Michael Clarke finally set to make his debut in another ground breaking decision from the selectors to pick a New South Welshman instead of a Victorian :wink:. No word yet (that I have seen or heard) on our bowling attack.

Coverage on Foxtel starts tomorrow afternoon I believe at 3pm (or is it 2pm :? ) . . . can't wait. If it's anywhere near as good as our last series over their, despite the wrong result :x , I'll be happy.

The pitch clearly looks to be doctored, apparently to suit their spin bowling attack. It seems the Indians have forgotten we have the greatest leg spinner perhaps of all time in our team, although blokes like Gilly might be having nightmares after his finish to our last tour there. For memory he scored 0 0 1 1 in his last four innings.

Yeah but at least two of those Gilly failures were mighty dodgy LBWs. That was one of the last series a home umpire...

Clarke's form against spin is what's got him there. Katich is the unlucky one as he is a more established Number 3 and he made 125 and 77no last time out against these blokes...

Shrek Lehmann, Katich and Clarke can all roll the arm over, none in the same class as Warne, but certainly handy.

Yeah but at least two of those Gilly failures were mighty dodgy LBWs. That was one of the last series a home umpire...

Clarke's form against spin is what's got him there. Katich is the unlucky one as he is a more established Number 3 and he made 125 and 77no last time out against these blokes...

Peanuts,

I think you'll find Katich is in the team and wll bat number 3. Clarke comes in to replace Ponting and will slot into Katich's number 6 position.

Just a guess mate, but I reckon you were a batsmen through your grade career, all you blokes are the same when it comes to LBW's. According to batsmen, all LBW's are dodgy . . .

Nothing personal but yet another reason why I have an intense dislike for all batsmen. Sure, it's always somebody else's fault.

we have the greatest leg spinner perhaps of all time

Hang on ... I thought Benaud retired ages ago ???
damo

damo...at least he doesn't chuck it like the dirty little scumbag from Sri Lanka does...

Jack

C'mon Jack haven't you forgiven that guy from Swanston St who sold you that dodgy curry yet ? - one day Murali will wear a white sports coat - I have a dream.
damo

. . . . here we go again :roll:

damo, I like a curry every now and again, just dont throw it at me :wink:

Maybe we should be talking about Cathy Freeman or the Williams sisters instead

Just a guess mate, but I reckon you were a batsmen through your grade career, all you blokes are the same when it comes to LBW's. According to batsmen, all LBW's are dodgy . . .  

Well you might have touched an element of the truth there iceblock... but I did bowl a bit too and I reckon I got a couple I shouldn't have... :wink:

Okay I miscalculated the order - Hayden, Langer, Katich, Martyn, Lehmann, Clarke, Gilly, Warney and the three quicks.

I read an article somewhere today saying that Cricket Australia has been doing a study over the last two years on the extent to which fast bowlers in test cricket straighten their elbows. The research showed that the AVERAGE was 11%, which is 1% more than is allowable under the rules. Basically every ball in the study over 140kph was a throw under the current rules... The recommendation is to increase the level to 15%. The game's under siege...

but I did bowl a bit too and I reckon I got a couple I shouldn't have...  :wink:

Yep, typical of a batsman.

Everyone knows fast bowlers only appeal when we think the batsman is out.

Well the Indians gambled and lost. My guess is that with Tendulkar out and some of the other batsmen struggling the Indians figured they were at best a 30% chance of winning. By dishing up the most one sided wicket since Fusarium infested just the wicket at Headingly in 1972 thay got the odds back to 50%. Win the toss you win the Test. A punter like G69 would be admiring their thinking.

JJ

But the curators are great compared to the commentary. I guess we are spoiled by channel 9.
Dean Jones who is the most constantly negative commentator in history, Micheal Slater who tries to relate EVERYTHING to his own career (of topic BUT if was any good he would still be in the team), Mike Atherton who sounds the same as Ringo Starr when he was narrating Thomas the Tank Engine. And 2 indians who were so constantly positive about anything they sound like they have being taking sum wacky tabacci 8O

damo...at least he doesn't chuck it like the dirty little scumbag from Sri Lanka does...  

Jack

Don't forget Harbajan has also been cited for chucking. As has Irfan Pathan i think??

Wish I was hearing it draddy. You're a bit tough on Slats mate. Not all of his downfall was his own doing.

iceblock, fast bowlers generally don't know the rules, that's why as skippers we used to tell them to appeal if they hit the pads.

India vs Australia First Test

Day 2:

Overs Remaining: 86

Australia: 5/331

Clarke 87°
Gilchrist 38°

Great start for the aussies. How good would a debut century for Clarke in India be... 13 to go.

Do you guys feel Clarke is best suited to play as 4th batsmen? And lower Martyn down to 5th and Lehmann 6th???

India need Harbajan and Kumble to take all the wickets if they want to win the series. Big load.

Clarke 91°

100 off 170 balls...very good going... 8O

Gilchrist 66 of 70 odd balls. He doesnt want to wait does he

Yeah Clarke 100 on debut thats pretty bruce mcavaney "'special".

Gilchrist should make century too. Whats Gilchrists avg? 60?

Gilly out on the stroke of lunch for 104 - his average is 53 (took a plunge in recent times).

Clarke is best suited to 6 for the moment; he is a much better player of spin than pace bowling at present. He bats 5 for NSW and did so for Hampshire, even though he opened for Western Subs in Sydney.

Be interesting to see what happens when Ponting is fit again. He'll slot at 3, so one of Katich, Lehmann, Martyn and Clarke will have to give way. Katich and Clarke have done their chances no harm. Pressure back on Martyn especially...

peanuts...

if Clarke is better suited to spin than pace, then number 6 is probably not the ideal position...
4 or 5 would be better off...

was always under the impression (from watching way too many test matches and listening to too many commentators on telly) that the number 6 posi was always one of the "grey" position.

more often than not, the number 6 are for new players (as is the case here), and also, a grooming position for the number 3 posi.

also, the number 6 bats more often than not, comes in at the 2nd new ball...
whilst that doesn't hold true all the time, it does seem to happen quite regularly...

then again, it could all be rubbish...
what number did he bat this test??? :oops:

not sure how martyn's travelling, but it seems like his spot is always in jepoardy every 2 years...he and Langer... :roll:

mau I think you're being a little WA-paranoid here. It's Katich (an ex-'groper) putting pressure on.

Clarke did bat 6, and yes it's often the convention to bring newbies in at 6 unless they're openers. In India, apart from the first 20 minutes, there's little or no moisture in the deck, and so facing the 2nd new ball is no real threat; in fact it usually means the ball will come onto the bat a bit better, as Gilly took delight in last night... :wink:

Not sure you're right about 6 as a grooming for 3 -3 is a specialist position for someone who is usually the best bat in the side - someone who can come in at 1-0 and bat well, and similarly someone who can adapt to 1-150. Those lower down generally are more strokeplayers who are susceptible to the new pill.

That's the general theory anyway.

Martyn is under pressure but not unfairly. He'll do fine - he proved against Murali he plays spin ok.

ponting started his test career in at number 6, so too did Langer, Martyn and Katich... :wink:

can't think of too many else...Lehman seems to float btw 3 and 6...

yeesh...nice wag... 3 for 3 :roll:

Yeah but 474 will make it hard to lose...

I think the Aussies need to tighten the bowling up - the deck will crumble so keep the runs down whilst it's playing ok...