TOPIC:

Perhaps they did consider the quality of Nicholas, regardless of who else was employed wherever.

Beasley Hutton wrote: ........................... when 9 lost the Cricket rites!

Was that a Freudian slip, or just further evidence of your prescience BH?

anchorman wrote:

mikeh wrote: Hopefully the Australian batsmen are good enough to bat for a long time on this pitch and get their score somewhere up near the Indian total. This should ensure that the game ends in a draw which then sets up the decider in Sydney. In an ideal scenario hopefully the bowlers can put their feet up for a few days because there is only a 4 day turnaround to the final test.

Mike , if the Aussies play the way the Indians did , then we are in with a chance to draw the game.Leave as much as possible early. Let the ball wear.Make them bowl at you.Harris and Finch have to be the building blocks.They need to bat for a long time together.
The Aussies got a bit with the first new ball, then it refused to do anything.Hopefully the same will apply for the Aussies.
I think also the Indians had a fair amount of luck during their innings, and I don't just mean dropped catches.

well the Harris Finch theory went out the door pretty quickly a/man. Luck for the Indians??, about as much as the Aussies had playing and missing against Bumrah in Perth, easily forgotten though

You gotta admire the Aust batsmen consistency though.......get a start and then find away to get out....cometh the hour....cometh the Mitch.....

Groundhog day for the Australian batting line up which has once more shown how vulnerable it is. The bowlers have papered up the cracks so far but in this test have been unable to do so. Credit to the Indians for taking advantage of their fortune in winning the toss and grinding out a score on a pitch that was inconsistent in bounce and not conducive to quick scoring.

The Australian batsmen appear not to have the concentration level and skill to bat for long periods and unless Head and Mitch Marsh can produce some sort of miracle 200 run partnership for the rest of this day, an embarrassing defeat appears inevitable. India will not enforce the follow on if they have that option and this will condemn the Australians to bat on a day 5 wicket that will no doubt be playing a lot more tricks than it is now.

Somehow Australia need to extend their first innings into day 4 and get within 100 of the Indian score but unfortunately I don't think either will happen.

jackspratt wrote:

Beasley Hutton wrote: ........................... when 9 lost the Cricket rites!

Was that a Freudian slip, or just further evidence of your prescience BH?

Lets just say JS I will not be editing the SIC!

The difference between the two sides is clearly being demonstrated on this awful MCG Test pitch, in that both sides have good bowling attacks fairly similar in abilities but the major difference (gulf) is in the batting prowess between the 2 countries with India having a far stronger ability to concentrate and execute at the crease!

India's tactics have been excellent. When the wicket starting playing different in the last hour on day 2,They declared probably 100 runs short of what they wanted.The balls staying low and starting to reverse swing.Also spinning now.Our batsman don't have the technique required to survive on this deck.

Beasley Hutton wrote: The difference between the two sides is clearly being demonstrated on this awful MCG Test pitch, in that both sides have good bowling attacks fairly similar in abilities but the major difference (gulf) is in the batting prowess between the 2 countries with India having a far stronger ability to concentrate and execute at the crease!

BH everyone thought the wicket would be placid for 5 days.Kohli didn't agree when he won the toss and batted.He knew the wicket would deteriorate over the 5 days.

no Australian batsman has got out because of the wicket, whereas there were one or two which kept low for the Indians.