Aus vs India, 2nd Test, Sydney, 2-6 Jan (I)

please don't yell wrote:I actually think they will play the same team.

Dravid will not open, that's for sure.

Sehwag will come in.

But this 2 seam attack isn't going to put pressure on the aussies. And tis going to injure the two quite fast.

I mean there is a reason why Australia, Pakistan and every other team goes in with 3 seamers.

Jaffer also played a poor shot to get out early on in the practice game. Yuvraj on the other hand, got to face about 5 balls before the rain came down.

Well BCCI contributes in no small way in destroying Indian cricket.

It would be strange to play 2 spinners at the mcg but one at the scg and to not play sehwag in the warm up but then axe dravid as an opener for him after 1 game.

Back to back tests are tricky things, in the back of their minds selectors are really picking the team for the first two matches and hoping they got it right, it would be very tough for sehwag to open at the scg with no cricket behind him at all.

BTW, Warnie is a legend.

please don't yell wrote:It would be strange to play 2 spinners at the mcg but one at the scg and to not play sehwag in the warm up but then axe dravid as an opener for him after 1 game.

Back to back tests are tricky things, in the back of their minds selectors are really picking the team for the first two matches and hoping they got it right, it would be very tough for sehwag to open at the scg with no cricket behind him at all.

Well Sehwag was selected as an opener. And if Sehwag doesn't play in the first two tests, then it could be too late in the 3rd and 4th test for him to have any influence on the proceedings.

If they are going to take a risk with Sehwag they may well do it in the 2nd test.

Sometimes it happens that the tour selection team doesn't completely see eye-to-eye with the main selectors.

When you lose by 337 runs it isn't the fault of the wicketkeeper. Dhoni is safe.

While I think it is very unlikely that Dravid will be dropped, keeping him in the side on current form is playing into Australia's hands. He is so out of sorts that he can barely get it off the square. This just puts too much pressure on the man at the other end to move the scoring along. I almost felt sorry for Dravid as he scratched and poked around like an old chook for so long in both innings for less than 20 runs total.

It's a big call to drop him though, he's 35 in a few weeks so if he's dropped here it would end his career.

Still if you play into your mid 30's more than likely it's not going to end the way you want it to.

fairytale endings like last year at the scg are rare indeed.

India would be basically throwing in the towel if they made any changes to the team.

It would be admitting that their supposedly best team is not up to it.

Dravid is one of the titans of the game - it would be madness to drop him.

JGK wrote:Dravid is one of the titans of the game - it would be madness to drop him.

So was Pollock

For all the improvement we may expect to see from various Indian players in the rest of the series, it must be remembered that a couple of handy Oz players didn't exactly slay them in the MCG aisles.

When was the last time that in two innings each Ponting and Hussey made 45 runs between them?

Fred Nerk wrote:For all the improvement we may expect to see from various Indian players in the rest of the series, it must be remembered that a couple of handy Oz players didn't exactly slay them in the MCG aisles.

When was the last time that in two innings each Ponting and Hussey made 45 runs between them?

One of the great things about the current Aust side is that almost everyone contributes. Last years Ashes was a great case in point - the bowlers all took about the same number of wickets over the series and each of the top 7 got tons at some stage.

It was good captaincy by Ponting to let Hoggyyyy!!!! and Midge clean up the tail today - it has give both a bit of confidence for Sydney.

tac wrote:India would be basically throwing in the towel if they made any changes to the team.

It would be admitting that their supposedly best team is not up to it.

bull s****

Going in with the same combination would be handing over series to Australia on a platter. Especially the opening combo


& Dravid is not going to be dropped. I wonder who is spreading this carp around ?

*Buckaroo* wrote:

tac wrote:India would be basically throwing in the towel if they made any changes to the team.

It would be admitting that their supposedly best team is not up to it.

bull s****

Going in with the same combination would be handing over series to Australia on a platter. Especially the opening combo


& Dravid is not going to be dropped. I wonder who is spreading this carp around ?

Bucky, most people on this forum think you're just a spaced-out spankmonkey, but I truly appreciate your comic brilliance.

JGK wrote:It was good captaincy by Ponting to let Hoggyyyy!!!! and Midge clean up the tail today - it has give both a bit of confidence for Sydney.

Aye, Ponting handled Hoggy!!! well (apart from perhaps bowling him from the wrong end in the first innings)...gave him good long spells...

Unlike Hoggs last skipper who famously took him out of the attack after he took two wickets in an over

tac wrote:Bucky, most people on this forum think you're just a spaced-out spankmonkey

Because I don't mince words and speak the truth :?:

*Buckaroo* wrote:

tac wrote:Bucky, most people on this forum think you're just a spaced-out spankmonkey

Because I don't mince words and speak the truth :?:

No, because you're a spaced-out spankmonkey.

*Buckaroo* wrote:

tac wrote:Bucky, most people on this forum think you're just a spaced-out spankmonkey

Because I copy and paste conspiracy theories from loony websites :?:

Pretty much, yeah...

JKLever wrote:

*Buckaroo* wrote:

tac wrote:Bucky, most people on this forum think you're just a spaced-out spankmonkey

Because I copy and paste conspiracy theories from loony websites :?:

Pretty much, yeah...

Bucks does have a point. It's the opening combination that's the problem, which we need to fix. How we'll fix it is a toughie. Do we drop Jaffer and bring in Sehwag? Or do we drop Yuvi for Sehwag?

Personally I think that we should take Karthik for Dhoni, Not because of his keeping, but because Karthik is a more reliable bat. And that's slightly harsh for Dhoni, but we have a need at the top of the order that he can't, and Karthik can, fill.

Before this test everyone was saying this XI is the best to challenge Australia on current form and players available. And now after one loss everyone wants to make wholesale changes.

Everyone was for Yuvraj in the team after his 169 against Pak and ODI form, and everyone said Dravid should open because he pretty much comes in after a few overs anyway.

Give the players a chance they came from playing a pathetic Pak bowling attack and only batted for 48 overs in a practice game.

India should have played atleast two practice games before the first test. Now because of that India will suffer, there is only a few days until the next test and nothings going to change. The bowling did as well as it could do, the fielding isn't going to improve neither is the running between the wicket. All we can hope for is a better batting performance.

I highly doubt there will be any changes to the playing XI, even Harbhajan will keep his place after his three wickets in the seconf innings.

drunk as a monk wrote:Bucks does have a point. It's the opening combination that's the problem, which we need to fix. How we'll fix it is a toughie. Do we drop Jaffer and bring in Sehwag? Or do we drop Yuvi for Sehwag?

Personally I think that we should take Karthik for Dhoni, Not because of his keeping, but because Karthik is a more reliable bat. And that's slightly harsh for Dhoni, but we have a need at the top of the order that he can't, and Karthik can, fill.

My opinion is that Dravid has been one of the greatest number 3's in history so why would he be played as an opener? Sehwag and Jaffer would be my opening partnership which, unfortunately, would leave Yuvraj out for a while. Laxman would then be batting down the order where he can do most damage.

I haven't seen much of Karthik, but Dhoni is a good keeper (and a decent bat). India's batting line up has enough pedigree not to compromise in this area.

The problem in the first test was a lack of preparation. The Indian batsmen were acclimatising to Australian conditions in a test match FFS.

ten years after wrote:

drunk as a monk wrote:Bucks does have a point. It's the opening combination that's the problem, which we need to fix. How we'll fix it is a toughie. Do we drop Jaffer and bring in Sehwag? Or do we drop Yuvi for Sehwag?

Personally I think that we should take Karthik for Dhoni, Not because of his keeping, but because Karthik is a more reliable bat. And that's slightly harsh for Dhoni, but we have a need at the top of the order that he can't, and Karthik can, fill.

My opinion is that Dravid has been one of the greatest number 3's in history so why would he be played as an opener? Sehwag and Jaffer would be my opening partnership which, unfortunately, would leave Yuvraj out for a while. Laxman would then be batting down the order where he can do most damage.

I haven't seen much of Karthik, but Dhoni is a good keeper (and a decent bat). India's batting line up has enough pedigree not to compromise in this area.

The problem in the first test was a lack of preparation. The Indian batsmen were acclimatising to Australian conditions in a test match FFS.

Despite the fact they the pitch was very subi in it's nature with fark all bounce or pace . . .