2nd Test - Australia v India

[Blue Boy]

I thought 250 would of been great when our 6th wicket fell - now we could get over 400 !!!

[Punk Rooster]

yep, we've certainly won the battle today.
Hogg 79
& Symonds 133*

[rod_rooster]

Aus 7/376 at stumps.

Symonds 136*
Lee 31*

What a great day of Test cricket. Symonds and Hogg the stars with Ponting, Hussey and Lee chipping in as well. Australia will be looking to score quickly tomorrow morning and hopefully getting 450 plus. The Indians started very well and had Australia on the ropes at 6/134 but you can never write of this Australian team. What makes it possible for Australia to get out of trouble is the fact that they score quickly despite losing wickets.

Today Australia made the second most runs ever made on the first day of a Test at the SCG. This despite losing quick wickets early. The only other time a side scored more on day 1 in Sydney was Australia back in 1910 when they made 494 on the first day

http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/8/8312.html

[locky801]

Good coverage guys, didn't post cause it was one of the best days of absorbing cricket in a long time, apart from bad umpiring decisions but these things happens, got to take the good with the bad, think the Indians will be totally shell shocked after having the Auusies pretty well down and out, then out comes Roy and George, followed by Leroy Lee, this is why the Aussies are so good, top order fails, middle and late order perform, looking forward to tomorrow. Lets hope Roy can get 200

[RoosterMarty]

Aus 7/376 at stumps.

Symonds 136*
Lee 31*

What a great day of Test cricket. Symonds and Hogg the stars with Ponting, Hussey and Lee chipping in as well. Australia will be looking to score quickly tomorrow morning and hopefully getting 450 plus. The Indians started very well and had Australia on the ropes at 6/134 but you can never write of this Australian team. What makes it possible for Australia to get out of trouble is the fact that they score quickly despite losing wickets.

Today Australia made the second most runs ever made on the first day of a Test at the SCG. This despite losing quick wickets early. The only other time a side scored more on day 1 in Sydney was Australia back in 1910 when they made 494 on the first day

http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/8/8312.html

That is an amazing stat! I couldn't believe it when we almost made 400 despite being 6/SFA but that is incredible.

What an awesome team this is, great to see Roy smack another ton.. last time he scored a ton we were in trouble too. Hoggy was also fantastic and Lee could end up with a half century too tomorrow, Johnson and Clark are no bunnys either.

Scoring quickly is the big difference between these two sides. Even when we are losing wickets we score quickly to try and put the opposition under pressure. India try and survive without scoring, like Dravid's disgraceful match in the first test. You can't score at 1-2 an over and expect to beat this brilliant side.

[Grahaml]

All in all, the difference between one of the all time great teams and one of the teams that will be forgotten in 5 years time was shown up today. Pure pride and determination from 2 blokes you would have gotten good odds of ever playing test cricket a fair way into their careers to mount a rescue operation, then just a killer instince to put Austalia into a winning position, while India lacked any desperation, urgency, patience or even a modicum of pride in the field. The fielding was awful, the bowling timid under pressure and the lack of encouragement for each other disturbing. It took a miracle to break the 16 win streak in India 6 years ago, but this is a different story. The Australian team is wiser now, while the Indian's are reliant on the same faces 6 years on and in indifferent form. And in a different continent.

That Instant Karma guy looks a prospect. Haven't seen anyone like that come out of India for a while. Tall, lanky, awkward and only 19. When he gets some beef and some experience he'll be a top quick for them for 10-15 years. Very much like a young McGrath. Of course, McGrath matured VERY well.

[Pup]

What a terrific day of test cricket.

Well where do you start, India where very good early, some good catching by Sachin and some good bowling from RP. Ponting was very lucky to get away with the edge from Ganguly but that was squared up when Bucknor gave him out even though he smashed it.

I dont know what Pup was thinking

Symonds was terrific but how he was not given out caught behind amazes me, could not have been anything else. Terrible Terrible decision. Has cost the Indians badly and i would be filthy if i was them. I also thought Symonds should have been given out stumped later on from Kumble as well. Full credit to Roy though, got some luck then made them pay.

Brad Hogg was fantastic, rode his luck and it paid off, thats the best i have ever seen him bat at any level. India having gone from a very good chance to knock them over for 200, they are now looking at 450+. Their confidence will be shot. Looking forward to seeing Symonds tee off in the morning and then the brilliant top 7s reaction to all thats unfolded. I have a feeling it may be Dravids time. Expect Sharma to get a fine for his reaction to the non dismissal of Symonds as well.

We will see.

On a side note, Bucknor is finished when will they realise this, Its time for the best umpires to be umpiring these sort of games and that is Simon Taufell, It is time for him to umpire Australian games.

[Grahaml]

Taufel will never umpire and Australian test match.

I had the feeling Clarke thought it was turning the other way, otherwise I would have thought he would try to push onto the leg side.

[Pup]

Taufel will never umpire and Australian test match.

I had the feeling Clarke thought it was turning the other way, otherwise I would have thought he would try to push onto the leg side.

I know and i think it is a real shame.

[Grahaml]

Agreed. It's a pity because we don't have the best umpires umpiring our games, and it's a pity because it means some guys are being forced to spend more time away from home simply because they can't umpire they're own country. I realise this is the way of professional sport, having neutral umpires, and we'll never revert to home test match umpires except in very strange circumstances.

However, imagine the uproar if Taufel had made a mistake and not Bucknor? Even without Australia involved, and even (in my opinion) with the right decision made, the Pakistan people and cricket board were calling for Hair's head. Racism is alive and well in cricket and until we get more countries involved in the decision making it will be dominated by too few. There are only 9 test playing nations and 4 have far too similar interests to be independant of each other. The sooner more western countries can support some sort of professional team capable of competing the sooner we can have non-corrupted officials holding the balance of power. The sad thing is with Kenya and Zimbabwe the next best countries, it's almost the complete opposite. Cricket needs either Europe or North America to become a force to become a truly fair international sport.

[locky801]

Aussies off to a cautious start this morning


7/411

Symonds 148*

Lee 50*

[Pup]

Bucknor has to go.

Stumping appeal that he does not refer which is very close. Then gives Brett Lee out LBW when it may have struck outside the line.

[sasquatch]

Lee could end up with a half century too tomorrow

Prophetic.

[Pup]

Johnson holes out in the deep for 28.

9/461.

Might see some fireworks with Symonds and Clark now i reckon.

[Punk Rooster]

well batted Symmo! 162*

[Pup]

Clark gone for a duck.

Symonds 162*

Australia all out for 463

Kumble 4 wickets (99 against Australia now)

[Dirko]

Clark is a joke...drop him

[rod_rooster]

Great morning for Australia. Lee batted very well and was unlucky to be given out. Symonds was very determined to be not out at the end. He was outstanding and really showed he has become a fine test player. Pushed his average over 40 now.

Probably a good thing the innings finished when it did. Could have gone on a bit too long otherwise.

[rod_rooster]

Hussey out now as well. Nick to first slip. Singh gets his 3rd. India on top now.

Aus 4/119

Big chance for Symonds to show his worth here.

Well he certainly did that

[Pup]

Jaffer clean bowled by a terrific Lee yorker

India 1/8