Captain Jayho
Andy Tillson
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Post by Captain Jayho on Jan 4, 2019 19:52:43 GMT
What a treat this series has been. India have become a top bowling and batting unit and have some outstanding players in their side right now. That said Australia are rubbish and appear to now not be able to get the ball to move around in the air - can't imagine why.
Assuming India go on to win the series which now seems very likely this will be a great achievement for them.
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warehamgas
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Post by warehamgas on Jan 15, 2019 3:23:30 GMT
Just picked this up. Yes it was a great effort by the Indians and tbf Kohli has shown himself to be a very good captain. Being over in Oz for 6 weeks I’m surprised at him disinterested our neighbours appear to be. I went to the Sunday of the Sydney test when we only had two hours in the afternoon. Little atmosphere because there was nothing to play for. Do the Aussies support a losing team? They didn’t seem to with few in the ground. Been watching a bit of the BBL on TV of an evening and even there the crowds seem a bit down. But the I’m not too up on Australian domestic cricket. Am going to see Sixers v Thunder in early February and am looking forward to it.
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irishrover
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Post by irishrover on Jan 15, 2019 22:39:18 GMT
Also only just noticed this. I really enjoyed this series too. Kohli has something of Clive Lloyd about him as a Captain - bringing a steely and slightly nasty competitive edge to a talented bunch of players who have sometimes lacked enough fighting spirit when the going has gotten tough. India are getting better and better. I thought 4-1 was an absurdly lopsided scoreline on balance of play this summer. India were much closer to us than that and I think in a few year people might realise quite how impressive a series win it was by England this summer. I think they may be on the verge of finally having a period of world domination they keep threatening - I just hope they don't pull their one day game together in time for the World Cup. I see them as our main threat in the summer. Excellent side-more workmanlike and less eyecatching than in the past perhaps but with a much tougher approach. Kohli is something else as a batsman - he can literally play any type of innings. I saw him grind England grimly into the dust at Trent Bridge last year when the situation demanded it but he can also destroy an attack inside an hour if required. The most complete modern batsman I've seen in the T20 era.
I don't think we can read too much into this for the Ashes though unfortunately. All it really means is that Smith will be coming straight back in and Warner probably will-they just can't compete without them. That immediately strengthens the batting exponentially and probably benefits the others in the lineup too - so while this series has been catastrophic it could have a positive long term effect in blooding players before an Ashes series. Their bowling attack still looks decent to me and will like English conditions. I think there's a bit of complacency in the English cricket media on this - we will be playing a decent Aussie squad next year who will relish the chance to play the underdog and reclaim their reputation. I loved Tim Paine's sledging by the way, genuinely funny - maybe this is why they made him Captain. The true spirit of Aussie cricket!
Nathan Lyon now has 339 Test Wickets by the way which is worth noting - one of the most quietly effective international performers in recent times. Could easily end up with 500+ in the end - who would have thought that?
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warehamgas
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Post by warehamgas on Jan 16, 2019 11:26:55 GMT
You may be correct irish in saying that we are underestimating the Aussies. But if that’s the case so is everyone else because they played some pretty awful cricket this series apart from the test they won. In truth they should have lost the last test to make it 1-3 instead of 1-2. IF Smith and Warner come back in for the Ashes it may be different. Their cricket at the moment is totally without focus. They want to play with a better spirit and recover the reputation that is in tatters after the sandpaper affair but the I think they are in danger of trying to be all things to all people. Justin Langer will play hard, competitive cricket but I’m unsure that Tim Paine is the right captain or even if they have the players to be competitive batting-wise. As you say their bowlers are good enough but in English conditions will they be better than what we have? I’m not so sure. I’m not even sure Warner will be back, he was unpopular in the team before and I’m not sure that anyone wants him back. Of course if selection was all about who’s the best player then he would be in. But I think, without any real evidence, that Australia were looking for a reason to get rid of him and having provided that reason himself in January, he will not be back.
Fwiw the Australian way of playing cricket irks most people but so long as they don’t cross the line as they had increasingly done so up until January this year I don’t mind them playing it hard with the occasional sledge. They have tried to re-invent themselves and how they play cricket and are in danger of throwng out the baby with the bath water. As for Kohli I agree with all that you said about him. On the field he is the epitome of the Indian Criicket Board and their wish to take over world cricket. He is a very good captain with a good team behind him. He has taken over the mantel of the Aussies insofar as he is able to be a competitive nightmare on the pitch yet is able to change personnas once he walk off the pitch. Which is as it should be. He could also start an argument in an empty room!
Despite all this I think Australia will produce a good team for the World Cup but will be beaten in the Ashes.
India will do well but will fall short of winning the World Cup as will England.
By the way have you read Gideon Haigh’s take on the current position of Australian cricket in his book Crossing the Line- How Australian Cricket Lost it’s way. It’s a short read but very interesting in his take on how it all went wrong. I’m sure you’re like it and it is short!!
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irishrover
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Post by irishrover on Jan 16, 2019 13:07:37 GMT
You may be correct irish in saying that we are underestimating the Aussies. But if that’s the case so is everyone else because they played some pretty awful cricket this series apart from the test they won. In truth they should have lost the last test to make it 1-3 instead of 1-2. IF Smith and Warner come back in for the Ashes it may be different. Their cricket at the moment is totally without focus. They want to play with a better spirit and recover the reputation that is in tatters after the sandpaper affair but the I think they are in danger of trying to be all things to all people. Justin Langer will play hard, competitive cricket but I’m unsure that Tim Paine is the right captain or even if they have the players to be competitive batting-wise. As you say their bowlers are good enough but in English conditions will they be better than what we have? I’m not so sure. I’m not even sure Warner will be back, he was unpopular in the team before and I’m not sure that anyone wants him back. Of course if selection was all about who’s the best player then he would be in. But I think, without any real evidence, that Australia were looking for a reason to get rid of him and having provided that reason himself in January, he will not be back. Fwiw the Australian way of playing cricket irks most people but so long as they don’t cross the line as they had increasingly done so up until January this year I don’t mind them playing it hard with the occasional sledge. They have tried to re-invent themselves and how they play cricket and are in danger of throwng out the baby with the bath water. As for Kohli I agree with all that you said about him. On the field he is the epitome of the Indian Criicket Board and their wish to take over world cricket. He is a very good captain with a good team behind him. He has taken over the mantel of the Aussies insofar as he is able to be a competitive nightmare on the pitch yet is able to change personnas once he walk off the pitch. Which is as it should be. He could also start an argument in an empty room! Despite all this I think Australia will produce a good team for the World Cup but will be beaten in the Ashes. India will do well but will fall short of winning the World Cup as will England. By the way have you read Gideon Haigh’s take on the current position of Australian cricket in his book Crossing the Line- How Australian Cricket Lost it’s way. It’s a short read but very interesting in his take on how it all went wrong. I’m sure you’re like it and it is short!! That's interesting - who do you fancy to win the World Cup either? I don't think we'll win it either and that's due to our tactical and mental approach. While we have been spectacular in ODI's of late and it's been a wonderful turnaround from years of drudgery I don't think it's an approach that's likely to be successful at the business end of a World Cup. When you are loose, confident and playing with freedom then that's great but we know that knockout cricket is tense, messy and primarily about players holding their nerve in key situations. It's a different dynamic and I think that Trophy Semi defeat against an average (but very canny) Pakistan shows the danger. It's a bit all or nothing - I also think that while our batting lineup is unreal at times our bowling lineup is merely good and in those tight games at the end bowling quality normally matters slightly more than batting quality. Personally I like India's chances - they're just a bit more balanced than us although their recent record is pretty average it has to be honest.
I'd definitely like to read that Haigh book-best cricket writer in the world in my view. Great tip! Aussie cricket is clearly in a complete but I also think they have kind of hit rock bottom at this stage and they won't stay there for long. That Ashes series is actually a good thing for them - low expectations and potentially an improved squad and a fair amount of pressure on England whose Test side remains pretty volatile. I think it will be an interesting series although the World Cup and the clash with the start of the football season might make it lower profile than in the past. The Warner situation is interesting - I have absolutely no doubt that a consensus in Aussie cricket would want to move on from him permanently. But when you look at how dire their batting was I'm really not sue they can afford to. Paine is obviously a short term option -he seems to be a strong and likeable character. It was a largely a PR move I think. But ultimatey he's not really a good enough player and the Aussies have never put up with underperforming captain's for long.
I loved the exchange between him and Pant though. Paine sledged him by implying that he was only in the side because Dhoni can't be bothered playing Tests and that when he returned in the ODI team that Pant could go and get a job in the Big Bash for the Hobart Hurricanes.....as he and his wife's baby sitter. Pant then took a picture at the post-series players party with Paine's wife and kids and put it up on twitter with the message 'challenge accepted' - all in good humour!
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warehamgas
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Post by warehamgas on Jan 17, 2019 4:44:47 GMT
Who will win the Workd Cup? At this point I don’t know, it’s fairly open. I think as the tournament moves on a favourite will emerge. I’m not confident about winn8ng but I suspect that 5he winner will come from England, although I’m not confident, Australia, India and perhaps Pakistan with New Zealand playing out if their skins will be close to the semi finalists. And you are absolutely right irish about the winners will be the team that holds their nerve. I’m not sure England or SA do that very well. But Australia do, so despite their poor batting perhaps Finch or someone will produce the goods.
Yes I like Paines attitude I’m just not sure he’s good enough for the test team now.
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irishrover
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Post by irishrover on Jan 17, 2019 15:03:03 GMT
Who will win the Workd Cup? At this point I don’t know, it’s fairly open. I think as the tournament moves on a favourite will emerge. I’m not confident about winn8ng but I suspect that 5he winner will come from England, although I’m not confident, Australia, India and perhaps Pakistan with New Zealand playing out if their skins will be close to the semi finalists. And you are absolutely right irish about the winners will be the team that holds their nerve. I’m not sure England or SA do that very well. But Australia do, so despite their poor batting perhaps Finch or someone will produce the goods. Yes I like Paines attitude I’m just not sure he’s good enough for the test team now. It would be an extraordinary redemption narrative if the Aussies won the World Cup and that probably seems a better bet than the Ashes. I think the World Cup will be excellent because everyone seems so evenly matches and you can make a case for any team. Even the Windies have a shot if their best side shows up - they've proven to have superb tournament pedigree in the past coming from nowhere to reach the latter stages. Only Sri Lanka seem to be lagging somewhat. England are rightly the favourites - those ODI's against the Aussies last summer were amazing but it's been such a long time since we've been in that kind of pressure situation that it's hard to say how we will react. There really is no comparison between your average ODI contest and those high pressure knock out World Cup games. Whereas, as you say, we do know how South Africa will probably react -badly! |
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Captain Jayho
Andy Tillson
Straight outta burrington...
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Post by Captain Jayho on Jan 27, 2019 9:15:19 GMT
Nathan Lyon now has 339 Test Wickets by the way which is worth noting - one of the most quietly effective international performers in recent times. Could easily end up with 500+ in the end - who would have thought that?
They do call him the GOAT so I'm not sure he's gone unnoticed! Yes, it started mockingly but it's now taken more seriously. He is a very handy player, if a bit of a twat. Quite tempted to drop a bit of money on Australia to win the Ashes. As you say they will be exponentially strengthened and England can't bat. I'm not sure the odds will reflect that though. |
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Captain Jayho
Andy Tillson
Straight outta burrington...
Joined: May 2014
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Post by Captain Jayho on Jan 28, 2019 6:18:30 GMT
Just had a look on sportsbet. Australia are $2.88 for the series win. Decent, but not as good as I hoped!
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