God help me - the Test Cricket thread

[LP]

Might be time to think about calling it a day Warner ....

I'm not opposed to blokes like Warner extending their career, but I am opposed to welded on selection, it should be more of a horses for courses, just as winning a spot shouldn't mean long term tenure, losing your spot should not mean oblivion.

I think Head is a prime example of this, he is a guy who's bread and butter is square of the wicket, and they play him on pitches that have variable bounce, it just doesn't make sense. Possibly the ACB think sending him to Pakistan is a reward for effort, is it a reward or punishment?

[DJC]

I'm not sure why folk want to see the back of Warner.  Is it because Khawaja is doing OK and another whipping boy is required?

[Professer E]

Because he's got old batsman disease.  Patchy form and inconsistency.

[LP]

Because he's got old batsman disease.  Patchy form and inconsistency.

Yes it's a huge problem, because of the way we haven't given enough opportunities to the types like Green. You can see it coming Warner, Hazelwood, Lyon, Smith, Starc, Marsh, Khawaja even a relative newbie like Boland, they are all going to shuffle off in quick succession.

FFS, look at Payne's replacement Carey, he is already 30 years old and they talk about him like he is a newbie with a long career ahead of him, when it's more likely he only has a few years left!

When I discuss this I get labelled ageist, but in fact the way the ACB has behaved is the exact opposite, it's an old boys club, but I suppose you could say as much about cricket as an institution in general. Even this week Bob Simpson was being used as an example of "potential longevity", is respect to the potential for selecting 30 year olds, but the bulk of his career was played in a era when 12 to 18 tests a year was the total playing demand.

[capcom]

Pakistan crumble 7 gone for 20 .... we might win this series yet. 

[LP]

Pakistan crumble 7 gone for 20 .... we might win this series yet.

The series is being defined by Pakistanis batting collapses, the Pakistan inconsistency is more influential than Australian performance.

It's like Australia just have to hang in long enough for the Pakistanis to self-destruct, those of us with a long term interest in the game will see this as quite a contradiction given the history of Pakistan cricket tends to be built in the grind.

[capcom]

On the evidence, it was fantastic bowling by Cummins / Starc that put us where we are now.

They were completely outclassed.

[Mav]

Reverse swing is a real weapon when bowlers are bowling around 145 clicks. That produces late swing and little time for batsmen to adjust. And the dirt around the pitch provides a perfect means of preparing the ball for reverse swing. Well thrown returns to the keeper on the bounce on that abrasive surface accelerate the process.

It's funny that ball tampering is okay as long as it's not achieved using obvious tactics like sandpaper. But it has my seal of approval as it has provided some balance to the battle between bat and ball given the improvements in bats these days. Imagine how lifeless this series would be without reverse swing.

[LP]

When a team loses 5 wickets for 4 runs is it really related to the bowling?

See here below, some of the deliveries swung from the arm and others barely get off straight!

https://youtu.be/TW1DJWNJ-uo?t=321

[Mav]

The presence of reverse swing is like a pitch providing sideways movement: it unsettles the batters and forces them to change their way of doing things. Just as the arm ball can bring a batter undone on a spinning pitch, reverse swinging deliveries can bring batters undone when they play for reverse swing that doesn't happen. Not that this is what happened here as to me there was movement. It doesn't have to swing much, particularly to bring slips into play.