Australia v India 2nd Test - Sydney - commencing 3/1/12

[Media Park]

Flat
Track
Bullies

Nice

[Jim05]

Saw some pics of the SCG this morning, had a very nice tinge of green. Will offer a fair bit to quicks on day 1.
They interviewed the groundsman and he said he wanted to prepare a pitch that is fair for both sides so he wont juice it up anymore. FFS im sick of pandering to India's needs, would love to go to India and play on a pitch that had ANY grass on it on Day 1.

[Jim05]

Unchanged lineup for tomorrow.
Harris 12th.

[westozfalcon]

Saw some pics of the SCG this morning, had a very nice tinge of green. Will offer a fair bit to quicks on day 1.
They interviewed the groundsman and he said he wanted to prepare a pitch that is fair for both sides so he wont juice it up anymore. FFS im sick of pandering to India's needs, would love to go to India and play on a pitch that had ANY grass on it on Day 1.

Why would a green, lively pitch favour Australia's fast bowlers more than India's?

[Jim05]

Saw some pics of the SCG this morning, had a very nice tinge of green. Will offer a fair bit to quicks on day 1.
They interviewed the groundsman and he said he wanted to prepare a pitch that is fair for both sides so he wont juice it up anymore. FFS im sick of pandering to India's needs, would love to go to India and play on a pitch that had ANY grass on it on Day 1.

Why would a green, lively pitch favour Australia's fast bowlers more than India's?

Its more about negating their strength.
We saw how much the Indian's crap their dacks when batting on lively, bouncy decks. Hard to lay bat on it when youre standing on short legs toes. I also rate our quicks superior to theirs.
Its also takes their spinners out of the equation.
If Indians were so good on lively decks why do they produce flat dust bowls every test at home?
All home sides should prepare their pitches to negate the opposition

[westozfalcon]

Saw some pics of the SCG this morning, had a very nice tinge of green. Will offer a fair bit to quicks on day 1.
They interviewed the groundsman and he said he wanted to prepare a pitch that is fair for both sides so he wont juice it up anymore. FFS im sick of pandering to India's needs, would love to go to India and play on a pitch that had ANY grass on it on Day 1.

Why would a green, lively pitch favour Australia's fast bowlers more than India's?

Its more about negating their strength.
We saw how much the Indian's crap their dacks when batting on lively, bouncy decks. Hard to lay bat on it when youre standing on short legs toes. I also rate our quicks superior to theirs.
Its also takes their spinners out of the equation.
If Indians were so good on lively decks why do they produce flat dust bowls every test at home?
All home sides should prepare their pitches to negate the opposition

I'd agree with that but the Australian batsmen have shown that they can be vulnerable on a lively track too. Two summers ago Pakistan ran through the Aussie top order on a green 1st innings deck at the SCG.
India's quicks - Yadav, Sharma and Khan - are very useful.

[Rik E Boy]

I believe that all Curators should be making fair decks regardless of what happens overseas. In junior cricket one team our boys play against never gives any LBWs but our team does (if it's there of course). When the boys quite rightly say WTF we just say 'you'll never learn how to bat if you get away with these LBs all the time' so if pitch doctoring is considered 'fast or loose' or even cheating, we shouldn't do it. Let our cricket do the talking and in the long run the results will come as our team will be better in all conditions and the opposition won't be.

We don't need to make a greentop to get the drop on the Indians to win this test in my view. It seems that the selectors have stuck by Nathan Lyon and I applaude this move even though there are more than a few posters on here who adovocate an all pace attack. I wasn't keen on Lyon early but he does toss the ball up and as a result he gives himself a chance to take wickets (Ashwin of course was throwing down darts in that third innings in Melbourne). Lyon might go for the odd run but if we let him develop finally we can end this turnstile for spinners that was installed in the Dressing Room of the Australian team.

regards,

REB

[Rik E Boy]

I'd agree with that but the Australian batsmen have shown that they can be vulnerable on a lively track too. Two summers ago Pakistan ran through the Aussie top order on a green 1st innings deck at the SCG.
India's quicks - Yadav, Sharma and Khan - are very useful.

This is a great call westoz. Our top order remains vulnerable and Clarkey is getting his castle knocked over far too often at the moment.

regards,

REB

[Jim05]

I believe that all Curators should be making fair decks regardless of what happens overseas. In junior cricket one team our boys play against never gives any LBWs but our team does (if it's there of course). When the boys quite rightly say WTF we just say 'you'll never learn how to bat if you get away with these LBs all the time' so if pitch doctoring is considered 'fast or loose' or even cheating, we shouldn't do it. Let our cricket do the talking and in the long run the results will come as our team will be better in all conditions and the opposition won't be.

We don't need to make a greentop to get the drop on the Indians to win this test in my view. It seems that the selectors have stuck by Nathan Lyon and I applaude this move even though there are more than a few posters on here who adovocate an all pace attack. I wasn't keen on Lyon early but he does toss the ball up and as a result he gives himself a chance to take wickets (Ashwin of course was throwing down darts in that third innings in Melbourne). Lyon might go for the odd run but if we let him develop finally we can end this turnstile for spinners that was installed in the Dressing Room of the Australian team.

regards,

REB

I think that pitch doctoring is one of the fascinations people have with test cricket. I know I love watching our lads in India on spinning decks and the English seaming pitches, its a real test of skills and character. Would hate to see all pitches the same worldwide, might aswell play on hardwicket and roll out the matting.

[Rik E Boy]

I believe that all Curators should be making fair decks regardless of what happens overseas. In junior cricket one team our boys play against never gives any LBWs but our team does (if it's there of course). When the boys quite rightly say WTF we just say 'you'll never learn how to bat if you get away with these LBs all the time' so if pitch doctoring is considered 'fast or loose' or even cheating, we shouldn't do it. Let our cricket do the talking and in the long run the results will come as our team will be better in all conditions and the opposition won't be.

We don't need to make a greentop to get the drop on the Indians to win this test in my view. It seems that the selectors have stuck by Nathan Lyon and I applaude this move even though there are more than a few posters on here who adovocate an all pace attack. I wasn't keen on Lyon early but he does toss the ball up and as a result he gives himself a chance to take wickets (Ashwin of course was throwing down darts in that third innings in Melbourne). Lyon might go for the odd run but if we let him develop finally we can end this turnstile for spinners that was installed in the Dressing Room of the Australian team.

regards,

REB

I think that pitch doctoring is one of the fascinations people have with test cricket. I know I love watching our lads in India on spinning decks and the English seaming pitches, its a real test of skills and character. Would hate to see all pitches the same worldwide, might aswell play on hardwicket and roll out the matting.

I reckon it would be impossible due to the variance in conditions. They used to play test matches on the mat in Pakistan. After the second world war US President Dwight Eisenhower went to a test in Pakistan with the Pakistani president and there was only 104 runs scored for the entire day LOL. Imagine the US President's thoughts when this snoozefest was slowly unfolding.

regards

REB

[Jim05]

I would actually love to see a modern match played on matting just to see how the batsmen handle the conditions. Reckon it would be fairly interesting with the differant bounce and movement from the two piece balls

[Jimmy]

I hope Lyon does well in this test. He needs to take a few wickets to have an impact I reckon. I would have lent towards Harris so it will be interesting to see how that pans out.

[Brodlach]

India win the toss and elect to bat

[Swamp Donkey]

Sachin Tendulkar has scored a century in his first innings in each of the last 4 years, including at the same venue against the same opposition in 2008 (with the others being NZ in 2009, Bangladesh in 2010, and South Africa in 2011). All of those innings were in away tests. India will be tough to beat this week.

[Dirko]

Hope the **** gets out for 2 golden ducks.

[mal]

IN 1/0
GAMBHIR C CLARKE B PATTINFCSON 0
My advice for Gambhir , see if you can last in the team till Adelaide Oval

[Brodlach]

Pattinson all over the shop in the first over

[Jim05]

Gambhir is rubbish

[Q.]

The swing is looking very predictable. Need one or two balls to straighten up and have the batsmen guessing.

[Jim05]

Great over by Siddle, would be nice if the skipper could set a field for him though.
A couple of edges through the vacant 4th slip area