental games but you got to be able to back it up on the field and Paine would have been better to shut up given the day he was having and concentrate on getting his fielders in the right position and trying to get the ball to stick in his gloves. Ditto with Wade who has done SFA this game but carries on like a clown, threw the ball at Vihari twice and wants a medal everytime he gets struck by the ball when fielding close and has to let the batsman know about it by puffing out his chest.
Its just cringe worthy stuff you associate with park cricketers....

[capcom]

He is not my first choice as captain.

[Professer E]

Annoyed that Paine, followed by a pile on by the cringewirthy virtue signalling local media have handed the high ground to that mob.

Although their own behaviour has been less than exemplary (there is now doubt that anything racist was hurled over the fence )  yet they're on top now.  F up in Brisbane Paine and you're toast.

[ElwoodBlues1]

India also deserve a kick given Pant was unfit to keep yet seemed very well to bat and they were able to use the better catching Saha behind the stumps for a extended period.
Then had the cheek to promote the supposed injured Pant in the batting order, how does that work?

[Professer E]

India - masters of gamesmanship.  And since when can your substitute be a specialist keeper,  one markedly better than the one currently playing? A diddle was being played.

Bumrah knocking the bails off - I've seen players suspended for less.  Pathetic.

Ashwin's frivolous appeals  and constant yapping over four tours. It's tiring. I'm not supporting what Paine did,  but F me,  more than a few are over Ashwin's Schtick.

First mob to play the race card and biatch about crowd behaviour.  Pretty short memories that mob.

As I said,  do the job properly and beat this mob in the next test.  Don't give them chance to exult going home with the BG trophy.

[DJC]

He is not my first choice as captain.

I think that Paine is the ideal Aussie captain ... off the field.  He has done a great job in rebuilding the team culture and ensuring that the team gets the respect it deserves. 

On field is a different matter.  His judgement is questionable and he seems slow to react to changes in the game, or to take the initiative and drive changes in the game.  Even worse is his tendency to petulance when things aren’t going his way.

[LP]

I think that Paine is the ideal Aussie captain ... off the field.  He has done a great job in rebuilding the team culture and ensuring that gets the respect it deserves. 

On field is a different matter.  His judgement is questionable and he seems slow to react to changes in the game, or to take the initiative and drive changes in the game.  Even worse is his tendency to petulance when things aren’t going his way.

A lot of the noise is politics, the push to return Smith to the top job, but beyond Paine and Smith there are not a lot of options until Carey gets a regular gig, and he's a SA not a NSW!

In my opinion it would be a huge mistake to make Cummins captain, as is the backup position of the NSW Cricket mafia.

We've quite a void in the captaincy stakes due to the continual undermining of non-NSW candidates. A legacy of the structures brokered going back to the pre-Waugh era, when the best young players around the country were regularly threatened with oblivion if they didn't move the NSW to play grade cricket! You only have to listen to Mark Waugh commenting a non-NSW BBL game to understand how this has developed.

Personally, if Warner is not 100%, I'd bring in Finch to open and captain, he's hands down the best leader in Australia, better even than Smith who in my opinion is an ordinary captain, so much so that he makes Paine look OK on field, but I think they won't go that way because of the state politics.

The worse thing the NSW Cricket Mafia could suffer would be if Finch came in and a good enough job with the bat but captained supremely, it would end Smith's hopes, Finch could become embedded as a Brearley / Taylor type leader. In the other opening slot Pucovski or whoever else, if Pucovski is not fit then bring in Carey to opener/keeper, and select another option to replace Paine. A lot of people claim keepers can't open, it's too much of a load, but they do it in Shield four day cricket all the time. But unlike the Mandalorian, this is not Langer's way, he's more of a welded on man!

[Professer E]

I don't think he's the greatest in game strategist,  but who is locally?  He was hamstrung by a very docile pitch which hardly broke up,  scatterbrained bowling plans and was a bowler down with Starc off. The bowling mentorship/coach need a good look at themselves... The effort was excellent, Starc aside,  but the plans/execution were very poor. 
Unfortunately I don't see another captain in that group,  and I don't rate Smith either.

[Professer E]

LP - don't get me started on Mark f***** Waugh,  the protected golden calf of NSW cricket.  I'd sooner listen to Trump's advice on cricket.    The bloke who got chances while the careers of other talented players were quashed.  If he was so good,  why did he end with the mediocre average of 41 - because he wasn't as good as the hype!