Aus vs India, 1st Test, Melbourne, 26-30 Dec (I)

Zat wrote:At the moment, India are still - just - in the match.

If capt'n drunky declares today, he should be beaten around the head with a phone book.

Wickets pending, bat for a good hour tomorrow at tthe least, leave 500+ in 5 sessions or so.

Phone Book ready Zat?

We'll lose for sure, but I'd like to see India put up 300+; that'll give us some confidence, relatively speaking, heading into the next test match.

Here we go.

Around 250 each day for two days. Piece of cake.














OTOH, just show some grit guys, all I ask.

Should be interesting to see who opens. Jaffer and ?

Any guesses? Tendulkar or Dravid is my guess.

Basically, the Indians have to play to win. They have a batting team capable of making 500, and what Kumble should be telling them is that if they just play each ball on its merits and forget the situation anything can happen.

But it is highly unlikely. I'm not sure the pitch isn't slightly better for batting now than it was on Day 1, but by tomorrow afternoon it'll be a nightmare.

furriner wrote:

SG wrote:

The One wrote:i cant believe people still think we have a chance.

Neither can I.

I do.

And if we don't I want to see effort.

Yep, atleast put up a fight and not fold like pack of cards which we always do when set such 4th innings targets.

So its Dravid then.

Interesting to see Dravid has taken first strike instead of Jaffer.

1st over safely negotiated, 187 more overs to go.

if we last 188 overs we will win. more like 494 more to win. session by session and hope the pitch doesnt give too much irregular bounce

SG wrote:Interesting to see Dravid has taken first strike instead of Jaffer.

1st over safely negotiated, 187 more overs to go.

Piece of cake then.

Its stumps for day 3.

6/0 off 8 overs at stumps. They survive today but would need to play a bit more freely tomorrow.

246.5 runs per day reqd. only. Easy.

Jaffer was in such a defensive frame of mind that he couldn't even put away 2 full tosses offered by Hogg in his only over.

I think we've seen in the first innings what dividends this over-defensive strategy pays.

Day done.

It will not happen, but there are only two batting line ups in the world today that can win this from here; one of those teams is bowling and India is the other. They have to believe it.

furriner wrote:They have to believe it.

Thats the key, but its highly unlikely that they'll have much self belief in their abilities especially after their efforts of first innings.

Surprised that none of you subis complained about the plumb LBW not given to Hoggy?

Why would Ponting declare 498 runs ahead rather than 500 ahead? It's like in retail when something is sold for $99.99 rather than $100......499 just looks less daunting for India.

tac wrote:Surprised that none of you subis complained about the plumb LBW not given to Hoggy?

Not surprised that you Aussie boys remember the plumb LBW not given to Hoggy.

It was pretty farkin plumb . . . taking middle and leg.

Grin and bear it! - as you keep telling us.

I'm happy. Just interesting that it hasn't come up, unlike every farkin half close call against the Bruces.

Well it has come up now.

Looks like the tac/furry niggling agro thing is working it's arse off...

Merry Xmas to both of you, ya pair of donut punchers.

And rightly so! The umpires are always against Australia and have prevented us from becoming the No. 1 ranked team . . . oh, wait . . .

Invader Zim wrote:Looks like the tac/furry niggling agro thing is working it's arse off...

Merry Xmas to both of you, ya pair of donut punchers.

A couple of nice Dorothys by the Hoggmeister, but I think MacGoo could have done better . . .