Pakistan v Australia, 2nd Test, Abu Dhabi, 30 October - 3 November, 2014

Rogers goes. But he's the type of guy that you don't really want made a scapegoat. One of the few non-qunts in the Aussie side, and these pitches just aren't his thing.

So the experiment with Maxwell went well.....

Henry wrote:Rogers goes. But he's the type of guy that you don't really want made a scapegoat. One of the few non-qunts in the Aussie side, and these pitches just aren't his thing.

yep - he's always made more runs against the fast bowlers and struggled v skiddy spin

Which opener is challenging? I suppose there's Watson ...

Henry wrote:

Red wrote:Siddle puts one down. Not quite sure why the commentators are saying that Misbah 'has walked into a crisis'. Pak. looks to be travelling comfortably. They also said that Younis (46) failed. By his series standards it is a relative failure but not sure if it is in the absolute sense.

Oh dear. I think the word sarcasm has completely passed you by in life.

The word sarchasm was invented for Red?

lardbucket wrote:

Henry wrote:Rogers goes. But he's the type of guy that you don't really want made a scapegoat. One of the few non-qunts in the Aussie side, and these pitches just aren't his thing.

yep - he's always made more runs against the fast bowlers and struggled v skiddy spin

Which opener is challenging? I suppose there's Watson ...

Cowan made a ton today. Silk is there or there abouts. Ryan Carters has been quietly consistent for a couple of years now....

Surely they wouldn't go back to Cowan. It would be a retrograde step.

Anyway the last time the Indians came even a rapidly fading Punter dined out on them so it is not all doom and gloom for the summer.

Red wrote:Surely they wouldn't go back to Cowan. It would be a retrograde step.

Anyway the last time the Indians came even a rapidly fading Punter dined out on them so it is not all doom and gloom for the summer.

Watson would be a step forward?

Pakistan's series average of 80.15 is the highest by any country in a series v Australia ever. Prev best 62.46 by Ind, 1985-86.

The records are atumbling.

So stumps are drawn and the Aussies barely have a pulse. At least Marsh and Smith tried to guts it out though.

Marsh hasn't sucked it has to be said.

Nath wrote:

JGK wrote:

Red wrote:

JGK wrote:Well done Misbah.  This abysmal tickerless Aust side deserves such a record to be scored against them.

Apparently* it's only the second time two batsmen from the same team have scored twin tons as well - the first being the Chappells 40 years ago.

Agree Crash and co. are commenting how long it's been since they have seen us dismembered in quite this way. They cannot remember the last time we chased 600 but wasn't it at Perth a few years back?

A few careers should end with this series.

who?  Doolan, Rogers, Maxwell, Haddin, Starc, Siddle, O'Keefe, Lyon.  is that all of them?

Might depend when we next tour Asia but certainly Haddin and Siddle should go with Rogers given another Test or two in more favourable conditions. Doolan shouldn't have been there in the first place. Lyon continues to be little better than serviceable. Maxwell, hard to see what spot he could take if Marsh is playing.

Clarke is in seriously shit form too just quietly.

Well, I guess all there is to play for now is personal milestones. It'd be nice to see Puddle correct his 1st innings choke. And Smith might be the FAC the way Clarke is going.

Well done to Babar the journeyman. Plying his trade for years in domestic cricket without a call up, but looks world class when given the chance.

Red wrote:Surely they wouldn't go back to Cowan. It would be a retrograde step.
Anyway the last time the Indians came even a rapidly fading Punter dined out on them so it is not all doom and gloom for the summer.

Compared to this current team, i'm not so sure.

What has happened to Agar?

Record number of centuries in a two match series (Pakistan)

Record number of individual runs in a two test series (YK)

Fastest test fifty (Misbah)

Equal fastest test century (Misbah)

Oldest player to score twin tons in a test (Misbah)

Puts in to perspective just how bad England were.

Teams are just collapsing in a heap away from home these days.

There's a few whispers about Clarke's lack of form. I reckon it's an exaggeration, mainly because after his great year in 2012, he was so over-hyped in the first place. I don't think he's a "great" Australian batsman. He's in the "very good" bracket alongside Mark Waugh, Justin Langer, and Damien Martyn.

Fantastic effort from the Stannies...totally too good in every respect of the game...we should not under estimate their excellence by focusing on Oz's obvious crapulence...

sensational captaincy and play from Miserable....terrific leadership despite the stannie fans who call him blocker (tuktuk)

the people responsible for selecting noshow at 3 should take some responsibility for expecting him to play at first drop...he will never play for Oz again...time also to move on from ginger, starc, lyon, siddle, sok. The overall Haddin performance through this series and the sooking over a shoulder that could have popped (show me the xrays) and the dropped catches and useless performance with the bat should mean he shd at best be consigned to grade cricket...it would be a travesty if he replaced Neville in the spiv line up

Paul Keating wrote:Record number of centuries in a two match series (Pakistan)

Record number of individual runs in a two test series (YK)

Fastest test fifty (Misbah)

Equal fastest test century (Misbah)

Oldest player to score twin tons in a test (Misbah)

I don't think that's right. Hammond scored 563 in 2 Tests against the Snoozies in the 30s. And I think Jaya scored a stack as well in the batathon against India in the late 90s.

Paul Keating wrote:What has happened to Agar?

He's a fringe Shield bowler.

Rod Marsh has a lot to answer for.

The extent of the flogging Oz has received in this 2 test series is almost akin to to the 0-5 white washes the poms have received from Oz and the Windies

horace wrote:Fantastic effort from the Stannies...totally too good in every respect of the game...we should not under estimate their excellence by focusing on Oz's obvious crapulence...

sensational captaincy and play from Miserable....terrific leadership despite the stannie fans who call him blocker (tuktuk)

the people responsible for selecting noshow at 3 should take some responsibility for expecting him to play at first drop...he will never play for Oz again...time also to move on from ginger, starc, lyon,   siddle, sok. The overall  Haddin performance through this series and the sooking over a shoulder that could have popped (show me the xrays) and the dropped catches and useless performance with the bat should mean he shd at best be consigned to grade cricket...it would be a travesty if he replaced Neville in the spiv line up

Lehmann was on the wireless just before defending the selections.

There are rumours of tension between Clarke and Lehmann over selections etc.

Clarke had to bitch about the selections. Gives him a get out of jail free card.

Bradman wrote:Clarke had to bitch about the selections.  Gives him a get out of jail free card.

Not on his own shithouse batting form though.