Cricket- the sport not the insect

[craig1985]

I reckon Dhoni will declare when he get's his century, and frankly this is like yesterday, WI don't look like getting another wicket unless something random happens, where Dravid somehow got out.

 

[ramjambunath]

Poor running from Laxman. Dhoni's still on strike. Awful tactics from WI, stop the single.

100 Dhoni, 5th hundred for him.

Edit: Seems like he may declare at tea.

 

[craig1985]

Dhoni finally goes.

 

[ramjambunath]

Today isn't a great day for tests, first the championships were dropped and then this abject WI performance. As much as the Indian batting has been brilliant, the match needs a contest (similar to India in England, which was extremely dull). Pitch definitely not helping the WI.

India finally declare. Thank goodness.

Edit: Ojha opening the bowling in pretty bad light.
Bharat out for 1.

 

[ramjambunath]

This test is embarrassing.
Wade just got a brilliant century against WA and Hodge got 70 odd. Victoria looking good for a 300+ score.

 

[craig1985]

The West Indies sure know how to throw their young players into the deepend, mind you if Chris Gayle bothere to pull his head in and not just worried about the T20 cash, along with Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, they might actually do well. Oh and the same applies to Sarwan who could also be a little bit more professional in his attitude towards Test cricket, would also help.

And I don't plan on jinxing Kirk Edwards and Adrian Barath.

 

[Midnightfright]

The West Indies sure know how to throw their young players into the deepend, mind you if Chris Gayle bothere to pull his head in and not just worried about the T20 cash, along with Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, they might actually do well. Oh and the same applies to Sarwan who could also be a little bit more professional in his attitude towards Test cricket, would also help.

And I don't plan on jinxing Kirk Edwards and Adrian Barath.

I'm not sure how much use Kieron Pollard would be. Ive heard he's concentrating purely on the shorter form of the game now. Hes bowling would just get milked for 4-5 an over in test cricket and unless he had a totally diffrent technique for test cricket wouldnt have too much luck there.

 

[ramjambunath]

Swann or any decent bowler can clean him up every time. I really don't rate Pollard as a player, as a hitter he's the benchmark.

Barath likes Justin Bieber's songs

Lord Condon has made some serious allegations about spot fixing and match fixing.

 

[Ferminal]

Still time to get Wade on a plane for Joburg.

 

[craig1985]

NZ squad to tour Australia: Ross Taylor (capt), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Dean Brownlie, Martin Guptill, Chris Martin, Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Daniel Vettori, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson, Reece Young.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-new-zealand-2011/content/story/540698.html

For mine: Guptil, McCullum, Williamson, *Taylor, Ryder, Brownlie, Vettori, +Young, Southee, Bracewell, Martin.

 

[ramjambunath]

Decent NZ team. If that's the exact order and if Australia had a proper spinner, I'd open with one. Guptill and McCullum are pretty poor players of quality spin. Only possible change wold be Ryder opening pushing Guptill down to 3 and Williamson to 5. Second match at the Bellerive and Southee may be a big threat if there's some swing there.

Craig, do you know anything about Trent Boult?

Rimmington at 6, North and Voges may have some injury.

 

[craig1985]

Boult has pace but has also has had a lot of back injuries as well. Hey I know something fun we can do, let's name the New Zealand bowler post 1995 who has had his career ruined by injuries, Shane Bond, Dion Nash, Chris Cairns, Shayne O'Connor, Geoff Allott...

 

[ramjambunath]

Simon Doull, Mark Gillespie to an extent.

 

[craig1985]

**** it, I can't be bothered with this Test match anymore.

 

[ramjambunath]

President's cup not being shown thanks to Ranji Trophy.

Some fight in the West Indies 249/3. Long way to go but with a great effort, there's a 5% chance of a draw.

Edit: I jinxed Shiv but Bravo has got a very good hundred.

 

[craig1985]

Marlon Samuels is batting well. Looks like the WI is onto a winner with Dwayne Bravo, two Test centuries in tricky conditions in both India and Bangladesh, plus getting a half century on debut when Chris Gayle got his triple century.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Go South Africa!!!!

 

[ramjambunath]

Load shedding Thursday here, so can't see any match. Power out till 5pm, went at 10.30am (now 12.30pm).

Bravo's century celebrations, let alone his batting style, are a carbon copy of Lara's (I know it was pointed out, but it was obviously like Lara's 400).

Obvious statement but Cummins may make his debut today. Khawaja will surely replace Marsh.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I look forward to the aus media getting stuck into how hopeless the Aus team after they are beaten in this test. I will give the selectors some credit for (hopefully) bringing in Khawaja and Cummins. If only they'd get rid of Johnson, Hughes and Ponting permanently...

 

[craig1985]

Load shedding Thursday here, so can't see any match. Power out till 5pm, went at 10.30am (now 12.30pm).

Bravo's century celebrations, let alone his batting style, are a carbon copy of Lara's (I know it was pointed out, but it was obviously like Lara's 400).

Obvious statement but Cummins may make his debut today. Khawaja will surely replace Marsh.

It's good that Khwaja will play instead of Warner, I just don't think he's up to it at Test level, but they've called him up to cover Ponting when he went back to Australia from Sri Lanka to be there for his daughter's birth, so I daresay he must be line to make his Test debut in the near future.

Oh and Ojha makes a breakthrough by dismissing Bravo for 136.

 

[craig1985]

I'm not sure how much use Kieron Pollard would be. Ive heard he's concentrating purely on the shorter form of the game now. Hes bowling would just get milked for 4-5 an over in test cricket and unless he had a totally diffrent technique for test cricket wouldnt have too much luck there.

For a guy that usually bat's 6 or 7 he has a solid FC average of 37 and blasted a century on his FC debut and in his last FC game he played for Trinidad he took 1/36 off 12 overs on an absolute road:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/497836.html

If he wanted too, he could probably make a real go of it, as tempting as the T20 cash is.

 

[craig1985]

Baugh goes, looks like it will be an innings victory for India.

 

[Ferminal]

Harris out... Putting the proverbial house on South Africa to win this now. Also Khawaja to be the top Aus scorer.

 

[ramjambunath]

WI done and dusted.

It's good that Khwaja will play instead of Warner, I just don't think he's up to it at Test level, but they've called him up to cover Ponting when he went back to Australia from Sri Lanka to be there for his daughter's birth, so I daresay he must be line to make his Test debut in the near future.

Oh and Ojha makes a breakthrough by dismissing Bravo for 136.

It would have been a travesty if Warner played ahead of Usman. We all know how sad Australia were in Sydney and only Khawaja could come out with any respectability (given that he was a debutant then).

For a guy that usually bat's 6 or 7 he has a solid FC average of 37 and blasted a century on his FC debut and in his last FC game he played for Trinidad he took 1/36 off 12 overs on an absolute road:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/497836.html

If he wanted too, he could probably make a real go of it, as tempting as the T20 cash is.

I wouldn't rate performances in the WI FC level that highly nowadays and secondly, the scorecard is an indictment of the pitch and given that the first innings lead got Jamaica through, I don't think they would have played very positive cricket. Papps has a very similar record to Pollard (I'd rate NZ and WI FC cricket at the same level) and we know how poor he was in test cricket. The star of the match was a player from your neck of the woods.

Damn, I want to see Cummins bowl.

 

[Ferminal]

Australia bowling first. Could be a long day if Cummins doesn't fire. Going Lyon for most wickets in this innings.