The Baggy Green Blog: A Blog for Australian Cricket Supporters

Australia's new-look T20 side wins the first match

2012-02-01T21:52:00.000-08:00

Another victory for the summer and a very good match for Australian supporters for the first official Twenty20 match at Stadium Australia.
The drop in wicket proved to play quite nicely for the evening and despite some showers here and there, we got a full game of cricket.

The three features of the game for me were;
- George Bailey taking on the Captaincy, having never played a match for Australia (besides have lead Australia A) and doing a convincing job at it.
- Matt Wade's awesome innings, or explosive should I say. That's how to make a statement.
- Brad Hogg making his return and getting a wicket in his first over!

Full scorecard via ESPN Cricinfo

Batting: 4/171 from 20 overs
Matt Wade 72, David Hussey 42, David Warner 25.

The instant momentum David "Pitbull" Warner created was brilliant. Innovative hitting and raw power saw the return of the man of the man who stepped into the Australian cricket spotlight through Twenty20.His quick-fire 25 was vital to immediately put any sort of doubt into the Indian side. The run rate was off the a flyer to alllow Trav Birt and Matt Wade the opportunity to steady there attack.

Birt has just come off an insanely awesome Big Bash campaign where he displayed some of the biggest hitting I have ever seen from him.
He scored 345 runs at an average of 43.12 with three half-centuries.
His consistency in that tournament resulted in his renewed call-up and it was unfortunate he could only manage 17. We still got a glimpse of Trav's skills on the big stage.
Given the nature of T20, in at least one of three or four innings, a batsman should come right with a decent score. Watch out for Birt in the second T20i.

Matt Wade was the star of the show as he formed a match defining partnership with Dussey.
What impresses me about Matt is his bat speed, something which has always been a feature to me of Michael Clarke's game.
He lashes at something with speed and confident intentions as well, which is likely an instinctive aspect of his game passed down through his keeping. Something most recent Australian keepers has possessed.

His hitting was crisp and he was never in trouble for lack of not finding boundaries to ensure that initial momentum David Warner brought forward was carried on.
The thing with T20 is one bloke needs to make a decent total, while two or three guys around him will just ease the pressure and either strengthen the platform or push the boundaries.
Matt smashed 8 boundaries (5 fours, 3 sixes) and along with a good night behind the stumps he has started his limited overs series off in the most positive manner.

A good one day series with consistent standards behind the stumps will most certainly mean the plans to wait on Tim Paine will be scrapped and it may even mean Brad Haddin won't feature as the front line keeper anymore.
Only one game to judge this on, but if you read this article I wrote a few weeks back you will see how I looked at Matt's First-class stats in particular. He has the goods to be the guy to introduce now so he has time to get settled before his peak as a keeper/batsman.

Dussey has become a far more consistent T20 batsman, but his value is unquestionably within his bowling duties where he can choke a run-chase with perfection at times.
He had a cracking match and his 42 runs from 30 deliveries, featuring 3 urgent sixes was exciting to watch, while George Bailey offered steady support to set India 171 to win.
Well done Dussey!

Bowling: India 140 all out
David Hussey 2/4, Dan Christian 2/35

By the time Virat Kohli was dismissed in Brad Hogg's first over, you sensed with the Indian teams body language that they were done and dusted for the match in terms of a loss heading their way.

Sehwag is always going to be that guy you have a chance to remove early on by bowling it full, slightly wide outside of off-stump to lure him into those trademark flashes of the blade as he tries to crash anything in sight to the boundaries over cover regions and gully.
He was sent packing early with that early chance on offer to give Brett Lee his only wicket of the game.

The immediate change came about when George Bailey (who lead his troops confidently) introduced Xavier Doherty so early in the innings and then when the dot balls were needed, Dussey and Hoggy were the go to guys. What a job they did!
Dussey sent down 2 overs to grab 2 wickets for just 4 runs, while Hoggy (in his energetic return to International cricket after taking 13 wicket at 14.69 in the Big Bash) 1/21 from his 4 overs.
That wrapped up the game and will be seen as a strategic dynamic for the Twenty20 side before the World T20 later this year.

He was a tad expensive but it didn't prove to have an affect as he also picked up 2 wickets. Dan Christian was picked alongside Dussey to give the side two all-rounders in the absence of Shane Watson.
I hope DC gets a second match.

The fielding was also a highlight.
David Warner featured this summer with his superb catching in the Test series and he pulled off some classic catches for the 1st T20. He's an excellent fielder and with a peak in standards this summer, it will be needed in the limited overs arena as well.
The outfielding showed commitment and the team was active non-stop.

You had to feel a bit for MS Dhoni. He's under immense pressure after the way Indian cricket has been going and once during the Test series, like the T20, he made runs but was left stranded. Kind of in vain.
They have lost another match but have one chance on Friday to try level the T20 series.

Verdict:
Hats off the crowd for showing up in numbers to continue what has been a summer filled with an incredible atmosphere. It really has made the cricket so much better.
Our contributor Dan Stapo was at the match and having attended a team training session and sat in the crowd, he said the attitude from the team was positive and it was a great game of T20 cricket.

For an Australian cricket supporter, yes. For an Indian supporter? It has already been a long summer and I am sure they will be on edge for the ODI series to begin to see if it will bring their team better fortune.

Well done to George Bailey and his side. One more game to rip through India to try take the T20 series 2-0. It can be done!

Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.

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Border-Gavaskar stats / ODI & T20 Squads listed

2012-01-30T04:41:00.000-08:00

*For the ODI and T20 Squads, please see the last part of the article. Fixtures are available here.

The controversial 2007/08 Border-Gavaskar series was known as “Bollyline”.
This series will remembered as the “blunder down under” for Indian supporters, while Baggy Green supporters will recall strong memories from this series for years to come.

A 4-0 whitewash has turned the Baggy Greens team image around from a side that was viewed as one being burdened by administrative confusion and players of excellence being reduced to mediocrity.

Suddenly, a fresh coaching unit has been backed by an implemented Argus Review, which has been responsibly adhered to by a new selection panel, instrumental in the turnaround.
Importantly the players, led by new Skipper Michael Clarke, reduced the Indian team to nothing more than average and the collective attitude within the team has been refreshing.

A family member of mine who was at the Adelaide Oval Test said the atmosphere was so unbelievable compared to last year, especially on Australia day.

Many onlookers have asked “how could India lose 4-0 to an average side?”
The answer is simple. Australia have become a stronger team, India have become average as a Test side.
Their selectors face a very daunting task as to how they will either gradually filter out veteran players to make way for younger talent, or maybe they have to persevere with them given the very intense image change the culture of the Indian team will see under a new look unit.
The loss of Gary Kirsten looks like it took a big part out of the team’s spirit.

In any case, below I have made available the relevant stats for the batsman and bowlers who stood out this series. All in all, so many positives to take away (which I have highlighted) and of course a few special memories too.

For a good interview with Mickey Arthur, who seems to be finding his place with a new found respect in his team, check it out at Cricinfo.com

Series results:
1^st Test @ MCG – Won by 122 runs.
2^nd Test @ SCG – Won by an innings and 68 runs.
3^rd Test @ WACA – Won by an innings at 37 runs.
4^th Test @ Adelaide Oval – Won by 298 runs.

Statistics:

-Michael Clarke: 6 innings, 626 runs, HS 329*, Ave 125.20, x2 100s
-Ricky Ponting: 6 innings, 544 runs, HS 221, Ave 108.80, x2 100s, x3 50s
-Michael Hussey: 6 innings, 293 runs. HS 150*, Ave 58.60, x1 100, x1 50
-David Warner: 6 innings, 266 runs. HS 180, Ave 44.33, x1 100
-Ed Cowan: 6 innings, 206 runs, HS 74, Ave 34.33, x2 50s

-Ben Hilfenhaus:4 matches, 27 wickets, 160 overs, 44 maidens, BBI 5-75, BBI 8-97, Ave 17.22, x2 5fers
-Peter Siddle: 4 matches. 23 wickets, 127 overs, 29 maidens, BBI 5-49, Ave 18.65, x1 5fer
-James Pattinson: 2 matches, 11 wickets, 75 overs, BBI 4-43, Ave 23.36
-Nathan Lyon: 3 matches, 7 wickets, 93.3 overs, BBI 4-63, Ave 41.57

-Ryan Harris: 2 matches, 6 wickets, 78 overs, BBI 3-41, Ave 29.83
-Mitch Starc: 2 matches, 4 wickets, 24.2 overs, BBI 2-31, Ave 17.50

Batting:

While they didn’t cement their spots as such, they provided plenty of promise as an opening duo for Test cricket. The way Warner and Cowan worked off each other’s strengths was something I haven’t seen since Shane Watson and Simon Katich matched up with collective strength.
Cowan has surely made a good enough start to his career to get the nod for the Windies tour and David Warner just needs to find consistency and he will be well on his way. Forget T20 cricket, Test cricket is where he is needed.

Ricky Ponting (my elected man-of-the-series) showed remarkable consistency. If anything it’s a bit surreal how he went about his business. He was generally incredibly in control and was only dealt some difficulty with deliveries darting in at him from just back of a length. Only one innings saw him “fail”.
His century at the SCG was special because of how damn hard he’s worked and as he stood up covered in dirt it was just totally symbolic to the struggles he’s endured.
At Adelaide (a good place for him) he sealed it with a ferocious roar! The second was one of pure appreciation, his double century. Well done Punter! In my opinion he was the man-of-the-series.
The key to Punter’s return of form is because he played for the team. He was needed to deliver and he did. India failed to expose his weaknesses early on and he caned them. Enough said.

Michael Clarke has shown incredible skills with his tactical execution, especially with the manner in which he rotated the bowling unit. His batting is what set up a dream series for him.
He already has 594 runs at 198.00 for the calendar year from 4 matches and has shown that, in his current situation, if he makes a start he has the confidence to go and get a century….big ones at that!

A triple century at the SCG was beautiful to watch, it truly was. To end the series though scoring a double century, now that was just unbelievable! All in one series! That is class.

Unlike Punter, Clarkey had a fair dosage of luck but it is a necessity in Test cricket.
He is a team player and neglected records to go for the team victory. Even in this gesture of true leadership, nothing can be taken away from those unforgettable knocks. Historical innings.

Michael Hussey wasn’t required to do anything too spectacular this series but his 150* at the SCG was a joy to watch given how aggressive he was within his innings, where he showed his instinct to attack. It is still strong, as we know due to his limited overs game.

Brad Haddin has been left out of the initial limited overs side. Declared as an opportunity for him to have a break, it may also be seen by the selectors as a stealthy chance to give Matt Wade a go with Tim Paine still uncertain.
Hads may be tired but his standards behind the stumps were not at the height he’s capable of and although it improved, he’s had a tough run for a while now. We’ll see how Hads goes from here.

Shaun Marsh was the disappointment of the batsmen.
He ended with an average worse than that of a tail-ender and he had no luck on offer. It’s so confusing as he started his Test career showing all the qualities the team had been lacking.
Suddenly, our seniors and new comers have come right but Shaun has fallen apart.
Very sad but back in First-class cricket he can regain his confidence and get back on the horse.

Bowling:

Ben Hilfenhaus was the star of the bowling in my opinion. He had Sehwag’s number, was the best bloke to knock down The Wall and his return was splendid to see.
Better pace, better control and late swing provided all the characteristics to the bowling I saw from Hilfy all those years back. Keeping him for the Adelaide Test was good so he could end on a positive note before the Windies Tour. He just gets on with his bowling and is a no-fuss character.
He was well in line for man-of-the-series. Running out Virat Kohli could have sealed the deal!

Pedro Siddle made the ICC All-rounder rankings this series and rocketed up the bowling ranks.
Furthermore, like Hilfy, being dropped did him the world of good and he’s returned on fire!
On the flat Adelaide track he was able to get 5 wickets. That was a strong statement made by Pedro and if he can do that there, he can do some damage in India.
He was the strike-bowlers this series and was able to get the breakthrough when needed. Still such an ambitious character and I like seeing him achieve success.

James Pattinson was awesome to watch. If he’d had a few more games without the injury burden he would have snatch a stack more of wickets! I was actually a little nervous when he was ruled out.

He’s definitely a man of the future and the way Ryan Harris was able to be called upon to step in for him was equally exciting knowing the strike-bowlers are in place.

Along with James, Mitch Starc earned a recall for the WACA where our four man pace attack tore through India. Now that was a sign of total positivity! Mitch finds swing with ease. Better control with his line is all he needs to work on.
Keeping in mind Patty Cummins and Ben Cutting are lurking about will make the future fast bowling plans easy for the selectors to manage.

Even though he struggled early on, which was totally understandable, Nathan Lyon played a crucial role at Adelaide and can be proud of his efforts. Not easy to be a spin bowler against India and his ability to flight the ball and spice things up did the trick. It was fitting that took the final wicket.

All in all the bowlers were terrific and it’s hard to fault them. There’s always room for improvement but they found a way to repeatedly knock over India’s strength which deserves the acknowledgment for now. It was a totally different bowling unit we saw.

Consistency, control, aggression, pressure being built up over after over, and complimentary skill sets executed brilliantly by the Skipper was the key.

Full credit, as they always say, to Craig McDermott as well. Things are on track.

Fielding:

A few chances were spilled this series but in general I was happy with the standard.
Ed Cowan was used effectively at short leg and did the job really well. Huss and Warner were lightning quick in the point and gully regions, Shaun Marsh took quite a few catches as well, while our bowlers also had a few caught and bowled opportunities as well.

Definitely were some classic catches this series, notably:
- Warner’s catch off Hilfy’s bowling when he leapt in the air at point. For a short guy it was spectacular.
- Peter Siddle’s caught and bowled to remove Sehwag in the 4^th Test.
- Michael Clarke’s slip catch where Haddin dived in front of him, only for Clarkey to stay composed as he leapt in the air and first slip to take a screamer!

Top 5 moments:

1 – Ricky Ponting’s consistency:
I was so happy to watch Punter bat in a manner which I last saw in 2007. He was so fluent and where India bowled short to him, he took to the battle with sweet pull shots.
When pitched full, he drove with confidence, regularly trotting down the pitch watching his executed drive roll away to the boundary.

He scored two centuries (yet another double century against India at the Adelaide Oval) and over fifty in three innings, meaning only one innings was a blunder. By that stage David Warner had handed the game to us so it wasn’t all that bleak.
I had a feeling Punter may have called it a day after this series no matter what the outcome but it seems he still loves his cricket too much. For the calendar year he has 422 runs at 140.66.

2 – Michael Clarke’s monstrous performances:
That innings of 329* was incredible, selfless and historical.
Clarkey then followed with 210 in Adelaide to end his series on an epic high.
Not much else to write. We witnessed something special from a bloke who has had a tough run.
Hope he has the supporters respect at long last.

3 – Ben Hilfenhaus returns rejuvenated:
The way he took three wickets in one over to ensure victory came swiftly at the WACA was epic.
He took the first wicket of the series, picked up a 5 wicket haul at the MCG and the SCG, his first 5 wicket takes in Test cricket and found himself in the top 10 of the ICC Test bowling ranks for the first time ever.

He was able to build pressure continually and being a massive fanatic of swing bowling it brought me a lot of happiness seeing how Hilfy performed with this aspect of his game and how brilliant it must be for him after a horrid Ashes series and the challenge to return having been dropped.
Well done Hilfy. 27 wickets at 17.22, like the 2009 Ashes.

4 - David Warner owns the WACA:
He is still searching for consistency but this innings rocked!
He’s a T20 specialist but he’s a sucker for the lure of Test cricket and this was a unique innings, coming in just the 5^th game for the Pitbull. A wonderful achievement and I don’t think anyone will forget his 180 at the WACA, the fourth fastest Test century. Brutal!

5 – Victory at the WACA, securing the Trophy:
It secured the series, secured the Trophy and in the basking light of celebration, emotions swept through all aspects of the team and to have done so in such a destructive manner was outstanding against the number 2 ranked side.
All the hard work, challenges and continual struggle for synergy came together this series and in the moment the series was taken it was very special.
To then take it 4-0, well it doesn’t get much better as far as Test cricket goes.

The boys pose with the Trophy, a successful 4-0 victory.
© Getty Images

The limited overs Squads announced:

The selectors have shown transparency and clarification regarding their selections, notably in John Inverarity’s public statements.
Furthermore they have given indication as to why certain players were not considered.
This is a fresh start from the selectors and as a supporter I thank them for this approach.

ODI Squad:

Michael Clarke (Captain)

David Warner
Ricky Ponting
Peter Forrest - Set to debut.
Daniel Christian - Set to debut in Watto’s absence.
David Hussey
Michael Hussey
Matthew Wade - Set to debut in Haddin’s absence.
Brett Lee - Chasing 400 ODI wickets.
Ryan Harris – Can he maintain that insane strike-rate and average?
Mitchell Starc – Stoked with his re-call
Xavier Doherty
Clint McKay
Mitchell Marsh – Great opportunity for the young man.

T20 Squad:

Excellent selections! A side of balance and opportunity to players both young, old and in form.
So excited about the return of Brad Hogg! Always been one of my favourites. Love his enthusiasm!
The batting looks mighty strong and there’s lovely versatility in the bowling stocks.
I expect victory.

George Bailey (Captain)

David Warner (Vice-captain)
Travis Birt
Dan Christian
Xavier Doherty
James Faulkner
Aaron Finch
Brad Hogg
David Hussey
Brett Lee
Mitchell Marsh
Shaun Marsh
Clint McKay
Matthew Wade (wk)

Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.

TWITTER
@BaggyGreenBlog
@Ianbaggygreen
@Dan_Stapo

4th Test, Day 5 - Whitewash achieved

2012-01-27T20:12:00.000-08:00

Blink and you shall miss, that was what happened to me. It only took 13 overs for Australia to take the remaining four wickets to complete the series whitewash.

There isn't much to write about for a day needing only 1 hour. Each of the bowlers took a wicket a piece today, to once again demonstrate the definition of team effort. India were all out for 201.

For Harris and Lyon it gave them their best hauls of the series with 3 and 4 wickets respectively for this innings. Lyon was the man to officially give Australia the cleansweep when he got Yadav out edging to the much maligned Brad Haddin.

© Getty Images

Siddle and Hilfenhaus took the other 2 wickets to finish the series with 23 and 27 wickets respectively, a great effort from both men.

Man of the match went to Peter Siddle. Pedro did an amzing effort in the first innings to take a 5-fer to restrict India to under 300 on a flat Adelaide wicket. Ponting was a touch unlucky to miss out on the award as he contributed a double century and another fifty in the second innings. Perhaps this was also to show the appreciation to the work Siddle has done throughout the series.

Man of the series went to the leading run scoring - Michael Clarke. There was little doubt Clarke would get this award and despite great efforts by Hilfenhaus and Ponting, a 300 and 200 in a series to go with a series whitewash as captain was always going to make him a shoe in for the award.

And that ends the test series part of this tour, over to the the T20Is and ODIs along with the announcement of the ODI squad tomorrow.

What to do with the Aussie batting lineup

2012-01-27T17:29:00.000-08:00

There were very few low lights from the Border-Gavaskar series, one of them was the performance of the top 3. A major part of the problem was the number 3 averaging less than 3.

This resulted in 2/46, 4/27, 3/37, 3/84 and 3/40, amazingly two of those resulted in a 600 run total and a clean sweep. These scores were not too surprising considering this was the first time this top 3 had batted together.

Ideally one would like players to come straight in and perform in every game however this is not how cricket works. An opening pair must be stuck with and given time to settle. In Warner and Cowan the signs have been there, in particular the Perth match where the pair surpassed India's total in only the forth session of the match.

Warner produced a couple of starts to go with his 180 and also was last man standing in the Hobart loss. Cowan has made a couple of fifties in his four test matches including being unlucky in his debut innings. Both have shown enough to be persisted with.

Shaun Marsh made his Test debut as a replacement and took this opportunity to jump ahead of Khawaja. It was cruel twist of fate for Khawaja who was forced to move down the order and watch Marsh score his maiden test hundred. However as there is taking your opportunity, there is also losing your opportunity and in one series he has done everything possible to lose his spot.

The return of Shane Watson is 99.4% certain to be in place of Marsh. Where he ends up will be of more interest. Most people believe he should be in the top the 4 spots. At opener he would break up the Warner and Cowan combo and it seems rather silly to be moving two specialist openers for a make shift opener.

On paper Watson would make the ideal number 3, he has the ability to come in early and also 1/200 and keep the momentum going. He has a pull shot which the commentators on Channel 9 mentioned is a key attribute. The only thing going against this move is the fact Clarke wants to use Watson's bowling more than occasionally and with the new openers still settling, he could find himself in very early.

The other option is moving Ponting back to 3 and Watson at 4. The problem with this move is when Ponting retires another number 3 needs to be groomed and given Hussey wants to remain in the side, there will be no young Ponting at 6 to step into the role when Hussey and Ponting go.

Before this series I was one calling for either Ponting or Hussey to go. You would think with three scores under 100 in the past 18 months and 47 all out, that the side was full of youngsters not a side that contained Ponting, Clarke and Hussey. However Ponting has responded to all this talk in resounding fashion with 544 at 109 and that is the way you save a career!

One reason for retaining Ponting and Hussey for the time being is if Haddin is dropped alongside Ponting or Hussey then the middle order begins to look unstable and couple that with the unstable top order and you can expect a few more sub 100 scores to pop up and all the momentum built from the cleansweep against India goes down the drain.

The phasing out period must begin at some point and the West Indies tour represents the ideal opportunity to try a new wicket keeper. With the career best form of Clarke, return to form for Ponting and solid form by Hussey at 6, there is enough stability in the middle order for a new keeper to be brought in to replace the under performing Haddin.

How the future will pan out after that remains to be seen. Ponting has indicated he wants to go on to the Ashes and Hussey seems to have a similar mindset. If either wish to do so they must retain their current form. The team cannot afford another 2 year form slump from either man.

It will obviously be a risk having the same batsmen which failed in the previous English Ashes campaign however as long as they maintain their form, there will be no reason to drop either of them.

One issue from this will be if either of them begin to falter during the Ashes. Unless the rotation system has been implemented for the batsmen or injury strikes, none of the replacement batsmen would be test match harden.

My top 7 for the Caribbean tour:
Warner
Cowan
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Wade/Nevill (wk)

Wade has the early advantage should the keeping spot be vacated however his slip up in the Big Bash League Semi could prove costly. However he will have the chance to impress the selectors during the two T20I against India and perhaps a couple of CBS matches. Nevill in the meantime will have the chance to bang the house down in Shield cricket and really make the selectors take notice.

These are interesting times ahead and unlike the bowling department, young batsmen aren't flying out the window at the moment. Hopefully in a years time more of them will be putting their hand up but until then the Hussey and Ponting show will continue.

Border-Gavaskar series - Australian Batting Review

2012-01-27T01:21:00.000-08:00

Two series have now past since the 47 all out against South Africa. In that time, Australia played out a drawn series in another silly two matches series and are about to clean sweep India.

One of the key issues I identified from the Hobart loss was none of the experienced men stood up. No one should be expecting an inexperienced and unsettled top 3 to perform consistently and that is where the experienced middle order batsmen should be standing up.

This point was particularly important considering two new batsmen were entering the top 3 with David Warner only 2 test matches into his career. Stand up they did, Clarke, Ponting and Hussey were the top 3 leading run scorers for Australia in this series with 626, 544 and 293 runs respectively.

Below is a review of each batting performance in this series.

Boxing Day Test, 1st innings - 2/46 to 333 (Cowan 68, Ponting 62)
2nd Innings - 4/27 to 240 (Ponting 60, Hussey 89)

The 1st innings is the only time the top and middle order would produce a meaningful contribution with one another in this series. It's not often a guy will make 37 and your side ends up being 2/46 but such was the scoring rate of Warner and the dreadfulness of the number 3 that an opener losing his wicket would quickly result in two down.

The 2nd innings brought back the very fresh wounds from the 47 all out. The point I made earlier is what ensured this score was not another sub 100 total. The runs by Ponting and Hussey is what you would expect from your experienced batsmen and it is what is required when you have new players in the team, in particular a completely new top 3.

New Years Test, 1st innings - 3/37 to 4/659 (Clarke 329, Hussey 150, Ponting 134)

As I mentioned the top 3 will be inconsistent and thus a stable middle order is required. In this match the experienced trio not only got us out of trouble, they would inflict serious damage to India's confidence which they would never recover from.

Perth Test, 1st innings - 1/214 to 369 (Warner 180, Cowan 74)

After 2 innings where the middle order has been required, it was time for the openers to stand up and stand they did. The opening stand surpassed India's total in only the 4th session of the match. With the pressure off and the difficult nature of the pitch, the middle order struggled in comparison. However with Warner going on to make a big score, he helped mask over the middle order collapse just like the middle order had masked over the top order collapses earlier.

Adelaide Test, 1st innings - 3/84 to 604 (Ponting 221, Clarke 210)
2nd innings - 3/40 to 5/167 (Ponting 60)

The 1st innings was not as serious as some of the collapses experienced earlier but such have been the state of our collapse that 3/84 can actually considered to be alright.

The big lead carried into the 2nd innings will end up masking another failure by the top 3 in the second innings.

What we can gather from this analysis is a stable middle order is required while our new opening pairing is settling into Test cricket. And just as important is having a number 3 that can stop the middle order from coming in at 3 for not many.

4th Test, Day 4 - Harris and Lyon's turn

2012-01-27T00:35:00.000-08:00

The 4th day of the 4th and final test brought about the definition of team contribution. So far the big hauls have gone to Pattinson, Siddle, Hilfenhaus and even Starc, however today was the day where Harris and Lyon picked up 5 wickets between them. Finally both bowlers cracked the magical 2 wicket in an innings mark.

Today was like the hangover you have after a big day, there was nothing spectucular like a hattrick, 5-fer or double hundred, instead it was business as usual for Australia as they look to put the final nail in the coffin of India.

The day started with the usual sight of Clarke and Ponting at the crease. Clarke batted like he has all series and once again stamping his authority against Ashwin. He didn't look happy when he was given out for the last time in this series ending an extraordinary series return of 626 runs at 125.20.

Ponting is batting like a man without a care in the world, a far cry from the man was saw before Christmas who had the weight of Australia calling for him to retire. Clarke put an end to a third hundred in this series for Ponting when he declared with a lead of 499. (Seemed annoyed at the slow scoring). Ponting ends the series as the second highest run scorer with 544 runs at 108.8 with 2 hundreds and 3 fifties. Now that is how you save your career!

Hussey ended a mixed series (pretty similar to his Ashes campaign) when he fell LBW to Sharma for 15. He started like a house on fire in the first two test scoring 89 and 150 however the next two test weren't as productive. However 293 runs at 58.60 is a very good return and like Ponting he did what you want from a guy looking to save his career.

It felt this was the innings for Ryan Harris when he removed Gambhir bowling in the line of uncertainty. He also put Dravid out of his misery by hanging one wide, tempting Dravid to drive only to be caught at gully. On the plus for Dravid he wasn't bowled!

Nathan Lyon has been made to work all summer for his wickets, not since the Gabba has he bowled on a wicket to his liking. It is only fitting that his home ground is where he would add some big names to his victim's list. His first wicket was Sehwag to a rank full toss, which even he was embarrassed with and you can only imagine how Sehwag the one who got out to it was feeling. Next up was the biggest wicket in cricket, Sachin Tendulkar who he caught prodding at one from the around the wicket angle Lyon was using. Lastly he can thank the much maligned Marsh for the wicket of Laxman who hit a shot ball straight to Marsh.

A special mention to Ben Hilfenhaus who ran out Kohli with a brilliant piece of fielding. This is stock standard for the Warners, Ponting and Clarkes but for a fast bowler this was an impressive effort.

The questions from yesterday, well there was no sub 100 score and India are chasing 500. No miracles from them although there was a slight flutter when Sehwag got going.

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4th Test, Day 3 - A Siddle and Kohli day

2012-01-26T01:43:00.000-08:00

Australia Day and Republic Day for India ended in spectcular fashion after tea and sadly I was out and about when it all happened.

This day did indeed provide a fairytale to two players, fittingly one from each country. Peter Siddle was the star for the Aussies right from the beginning of the day when he ripped through the fray Indian batting lineup. First the legend Tendulkar was sent on his way by Siddle who put in the corridor of doom/Avenue of Apprehension and whatever else you want to call the corridor of uncertainty.

He followed it up with another well directed bouncer to Gambhir who once again struggled with the short ball and spooned a catch to a diving Hussey. Gambhir has completed the set having previously gotten out to the left armer, Starc in the same fashion.

It was after tea where Siddle would pick up the remaining 2 wickets he needed for another test 5-fer. Like so many other bowlers over the summer, Siddle was on a hattrick as he dismissed Ashwin and Khan in consective balls. Sadly like others before him, Siddle was unable to complete the hattrick however the wicket of Khan gave Siddle his fifth 5-fer.

The other star of the day was Virat Kohli who batted well after lunch with Saha in one of the best partnerships for India in this tour. Kohli has shown signs of his promise throughout this tour, none better than his knock at Perth where he reached his previous top score of 75. Today will be a day he remembers forever, on the Republic Day for India, Kohli made his maiden Test century. His knock ended on 116 to a rough decision.

As mentioned Saha stepped up for India and one suspects if the tea break wasn't one over away, Saha would probably have batted on. Instead Harris cleaned bowled Saha as a little tingle went down Clarke's back as memories flood back of himself getting out just before an interval and leaving one, only to be made a fool of by being clean bowled.

Hilfenhaus will once again have a chance to take that elusive hattrick, I believe when he starts his next innings, this will be his 3rd attempt at a hattrick, all in this series.

Clarke decided not to enforce the follow on and India didn't mess around with Ashwin call to bowl with the new ball. Clearly this new tactic will be looked at by more teams when facing Warner. As I didn't see his knock, the reports suggest Warner had some struggles against Ashwin before eventually getting out to him. He did make 28 runs in the process which shows despite his struggles he is still capable of making runs. As I mentioned on day 1, facing spin early in a Test match is something Warner needs to come to terms with. It is interesting to note that both his hundreds have come against a team without a specialist spinner so that is one thing Warner will like to get off his back.

Marsh's horrible series continued as he was LBW. DRS would have overturned the decision however an inform Marsh would not have got himself hit on the pad. Marsh's time in the Test side is definitely over for the time being. He will need to regain his confidence and hit some big runs in Shield cricket just like Hughes and Khawaja,

Cowan was the other to fall, also LBW. Like Khawaja, Cowan has struggled to convert his starts and hit that career starting 100. He has shown promise in this series and his partnership with Warner has shown glimpses. More than likely it will be preserved with and Watson will return to stable up the number 3 position either through Ponting moving back up or Watson taking that spot.

The top 3 is definitely a concern, one thing this series has confirmed is having a inexperienced top 3 is not the way to go. It is lucky Ponting has hit form again, Clarke has hit career best form and Hussey produced his knock at the SCG. With hindsight it would have been better having Khawaja/Marsh at 6 however the problem is neither Clarke or Hussey have liked that spot.

Australia still have the upper hand but they certainly won't want a sub 100 total as that would give India a sniff with so much time remaining to chase 400 odd. Unlikely as it maybe, India still do have some great batsmen in their side and that fear is always there despite the form of the veterans.

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4th Test, Day 2 - 200 for Clarke and Ponting

2012-01-25T01:37:00.000-08:00

On another dominant day by Australia, Clarke and Ponting both sealed their double hundreds before 2 late wickets made it the perfect day heading into Australia Day/India Republic Day.

Australia started the day with Ponting and Clarke on 137 and 140 respectively. Pup was the first to crack the 150 mark with another brilliant cover drive. The flood gates have opened for Clarke and the 200 barrier with his second double hundred in 3 matches. Ponting straight drove his way to 150 and then brought up his 200 with the trademark Ponting pull shot.

With records falling by the wayside there was little more for Clarke and Ponting to play for. After lunch Clarke was undone by Yadav who clean bowled him for 210. Hussey came out for a quickfire 25 before Ponting ended another brilliant display against India on 221. Like Clarke it is amazing what breaking a hoodoo can do for a player. Ponting went over 2 years without a hundred and now he has made 2 in his last 3 matches including doubling up his hundred today.

Haddin and Harris entertained the crowd with a few sixes and boundaries taking Australia past the 600 total at which Clarke called the players in. Harris made his highest score with 35 and it looked like he was well on his way to his first Test 50 before Clarke declared. Haddin made a solid 42 however like Khawaja in Sri Lanka, the dominant display by the guys above him mean he wasn't given the opportunity to produce.

A brilliant caught and bowled by Siddle started the rot for India with the dangerous Sehwag gone for 18. Rahul the great hole of Dravid was against bowled by Hilfenhaus for 1 and serious pressure will be applied to his spot when Indian next walk in the test arena. He more than likely will have one more innings to save his career once again.

So at stumps India are 2/61, Australia's bowler will be in for another tough days work tomorrow. The first Australian day test match since 2008 gives a bowler the chance to create history while Tendulkar has the chance to do his 100th hundred on India Republic day.

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4th Test, Day 1 - The Ponting and Clarke roadshow continues

2012-01-24T01:05:00.000-08:00

The forth test kicked off with Michael Clarke winning the toss giving Australia first use of a very flat Adelaide Oval wicket. Both teams returned their spinners to their respective spots.

Today was the day of the middle order as Clarke and Ponting steadied the ship again just like they did in Sydney to end the day on 3/335 after being 3/84 and earlier 2/31.

David Warner and Ed Cowan picked up where they left off in the Perth test crunching 18 runs from the first 3 overs. Warner however was undone by the surprise of Ashwin in the 4th over from which he would play 2 maidens out and then get done LBW to Zaheer. This will definitely become a tactic which is used more often against Warner if he gets off to a flyer. Lots have said drying up the runs will lead to his wicket, so it will be interesting seeing how he fares in the 2nd innings when the tactic is applied again.

Cowan has opened up a lot more since his test debut playing a wider range of shots. In particular against the spin which was no different to on debut. One thing I have noticed in Cowan is while he may leave the wide balls against the seamers, once the spinner comes on he is looking to be aggressive. He's now got out twice to Ashwin (although first one wasn't really out) by being aggressive so maybe he is being a bit too aggressive. However still too small a sample size to make an conclusion and also it is hard to find that right balance between being position and being too negative. Another solid 30 by Cowan, he's doing a bit of Khawaja atm but hopefully doesn't experience the same fate.

Marsh once again struggled his way through his innings and ended up being clean bowled by an arm ball on the first day of the Test. It is sad to see him struggle as he showed so much promise on debut. I hate excuses because it leaves the what if scenario and for Marsh it appears he returned too soon from injury. It's hard to know if things would have been any different if he wasn't returning from injury. However as he showed on debut you have to take your opportunity when given it and he was given a chance over Khawaja and has really struggled. I do hope he comes back but these 4 matches will stick with him for a while. Just like Ponting and his struggles, Hussey and his lean patch, or Siddle and his too short/inconsistent bowling, it takes a while to shake these tags. Marsh will now have to go back to First Class cricket and bang the house down which will be difficult considering he is a part of the ODI and T20I sides.

Onto the stars of the day. Ricky Ponting continues his form revival with 137* at stumps. What a difference it makes getting the hundred monkey off your back. One can only hope Tendulkar is kept off his hundred for as long as possible because he has looked very comfortable this series only to stumble when approaching that milestone. Back on Ponting, this was a chanceless knock displaying the things we loved about Ponting. From his first straight drive (the same shot he was attempting when he was clean bowled), to his cover drive and pull shot. While his pull shot is not what it once was, it still remains a frequent scoring zone for Punter. Tomorrow he will push on in an attempt to better his highest score at this ground.

Captain Pup was the other star of the day, backing up his Sydney knock with 140*. Another 150 beckons and like Ponting, having broken his double hundred drought, 200 no longer remains a barrier for him. Not quite as fluent as Ponting's knock, Clarke showed his full array of shots once again. He offered chances late in the day including being dropped by VVS and swiping at some wide ones near stumps but he is still there and has the chance to refocus himself on the quest for another 200 and who knows maybe another 300. Sadly for record freaks like myself, that 400 is off the cards!

Bowling wise India bowled a man short as Yadav showed pace isn't everything. India have long being dreaming of a paceman cracking the 140km/h mark however it was Zaheer bowling around 130km/h who has the only wicket for the seamers. Sharma bowled without luck and on another day he could have had more wickets or should I say on another day where VVS takes his 9/10 catches. He was the most economical of the bowlers and probably the most likely of them to get a wicket. Ashwin bowled well on the first day in particular in the opening spell. However as the day wore on Ponting and Clarke showed their class and started tkaing to him. Zaheer was good as always however didn't get his trademark reverse swing.

Sehwag captaincy started well however left alot to be desired after his Ashwin move. From starting after lunch with Yadav, to bowling himself after tea, to having no first slip when Clarke was on 30, to having no slips at all. Things really fell apart for Sehwag once the Ponting and Clarke show got underway however it's hard to be too critical on this wicket.

That is day 1, can Clarke and Ponting complete the double double hundred? Will India hit back? Will Haddin get a bat? So many questions to be answered tomorrow.

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By george, what just happened

2012-01-23T01:41:00.000-08:00

Janurary 23, 2012, mark it down as the day when Inverarity and cohorts made their first controversial selection. The new selection panel have only been in charge for just over a month and we already have a decision which has heads spinning.

The T20I side to play India can be considered the first time the new selectors have been able to stamp their authority on. And it hasn't been a good start when you can make head waves for your selection in the shortest form of the game.

George Bailey scored 114 runs from 7 innings at an average of 19, highest score of 33 and strike rate of 111. No where in those stats show a guy that should have been picked in the starting 11, let alone being made captain of the side. The selectors have picked on a criteria outside of batting, bowling and even fielding. They have picked on leadership ability and this does not bold well for future selections.

It is worrying to see that our selectors can pick on something other than form in batting or bowling. These sorts of decisions can lead to another Michael Beer being picked based on the word of Warne. Or should I say for his knowledge of local conditions. Or was it being a left armer.

I cannot see any benefits of making him captain. If he is a temporary captain for Watson then why not just make David Hussey captain if they don't want Warner with the extra burden? Can anyone seriously say Bailey should be in our World T20 side? He is unlikely to crack the Test setup and even if he does, there was no need to make him captain because he is only one year younger than Clarke so clearly he isn't going to lead the Test side.

When are we ever going to get selectors that won't make crazy selections. I understand there will be some calls which I and others won't agree on but as long as there is some merit in the selection then I'm happy to accept it. This one however has nothing going for it. Pick your best 11 and pick your captain from there.

This seems to confirm the worst kept nightmare in Australian cricket - Tim Paine is still the chosen one. I was hoping the new selection would think differently on this front but given Bailey just got picked for his leadership skills, it is now a given that Inverarity and co will be picking Paine when he returns for the same reason.

Anyway good luck to Bailey, it sucks for him to come in like this because he is going to cop a heap of crap if he fails. Hopefully this remains the only controversial selection we see from Inverarity and his selectors.

So on to the rest of the squad. First up the big news if you missed it was Cameron White was dumped as captain. He hasn't been the same since taking over captaincy and his Big Bash form was probably the final nail in the coffin.

The squad: George Bailey (c), David Warner (vc), Travis Birt, Daniel Christian, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Hogg, David Hussey, Brett Lee, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Clint Mckay, Matthew Wade

David Warner vice captain, a given for the side and his record speaks for itself. The only thing which could have kept him out of this fixture is if the selectors deemed his workload too heavy.

Travis Birt, what a different a year makes, last year Birt made 164 runs from 6 innings with an average of 27. In comparison this year reads: leading run scorer, 345 runs at 43 with three fifties and a strike rate of 168. A well deserved selection and hopefully he gets to stay at 3.

Daniel Christian, had a solid season without being spectacular. 163 runs at 27 with a strike rate of 139 and 6 wickets at 34. The new selectors seem to have a liking for Christian which is a welcome change for him as the old selectors ignored Christian's outstanding 50 over form come World Cup time.

Xavier Doherty, started the season with a bang before crashing back down to earth. Still ended the tournament with a solid 8 wickets at 28 going at 7.36 runs an over. His spot as number 1 ODI spinner probably helped him beat the incumbent O'Keefe for the spot.

James Faulkner, gets a well deserved call up after a break through season with 13 wickets at 18 and second highest wicket taker. This is good news for Faulkner as I see him as a potential test star one day.

Aaron Finch, was the fifth highest scorer this season 259 runs at 37. He might struggle to crack the 11 now that Bailey is captain however certainly won't let the team down if he gets a game.

Brad Hogg, what a return for the Hoggy. At 40 and fast approaching 41, he is probably the oldest player we have recalled. As the third highest wicket taker with 12 wickets at 13.5 and a wrongun that fooled everyone in sundry, Hogg gets a deserved recall. With the World T20 coming up, I see no problems in his recall.

David Hussey, has an outstanding T20 record and once again put up very good numbers. 243 runs at 40.5 with 8 wickets at 19.50, Hussey earns another well deserved cap.

Brett Lee, has been picked more on reptutation and past performance rather than current form. With 6 wickets at 32.5 the stats aren't pretty however an economy of 6.64 shows he still is hard to get away. With 2-22 in the Semi Final against Hobart, this suggest Lee still has what it takes despite his poor showing this season.

Mitchell Marsh, still hasn't found the right formula for all round performances but like a true all rounder, he can count on one of his disciplines to shine. In the first half of the Sheffield Shield season his bowling picked up 13 wickets at 21 while his batting has been his let down with 171 runs at 28.5. Likewise in the IPL last season he picked up 7 wickets at 14 while his batting only produced 50 runs at 25 from 3 innings. This season represents his time to shine with the bat with 232 runs at 38.66 however his strike rate was slow by his standards at 117.76. Marsh will be looking to carry on from his performances so far at the top level.

Shaun Marsh, scored a 99 in his first performance, but struggled in his second as his test form carried over. On his day Marsh is a class act and his overall T20 record is outstanding with an average of 43.52. He should finally get back his openers spot after spending last year at 3.

Clint Mckay, seem to be the forgotten man after his injury. The new selectors have decided to resurrect his career. With 11 wickets at 19.27, McKay earned his recall. He probably took Starc spot who was unlucky to miss out on a spot however Starc will probably be back for the 50 over stuff.

Matthew Wade, is the incumbent wicket keeper and was a given since Paine is still injured. Wade struggled to fire as opener which is unlike him however he showed his class down the order which is a good sign since that is where he'll be batting for Australia. With 145 runs at 29, his stats are solid however his strike rate of 147.95 is the x-factor he provides. His last knock in the semi against Perth of 37 from 17 balls coming from number 8 made the game a lot closer than it was for most of the game.

Overall a good side, I wouldn't have picked some of the guys but other than Bailey, I can understand the reasons for picking them.

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4 years of the BG Blog and a short break

2012-01-18T13:23:00.000-08:00

Hi Baggy Green Blog followers/readers

I will be taking a short break from the site as I’m going away.
I haven’t had a break from the Baggy Green Blog since late 2008, so will be good.
During this time I won’t be writing any articles but will try keep an eye on the cricket.

When I return it’ll be business as usual, likely an article highlighting the best moments of the 2011/12 Border-Gavaskar series.
Sylvester - currently leading our private league in the Fox Sports Big Bash Fantasy League nearing the final stages - will likely do some articles and updates while I’m away if he has a chance.

Around this time 4 years ago I also started the Baggy Green Blog.
I am proud of the way this site has connected me with so many fantastic Australian and general cricket supporters all over the world and that, most importantly, it is a place where many of you have been able to express your pride in the team and share your opinions.
Thanks for your support shown for the blog and the team.

Support the boys loudly and proudly for the 4th Test and best wishes to the Baggy Greens!
Take the series 4-0 champs!

Be back soon.

Cheers, Ian.

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Stats: The 2011/12 Border-Gavaskar series & the Adelaide Oval

2012-01-16T04:07:00.000-08:00

The Adelaide Oval is the ground where I tipped India, in a Podcast at The Wicket Post in December, to have their best chance at winning a match this series.
With the Baggy Greens having secured the series 3-0 with one game to go, my very friendly prediction of 3-1 to the Baggy Greens is lined up, even though I obviously want no other result than 4-0 right now.

The conditions will suit a front line spinner and the track will be a better one for the dented Indian batting line-up, who will be without their leader MS Dhoni.
By the same token our senior batsmen all have wonderful memories and stats at the Adelaide Oval and given the confidence high our bowlers are on, I expect this to be a hard fought battle before the limited overs summer gets underway.

The Baggy Greens are definitely in the best shape possible to win 4-0 with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy already secured.

In 2008, Punter, Clarkey and Haydos all scored centuries while three of India’s current players; Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman all scored centuries for India.
The match was drawn.

Australia vs India at the Adelaide Oval:
1948-2008

Played 9 - Won 5 – Lost 1 - Drawn 3

History immediately gives the Baggy Greens the advantage on paper, also given the current 3-0 score line.
Let’s take a look at the players stats for the series thus far and a few players personal stats at the Adelaide Oval.

BATTING:

Michael Clarke

3 matches/ 4 innings/ 379 runs/ HS 329*/ Avg 126.33/ SR 65.57/ x1 100

Michael Clarke’s triple century at the SCG elevates him right to the top. It was a traditionalist innings, the best you will see of that significance and it is even more special knowing the series has been won, but Adelaide is a ground he’ll be hungry to take to the middle.

Hold your breath for him walking out to bat at the Adelaide Oval, he loves this ground and his statistics ought to give you a buzz knowing how he has made it one of his favourite hunting grounds!

At the Adelaide Oval his stats are as follows:

6 matches - 9 innings – 594 runs - HS 124 - Avg 84.85 – SR 51.92 - x3 100s - x3 50s

Ricky Ponting

3 matches/ 4 innings/ 263 runs/ HS 134/ Avg 65.75/ SR 62.32/ x1 100/ x2 50s

Punter started off this series with awesome consistency and finally scored that well needed century. By the time he hit the nineties the job was done but it was to end that drought. He looked like a wounded trooper as he stood up to raise his arms in celebration as he finally reached the ton at the SCG, a testament to the challenges he's faced to get his 40^th Test century.

The Adelaide Oval will always be remembered for one of his double centuries of 242 which came against India in 2003. Punter has dominated India at the Oval, so watch out!

Here’s his stats for the Adelaide Oval remain impressive:
15 matches – 27 innings – 1442 runs – HS 242 - Average 55.46 – SR 55.48 - x5 100s - x5 50s

Michael Hussey

3 matches/ 4 innings/ 253 runs/ HS 150*/ Avg 84.33/ SR 58.29/ x1 100

Amazing Adelaide is what will always trigger that memory of Huss being in the middle when the winning runs were hit and how wild he went. His enthusiasm is so refreshing and the Oval will bring him fond memories. I would like to see him play "out of his shell" a bit more as he did at the SCG, even though the match situation allowed for it.

His stats for the ground:
6 matches – 10 innings – 622 runs - HS 133* - Avg 88.85 - SR 47.84 – x1 100 - x5 50s

David Warner

3 matches/ 4 innings/ 230 runs/ HS 180/ Avg 57.50/ SR 95.43/ x1 100

The Pitbull gave us something special, something monstrous, something unforgettable in just his 5^th Test, as he scored the 4^th fastest Test century the the WACA. It was a treat.
He hit it off with his batting partner Ed Cowan last Test in a 214 run partnership stand and I have a good feeling about the two of them at the Adelaide Oval.

Ed Cowan

3 matches/ 4 innings/ 166 runs/ HS 74/ Avg 41.50/ SR 48.53/ x2 50s

Ed is a traditionalist in my eyes, the ideal batting partner for an aggressive opener. It brings balance and the best thing is with Ed being an established player of sorts is that he won’t get distracted from his game plan if Warner does let rip at the other end of the pitch.
I am gutted he hasn’t converted either of his fifties into centuries but he’s done the job so far. Last innings would have given him that injection of confidence needed for the final Test.

Peter Siddle

3 matches/ 3 innings/ 75 runs/ HS 41/ Avg 25.00/ SR 49.34

James Pattinson

2 matches/ 2 innings/ 55 runs/ HS 37*/ Avg 40.74

Ben Hilfenhaus

3 matches/ 3 innings/ 39 runs/ HS 19/ Avg 13.00/ SR 55.71

Brad Haddin

3 matches/ 3 innings/ 33 runs/ HS 27/ Avg 11.00/ SR 37.93

Hads needs a Test career saving game at the Adelaide Oval where the immediate memory is that of his 169 versus The Black Caps in 2008. His stats at the Adelaide Oval add up to be a ground where his confidence can get a well needed boost!

The focus isn’t only on his batting but his keeping as well. It would seem that Tim Paine is deemed the next in line for the job, but with Matt Wade’s recent form it would seem the selectors would surely find it hard to not choose him for the Windies tour if Hads’ series doesn’t come right, as the low confidence has been about a while now.
Our tail-enders are all ahead of him and Shaun Marsh in the run scoring list.

Brad Haddin’s stats at the Adelaide Oval:
3 matches – 5 innings - 313 runs – HS 169 – Avg 104.33 - SR 65.89 - x1 100 - x2 50s

Shaun Marsh

3 matches/ 4 innings/ 14 runs/ HS 11/ Avg 3.50

Shaun must play at the Adelaide Oval. Those stats are terrible for a number three batsman but for some reason I have a gut feeling he needs to play. His confidence is likely a bit rattled but if he can just show some patience and caution like he did upon his debut, it will hold him in good stead on the Adelaide Oval track. One more game is deserved for a player of Shaun’s class, in my opinion.

BOWLING:

Ben Hilfenhaus

3 matches - 134.5 overs - 37 maidens - 368 runs - 23 wickets - BBI 5/75 - BBM 8/97 - Avg 16.00 - Eco Rate 2.72 - SR 35.1 - x2 5fers

He’s found the swing, regained some pace, reshaped his action and has worked through that serious knee tendonitis injury. Hilfy is back and has displayed the skill sets that I always believed would be of great value for the team.
A good game at the Adelaide Oval will most certainly give him the Man-of-the-series award, which will be a great achievement for him.

Peter Siddle

3 matches - 95.0 overs - 22 maidens - 333 runs - 17 wickets - BBI 3/42 - BBM 6/85- 19.58 average - Eco rate 3.50 - SR 33.5

Like Hilfy, Pedro has just turned things around. In many ways, like Hilfy, he was also dropped and had to get back to basics and sharpen his skills. Craig McDermott has clearly worked hard to key in with our bowlers individually and then Michael Clarke has managed to execute their skills in tactful partnerships.
Pedro is always a joy to watch with his burning ambition and his wickets have generally been the fist-pumping partnership breakers!

James Pattinson

2 matches - 75.0 overs - 15 maidens - 257 runs - 11 wickets - BBI 4/43 - BBM 6/108 - 23.36 average - Eco rate 3.42 - SR 40.9

Massive loss of JP to injury but the young man is a champ! He has serious attitude, aggression and ambition…the three A’s.
His pace troubled India and while his stats will stay like this due to his injury, it has given us a glimpse into another exciting prospect for the future, and I don’t mean that in the manner in which Hilditch and company stated it but I mean it that he has shown us! I can’t wait for his return with Patty Cummins who will be assisted by the Player Rotation policy.

Mitchy Starc

1 match - 24.2 overs - 7 maidens - 70 runs - 4 wickets - BBI 2/31 - BBM 4/70 - 17.50 average - Eco rate 2.87 - SR 36.5

Mitchy found some spark when he picked up a wicket in the first innings. In the 2^nd innings he was overwhelmed when he dismissed Sachin Tendulkar with an LBW.

He consistently found swing and when he tightened his line he proved to a handful, especially when he dug the ball in short.
The Player Rotation Policy will probably mean he is in and out and may miss out in Adelaide, but it was a big step up for Mitch after his average introduction to Test cricket against New Zealand.
He can only improve though and the boys all start somewhere.

Ryan Harris

1 match - 34.0 overs - 9 maidens - 67 runs - 2 wickets - BBI 1/33 - BBM 2/67 - 33.50 average - Eco rate 1.97 - SR 102.0

I don’t think Ryano had a disappointing game. I enjoy watching him bowl and thought he was a bit unlucky and was perhaps a little impatient as a result.
I strongly feel he should play at the Adelaide Oval, his former home ground where he knows the conditions and knows his own game very well.
The big worry is always how his body will hold up but his role is becoming purely that of a strike-bowler called upon when that extra venom is needed is exciting.

Nathan Lyon

2 matches- 50.5 overs - 4 maidens - 180 runs - 2 wickets - BBI 1/25 - BBM 1/89 - 90.00 average 3.54 - SR 152.5

Nathan is facing a massive challenge against India. His first two games didn’t bring much reward but being a local to the Adelaide Oval, on a track where a front line spinner will be important, the likelihood of Nathan playing looks good.

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The picture says it all!

2012-01-15T03:24:00.000-08:00

*For the 3rd test final day article, click here or scroll down to the previous article.

Makes you realise how much this victory means to the boys, they've worked so damn hard since the Sri Lankan tour! Hope they enjoyed those ice cold VBs.
Always special when the game plan comes together.
© Getty Images

One more Test to go before the ODI summer kicks off!
Click here for the fixtures.

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3rd Test, day 3: The Baggy Greens regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

2012-01-15T00:26:00.000-08:00

The Trophy is one thing but going 3-0 up in the series was something I was only convinced would happen if our batsmen stepped up but actually seeing it is a good feeling.
This scoreline has occurred and now the boys can talk about the 4-0 opportunity that is on offer.
Dominant cricket from the Baggy Greens and I'm so proud of the team. They've given it one hundred percent effort and Michael Clarke will have a lot to reflect upon after his first series win as Skipper in Australia.

David Warner was Man-of-the-match after his blitz innings of 180, scoring more individually that India's first innings of 161 and the second of 171. This ultimately set up the lead as our middle order struggled.

Ben Hilfenhaus has taken 23 wickets at an average of 16.00 so he is targeting the Man-of-the-series award.

The fielding was sharp, especially the boys in the slips with Michael Clarke taking 4 catches, while Ricky Ponting took some top class slip catches with 3.

The way the WA crowd attended the game was brilliant and the team send off at the end was rewarding. This team is doing such a lovely job and if Test cricket needed a boost for this team, this is it. They've been working their butts off and so it's good to enjoy the moment with them.
We have waited so long for this return of class and at last we have it and I think a hell of a lot is owed to our bowling unit.

Still plenty of cricket ahead for the year but this is confidence and most importantly this team is learning how to win games, know that winning feeling.

Full scorecard via ESPN Cricinfo.

Result: Australia won by an innings and 37 runs

Bowling:
India - 171 all out
Ben Hilfenhaus 4-54 (18 overs), Peter Siddle 3-43, Mitch Starc 2-31

The resistance from Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid persisted and they managed to put India into a position with some momentum that would give them a chance of getting a lead.
In a way it was good for Indian cricket to see Virat Kohli spend some time in the middle and show his class. Having seen plenty of him in limited overs cricket, I was expecting him to have a good game. He delivered where his team mates didn't, especially the veteran players who will now be under question which is, in many regards, choking team progression. It's the nature of this game though.

Dravid was bowled AGAIN! This time it was Ryan Harris who pitched it up fully to him and found the swing that was needed.
Despite only taking two wickets for the game, Ryano bowled with lovely rhythm and both his wickets were big ones. Sachin in the first and Dravid in the second who'd reached his half-century.

It was downhill from there. MS Dhoni was caught brilliantly in the slips by Ricky Ponting off the bowling of Pedro Siddle (17 wickets at 19.58 for the series).
It was simply a case of building up pressure, spreading the ball wider and wider of off stump and then getting the perfectly pitched ball right up there to force MS to play at it, or should I say flick at it.
Pedro would continue to bowl this line just a touch shorter forcing doubt between forward or backward defensive shots, regularly beating the outside edge. Splendid!

Kohli continued with his game to score 75 but Ben Hilfenhaus came right back into the action to take 3 tail-ender wickets, all falling on the 171 run mark.
Just before his over Ian Healy made mention that he should dig it in shorter, which he did and three wickets came in one over as a result of well directed short pitched bowling.
It gave Hilfy 8 for the match and ensured that there was no monkey business as the boys went for the victory.
His turnaround this summer has been so awesome and it's been a good mixture with top and lower order wickets.

The over: W W 0 0 W 0 - Tail ender destruction.

That delivery to send Zaheer Khan packing was a beauty. Insane lead by Michael Clarke to snatch the catch! That delivery is a toss up with Ryano's delivery to Dravid as delivery of the innings.

Pressure within partnerships has been the unquestionable success factor this summer where all of our bowlers have used their skills sets and found the swing and movement to get the breakthroughs.
Craig McDermott will be proud and highly satisfied he has a group of bowlers who can carry out his orders, while Michael Clarke's tactical execution (as I've mentioned this entire series) has been spot on.

The verdict:

Another team performance with that one word I always use, 'synergy'.
India came over to Australia with some doubt having over their squad after their thumping against England in 2010. The side had confidence knowing they have experienced players with immense skill but they've been outplayed tactically on so many levels.

They lost their fighting spirit and this was the most disheartening thing. No fight was shown but the Baggy Greens smelt this opportunity and immediate weakness within their ranks and went for the kill.
The series has been claimed and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is, at long last, back in our grasp. Test cricket is a bloody hard game but Clarkey and company made it look far easier.

We've already had so many memorable moments this series and with one more Test left, hopefully the boys can make it 4-0 and give us a few more special memories.
The Adelaide Oval will see India bring back in their spinner and being Nathan Lyon's home ground I imagine he will be brought back into the Squad.
Having said that, there is a tendency to stick with a winning recipe.

A few questions are buzzing about our team though.
Will Brad Haddin be playing his final Test match at the Adelaide Oval? Can he turn things around?
Will Shaun Marsh finally get stuck into some time in the middle?
If selected, will Nathan Lyon be able to challenge the Indian batsmen who are well accustomed to spin?

Share your views, share your moments of delight for the Test and bring on the Adelaide Test!
Well done Baggy Greens.

The team celebrates a 3-0 series win. What an effort boys, what an effort.
© Getty Images

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3rd Test, day 2: Warner scores 180 as the Baggy Greens edge closer

2012-01-14T03:19:00.000-08:00

We still have the lead in place and only 6 wickets stand between us reclaiming the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The batting was a bit of an anti-climax today as the total settled at 369, which is a very good total but when you consider David Warner (180) and Ed Cowan's (74) 214 run partnership, only 155 runs came as the final 10 wickets fell.

The boys still have the lead by 120 runs and although Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli have put up a fight to claw the Indian innings back into a, somewhat, stable position, it would seem that 3-0 is just a day away.

Batting:

369 all out
David Warner 180 (159 deliveries, 20 fours, 5 six, 113.20 SR), Ed Cowan 74, Peter Siddle 30

The reason I put Peter Siddle's score of 30 there is simply because the batting collapse was dreadful after that awesome partnership between David Warner and Ed Cowan.
Pedro has shown plenty of resistance when called in to bat and his fight was admirable but the psychological advantage was just lost a bit with our middle order collapse.

Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting and even David Warner all played very loose shots to get dismissed and I think this can be owed to the fact the lead was in place.
Perhaps that dominance with our opening duo put the match situation on quite a high for the boys that they just became a bit careless.
I don't fault David Warner for his shot as The Pitbull was just playing the way he wanted to. He had done the job for us and the platform was set for the middle order who didn't capitalise.
This was very dissapointing and the mind-set seemed similar to the Newland's Test match when South Africa were bowled out for 96. The boys had the lead and were careless with their batting feeling that they were in an untouchable position.
Okay, this is slightly different given we are 2-0 up and India's confidence is shot but I just it was a similar psychological dynamic

To only manage a lead of just over 200 was very disappointing from our batsmen but it was still a substantial lead to really keep India on the back foot and ensure that if they want to win this, it's going to require more than a return of confidence.

The positives remain that that opening partnership was brilliant between Warner and Cowan.
Closing in on 200 runs, Warner opted for us "naturally aggressive" game and I can understand why he tried to give it his everything in an attacking manner given his back and left elbow were giving him issues.
Imagine if he'd been 100% with body? I reckon we would have seen him motor his way to 200, although it must be said that he didn't exactly go about his business conservatively by any means.
A few wild swing and misses were also patched up with crisp, hard hitting boundaries.

I am mighty proud of him every time he takes to the field for the Baggy Greens and to score your second Test century (a big one!) in only your 5th Test match is an unforgettable achievement!

He'd done the job and was understandably keen to try reach that milestone in a memorable manner. I have continued to maintain my confidence in his ability opening the batting for Australia.
Sylvester, who also contributes at the blog, and I have had a few discussions and strongly feel that we have the right top three batsmen. Shaun Marsh just needs some fortune to go his way and tighten his game without being distracted by the game map before him, but Ed Cowan and Warner really are a good combo.

I felt we needed that aggressive/cautious duo which I pointed out in an article during November 2011.
For this reason, knowing both of these blokes were picked on current form and ability, I just felt they were correct. Glad we finally saw something special. It really was a splendid effort.
There was even some "bromance" going on out there and the last time I saw an opening duo show such delight and enthusiasm within their achievements was the Haydos/JL partnership.

It was positive batting and dominant batting where both guys went about their natural game which naturally complimented their respective roles.
I am gutted Ed Cowan couldn't get his century after applying himself so well but he just played a loose drive and didn't get the line spot on. Was a good delivery though and even though it was a chance of that maiden-century gone, Ed had done the job and I can't wait to see more from him. Excellently done!
Saying that, I also look forward to more partnerships from the two of them.

Bowling:
India - 4/88 from 32 overs.
Mitchell Starc 2-14, Peter Siddle 1-21, Ben Hilfenhaus 1-25

The four man pace attack strategy has paid off and India have already seen four wickets fall down.
I was confident we'd get a few before stumps but I didn't anticipate four wickets! For that reason I am very pleased. To have 4 wickets already with only 88 on the board is a fantastic effort.
Funny enough this meant 14 wickets fell during the day, kind of matching yesterdays ordeal.

The bowlers continued to work in partnerships, building pressure, making minor variations in their line and also finding the movement to put immediate doubt in India's fight back.
The short delivery Mitchell Starc bowled to remove Gambhir was a rip-snorter and was a trademark WACA send off. From that dismissal it was another dominant passage of play as Starc picked up the big scalp of Sachin Tendulkar (LBW), while Hilfy and Pedro managed a wicket each.
Was pleased to see Mitch Starc get right into the action and set the tone for the attack. Well done youngster!

The verdict:

I look forward to seeing how Ryan Harris goes tomorrow. I reckon he is due something massive!

6 wickets is what's needed and you would feel that Dravid, Kohli and MS Dhoni stand as India's only hopes to get the lead and keep them in the game.
Tomorrow is only day 3 and the first session will be exciting to watch as the boys have given themselves the golden chance to make the Test summer a victorious one. I reckon it will take just 1 quick wicket to bring about a collapse and resistance will be inevitable given the match time and mind sets.
Having said that, nothing is a given with Test cricket.

Will it be Indian resistance for the first session or a victory to the Baggy Greens to go 3-0 up and regain the Trophy?

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3rd Test, day 1: What an action packed day of cricket!

2012-01-13T02:33:00.000-08:00

Heading into this Test we had a lot of discussions with regards to the pitch, whether it would be a green top and a track like the one we saw against England last year, and if so whether it would it be wise to have a spinner or should it be a four man pace attack?
All these questions were answered at the start of play.

Four fast bowlers were picked and the pitch had that green tinge.
Michael Clarke decided to bowl first after winning the toss and while this is usually a decision deemed as ‘bold’, in Clarkey’s case it was strategic and paid off.

David Warner took the honours giving us something special, a little unexpected, with the bat in hand as he blitzed his way to his second Test century.
It was indeed an action packed day of cricket. A very lucky WA crowd.

Full scorecard via ESPN Cricinfo.

Bowling:
India: 161 all out from 60.2 overs
Ben Hilfenhaus 4-43 (18 overs) , Peter Siddle 3-42, Mitch Starc 2-39, Ryan Harris 1-33

‘Confidence’ is a strong word and it’s definitely the word to define our bowling unit along with a Skipper who has shown nothing but confidence within their skill sets.
A total lack thereof is what smoked India.

For the 6^th time in 5 matches Ben Hilfenhaus dismissed Virender Sehwag. There was some talk about Pedro Siddle making Sachin Tendulkar his “bunny”, but I’d say Hilfy definitely has Sehwag’s number just like he had Ravi Bopara’s in the 2009 Ashes series.
It was a beautiful delivery from Hilfy that had perfect outswing, pitched up full and finding the outside edge to carry to Ricky Ponting who held a good slip catch.
It was a delivery that Sehwag played correctly with soft hands but Punter was in the right place.

The top order continued to fall as Ryan Harris built up outstanding pressure upon his return to the Baggy Greens, allowing Pedro to come in immediately and bowl Rahul Dravid.

Yes, Dravid bowled once again! It was a ball yorked on leg stump which Dravid edged onto the pads and then onto the stumps. Some misfortune but he was on his way.

Sachin Tendulkar must be so sick of the hype around this 100^th International century.

Being the experienced candidate he is, he came out playing his shots with fluency and some lovely drives, especially his one off-drive!

Ryan Harris had alternative plans to end the show and for the first time in his Test career picked up the wicket of an Indian batsman, that of Sachin LBW.
It was a good call by the Umpire, given the bounce on offer makes it tough with even fuller pitched deliveries for the Umpires, but Ryano angled it into Sachin who missed it with the additional swing on offer and he was given out.

Ryano only took 1 wicket but he bowled outstandingly in my opinion. He was instrumental in maintaining the high intensity and while his line dragged a little too far to leg side at times, this angle is what brought him that all important wicket of Sachin.

Gambhir was the next to fall getting out to Hilfy when he half-heartedly nudged at a good delivery which found the edge of his bat. It was a poor shot after he’d tried to show some resistance during his innings.
Four were down and it was the ultimate start for the Baggy Greens, with the experienced men working collectively to pick up their victims.

VVS and Virat Kohli (who I felt was due a decent innings) managed to scrap for India and get them into a slightly better position. Kohli deserves his chances as he is without doubt a very skilled batsman and can only get better with opportunity which so many emerging players have been starved of due to reliance on the veterans.

Their hard work was blown up with a ferocious spell from Peter Siddle who took both of their wickets just before the tea break. It was a quick spell that I don’t think many will quite appreciate to the full extent it should. It was an important passage of play.
First was Kohli who played a shot who could done without after really applying himself to his innings, while VVS received a shorter delivery he edged.

It was brilliant variation from Pedro and he quickly put aside his previously forgettable appearances at the WACA. What a bloke.

In the 58^th over Hilfy was able to claim the big wicket of MS Dhoni, who can really attack any bowler on his day, who was out simply prodding at a delivery to give Hilfy his 3^rdwicket.
The 4^th was the wicket of Zaheer Khan, who I admittedly enjoy watching bat given his mad slashing of the ball, always creates some excitement and humor. His wicket came with ease this time.

Both Pedro and Ben Hilfenhaus have really come back hard and I’ve impressed (although not surprised) with their best performances within their Test careers on display for us to see.

This is the hunger and tenacity that drives a player after being dropped and going through the correct channels to get back their spot.
Still work to be done but they deserve the acknowledgement.

Mitchell Starc was called in to fill the void for James Pattinson and Patty Cummins, both injured until the next Test tour of the Windies.
He struggled initially, similar to his efforts against New Zealand, where he strayed a lot and while his line was pretty good, he just couldn’t find the line and released a bit of pressure.
There was no shortage of swing on offer for him so if he can just tighten that line he will be a real handful in a few years time.

He was able to get into the action though and I was so pleased for him.

His dismissal of Vinay Kumar would have lifted his spirits so much and every wicket is an important one.

It’s all a learning game though for Mitch Starc at this point. Fortunately his senior mates were able to do the damage Clarkey anticipated on this track.

Batting:
0/149, trail by 12 runs.
David Warner 104* (80 balls, 13 fours, 3 sixes, SR 130.00), Ed Cowan 40*

Batting again on day 1 after bowling first, seemed kind of normal. It was still high intensity stuff as the bowlers had done all the hard work, as has been the case for a few months now.
Our batting collapses have been a huge concern with a foundation still being developed for our top order.

I still have the patience and trust in the selectors’ decisions in this regards, especially for Ed Cowan and David “The Pitbull” Warner.

The Pitbull didn’t waste time in kick starting our innings with his usual aggressive intents. He has a good technique which will hold him in good stead with his development, as it did for Matthew Hayden who I believe David has the potential to play a similar role.
It was good to see it didn’t initially distract Ed Cowan, who played his usual game, which indicates they have an understanding with their respective roles, one as the aggressor and the other the cautious traditionalist.

Pitbull reached his fifty in the best way he knows how -backing himself with his natural ambition to attack when pace is on offer. He carved through India’s bowlers, an attack that was also a four man pace setup.
Flat bat shots were the shots of choice, targeting mid-off with execution that just looked awesome.

For Test cricket it was quite a laugh when The Pitbull got a hold of Ishant Sharma and smacked him for a monstrous six.
By the time the drinks break arrived he had 70 runs from 50 deliveries, 8 fours and 2 sixes.
But the best moment came after he took a nasty knock on the side of the helmet from a Yadav bouncer.
What was his response to this?

Two fours blasted against some short pitched bowling and he was into the 90s!

Instead of ‘nervous nineties’ it was the ‘mad-rush nineties’ as he slammed a six to bring up his 2^nd Test century!
Like the centurions of the SCG Test, don’t forget this innings. Very special performance as it was the fastest Test century by an opening batsman, the fourth fastest in Test cricket history.

Ed Cowan also freed his arms up a bit as well to join the onslaught as the pair brought up their first 100 run partnership. Not going to write much more about it, rather go check a highlights package if you didn’t see it!

Ed deserves acknowledgement as he offered valuable support to The Pitbull.

A new duo takes time to settle and I can honestly say (read previous articles) I never doubted this pair as a Test duo.
Something works with the balance and while Ed is slightly older, they both have time to merge a partnership for a few years.

Here’s the partnership wagon-wheel. (ESPN Cricinfo graphs)

Verdict:

Day 1 belongs to the Baggy Greens and if they wanted to make an impact this game and a statement of the hunger to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, this is the way to start the 3^rd Test.
Another unforgettable from the bowling unit, it really was and well done to Michael Clarke for showing confidence in his men.

The bowlers worked well in partnerships, executed by Michael Clarke tactically, and this has been the key for the performances thus far while also noting the consistency of the bowlers to take the advice that Craig McDermott has been so focused on them delivering.
Build pressure, work in partnerships, use your skills sets and get the rewards.

The day goes to David Warner for that innings and Ed Cowan for the support. Like Haydos and JL.

Destructive to say the least!

Day 2 brings about a new challenge. Trail by 12 runs and 10 wickets in hand.

The WACA pitch of the eve of the game, very green!
© ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Ben Hilfenhaus, like Peter Siddle, has made a full turnaround and is showing the critics why he is a professional cricketer. He took 4 wickets.
© Getty Images/Paul Kane

The picture says it all….brutal! David Warner blasts a pull shot on his way to an insane century. Photographers doing a grand job this series.
© Getty Images

Why is Matt Wade still in the waiting line?

2012-01-10T01:04:00.000-08:00

I have seen sufficient footage of Matt Wade to have drawn a good enough conclusion that he is a capable cricketer within the core aspects of his game, notably as a wicket keeper first.

His batting technique is admirable in the longer form of the game, willing to apply himself with a safeguard over his wicket, possesses patience and has the natural ability to attack when an aggressive approach is required for the team.

In many regards he is similar to his good mate Tim Paine.
Both are versatile batsmen within the batting order, they are more than capable at holding their own with the bat alone but most importantly they are highly skilled wicket keepers who can handle duties for Australia in all forms of the game at the elite level.
This is an invaluable gift for Australian cricket to have nurtured two very skilled blokes who also have age well on their side.

Tim Paine has experienced the elite level in all forms of the game and been used in different match situations. In limited overs he frequently held the top order spot while in the few Tests he played he was used as a middle order batsman, the common place for a Keeper in Test cricket in the modern era.

Unfortunately, Tim has been set back with a finger injury that has turned out to be far more serious than initially speculated. It has created a few issues.
Directly it has put immense pressure upon his own career I’d imagine after he’d really begun to bloom as a cricketer spoken of by the casual cricket followers. Other keepers have begun to move into the system, an issue a player like Mitchell Johnson is currently facing on the bowling front.

Tim has been noticed and was recognised as an Australian cricketer, importantly an Australian wicket keeper by most cricket followers.
So far this injury has kept him out of cricket for 6 months.

During those 6 months Brad Haddin, Australia’s primary keeper, has lost confidence within his own game and it’s had a very unfortunate effect on all facets of his game.
His Keeper standards are definitely not where they have been previously in his career, indicating that his standards have indeed dropped.

That drop catch at the end of day 3 in the 2^nd Test against India could be put down as just a drop catch, which happens to all cricketers and we’ve all put down catches.
The concern I have though is how badly Hads judged that catch, how he overcommitted himself.
It was a very big blunder and I am still baffled by it because an inform keeper surely won’t slip up that severely?

At 34 years of age with wicket keeping being such an instinctive position, once the reflexes and instinct starts to get away, as well as confidence leaks, it can be a problematic issue that is not easily resolved.
Adam Gilchrist was one person who realised this having seen two seasons of a decrease in his standards and a slight loss for his love of the game, which I read about in his book ‘True Colours’.

If Hads were to be dropped it would be unlikely he’d return to the Test side at his age with the younger prospects definitely in no doubt for ability or required skill sets.

Amongst the decline in his standards with the gloves and simple chances evidently and memorably slipping through, his batting has also seen a disheartening decline.
Hads is a bloke who is joy to watch when he plays his strokes as best as anyone in the game. Unfortunately he has repeatedly thrown his wicket away leaving supporters with a feeling that he shows little value for his wicket.
It often appears as careless and reckless and two recent incidents that continue to be mentioned in constructive articles I read are those of Newland’s and Hobart.

Hads waited a long time in line for the position but it’s hard to imagine, based on general keeper history I’m aware of, that Hads can drastically improve.
What I find odd is that there is a batch of blokes eager and capable in being introduced. This gradual process has occurred with Tim Paine and most recently with Matt Wade in Twenty20 cricket.

It seems though that the selectors are either giving Hads a full run for the summer knowing he is an experienced competitor and can come right for the remainder of the Border-Gavaskar series or they are giving him a fair run before potentially changing the guard come the Windies tour.
I have been most impressed by our new selectors and trust they won’t continue with Hads if he doesn’t come right. This could also further damage his confidence, which already seems dented.

The persisting with Hads is also evidently and understandably due to Tim Paine being injured and it seems the selectors are hell bent on Tim being the guy to replace Hads.
This is all well and good but when there is a bloke like Matt Wade ready, in form and having proven himself a worthy candidate over the last year, why hold back?
Tim’s injury is a serious one and it could mean he is still out out a while longer which is also problematic given the season is half way through already.

I haven’t ever paid too much attention to Matt Wade’s statistics but I was fascinated to see statistically there isn’t much separating Tim and Matt in certain areas, mostly pointing to what elevates a player to Test cricket.
It would seem that Matt is definitely a far more appealing front line candidate to take over the gloves man duties from Hads at this point in time, also based on current form and performances in State cricket.

Are the Sheffield Shield and State competitions a vital basis for selection more so now than ever according to the Argus Review?
If it is the case then it looks like Matt Wade has ticked all the boxes.

In any case, let’s take a look at the statistics to, if anything, just get those of you into thinking if stats is your thing:

Brad Haddin:

Tests:

41 matches/ 68 innings/ NO 6/ 2204 runs/ HS 169/ Avg 35.54/ x3 100s/ 10 50s/ 150 ct/ 4 st

ODIs:
93 matches/ 87 innings/ NO 7/ 2511 runs/ HS 110/ Avg 31.38/ x2 100s/ x15 50s/ 127 ct/ 9 st

When you see Matt Wade’s batting stats a few paragraphs below, especially the last two Sheffield Seasons (which according to the Argus Review is a basis for selection), it would be logical to look at Brad Haddin’s batting over a period of 1 year by contrast, despite a different level of intensity.

Batting innings list 2010-2011:
6 v Pakistan Sydney 3 Jan 2010

41 v Pakistan Hobart 14 Jan 2010

8 v Pakistan Hobart 14 Jan 2010

11* v New Zealand Wellington 19 Mar 2010

12 v New Zealand Hamilton 27 Mar 2010

48 v New Zealand Hamilton 27 Mar 2010

136 v England Brisbane 25 Nov 2010

56 v England Adelaide 3 Dec 2010

12 v England Adelaide 3 Dec 2010

53 v England Perth 16 Dec 2010

7 v England Perth 16 Dec 2010

5 v England Melbourne 26 Dec 2010

55* v England Melbourne 26 Dec 2010

6 v England Sydney 3 Jan 2011

30 v England Sydney 3 Jan 2011

24 v Sri Lanka Galle 31 Aug 2011

0 v Sri Lanka Galle 31 Aug 2011

1 v Sri Lanka Pallekele 8 Sep 2011

35 v Sri Lanka Colombo (SSC) 16 Sep 2011

30 v Sri Lanka Colombo (SSC) 16 Sep 2011

5 v South Africa Cape Town 9 Nov 2011

0 v South Africa Cape Town 9 Nov 2011

16 v South Africa Johannesburg 17 Nov 2011

55 v South Africa Johannesburg 17 Nov 2011

80 v New Zealand Brisbane 1 Dec 2011

5 v New Zealand Hobart 9 Dec 2011

15 v New Zealand Hobart 9 Dec 2011

27 v India Melbourne 26 Dec 2011

6 v India Melbourne 26 Dec 2011

2010-2011 Batting Stats:

Runs: 785
Innings: 29
N/O: 2
Average: 29.07
50s: 5
100s: 1

Brad Haddin keeper statistics:
2008-2009:

23 matches/ 45 innings/ 90 dismissals/ 88 catches/ 2 stumpings/ Best innings 5 (4ct 1st)
*Average 2 dismissals per innings.

2010-2012:
18 matches/ 33 innings/ 64 dismissals/ 62 catches/ 2 stumpings/ Best innings 5 (5ct 0st)

*Average 1.93 dismissals per innings.

Difference of 5 matches, 12 innings, difference by 26 dismissals.
*Tim Paine was Keeper for 4 Tests in 2010.

Relatively consistent statistically speaking for Hads’ keeping, however when speaking of keeper stats one needs to bear in mind that your bowlers create your chances and drop catches don’t get recorded, which we know Hads has made quite a few of the last 2 years.

Matt Wade:

First-class:
50 matches/ 74 innings/ NO 12/ runs 2490/ HS 113*/ Avg 40.16/ x4 100s/ x17 50s/ 183 ct/ 5 st

ListA:
35 matches/ 31 innings/ NO 3/ runs 1183/ HS 120/ Avg 42.25/ x4 100s/ x3 50s/ 35 ct/ 3 st

Taking into account recent statistics with focus on Sheffield Shield cricket (career span 2007-2011):

Sheffield Shield 2011/12:
4 matches/ 6 innings/ NO 1 / runs 316/ HS 108/ Avg 63.20/ x1 100 x2 50/ 9 dismissals

Sheffield Shield 2010/11:
10 matches/ 18 innings/ NO 2/ runs 553/ HS 113*/ Avg 34.56/ x1 100 x3 50/ 34 dismissals

Sheffield Shield 2009/10:
11 matches/ 17 innings/ NO 3/ runs 677/ HS 96/ Avg 48.35/ x6 50s/ 33 dismissals

An average of over 40 with the bat in two forms of the game, better statistics and a little more experience than Tim Paine (all due respect) in First-class cricket while his last two seasons have been nothing other than stand out in the wicket keeper context.
There’s nothing wrong with these numbers.

While two different levels of intensity, a comparison in limited overs is best drawn between Tim’s ODI stats and Matt’s List A stats.

I find no stats hiccups to see why people would fault Matt here and find little reason to doubt his ability with the few years of matches and footage I have seen.

Tim Paine

Tests:
4 matches/ 8 innings/ NO 0/ runs 287/ HS 92/ 35.87 avg/ 0 100s/ x2 50s/ 16 ct/ 1 st

ODIs:
26 matches/ 26 innings/ NO 1/ 737 runs/ HS 111/ 29.48 avg/ x1 100/ x5 50s/ 35 ct/ 4 st

First-class:
46 matches/ 84 innings/ NO 6/ 2467 runs/ HS 215/ 31.62 avg/ x1 100/ x18 50s/ 130 ct/ 6 st

List A:

81 matches/ 79 innings/ NO 8/ 2462 runs/ HS 134/ 34.67 avg/ x5 100s/ x12 50s/ 104 ct/ 9 st

Given Tim has been pushed as the predecessor, it is important to look at his stats considering he is a mighty fine cricketer and has represented Australia in all forms of the game with relatively consistent performances to back his case.

The concern, which I have mentioned, has nothing to do with Tim’s skill sets but rather his lack of cricket due to a serious injury. With Matt Wade in brilliant form and having used different platforms to justify his skills is it only right to select him given Tim’s murky return time to cricket?

Having Tim and Matt as front line keepers is a relief for the selectors to be able to switch if needed, a real blessing if you ask me!

Conclusion:

In conclusion looking at both stats and the general consensus from cricket followers having seen Matt perform in at least one form of the game, he is ready.
He is not short on experience and should not be called an inexperienced campaigner out respect to his hard work and the fact he IS experienced.
He is not technically weak behind the stumps or with the bat in hand and at his age (24) he can only improve from this point.

Would it not be best to get him in there to reach his peak with the Australian team, rather than waiting for Hads to call it a day so come Matt’s opportunity (further assuming Tim has held the position following Hads) he is already past his peak?

Surely it is logical to get him in the system now where he can learn to handle the pressures, mental challenges, face our bowlers he will keep for and gain experience while he is in his mid-twenties?
Surely this is a wise strategy so come Tim’s return we have a seasoned campaigner?

I must emphasise this article is not intended to slam Brad Haddin.
I am not that kind of a person and I support each and every one of our players, sometimes to the point of extreme optimism. But it would seem that Hads, while certainly capable to turn his batting around being a classy cricketer, is probably not going to have that same fortune with his keeper duties which is his core duty.

He is not the player he used to be.

Looking at Matt Wade’s game, his stats and the way he has given his best for the Australia A series he has been selected for, I find it hard to see why we can’t get him into the system.

It would give better balance if there is reason and grounding for the selectors to ensure Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey are still in the system as specialist batsmen.

I would like to hear from you as to why Matt Wade is being held in the waiting line?
What is your take on the matter?

Tim Paine (batting) and Matt Wade (keeping) are the front line contenders to take over from Brad Haddin who is not in good form at present.

Some Baggy Green statistics ahead of the WACA clash

2012-01-08T02:31:00.000-08:00

The 3rd Test against India starts on 13 January (Friday).
Click here for the remaining fixtures.

Here's some statistics for you for prior to the upcoming fixture against India.

The most recent game against India went in their favor and this will give them some confidence, while also not neglecting the fact that this track could very well provide a better hunting ground for them.
They have a daunting batting line up that could easily throw in a collective performance and put us on the back foot but the general feeling out there is that the team is low on confidence after two crushing defeats and will quite likely to struggle in pulling this series back.

Australia Versus India - 1977 to 2008
Played: 3
Won: 2
Lost: 1 (2008 Test Match scorecard)

The 2008 Test at the WACA (Western Australian Cricket Association) was quite a tense one after all the drama and controversy early on in the series.
The fighting partnership between Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark remains as my main memory from this match. So as you can see it isn't one that I have chosen to remember too fondly.

Let's have a look at some of the player statistics.
I have taken players who have played more than one game at the WACA, with the exception of Ryan Harris due to his one mighty dominant performance which came in our one victory in 2010/11 Ashes series where he took a 6 wicket haul in one innings.
If you needed reason to feel at ease with his selection due to James Pattinson being out injured, this should help!

1) Ricky Ponting:

15 matches - 946 runs - HS 197 - 43.00 average - x1 100

v India - Year 2008 - 1 match - 65 runs - HS 45 - 32.50 average

A decent record at the WACA for Punter but over a 15 match span you'd feel that a batsman of Punter's pure class would want to build upon that lonesome yet impressive century of 197.
Given his excellent form this series I am confident he can deliver a performance to help the team win this match to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
His average for the ground is certainly a decent one of 43.00 and although Punter is not one for statistics it is an interesting look nevertheless.
Like Michael Hussey, he didn't have a memorable game against India in 2008 where we lost the Test.

2) Michael Hussey (Home ground Western Australian Cricket Association)
6 matches - 588 runs - 116 runs - 53.45 average – x2 100s (both versus England)

v India - Year 2008 - 1 match - 46 runs - HS 46 - 23.00 average

For his home ground there's no doubt the WA locals will want to see something special from Huss this time around against India.
His statistics for the ground are impressive and those two centuries against England spring to mind, making me eager to see how Huss goes this match with some well gained confidence strong within his mind.

3) Michael Clarke:

6 matches - 451 runs - HS 135* - 41.00 average - x1 100

v India - Year 2008 - 1 match - 104 runs - HS 81 - 52.00 average

Like Ricky Ponting, Clarkey has a century at the WACA and has a good overall statistic to show for.
He was one of the few batsmen to stand and deliver against India in 2008 and after his wonderful triple century at the SCG he'll not be short on confidence but obviously it needs to be put in the back of his mind for a new Test, a new challenge and a Test that is so important for his team.
A win or a draw here ensures the Baggy Greens regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a huge achievement for Clarkey as the Skipper.

4) Brad Haddin:

3 matches - 311 runs - HS 94 - 51.83 average

Hads is on the boil now having struggled with the bat for the last year often throwing his wicket away with careless shots. This has made his wicket a gift to the opposition but most worryingly was that drop catch during the 2nd last over of day 3 for the 2nd Test.
It has opened up a new can of criticism against Hads who does look so low on confidence. I actually feel quite a bit for him to be honest. I am a vocal supporter of each and every player in our team but there's little doubt now that he's under pressure to make the Windies tour later in the year.
You can't shy away from certain things and if you look at how many players have been dropped at some stage to go regain their form in this current team, unfortunately for Hads given his age and the emerging Keepers, if he were to be dropped it would be the end of his Test career.

One thing in his favour is that the WACA brings him good fortune where he has batted with plenty of confidence. At this point in time though he is under immense pressure in all facets of his game.

5) Peter Siddle:

2 matches - 55.5 overs - 2 wickets for 161 runs - BBI 1/25 - BBM 1/33 - 80.50 average

No need to really get into this. Pedro will want to improve on these stats.
On the flatter WACA track he has struggled in both his matches there against South Africa and England.
This is his time to turn things around as a senior bowler now and a bloke who is in the form of his life.
Come on Pedro!

6) Ryan Harris:

1 match - 26.0 overs - 9 wicket for 106 - BBI 6/47 - BBM 9/106 - 11.77 average

This statistic tell a short story for Ryano who is easily our best bowler on his day.
With James Pattinson out injured, Ryano has been given the recall and whilst remembering and looking at his one performance at the WACA against England in 2010 he's definitely not going to be low on confidence for his selection.
If you needed reason to be positive with his selection, this is it! The loss of James is massive but we're in a good place for Australian cricket where we can call on a bloke who has a good skill set and can build pressure from his end, something our current trio has done so well.

Best wishes as always to the Baggy Greens ahead of the WACA clash!

Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.

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New Supporters Graphic: Michael Clarke's 329*

2012-01-06T06:08:00.000-08:00

Click here to view the match article for the final day of the 2nd Test versus India at the SCG.

A new Supporters Graphic has been uploaded into the 'Features' section of the blog.
Scroll down to "Supporters stuff" to find other Supporters Graphics. You're welcome to submit your own to us.

This is one for all the Michael Clarke fanatics highlighting the various milestones achieved along his way to an epic 329* not out.

Click here to be navigated to the 'Features' page.
*Supporters Graphics are created for non-commercial use only, as some images used are not the property of the Baggy Green Blog.

Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.

TWITTER
@BaggyGreenBlog
@Ianbaggygreen
@Dan_Stapo

2nd Test, day 4: An innings win for a memorable Test

2012-01-06T00:53:00.000-08:00

*News: After writing this article it was announced James Pattinson will miss the remainder of the series due to "stress fractures in the metatarsal bone of his left foot."
Such a big loss. Gutted for him! Ryan Harris is set to return and Mitch Starc has been called in as cover.

The Baggy Greens have taken the 2nd Test by an innings and 68 runs also made some history of their own for the 100th Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
It's been a massive start to 2012 for the side and the victory was one as a result of collective output, as I always like to call it "synergy".
Congrats boys and just one win or, as bland as it is, one draw will secure the series. Still a challenge.

I wrote a very brief write-up yesterday when Michael Clarke reached his triple century.
I wanted to be in the moment when he achieved it and I had a good think long after the game about his journey as a Test cricketer. A Test series victory against India will result in proving something to himself as a true leader and it will be massive for this team.
However this Test should have gained him the respect that he deserves from the supporters.

I admittedly was one of the people who gave him some stick a few years back but I can honestly say (I have four years of blog posts to go with it) I never doubted him as a cricketer or questioned his character, given I don't know him personally. But like most people I had my concerns but always respected him. His positive outlook was something Shane Warne always spoke of highly in Clarkey's early days and it is more evident now than ever.

I hope many others can now respect him as both a leader and a cricketer who has just achieved something memorable. Throw in his wicket of Sachin Tendulkar and it was a game for Clarkey to embrace 100%.

Some achievement stats in the 100th Test at the SCG;
Michael Clarke scored a triple century and there were three centurions.
Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting were the other centurions.
Peter Siddle took his 100th Test wicket.

Full scorecard via ESPN Cricinfo (make sure you print this one out!)

Day 1 article, Day 2 article, Day 3 article.

Batting:
4/659 declared
Michael Clarke 329*, Michael Hussey 150*, Ricky Ponting 134

We witnessed something special with our Skipper Michael Clarke scoring a triple century.
It was one of the most fluent innings I have ever seen and, as mentioned in a previous article, he looked like a true traditionalist. He was mesmerising to watch and as one of my favourite stroke makers in the game he put on an unbeatable display of front and back foot shots to all areas of the ground, wielding his unbranded blade with brutal execution against the Indian bowlers.

I could write on about this innings but it's all in my head now.
It was just an unforgettable innings and being the Skipper of the Baggy Greens just makes it even better.

What was the most unforgettable part of his innings? His call for the declaration. It was purely one that was for the team and that is a sportman with integrity. I will never forget this innings and feel fortunate to have witnessed some record breaking performances from some of the greatest of the game over my 20 years of watching cricket avidly. I started following cricket passionately with 1992 Cricket World Cup.

Clarkey's wagon-wheel demonstrates his allround fluency. Lovely distribution of run scoring areas.
Taken from ESPN Cricinfo graphs.

I think Michael Hussey has been overlooked a bit in the context of Clarkey's incredible performance.
Huss ensured no momentum was lost and following his 89 at the MCG after a distressing poor run of form he hit back with aggression, something we are all accustomed to with his ODI game.
He scored 150 runs and it was the usual Hussey. Lavish cover drives, ridiculous running between the wickets and powerful bottom hand pull shots muscled away to midwicket or square leg.

Ricky Ponting hit back after going 33 innings without a century in which time he had scored 10 half-centuries, recently having begun to regain his confidence.
He was nearly run out on 99 taking that long awaited single and that would have been devastating even though he had already done the job for the team. He was covered in dirt, sweaty and as mentioned in my article a couple of days back, it was symbolic of the challenges to get it as he raised his arms.
Punter, the maestro.

Punter has now scored 40 Test centuries and is just 88 runs away from 13,000 runs and he has 70 combined International centuries.

Bowling:
India 400 all out from 110.5 overs
Ben Hilfenhaus 5-106 (32.5 overs), Peter Siddle 2-88

India let themselves down in the first innings, undone by some ferocious bowling from the fast bowling trio of JP, Hilfy and Pedro.
They fought hard in the 2nd innings but ultimately that first innings followed by two monstrous partnerships involving Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting, snuffed any momentum they had.

Ben Hilfenhaus is a personal favourite of mine.
He was dropped, which many players have somehow managed to escape, after a poor Ashes series and had evidently lost pace and was a little low on confidence, in many ways owed to his serious knee injury which resulted in some technical changes in his bowling action to accomodate these problems. He was swinging the ball too early with the drop in pace making it easy to read him.

He went back to State level, rebuilt his game (kudos to George Bailey), got picked for two Australia A fixtures and after the loss of Ryan Harris a senior was needed.
Credit to Mickey Arthur, John Inverarity and his panel for their transparent motives behind all the selections on this note.

He picked up another 5 wicket haul and that's his second in his career now giving him 70 Test wickets. He bowled two of India's veterans, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, while also removing MS Dhoni caught and bowled (quite amusing), Sehwag early on day 3 with a ripping catch by the Pitbull and then claimed his fifth when Ashwin (62) skied one to Nathan Lyon, fittingly ending the game.
I have a feeling India will try target him next game which will be a good battle.
Well done Hilfy!

Hilfy has been strongly assisted with the aggression and ambition from the Vic boys, James Pattinson and Pedro Siddle. They are fighters and while JP is short on experience he has been nothing short of spectacular. Having his good mate Pedro alongside him just adds fuel to the fire!
I love their ambition and eagerness. They work bloody hard at their game and Craig McDermott, while not suggesting anything unknown, clearly got his intentions in their minds and has worked wonders for the bowlers.

This trio all have different skill sets. They all have focus and they have confidence. Importantly they work together and can build pressure from both ends. With Clarkey being the sharp tactician he is, he can turn to them and work them over to add variation against the opposition.

Throw in Nathan Lyon to mix things up and some part time bowlers, things look on track.
Don't forget Ryan Harris (who was on the field for day 4) and the many emerging bowlers on the side lines!
Whilst it was a game that Michael Clarke starred in, our bowlers teed things up with their effort on day 1. It's as simple as that. It was just good they got the back up they have been waiting for.

Looking ahead to the WACA:

Nathan Lyon needs to keep playing. India have quality batsmen who are quality players of spin. This is a tough series for Nathan but where the previous selectors failed in constantly sacking spin bowlers, the key is too keep him going a bit longer for the new selectors to move forward.
He is averaging just over 30 and has over 20 wickets. The more he plays, the more he learns, the more he learns the better he will get. He's got a big heart and while I'm not sure if the NSP will select him for the WACA, he shouldn't be cast aside from future tours.

The big question is who will comprise the bowling attack?
Will it be a four man attack or an unchanged side?

I am sure many will think, "well if it is working why change it?"
Here's another spin off; the WACA is a flatter track and not as fast as that reputation of the nineties. Would it not be wise to have the full time spinner in there or is there sufficient skill with the part time bowling of David Warner, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey?

I am easy going. I have no objections to whichever route they take.
If Ryan Harris joins our bowling trio that would be great as Ryano is a beast with the ball and is unquestionably one of our best who has just been heavily burdened by injury.
If Nathan Lyon plays, I will support him 100% but the gut feeling is that four men who bowl quickly with swing and variation within their respective skill sets will trouble India's batsmen who are already low on confidence in certain regards.

Another one will be the top order of David Warner, Ed Cowan and Shaun Marsh.
We have seen way too many batting collapses. Fortunately we witnessed a game where the middle order dug us out of a trench. In most cases of the recent past is has been the top order giving a solid platform that the middle order doesn't build upon.
This Test we saw something that we've missed for a long time and I strongly believe it will have a knock on effect for the 3rd Test.

I think it is wise to stick with David "Pitbull" Warner and Ed Cowan.
Ed has had a fair bit of bad luck and is a quality batsman who can perform at this level.
The Pitbull is young, learning and capable at delivering a big innings as we saw in Hobart.
A batting partnership can take time and patience is needed.
As our other contributor Sylvester pointed out, the middle order is experienced and have now have form to boost their confidence. This will aid the top order who need to find their feet.
The top order should not, in my opinion, be changed. I hope the NSP continue to use Ed Cowan and David Warner, as they are also bloody spectacular in the field!

Shaun Marsh is a WACA resident so it may be that home ground advantage and vocal support of the WA crowd that gives him the injection of self-belief he needs.
The team is one Test away from a series win, win or draw, so give Shaun one more go. He has to come right as he is a classy player. Don't come with his First-class average to me and all that crap or even suggest he only scored a maiden century on debut because it was a flat track.
He is a classy player and is capable. Sometimes it goes further than statistics as technique, confidence and current form can be a deciding factor in a player's future, such as Ed Cowan.
This is coming from a stats fanatic.

Last question is a big one for debate. What about Brad Haddin?
He has been struggling with the bat in hand which relates to confidence given the way in which he gifts away his wicket. His Keeper standards are not for the elite level as they once were and that catch he put down on day 3 was worrying.
Everyone drops catches but it was the way he completely misjudged a straight-forward catch. It went in between his arms! He threw in the roll when he he didn't have to. It was just puzzling how he screwed it up so badly and that can sadly be a sign of a when a Keeper is past his best, which Hads could very well be at.

I am a vocal supporter for each and every player in our side so trust me when I say it is not at all easy for me to type this. It is upsetting to do so but sometimes you can't candy coat things.
Some players (such as Hilfenhaus, Clarke, Ponting) have been dropped at some point in their careers and fought their way to come back. Hads has had some lifelines maybe due to his age but while he had a frustrating wait to take over from Adam Gilchrist, it's hard for a Keeper to turn his standards around at Hads' age.
The impression is that the selectors need to make the decision now and I don't base this on one catch. Just look at Hads' 2011 Stats and they don't paint a good picture. He has been struggling.

Tim Paine is going to be out a while longer so the option is Matt Wade who has given himself the best chance to show the selectors he can score runs and is most importantly a quality Keeper.
He will improve in time given his age and he has been in the system a while now. Having Tim is a gift as there's more than one Keeper but perhaps we may see the debut of Matt Wade sooner than later?

In any case, what a start to the year, what a performance from Michael Clarke and his team and if ever this made DVD I would be buying it without a doubt!

Two Tests remain, next one is at the WACA and a win or a draw will ensure the Baggy Green regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
What a victory it would be for the Baggy Greens.

THE BORDER-GAVASKAR AUSTRALIAN STATS (2 Tests):

Batting (top performers):

(1) Michael Clarke: 3 innings/ 361 runs/ HS 329*/ 180.50 average/ x1 100/
(2) Ricky Ponting: 3 innings/ 256 runs/ HS 134/ 85.33 average/ x1 100/ x2 50s
(3) Michael Hussey: 3 innings/ 239 runs/ HS 150*/ 119.50 average/ x1 100/ x1 50
(9) Ed Cowan: 3 innings/ 92 runs/ HS 68/ 30.66 average/ x1 50

Bowling (top performers):

(1) Ben Hilfenhaus: 98.5 overs/ 26 maidens/ 15 wkts for 271 runs/ 18.06 avg/ BBI 5-75/ BBM 8-157
(2) Peter Siddle: 67.4 overs/ 14 maidens/ 11 wickets for 248 runs/ 22.36 avg/ BBI 3-42/ BBM 6-105
(3) James Pattinson: 75.0 overs/ 15 maidens/ 11 wickets for 257 runs/ 23.36 avg/ BBI 4-43/ BBM 6-108

Ben Hilfenhaus took his second 5 wicket haul in Test cricket and has made an epic comeback.

Michael Clarke charges after taking Sachin Tendulkar's wicket. While I am one for the series win first and not too cared about the opposition, you almost felt with Sachin so close that it would have been a massive relief for him to get his 100th International century.
In any case, well done Skipper with your SCG bowling magic.
© Getty Images

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The triple Centurion: Congratulations Michael Clarke

2012-01-04T18:26:00.000-08:00

*Australia ended the 1st innings on 4/659 declared.
Michael Clarke 329* (39 fours, 1 six, 609 minutes), Michael Hussey 150*, Ricky Ponting 134.

Michael Clarke has just scored a triple century at the SCG, the highest ever individual Test score at the SCG!
Stats: 303* runs, 432 balls faced, 571 minutes, 37 fours, 1 six, 69.81 Strike-rate.

A most deserved massive achievement for our Skipper.
Congratulations Michael Clarke from myself and of course my mates here at the Baggy Green Blog.
This has been one of the most fluent innings I've ever seen and not only was day 2 a day of Test cricket you should make sure you never forget but equally this achievement for the Skipper. Yes!

Earlier Michael Hussey brought up his 16th Test century and joins Ricky Ponting who was the other centurion scoring his 40th Test century, a long awaited one for the Maestro (read day 2 article for that).
Huss just came out and immediately made his intentions clear to attack and after his 89 at the MCG, this was coming his way. Confidence returns for the seniors for the summer, so stoked!

Not sure when the declaration will come but this has just been very, very special...VVS SCG...Test 2012.
The lead is now 411 runs.
Three centurions for the innings in the 100th Test at the SCG, along with Peter Siddle's 100th Test wicket.

Awesome photo taken of Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke after their monstrous partnership of 288 runs.
© Getty Images

2nd Test, day 2: Don't ever forget their partnership at the SCG

2012-01-03T23:57:00.000-08:00

Before diving into this article for what was an extremely special day of cricket for Australian cricket supporters, thanks to all of you for your comments for the series thus far.
Some strong opinions flying about and some of you really have taken the time to share your views.
Cheers, that's what the blog is about. Importantly there's a lot of positivity!

I had a good feeling yesterday that something special would happen at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) for Ricky Ponting. I didn't quite put it together though for Michael Clarke.
They were dominant for day 2 of the 2nd Test and both ensured they will go down in the record books for the 100th SCG Test.

If possible, make sure if you're a Baggy Green fanatic or a supporter of either of these batsmen that you never forget this partnership you witnessed today.
Our batting inconsistencies have been a concern and where the young guys had been digging us out of a hole, the seniors have stepped up the last two Tests and if you look at the contributions from MJ Clarke, RT Ponting and MEK Hussey, you can't help but not puff out your chest with pride.

The constructive criticism Punter and Huss have copped has been in some ways admittedly justifiable but if this is their final summer for the Baggy Greens by some chance then this is one extra way to make it one to remember.

Full scorecard via ESPN Cricinfo.

Batting: 4/482 from 116 overs.
Australia lead by 291 runs with 6 wickets in hand, 3 days to play
Michael Clarke 251*, Ricky Ponting 134, Michael Hussey 54*

A series win against India will be the big tick to the box for a massive achievement for Michael Clarke as a leader but in the eyes of the general Australian cricket onlooker this was the innings that has to have got the bashers off his case, surely?

Coming out unbeaten of 47*, Clarkey offered very few chances and charged to his 18th Test century.
As mentioned in my article yesterday, his array of shots was mighty impressive given the days play was coming to a close and instead of going into his shell he played his shots.
For day 2 these were taken to a new level as Michael scored his maiden double century with all the classiest shots in his skill set on display for all to see. Be brought it up with a flick off the pads, steered away to square leg and he reached the milestone!
Michael Hussey was in some ways far more excited than he was. Good on Huss! That was great to see.

Clarkey's innings was entertaining, traditional and a testament to his journey as a Test cricketer.
It is fresh in my mind but to put it down into writing is too much. Simply put I thorougly enjoyed what I saw today.

If you look at his wagon-wheel he balanced his innings perfectly around the ground which is fitting given the limited chances he gave India to take his wicket. Simply put it reflects dominance against the opposition. On debut he scored a maiden century with 151 runs against India and now he stands of 251* runs against India with his maiden double century.
He is 49 runs away from a triple-century and I can't see him going about it conservatively.

Ricky Ponting was the bloke all eyes were on after Michael brought up his century before the lunch break. Punter came back out still stuck in the nervous nineties (no longer the nervous sixties for him) and he reached his century with a very, very risky single.
Had Zaheer Khan managed the direct hit I can't explain how I would have felt. I would have been broken but imagine how Punter would have felt?

I think he realised how fortunate he was but soon it turned to utter relief as Punter finally scored his 40th Test century. The dirt on his shirt was in many ways symbolic to the grit and fight he's had to show just to get this century.
It is his first in 34 innings (includes his current innings), he's managed 10 half-centuries during the drought and his statistics for SCG now read as follows:

16 Tests, 1480 runs, HS 207, Average 67.27, 6 centuries (2 versus India).

Unlike Michael Clarke, Punter was hell bent on scoring his runs to the onside.
The majority of his runs came to this area with, I must say, some shots of just pure Maestro like class.
His on-drives were a spectacle and he has dusted off that loss in confidence for taking on short pitched fast bowling.
By the same regard the Indian bowlers gifted him a number of runs drifting away from leg stump or just bowled too straight to Punter. Just too many deliveries on the pads and even I found myself frustrated at one point with their inability to shake things up.
The best chance against him when settled is definitely not going to be that region.

MS Dhoni even got to a point where he was unable to assist his bowlers with his field settings, so much so he just went for the all out defensive to try slow down the run rate for the Punter/Clarkey partnership.
Punter was eventually dismissed cutting a ball to Sachin Tendulkar at point. Punter!

The damage was done though as the two broke a record for the highest 4th wicket partnership against India. The statistics show the partnership as (now remember this):

288 runs from 74.5 overs, Run Rate: 3.84, Contributions: Ponting 122, Clarke 154.

The wagon-wheel clearly shows Michael Clarke's (right) fluency of stroke play around the ground while Ricky Ponting (left) targetted the on-side, kindly assisted by the Indian bowlers.
Screenshot taken from ESPN Cricinfo graphs.

Michael Hussey came out with his intentions made clear early on that he was going to attack and drain India of any possible momentum for the days play.
He has raced away to 54 runs (his 28th Test half-century) and with his natural ability to shift gears in any situation he is the ideal bloke to have alongside Michael Clarke.
We have three days of cricket ahead and ultimately our bowlers will want the best amount of time possible given the serious advantage they have right now, also owed to their splendid team work on day 1.

It is a joy to see a scorecard with over 400 runs again.
It is equally pleasing to see triple figures next to the name of my favorite cricketer of all time, Ricky Ponting!
Michael Clarke looked like a man from the invincibles with his no-name brand bat and his SCG stats now read as:

8 Tests, 590 runs, HS 251*, Average 49.16, 2 centuries. A double century, always so special and we already have a memorable moment for the Baggy Green Blog 2012 wrap up in December.

The days verdict?

100% belonging to the Baggy Greens meaning the boys have taken day 1 and 2 of the Test match.
With three days to go and a ridiculously fired up pace attack it will be an epic battle between the giants of Indian batting against our red hot trio!

The track is expected to start breaking up a bit for the last two days which may mean Nathan Lyon will really have to step up for one his greatest battles ever in his cricketing career.
India are solid against spin but with the assistance of movement for our bowlers and Mr Ed Cowan at short leg to menace them for not playing any short pitched bowling confidently, it could be 2-0 to the Baggy Greens heading to the WACA.

Still plenty of cricket to come though so lets see what day 3 has to offer.
I am confident Michael Clarke will play his cards right. It is all about learning how win these key moments when it's been worked so hard to grab ahold of. Attack, attack, attack!

Michael Clarke lets the emotions sink in as he is embraced by his team-mate Michael Hussey upon reaching his first double century at his home ground, the SCG.
© Getty Images

Michael Clarke raises his bat as he reaches his double century.
© Getty Images

The fighter, the Maestro, the champ! Well done Punter.
© Getty Images

2nd Test, day 1: A day courtesy of the fast bowling trio

2012-01-03T00:59:00.000-08:00

*For the Baggy Green Blog Year End article (Stats, talking points and memorable moments) here's the article link:
View the article here.

The 100th Test at the SCG has begun with 13 wickets falling on day 1 and you'd have to say our bowlers have once again delivered the goods.
The new trio of James Pattinson (playing his first First-class game at the SCG), Peter "Pedro" Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus took all 10 Indian wickets and rolled them for 191 runs.

With Ricky Ponting (44*) and Michael Clarke (47*) at the crease the trail is just 75 runs with 7 wickets still in hand.
We unfortunately witnessed another batting collapse of sorts, this time with the top order, but day 2 will hopefully be another day belonging to the Baggy Greens unless we have another day of wild momentum changes. This is a gift to try and take the game from India but it still looks tricky.

Full scorecard via ESPN Cricinfo

Bowling: India 191 all out
James Pattinson 4-43, Ben Hilfenhaus 3-51, Peter Siddle 3-55

It started off with James Pattinson picking up a wicket in the first ball of the day.
Pitched up, sufficient swing and Gambhir was dismissed for a duck continuing his tough run.
India had a bit of luck as, oddly enough, Ricky Ponting dropped a sitter at slip off the bowling of Ben Hilfenhaus but James Pattinson made sure he removed the danger man Sehwag.
James picked up 4 wickets and came ever so close, as he did in Melbourne, to another 5 wicket haul.

With his inexperience he has shown unbelievable composure and maturity. His confidence is sky high and he's the driving force for this bowling trio.
He's tall and strong and has found further strength in his bowling partner Pedro Siddle, who has a contagious aggression which just makes seeing the two operate in tandum as pure brutality!
It's the aggression I've missed, the die-hard attitude and there is this bizarre sense that these three blokes believe they are regularly due a wicket. It is refreshing and seeing James deliver the way he is is nothing more than insanely outstanding!

Peter Siddle picked up his 100th Test wicket with the very last Indian wicket to fall!
What a moment for Pedro and instead of a crazy follow through with sheer delight, his expression was more that of utter delight and relief with that milestone achieved.
It has taken him 29 matches to do it and I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenges of his journey dating back to his debut against India.
Like James, he also managed an early breakthrough picking up the wicket of Rahul Dravid for 5 after trying to ease himself into his innings.
Congrats Pedro on your achievement! Keep roaring in.

Ben Hilfenhaus really has returned rejuvenated.
His short balls look tough to negotiate (he picked up two wickets against the tail with perfectly directed bouncers), he's maintaining his swing of the ball for longer periods and when the swing on offer subsides he does what Craig McDermott told his bowlers to do...pitch it up in the right zone!
The advice is paying off and the trio have delivered once again.

Hilfy even found himself on a hat-trick after removing Ashwin with an outswing pitched just outside of off which swung away late to find the edge.
He removed Zaheer Khan with one of those short pitched deliveries and then bowled a superb follow up delivery to Ishant Sharma which had plenty of movement. Ishant kept it out well but was removed by Hilfy not long after.
Hilfy built up good pressure from his end which alllowed Pedro and James to do the mean business.

Nathan Lyon may come into action with the Indian 2nd innings but I am sure many would have been in favor of the inclusion of Ryan Harris.
Seeing the way the trio performed claiming all 10 wickets was a relief for the Harris void scenario but I hope Nathan does come in play for the 2nd innings to do his part and assist our bowlers.

Batting: 3-116 from 26 overs
Michael Clarke 47*, Ricky Ponting 44*

I still maintain my belief in the David "Pitbull" Warner/Ed Cowan partnership but unfortunately the Pitbull was dismissed for 8 at the end of the first over.
In all fairness it was a brilliant delivery that was well pitched up forcing him to play at it. The result was an edge to the slips.

Shaun Marsh has continued his poor run from Melbourne with a golden duck this time. He has only made three runs from three innings and it concerns me. I was so excited to see how he'd go this series and the discipline he showed against Sri Lanka and even South Africa in his 1st innings at Newland's hasn't been evident in his batting. His nerves may be getting the better of him.
You get the feeling that should he struggle this Test in the 2nd innings he may get a chance in the 3rd Test but Usman Khawaja would likely be eyed as the comeback kid.
Come on Shaun!

Ed Cowan looks good at the top of the order. He was very unlucky with his very first dismissal and just got out in a daft way for his 2nd innings at the MCG.
This time around he was undone by a Zaheer Khan LBW shout. It was a fifty-fifty call but it was tough to see Ed would off the park for 16 runs.
Like David Warner, I will continue to be confident in Ed's abilities. I am sure he will settle for a big innings by the end of this series.

Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke stepped up.
The batting collapses have become something we should all be used to by now so it's more a case of whether it will be the top order or the middle order.
For day 1 it was the top order. I shouldn't joke about these things but it is amusing, I guess you need find some kind of humour amidst the confusion with these ongoing collapses.

In any case, the seniors stepped up and I am really excited to see how Punter is going!
I have a really, really good feeling about this innings for the Maestro.
He scord 60 and 62 at the MCG which was quite important under the circumstances. He's followed up this innings changing his guard when needed and really lunging into his shot selections of choice.
There was a definite touch of class when he played the short deliveries, not showing any fear and playing with control. Back foot and front foot pull shots were on show and his front foot shots were at the best of times to the off-side played with control.
He's become a nervous starter but he seemed to get settled into things quite quickly.
As it was at the MCG, Punter is leading a recovery mission and he has the Skipper alongside him to assist.

Michael came out to bat with an unbranded bat in hand.
I am not sure whether it was purely to give exposure for the McGrath foundation, whether it was to be a tribute of sorts to batsmen of the past (before the days of bat branding) or whether he has left Slazenger after a long term relationship as his bat sponsor but he looked like a man of class from an older generation.

*Note: I was informed by a loyal follower of the blog on Twitter after posting this that Michael's contract with Slazenger expired at the end of 2011.

I have always big a fanatic of Michael's execution of straight drives, cover drives and square drives and today was no exception, even if it didn't result in a run.
His blazed three fours in a row of the bowling of Umesh Yadav, two of them being front foot drives.
It's special to see the Skipper stand tall at his home ground for an important Test match.
He's off in style and it would be a HUGE relief to see him and Punter put together a partnership worth remembering for the match.

The verdict for day 1?

The partnership currently stands on 79 runs and 4.60 which is rather impressive under the circumstances.
Michael Hussey is still to follow after his vital 89 in Melbourne, while Brad Haddin may offer us something of value which would be welcome after his horendous inconsistency. His confidence seems totally shot with the bat.

After these two we're down to the tail but it's a bloody awesome tail isn't it?
The boys can graft and all play their shots but I just hope we don't have another case where all their hard work with the ball is undone and they're required for batting duties to just give us an edge.

The current position is ideal for the 1st day of a Test match and against India I will take it any day.
Day 2 is going to be so important for our middle order. It could ultimately be the defining innings for the game map.

A day that belongs to the Baggy Greens.

Pedro Siddle celebrates his 100th Test wicket! Well done you champ.
© Getty Images

Ben Hilfenhaus celebrates with his team-mates as he brought about an Indian lower order downfall to keep them under 200.
© Getty Images

Ricky Ponting aka The Maestro looked in fine touch. He's had a good series thus far and has kept a low profile. Could the 100th SCG Test be where he scores that well awaited century? I hate speculating but this was where he played his 100th Test and scored a century in each innings. Come on Punter!
© Getty Images

Fast times ahead for Australia

2011-12-31T23:16:00.000-08:00

As Australia look to kick off their New Year in style on January 3, a number of young quicks around the country will be looking to follow in the paths of Cummins and Pattinson.

In this piece I take a look at some of the up and coming quicks looking to breakthrough and become the next Pat Cummins/James Pattinson.

Josh Hazlewood is spoke of very highly in Australian circles and has already made his ODI debut and was taken on the tour to India before a back stress fracture put his rise on halt. He missed most of last season through injury but has returned this season and after a slow start to the season, Hazlewood has finally cracked his 4 wicket hoodoo, after going 9 matches without a 4 wicket haul.

Ben Cutting can be considered one of the unluckiest bowlers going around. After being overlooked for Starc in the first test of the summer, he subsequently injured himself in a match for Queensland which has ruled him out for the year. After Mitchell Starc's less than impressive debut series and the injuries to Harris and Cummins, Cutting could have found himself making his debut on Boxing day. In 09/10 Cutting took 46 scalps in Shield cricket and was on the verge of Australian selection. Once again injury struck soon after and with it went his 2010/11 season. At 24 he is still very much in the frame and should he continue his wicket taking ways, he will once again be on the verge of higher honours.

James Faulkner is another that is highly regarded after being part of the 07/08 Australian U19 squad. At the time Shane Watson had yet to make his mark for Australia and the search was still on for that elusive all rounder and Faulkner was being touted as one for the future. Shane Watson has since become the premier all rounder Australia have been looking for while Faulkner has figures that would make him a very useful bowling all rounder. He may yet become a player capable of batting in the top 7 but at the moment if he were to be picked it would be for his bowling and with 66 wickets at 24, you won't find many people complaining.

Nathan Coulter-Nile would be the first Western Australia quick to represent Australia since Brad Williams. He has been around the WA setup for a few years and in 2010 he finally got his chance. Since his Shield debut, Coulter-Nile has 41 wickets from 9 matches at 23.58. Injury prevented him from carrying on this form and possibly pushing for Australian selection however he is back will be looking to regain his spot in WA's Shield side.

Kane Richardson has big wraps on him and the Big Bash commentators on Foxsports have mentioned his action is very similar to Pat Cummins. At the moment he is still finding his feet and with a home ground like the Adelaide Oval, he will take a bit longer than other quicks around the country to breakthrough but when he does, he will be well prepared for the next level.

Michael Neser appears to have gone the way of Ryan Harris in the off season with his speed readings up this season including a 147km/h ball against the Scorchers. He rates himself as a batting all rounder but with speeds like that he could easily fill in as a bowling all rounder. Should Neser fulfill his wish he will gain comparisons with Andrew Flintoff who also bowled at that pace while batting in the top 6.

Alister McDermott is another quick from Queensland who is the son of current bowling coach Craig McDermott. He's made a solid start to his First Class career but it is his limited overs bowling which is making headlines. In 15 matches he has 27 wickets at 22.92 and the ODI setup has always been a good pathway to the Test side as Cummins has shown.

Nick Buchanan adds to the new found depth in Queensland that is starting to rival NSW and like the man before him he has connections in the Australian setup; being the son of former Australian Coach John Buchanan. Nick was talked up before the start of the Big Bash competition as being this season's Pat Cummins capable of hitting 140km/h and the potential to crack the 150km/h mark. Thus far he hasn't quite lived up to that billing but standing at 196cm, it is likely you will see more of him in the future.

Ryan Duffield made his debut last season and continued the promising showings by quicks across the country taking 34 wickets from 8 matches at 25.44. Like a couple of other bowlers mentioned so far, injury has halted his season but he made his comeback in the Ryobi Cup and will be pushing for a starting spot with this season's leading wicket taker, Micheal Hogan. He has the added advantage of being a leftie and the current selectors like the former ones appear to like that variation.

I will stop there however some other names to look forward to include another pair of lefties in Josh Lalor and Jason Behrendorff who played in the tour match against India and Jackson Bird who had a Trent Copeland like debut in his second match against Victoria.

Interesting and exciting times await Australia and their fast bowlers, this decade may well rival the batting depth seen in the 90's and 00's when guys like Jamie Siddons, David Hussey, Michael Di Venuto and co could not break into the Australian batting lineup.

Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Sylvester.
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The 2011 year for Australian cricket: Statistics and talking points

2011-12-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

*Ryan Harris has been added to the Test Squad for the SCG Test against India, due to the likely prospect of the track being beneficial for the quick bowlers.
The 2nd Test will be played on the 100th Test pitch at the SCG making it a very special occasion.

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I am sure it's safe to say that 2011 was yet another mixed year for the Baggy Greens.
It was mixed from both a results, player performance and selection perspective but 2011 ended on a positive note with the Baggy Greens taking the 1st Test of the Border-Gavaskar series.

You can also hear my Podcast year end feature at Verbal Slogs hosted by Christopher David Poshin and a few other cricket fanatics where we discuss 2011.
Listen to the episode "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen".

In this article I will post the team results for the year, the player statistics for the year and also make a list of my favorite moments of the year.
I would like to hear yours as well so feel free to post a comment at the end of the article.

I know there were plenty of low moments such as the ongoing batting collapses, not winning the World Cup, the 47 all out incident at Newland's, many injuries to our player's and of course the hang over early in the year from losing the Ashes.
However I would like to rather focus on more positive things from the year.

Baggy Green debutants for 2011:
420 - Trent Copeland vs Sri Lanka

421 - Nathan Lyon vs Sri Lanka (5fer on debut)

422 - Shaun Marsh vs Sri Lanka (Century on debut)

423 - Patty Cummins vs South Africa (6 wicket haul on debut)

424 - James Pattinson vs New Zealand (5fer on debut)

425 - Mitchell Starc vs New Zealand

426 - David "Pitbull" Warner vs New Zealand (Century in his 2nd Test at Hobart)

427 - Ed Cowan vs India (68 runs in debut innings as an opening batsman)

The Team Results:
Overall played - 40
Won - 24 (60% victory rate for 2011)
Lost - 13
Drew - 2
No result - 1

Tests:
Played - 9
x1 vs England, x3 vs Sri Lanka, x2 vs South Africa, x2 vs New Zealand, x1 vs India

Won - 4 (44% victory rate, won 2 away Tests, won 2 home Tests)
Lost - 3 (lost 2 home Tests, lost 1 away Test)
Drew - 2 (both in Sri Lanka for 2nd & 3rd Test)
Series - Lost to England (3-1) Beat Sri Lanka (1-0), Tied with South Africa (1-1), Tied with New Zealand (1-1)

One Day Internationals:
Played - 25
x7 vs England, x6 vs Sri Lanka, x3 vs South Africa, x3 vs Bangladesh, x1 vs *New Zealand, x1 vs *India, x1 vs *Kenya, x1 vs *Canada, x1 vs *Pakistan, x1 vs *Zimbabwe.
*World Cup Match

Won - 18 (72% victory rate, Ranked #1 in ODI cricket)
Lost - 6 (two of these losses were crucial games in the World Cup versus Pakistan and ultimately India).
No result - 1

Twenty20s:
Played - 6
x2 vs England, x2 vs Sri Lanka, x2 vs South Africa

Won - 2 (33% victory rate, not exactly a great year of T20 for the Green & Gold boys)
Lost - 4

Player statistics for 2011: (Screenshots taken from ESPN Cricinfo.com)

Test Stats (batting and bowling)

ODI Stats (batting and bowling)

Twenty20 Stats (batting and bowling)

Most valuable player:
Shane Watson -
Test stats: 265 runs @ 24.09, x2 50s, 11 innings / 14 wickets @ 19.07, BBI 5-17
ODI stats: 1139 runs @ 56.95, HS 185*, x2 100s, x6 50s / 17 wickets @ 41.05, BBI 3-25
T20 stats: 195 runs @ 39.00, HS 59, x3 50s, x13 sixes / 8 wickets @ 12.37, BBI 4-15 (best T20 player).

Watto didn't have a fantastic year of Test cricket by any means but his all-rounder duties were utilised with reward. This unfortunately resulted in his work load being pushed and injury has occurred.
Taking into account his duties in all forms of the game coming off an insanely good 2010 year, Watto remains our most valuable player in my eyes.
1139 runs for the year in ODI cricket is an outstanding achievement yet again. He also scored two massive centuries against England and Bangladesh, which both fall into my best moments of 2011. He is also the top player in all categories for T20 cricket.
When he returns to Test cricket I hope the selectors will move him away from the opening spot which will also allow him further bowling duties from both a physical and mindset perspective.

He was also the recent AB Medalist, so we'll see if he takes the ODI category come February 2012.

Best Test players of 2011:
Our batting was the low point for the year and has been the concern for some time now. As you can see the bowlers have been the talking point. 2012 is where consistency and synergy need to return.
The win against India was a great way to wrap up 2011 and head into 2012 with momentum.

Michael Hussey - 680 runs @ 42.50, x1 100, x3 50s, HS 142 / 4 wickets @ 18.75, BBI 2-2
Series against South Africa and New Zealand ended up somewhat blemishing Huss' decent year.

Michael Clarke - 618 runs @ 38.62, x3 100s, x1 50, HS 151
With the added responsibility Clarkey is my stand out Test batsman. If he can just find some consistency, 2012 will be a cracker for him hopefully. His 3 100s showed that once he got settled he could go all the way.

James Pattinson - 20 wickets @ 15.20, x2 5fer.
What needs to be said. He's a young man who has just taken his opportunity with invaluable promise. He's only had three Tests but it has to be said he's been up there as a youngster setting the pace and standards.

Ryan Harris - 15 wickets @ 17.33, x1 5fer
If only Ryano wasn't burdened by injury he'd be of far better value but he's delivered the goods for the Baggy Greens. He has been recalled for the SCG Test so let's see how he goes. Always exciting seeing him bowl.

Other bowlers definitely worth a mention:
Peter Siddle top wicket taker with 24 wickets @ 30.04.
Nathan Lyon 23 wickets @ 27.42
Ben Hilfenhaus 10 wickets @ 23.50

Best ODI Players of 2011:
I have made mention of Shane Watson already but Mitchell Johnson really stood out for me.
His injury has opened the door for more consistent Test players to take their opportunities and place in the Squad. It is a pity for Mitch but it would seem that the hot and cold elements of his bowling just wasn't working for the Baggy Greens anymore. Needless to say he can still be a valuable contributor in limited overs cricket and when the time comes for him to return, I'd be more than happy to see Mitch carry on his career for the Green and Gold if there is place for him.

Mitchell Johnson: 39 wickets @ 20.94, BBI 6-31 / 208 runs @ 23.11, HS 57.

Brett Lee: 33 wickets @ 21.72, BBI 4-15, x3 4 wicket hauls.

Michael Clarke: 900 runs @ 56.25, HS 101, x1 100, x6 50s.
After the flack Michael had to deal with regarding his limited overs cricket in 2010, these stats should shut the haters up. I have always enjoyed Michael's limited overs batting going back to the 2007 World Cup.
He just missed those 1000 runs by 100.

Ricky Ponting: 604 runs @ 40.26, HS 104 (World Cup Quarter Final), x1 100, x3 50s.

Michael Hussey: 414 runs @ 41.40, HS 108, x1 100, x2 50s.
Huss is here because of the way in which he goes about his limited overs game. He comes in late and can still turn a game around with his unbelievable variation in temperament. He rarely fails in limited overs cricket and he played some awesome innings for 2011.

My best moments of 2011:

1 - Shane Watson's massive centuries!
Shane Watson had a blast for 2011 with his ODI cricket.
Besides his 5 wicket haul at Newland's in that freakish Test match in November, wearing the Green and Gold gear is where he stood out and his two monstrous centuries, the first against England at the MCG followed by his 185* against Bangladesh were just epic.

It was a display of power hitting and an ability to just muscle away anything and everything.
Watto was just awesome to watch and the way he made that slog sweep look so graceful was quite something. If anything it got to a point where I was kind of thinking, "Come on Watto, target another area please!"

He is so exciting to watch with the bat when he is set out to panel beat any opponent. These innings were no exception and to spare myself the time, you can read about those innings and the various records that were broken in both innings;
1.1) Shane Watson's big innings versus England.
1.2) Shane Watson's big innings versus Bangladesh.

2 - The wicket frenzy debutants:
Nathan Lyon made his debut against Sri Lanka and took 5 wickets.
Patty Cummins took on a strong South African batting line-up to bounce back after the Newland's Test Match loss. He took 6 wickets in the 2nd innings and then hit the winning runs as well.
James Pattinson took a 5 wicket haul on debut at the Gabba and then in his 2nd Test down in Hobart. He has already grabbed 20 wickets and along with Patty Cummins they make the future look very daunting for young opposition batsmen.

3 - The Maestro's class even in defeat:
Ricky Ponting's century in the quarter-final against India during the 2011 World Cup was one that showed his true class, gritty determination, die-hard attitude and despite the loss it is one I will never forget.
Even in defeat he gave his side the best chance possible with the bat in hand, calling on all his experience.
It was a sad end to what would have been Punter's final World Cup most surely, given we had the game at one point.

I wrote a long article about it here at the Blog as it was mighty inspiring in my eyes, just as Punter is in general to me.

4 - The Test cricket centurions:
Seeing a cricketer score a Test century is always special but there were a few memorable ones for 2011.
First was Shaun Marsh scoring a century on debut. He showed unbelievable focus, patience and his discipline to leave good deliveries was something we'd missed. His father, Geoff Marsh (now the Sri Lankan Coach), handed him his Baggy Green and was there to witness his son score a century on debut where Shaun also passed his Father's highest Test score during his very own career.

Michael Clarke wrote this century off as forgettable but his 151 in the 1st Test against South Africa at Newland's was mighty impressive and special. The conditions were very difficult, his confidence was admirable and he had initially dug his team out of a tough situation.
The 2nd innings 47 all out ultimately ruined all that hard work but seeing this innings live at the ground was special from the Skipper. It was an unforgettable seeing him bring up his 16th century.

David Warner's century in Hobart was in many ways similar to Michael Clarke's 151. It was in a lost cause.
The conditions in Hobart were suitable for the bowlers and as our batsmen fell down around him, he stuck to his game plan and held his bat. He just didn't have the experience batting with the tail to assist Nathan Lyon in getting us over the finish line to avoid the Black Caps first win in Australia since the mid 80s.
Nevertheless, I feel it was the arrival of David Warner and I strongly believe he has the goods to be our Test opener with that ability just like that of Haydos.
I look forward to more from the "Pitbull" for 2012!

5 - The first ODI series victory against South Africa since 2005/06:
It was excellent to see the Green and Gold win their first limited overs series against South Africa since 2005/06.
Still being the number one side in ODI cricket, having sadly lost the World Cup, I just felt the boys needed to take a series against the brilliance of the Proteas side who were in a spot of bother due to a lack of cricket. It was a series win that was needed for the team coming off a very good Sri Lankan Tour.

The final game was the series decider and the way our bowlers contained things to restrict the target to 223 to win, it was another case of Michael Hussey executing a rescue mission batting with the tail.
He scored 45* not out and it was exhilarating to see the Huss get the boys over the finish line. At the other end with him was none other than Patty Cummins.
The Test series that followed was short lived as well which had a nail-biting finish with Patty Cummins once again finding himself batting at the end, only this time he hit the winning runs!

6 - A victory to end 2011 against India:
The recent win against India ended the year on a positive note.
The batting was frustratingly inconsistent again but in a year with quite a few moments of inconsistency and worrying talking points, this win ought to get you pumped up for 2012!

The bowlers did what Craig McDermott made mention of back in May 2011 and seeing the trio of Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus and James Pattinson work so well as a unit along with the Skipper to rotate his bowlers to create enough variation to keep the Indian batsmen guessing, well that was the talking point for this game.
There's still three Tests to go but seeing Pedro take on the responsibility as the leader of the pack, the return of Hilfy to get his maiden 5 wicket haul and the raw aggression of James Pattinson was just inspiring.

7 - A new selection panel:
I had to throw this in here but when John Inverarity, Andy Bichel and Rod Marsh were named the new selectors with the Captain and the new Coach, Mickey Arthur, being involved with the panel it was the most welcoming news.
Being a selector is a tough job but Andrew Hilditch and his cronies just lost control and were off the pulse of Australian cricket which seemed to make the job harder for themselves.
They didn't provide any clarity of any sort on their selections to the supporters, all of which the new NSP has already managed to do.

That's a wrap for this article and for the Baggy Green Blog regarding 2011!
It's been epic to have all of your contributions at the Blog over the last year and whether it be Twitter, Facebook or right here at the Blog, I always enjoy the cricket conversations, the opinions and of course your ongoing support for Australian Cricket and importantly the players.

I hope you all have a year of positivity for 2012 and hopefully this positivity will also be present with the Baggy Greens!
Thank you, keep safe and bring on the SCG Test.

Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.

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@Dan_Stapo

A journey on Australia's pace bowling roller coaster

2011-12-29T03:03:00.000-08:00

*For the match article for the 1st Test which the Baggy Greens won by 122 runs, click here to view the article.

Latest article from our contributor Sylvester:

In the 90's and 2000's Australia's batting depth ensured the current top 6 batting for Australia were always on their toes. Now as we begin a new decade, Australia's fast bowling stocks appears to be on the way up and in time may rival the depth in the batting of yesteryear.

This time last year Australia's bowling stocks hit a low point with many asking where the 20 wickets would coming from. Two months ago, Shane Watson was regarded as the second best quick after his brilliant 5-17 in the 1st Test against South Africa.While brilliant for Watson, it was no compliment to the men being picked as bowlers. Johnson was doing what he did best and Siddle had just returned and following a relatively solid showing in his only test in Sri Lanka, he left South Africa with 4 wickets at 51. Fans were once again worried that Siddle had not improved and it appeared we had the inconsistent duo (Johnson and Siddle) back in full force. What did not help either bowler was the fact a bowler who had only played 3 First Class matches with a less than impressive average in the 40s, well and truly out bowled them with 7 wickets in the match including a match winning 6-79.

Pat Cummins started the rise in stock for the pacemen however it appeared the pace bowling stock would rival the stock market crash of 1929. In the space of a month Mitchell Johnson would be ruled out for the summer, Ryan Harris and Pat Cummins would soon follow suit being ruled out for the rest of the year and the Australian A bowlers of Pattinson, Cutting, Starc and Hilfenhaus had just been taken around the park in the tour game against NZ. Siddle had suddenly become a certainty to play in the Test against New Zealand and he would have two new partners. The selectors decided against the steady Copeland and gave two new seamers their Baggy Green in James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc.

Then New Zealand came and went as we had another silly two match series. The Kiwis had just pulled out a famous win however the fast bowling stocks were on the rise again. Pattinson continued the awesome debuts by fast bowlers in 2011 and backed it up with another 5-fer in his second test. At this point Pattinson had become a certainty for the Boxing Day Test. Siddle appeared to thrive as the leader of the attack but we had all seen this from Siddle before.

Mitchell Starc's less than impressive debut series meant either Harris or Hilfenhaus would play on Boxing Day. The selectors ended up playing cautiously with Harris and so two-thirds of the flayed Ashes attack was back on display.

The Indian batting lineup would provide the first real test for Pattinson and it would also present a chance for Siddle to show he has changed. This would also be Hilfenhaus first test match since the Ashes.

Four days on from Boxing Day, the Australia bowling trio of Siddle, Pattinson and Hilfenhaus had just taken 20 Indian wickets in one of the best team bowling display by the team in sometime. Each of the pacemen produced a fearsome spell of bowling. Rahul the Wall Dravid was breached three times, once by each of the pacemen which sums up how well each of the pacemen bowled especially considering the talk in the lead up to the match regarding adding a 5th bowling option.

So as we head into the New Year, the selectors will have a very tough task getting Ryan Harris back into the side and further along Pat Cummins. Question marks obviously still remain whether they can keep this going however the signs so far are very promising. By the end of this four match series against India, we should have a very good idea of where Siddle, Pattinson and Hilfenhaus are at assuming they remain as the first choice trio.

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1st Test, day 4: The Baggy Green bowlers secure victory

2011-12-28T23:18:00.000-08:00

The Baggy Greens have taken the 1st Test for the eagerly awaited Border-Gavaskar series.
Tensions were high out there for all four days of the Test and this added to the dynamic for some highly competitive cricket.
Congratulations to the Baggy Greens!

The controversy was slightly owed to the ongoing debate regarding the DRS but it just means the Umpires must step it up and they had a questionable game. Hopefully they can dust off any uncertainties come the SCG. I'm not really up for any issues like the Bucknor ordeal and boycott threats.

After James Pattinson dug deep to keep advancing the lead with the bat in hand, after Michael Hussey was dismissed for 89 vital runs, James and his experienced counterparts, Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle, brought about a splendid batting collapse of this very daunting Indian batting line-up.
Rightly so James was named Man-of-the-match and he can just hold his head up high.

He's an outstanding youngster and with the awesome comeback of Hilfy, the roar of Pedro and knowing the likes of Patty Cummins, Ben Cutting, Trent Copeland, Mitch Starc, Peter George, Josh Hazlewood and then experienced campaigners like Ryano Harris, Mitchell Johnson and Douggie Bollinger are also in the mix, the bowling depth is returning and I mean this with respect to all forms of the game.

The batting brings about cause for concern as we can add a few batting collapses to the list our other contributor Sylvester put together a few weeks back.
The batsmen obviously acknowledge this. The younger blokes like Warner, Marsh and Cowan will come right but it was a relief to see our senior players of Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey's class step up when they were urgently needed (see day 3 article for this).

Full scorecard via ESPN Cricinfo

Result: Australia won by 122 runs (1-0 in the 4 match Border-Gavaskar series)
Man-of-the-match: James Pattinson (#424)

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3.

Bowling: India all out for 169 (47.5 overs)
James Pattinson 4-53, Peter Siddle 3-42, Ben Hilfenhaus 2-39

After the tail-ender assault from James Pattinson (37*) and Ben Hilfenhaus (14) which brought 43 runs for the partnership it helped advance the lead ever so closer to a lead of 300 as 292 was the target set.
I felt 300 was essential just for a psychological edge but our bowling unit had alternative plans to ensure this was sufficient as it was the best chance we had courtesy of the tail-enders, as well as Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting.

Kudos to our bowlers. Honestly, I never doubted the guys could grab us victory defending 292 but to roll India for under 300 in the first innings and 200 in the second, that is something to embrace.
Well done to the boys and against many odds they stood up to the challenge. That die-hard attitude, that is it!

James Pattinson was given the new ball and had a bit of misfortune as he tried to settle into a rhythm but Ben Hilfenhaus soon had Sehwag caught by Hussey in the gully (again) as he played a loose cut shot. Just 17 runs were on the board.
Gambhir and Rahul Dravid began to fire things up but only fired Peter "Pedro" Siddle up as he had Gambhir caught by Ricky Ponting in the slips nudging at one.
Every run was cheered by the Indian supporters as Sachin Tendulkar wasted little time bringing out his classic shots to take on our pace attack but he lost "the wall" of Dravid when James Pattinson decided to get into the action bowling a beauty that nipped back of the track and Dravid was bowled for the third time in the match off a similar length and similar delivery by all three bowlers (Pedro bowled him off a no-ball the 1st innings).

VVS Laxman was caught just brushing one away to the onside which was taken comfortably by Eddie Cowan and the no-ball was cleared which was soon followed by Hilfy trapping Virat Kohli plumb LBW for a golden duck. Kohli is a very skilled youngster so his wicket was equally important as the rest. Was great to see the joy on Hilfy's face as he got rid of Kohli.

You felt the game was well and truly the Baggy Greens when Sachin lunged at a wider delivery off the bowling of Peter Siddle. Pedro has some history bowling at Sachin so it was fitting that he removed the greatest threat of them all. It was a sharp catch as well by Huss and India were 6 wickets down less than 100 on the board.
Quite a few of the Indian lower order batsmen hung around for quite a while to keep knocking runs off the board.

The fuller pitched bowling has been doing the trick from a bowling unit that can all get sufficient movement off the track. Craig McDermott wasn't pointing out anything extraordinary with regards to working on ensuring our bowlers pitched it up more but his advice is paying off wonderfully.
Pedro still used the shorter ball effectively to pick up his third wicket of the innings while James Pattinson picked up his fourth removing MS Dhoni.
David "Pitbull" Warner took an epic catch on the boundary to give Nathan Lyon a wicket for the game (who wasn't really needed too much in the end) and victory was secured by 122 runs!

It's been special to see the bowlers all working COLLECTIVELY and all of them managing to control their skill sets which has been creating pressure and to see it against the brilliance of India's batting line-up is definitely positive.
It could get tougher for the upcoming game at the SCG where India have decent statistics and the WACA and Adelaide Oval where the tracks can flatten out considerably but if they wanted the confidence this was the bowling display the take.

The verdict?

The negatives point to the batting unit.
One commenter on the blog made mention that these batting collapses simply continue to add pressure on the bowling unit and just ruins all their hard work setting the games up for us.
We could use many examples of this where the bowlers have given us those key moments that were never secured which would have been a walk in the park for previous sides.
Winning those key moments only comes with experience from winning games and this team has had their fair taste of this but the batting remains a worry.

The positives:
- Ed Cowan's 68 runs on debut opening the batting. His selection was on current form and he was a joy to watch as David Warner also showed further promise in his first innings. If he can just find ways to slow down his tempo he will come right. He was dismissed playing attacking strokes in both innings.

- Ricky Ponting is possibly playing his final summer for the Baggy Greens as we have no clue of the selectors intention before the Windies tour in 2012 but he has hit back this series with 62 and 60. He has already posted more half-centuries than he did in the 2007/08 series but that century is still calling him.
The nervous nineties for most batsmen has become the nervous sixties for Punter.
He's become a very nervous starter but when he gets set he remains the Maestro! Come on Punter.

- Michael Hussey has been a concern but he has this slightly annoying habit of delivering the goods just before he gets the axe. His innings 89 runs was a display of the classy Huss we all know.
Gritty, determined and a bloke who loves to bat with the tail enders. Pity he didn't make a century as it must be said he was unlucky in the 1st innings with his dismissal.

- The bowling unit was just excellent to watch. They bowled it fuller after seeing that things didn't go too well towards the final sessions of day 2. When Pedro bowled Sachin at the close of the play the lights went on and it was just brutal stuff from there.

Ben Hilfenhaus made me proud with his comeback and collection of 7 for the match with his maiden 5fer. Pedro, who only needs 3 more wickets to get his 100th Test wicket, continues to just give his best and the additional leadership responsibility has helped.
James Pattinson has just continued to show excellent application to his duties as he now has 20 wickets at 15.20.

- The fielding improved after the standards were rather poor for the 2nd day of play during India's first innings. Some important chances were dropped but come the 2nd innings it was just top class stuff, setting the bench mark.

The SCG could prove to be a much tougher battle zone before the WACA and Adelaide Oval fixtures where our batsmen will need to be at their utmost best to take the battle to India and give our bowlers the best chance possible on what will quite likely be ideal batting conditions.
Another excellent game for Test cricket and was great to see the bowling units from both sides show dominance.

A few good images of the Baggy Greens celebrating each wicket as they came closer to a crucial 1st Test victory against a solid Indian side. © Getty Images

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1st Test, day 3: That long awaited 5 wicket haul for Hilfenhaus

2011-12-27T23:54:00.000-08:00

Another day of momentum switches but India will feel they're in the drivers seat at the moment and rightly so after the way they brought about a batting collapse for the Baggy Greens, yet another one.
The lead is in place for the Baggy Greens due to the urgent rescue mission from the man who does it best, Michael Hussey. He's been in a career threatening drought with his Test game and along side him to save things was Ricky Ponting.
It was a day though that belonged to Ben Hilfenhaus who took his maiden 5 wicket haul. Really proud of him as he gets his career back on track while Huss fights to give himself an extended run with the Baggy Greens.

Day 4 is going to be very tough indeed and the bowling effort that we saw from the Baggy Greens today will need to be repeated come tomorrow.

Full scorecard via ESPN Cricinfo

Bowling:
India 282 all out
Ben Hilfenhaus 5-75 (26 overs), Peter Siddle 3-63, James Pattinson 2-55

After surviving some close encounters and having some luck go their way at our expense, India found themselves taking day 2 and being in a slightly dominant position.
However day 3 didn't start out as well as they'd hoped as India only managed to add 68 runs to their overnight total due to some really awesome seam bowling.

The proceedings began with one of my personal bowling favorites Ben Hilfenhaus bowling Rahul Dravid. It was a massive wicket after Dravid survived being bowled off a no-ball by Pedro Siddle.
Hilfy then continued to hit back hard at the Indian middle order as he removed young gun Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and then the nightwatchman Ishant Sharma, who hung about for quite a while.
The results came from fuller pitched bowling.
His first ball of the day was pitched on off-stump and there was just enough movement for Dravid to push it away to the onside. Second ball was a similar line but just pitched up slightly fuller and with a bit of movement after pitching it beat the outside of edge of Dravid and he gone for 68.
He followed this up with two deliveries pitched right up in the block hole to VVS which made the intentions clear.

Seeing him claim his first 5 wicket haul after 17 Tests (this being his 18th) was a very proud moment and I am so stoked for Hilfy. It's been a very frustrating journey for him after being the top wicket taker in the 2009 Ashes series, to suffering a knee injury which has affected his performances since then notably being dropped after the 2010/11 Ashes series.
He has worked hard and his experience counted in his favor with a few of our other fast bowling options out injured. He delivered an outstanding spell of bowling so within the context of the game I think it was a special effort.

Peter Siddle grafted hard yesterday with James Pattinson showing serious fight despite his inexperience.
Pedro took over duties from James Pattinson for day 3 and he removed VVS Laxman in no time.
He was able to grab one more wicket being that of Ashwin's while James then came on to bowl out the last batsman. Pedro was able to get just enough shape to work well in partnership with Hilfy to bring about a major Indian middle order collapse. A few shorter pitched deliveries were thrown in there for tactical variation. Was good to see it when a plan comes together.

An issue Hilfy and the rest of our bowlers faced (paticularly Siddle) was the lack of fuller pitched bowling. They veered off too short at times and that was frustrating but for the better part I still maintain my opinion they did a decent job but we didn't take those critical moment and opportunities.
For day 3 it was a far better collective bowling effort from this trio of fast bowlers playing in their first Test match together. Knocking India over for under 300 was a mighty fine effort. Well done boys!

The eagerly awaited moment!
Ben Hilfenhaus shows the relief as he finally claims his maiden 5fer. Well done Hilfy.
© Getty Images

Batting:
8-179 from 60 overs
Lead of 230 runs
Michael Hussey 79*, Ricky Ponting 60
Another batting collapse, another display of loose shots and inside edges onto the stumps.
It happens to all teams but unfortunately we've have had our fair share of exposure to batting collapses.
David Warner, Michael Clarke and Shaun Marsh all chopped the ball on with attempted attacking strokes while Ed Cowan just had some misfortune leaving a ball that was just too straight and hit his pads. No shot offered and he was on his way which was a pity because that debut innings of his was outstanding.

Fortunately our senior players brought about a rescue mission to get us somewhat back on track.
Both Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey fed off each others intentions and their innings were quite similar.
Playing the ball with soft hands into the gaps, running very well between the wickets, showing their class once they got things under way and this was evident in their shot execution for their respective boundaries.
I had a look at their wagon wheels and it was very interesting to see so many similarities with the way they mapped things out.
Unfortunately the way we see the nervous nineties for most batsman, Punter is now suffering from the nervous sixties. He has made another half-century for the summer but has failed to carry on.
No need to be critical as it was a joy to see Punter's innings alongside Huss (the good old days some might say) but it was just a possible lapse in concentration that resulted in Punter flashing at one.
He had played some lovely back foot drives but he was caught out lunging at a wider one from Zaheer Khan to be caught in the gully.

Huss continued to play with gritty determination as his career is totally dependent on it.
He had a life line when Dravid dropped him in the slips but he has played wonderfully so far for his 79 runs with 7 boundaries. I use the word "urgent" to describe this innings from Huss as after Ben Hilfenhaus' effort with the ball and yet another collapse, we needed something special from Huss who has come off the two worst Test series of his career.
We urgently needed him to show his class and we urgently needed someone to step up after we slipped to 4-27.

Brad Haddin departed cheaply with Pedro Siddle and Nathan Lyon following soon after but fortunately James Pattinson can graft so hopefully he will give Huss the assistance needed to try and advance our lead which is easily 70 runs short of something substantially threatening.
Ben Hilfenhaus will probably have a licence to slog so let's see how things go but that lead isn't too minimal to give India enough of a threat.

The Verdict?
India will feel they clawed their way back into the game and momentum rests with them.
Their collapse will weigh heavily on their minds but they did have batsmen stand up, notably the veteran players. They're in a good position now.
We need a lead of 300 to take to the field with a psychological advance to try roll them for the victory.
It was an outstanding bowling effort from our boys but the collapse was upsetting.
Very good Test match so far and good to see some dominance from the bowlers from both teams.

Fear not though if you are a Baggy Green fanatic as the Huss is still there and we know how good he is when batting with the tail. It brings out the best of his competitive spirit.

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1st Test, Day 2: Need to take those chances

2011-12-26T23:56:00.000-08:00

Scorecard via ESPN Cricinfo.

Australia: 333 all out
Ed Cowan 68, Ricky Ponting 62, Peter Siddle 41

India: 3-214 from 65 overs.
Trail by 119 runs with 7 wickets in hand
James Pattinson 1-35, Ben Hilfenhaus 1-50, Peter Siddle 1-53

Resuming the innings with Brad Haddin and Peter Siddle as the batsmen who were unbeaten at the end of day 1, Hads didn't hang around too long. After being troubled a bit by Zaheer Khan he was dismissed trying to flash at a ball swing away from him which found the edge and flew to Sehwag in the gully. Hads had been so patient but couldn't resist the half-volley making his effort seem in vain.

Peter Siddle departed soon after unable to get his maiden half-century.
It was an excellent effort by Pedro under the circumstances and full credit to him for backing himself.
Ben Hilfenhaus provided some entertainment putting away a wide full toss for four first up and continued to attack during his innings of 19. Some of the shots weren't great to watch but he contributed runs and momentum. James Pattinson played a fairly cautious lower order knock of 18*.

333 was a competitive enough total. Ideally we all knew we needed a total of over 350 runs but 333 was good enough to give our bowlers something to work with.
Unfortunately a few chances went by during our attack and these minor hiccups may prove to be costly against a side like India who aren't too far behind now.

The bowling:

The bowlers did a decent job in my opinion.
How many deliveries just missed the outside edge, how many inside edges occurred and there were those dreaded dropped chances? We need to take those chances which will make this attack look worse on paper.

The opening spells from Ben Hilfenhaus and James Pattinson were great to watch.
They built excellent pressure and both of them managed to swing the ball enough to create doubt in the settled Indian opening duo's minds.
Hilfy removed Gambhir for 3 with with some excellent opening spell bowling and he should have been rewarded better after his output. He looked a far more confident bowler but struggled a bit in the later sessions.
Hopefully on day3 he can get the rewards along with Pattinson.

Yes, India are in a strong position but it wasn't without some chances.
James Pattinson was impressive, he really was and he was finally rewarded with the wicket of Sehwag after some really hostile, hard fought bowling. He was also unfortunate with two grassed catches coming off his bowling.

The two drop catches occurred with the first being a drop by Huss in the gully off the bowling of Pattinson in just the 5th over of the game. The man dropped? Sehwag who went on to score 67.

The other drop catch was by Hads in the 21st over who put down a chance he'd normally gobble.
It was also off the bowling of Pattinson.

Rahul Dravid has been in solid form but he was certainly not the most settled man out there.
Hilfy and Pattinson brought his shot selection out which resulted in quite a few deliveries that beat the outside edge but Dravid still managed a half-century.
Dravid was also bowled in 59th over by Pedro but it was a no-ball which was just devastating for Pedro after the slight drama between him Sehwag had really raised tempers.

Sachin Tendulkar was the best of the lot. He offered very few chances and had one or two streaky boundaries but that's always a given even from the best of the best.
Pedro Siddle bowled him in perfect timing to ensure we had one of the danger men back in the hut. He still chases that 100th century, which you sense he will get soon enough, but it was good to see some reward for Pedro after being punished early on but he kept fighting.
He is also nearing in on his 100th Test wicket which he should get this series.

The Verdict?
I'd say India take day 2.
Dismissing Tendulkar was massive at the close of the play but Dravid still stands unbeaten which could have been otherwise had Pedro just had a fraction of that heel behind the line when he bowled him.
These no-ball checks are becoming mandatory but the DRS must still become an implementation for everyone! We could have an ever so slightly different game on our hands.

I honestly feel our bowling attack were made to look ordinary on paper. Our batsmen just didn't stand up collectively enough giving them a slightly tough task especially considering 119 runs came after Cowan's dismissal.
They pitched the ball up better, collectively created pressure and considering it was this trios first Test match operating together I think they did a good job.
When chances were created they weren't taken and that is the bottom line of what can cost you against a quality side and what will make a bowler who put in the effort look ordinary rather than what could have been an accomplished spell.

It is still game on but the first session tomorrow will determine in many ways the potential map out of this game. Get rid of Ishant Sharma quickly and the get stuck into working over their middle order. Seems to be enough runs to still play with.

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1st Test, Day 1: Ed Cowan's solid focus on debut

2011-12-26T01:14:00.000-08:00

Before heading into a basic look at the days play, I would like to express my condolences to Lachy Patterson (Cricket Australia Media Manager) after the devastating tragedy his family will be working through.
The Baggy Greens wore black arm bands following the birth complications of Lachy and Louise Patterson's twin baby daughters Annie and Millie. It's just so sad and from the Baggy Green Blog we wish them a sense of comfort as they work through this loss.

Scorecard via Cricinfo.com

Australia: 6-277 from 89 overs.
Ed Cowan 68, Ricky Ponting 62, Peter Siddle 34*, Brad Haddin 21*

Ed Cowan was the debutant (Baggy Green #427) and what a sensational job he did!
He took a while to get nestled into the game and he negotiated some very good bowling from the Indian quicks with the new ball but after his partnership with Ricky Ponting began to take flight, Ed began to express his skills with some cracking drives and putting away 7 boundaries.

He drifted along at a strike-rate of 38.41 before getting out. It was a very cautious innings but this is what I have been wanting to see from one of our opening batsmen. With David Warner capable of blasting any attack around it makes them a balanced duo of what I have wanted to see. A duo with an attacker and a grafter. Ed will be frustrated not just with the fifty/fifty decision regarding the edge behind he may have or may have not had, but also because he didn't convert all that hard work into a bigger score.
However, to score 68 runs on debut for the Boxing Day Test in a testing time for Australian cricket against India, well that's good enough in my opinion. He has begun his career and the stability he brought was vital!

Well done Ed, that is a wonderful start and he can be mighty proud. Not many openers get it right and kudos to the Selectors for picking a man based on current form and boasting an urgently needed style of batting.

David Warner played well for his 37 runs but was perhaps a little too eager to carry on with his free range of attacking shots. He didn't take long to settle into some rhythm with some muscled cover drives and one brutal pull shot for six. It had me grinning because the last opening batsman we had who would have done something like that was Matty Hayden.

After the attempted hook shot to get out caught behind, yes I was disappointing but I still have rock solid belief in David "Pitbull" Warner's abilities to be our long-term opening batsman. It wasn't a technical flaw that saw him walk but rather a shot he just couldn't resist, an element of his natural game. It will come right in time.

Shaun Marsh played a loose shot which was a little out of character for him and it was a bit costly but I still have no worries about Shaun. He'll get some serious runs soon enough. It could have just been a serious case of nerves and when the ball looked good to blast as a square drive he probably could have held back to try get off the mark but he tried to take his chance. That was a huge upset as I was so excited to see him graft away in his first Test match innings in Australia. Next time.

Ricky Ponting shared a crucial stand of 113 runs with Ed Cowan.
Punter managed to score 62 runs (Punter's third half-century in his last 5 Test innings) and got out just before the closure of an important passage of play. He generally delivers a special innings for Boxing Day Tests.
I was gutted to see him not carry on after making yet another start but in the context of a game against India it could prove to be important.
Punter was shaky, he was rattled (that second ball into the grill followed by quick reflexes) and he had some close calls but after seeing it through the testing periods he started to open up his with his epic skills and played some wonderful shots. His dismissal may have brought back some memories from 2007/08 when things began to spiral a little out of control but for our Maestro to hold onto his spot for the remainder of the summer as our veteran player, this is the way for him to do it.

Michael Clarke had been going along nicely until he played one onto his stumps, something he has seen a few times lately as a form of dismissal. The Skipper contributed 31 runs.

Ed Cowan and Ricky Ponting were the stand out batsmen for Day 1 of the Border-Gavaskar series with Ed crafting a debut innings many previous opening batsmen would have dreamt for under the circumstances. © Getty Images

The DRS debate:

Clarke's dismissal was followed by a moment that made me livid!
Not because it was the wicket of Michael Hussey but because I am absolutely baffled why the BCCI continues to avoid the use of DRS.
The DRS isn't exactly 100% effective but it's a damn sight better than anything else available and I am actually all for it. The journo's love it because it gives them something spicy to write about but I see it differently.

If you want to avoid the crap we had to endure back in 2007/08 with the Steve Bucknor Umpiring ordeal, the DRS is a solution!
Michael Hussey was ticked off when he was given out with a very optimistic appeal from the Indian players behind the stumps. Huss was given out and there was too little evidence of an edge.
I admit in a bit of a poor sportsmanlike manner that I was quite stoked when Brad Haddin wasn't given out LBW towards to the close of play when it was pretty much a plumb delivery against Zaheer Khan.
It could have appeared to pitch outside the line of leg stump to Hads or maybe Erasmus thought it was too high?
Only he knew in the moment but it was funny because had the BCCI accepted and not rejected the use of a technological aid (that can only get more efficient) such as the DRS to avoid any "controversy", then Hads may have been out and Huss may have not walked away with a duck, which is serious because his Test career is on the line.

These matters need to be seriously assessed and for a day of Test cricket for a series I am so excited to finally see underway with two epic teams, this was a very bleak aspect of the day for me. Very bleak indeed.
The Umpires govern the game and we must respect them but there is always that element of human error.
If we want to minimise this before doing daft things like threatening to boycott a Test series, start looking at logical options!
Even if the aid of hotspot and snicko were used just for clarity from a 3rd Umpire perspective it would turn things around a bit. Anyway, what's done is done but it must still be brought under consideration.

The lower order fought until stumps:

After Ed Cowan was dismissed it brought Peter Siddle (top scorer from the 1st innings in Hobart) and Brad Haddin to the crease.
Hads was quite vocal that the batting camp was good and they were all ready. Some misfortune didn't help the defence of whether or not it was better but Hads certainly showed a ridiculous change in discipline and caution for his 21 runs coming off 60 deliveries. It helped him! I couldn't believe how many juicy deliveries he let sail on by.
Good on him because that is what the game required. This shows Hads has better judgement of the game map and the trust he displayed in Peter Siddle would have helped. We have heard it all before and seen it on a few occassions that if Hads gets going his can rip apart a bowling attack.
With him at the crease 350 is still a realistic target as James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Nathan Lyon can all be scrappers.

Peter Siddle is on 34* and he had his fair share of luck (a given) but he brought in some valuable runs against India's impressive quick Umesh Yadav.
Pedro really backs himself and I have never had a gripe with him because of his never-give in attitude. He has taken on the responsibility as bowling attack leader whole heartedly and batted with serious discipline.
This can have a big knock-on effect for the other lower order batsmen so it was great to see.
He is still searching for that maiden-fifty which Ben Hilfenhaus beat him to. Only 16 runs will be required so if he can negotiate things well tomorrow morning, Pedro may have some extra ammunition come his turn to bowl with the new ball on the ground where he roars with brutal pride.

Who took the honors for the days play?

Day 2 is set up nicely for a day of cricket that we have waited for quite some time now.
It is evenly poised in many regards but I give the Baggy Greens the edge above India due to the lower order partnership between Pedro and Hads which just stole the momentum India had gained.
Quite a few switches in momentum though.

I strongly feel we needed 400 runs to gain the upper hand but I will take 320 at this point given the many batting collapses we have endured the last 2 years.
350 and we're well in it but over 300 it crucial so I will be counting down any runs the lower order can scrap together.

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Boxing Day Test Squad announced

2011-12-23T23:15:00.000-08:00

Due to time constraints I haven't managed to do my Podcast in time but here is my feature on an Indian Bloggers Podcast, Verbal Slogs. Here is the link.
Christopher David Poshin and Michael Wagener are the hosts of the show so go have a listen!

The Selectors have announced the Squad for Boxing Day:
1 David Warner,
2 Ed Cowan (debutant),
3 Shaun Marsh,
4 Ricky Ponting,
5 Michael Clarke (Captain),
6 Michael Hussey,
7 Brad Haddin (wk),
8 Peter Siddle,
9 James Pattinson,
10 Nathan Lyon,
11 Ben Hilfenhaus.

Shaun Marsh has pulled up fit after his sensational 99* for the Perth Scorchers the other night where he looked as if he'd hardly missed a beat against the rhythm of bowlers.
David Warner, fresh after his century against New Zealand, will open the batting with debutant Ed Cowan, Baggy Green number #427.
Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey (both seeking runs) and the Skipper Michael Clarke make up the middle order.

As a result Dan Christian has been left out meaning the bowling unit consists of;
Peter Siddle, James Pattinson (can't wait to see these two guys at the MCG) and Ben Hilfenhaus leading the bowling attack. Hilfy has been given his official recall now. He adds experience and with some big changes to his bowling with his knee injury hopefully a thing of the past this trio could prove to be a handful especially if swing is on offer at an overcast MCG.
Nathan Lyon will be front line spin bowler.

Also an interesting thing to note is that Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey are the only players who took part in the 2007/08 series. Our bowling unit is fresh but both Pedro and Hilfy have taken on India.

Their stats were as follows:
Michael Clarke - 7 innings, 316 runs, HS 118, 45.14 average, x1 100, x2 50 (5th highest run scorer)
Michael Hussey - 7 innings, 292 runs, HS 145*, 48.66 average, x1 100 (6th highest run scorer)
Ricky Ponting - 7 innings, 268 runs, HS 140, 38.28 average, x1 100, x1 50 (8th highest run scorer)

For India, Sachin Tendulkar scored 494 runs at 70.42 (x2 100s, x2 50s), VVS Laxman scored 366 runs at 45.75 (x1 100, x2 50s), Virender Sehwag scored 286 runs at 71.50 (x1 100, x1 50), Rahul Dravid scored 237 runs at 33.85 (x2 50s) and MS Dhoni 141 runs at 17.62.
Their emerging players with the bat have genuine skill sets which makes them a threat but since the 2007/08 series in Australia, Dravid has turned his form right around, Sehwag will always be dangerous but hot and cold, VVS always saves his best when taking on the Baggy Greens so I see him as the ultimate threat and Sachin is chasing that 100th International century.

Can't wait for the Test to begin, the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar series!

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1st Test: Baggy Greens Squad announced

2011-12-20T23:16:00.000-08:00

Before I dive into the Squad it must be said that it is fantastic to have a Chairman of Selectors who provides clarity upon the selections and furthermore bases the selections upon proven performance.
Some questions will still be asked why Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey and Brad Haddin are still lurking about but we all know it would be mighty bold for the selectors to have axed them from the Squad before the Border-Gavaskar series, which would effectively bring their Test careers to a curtain closure.

Well done to John Inverarity for not leaving us as Australian cricket supporters in the dark with the selections and for providing just enough tactical substance to back the selections. It is a breath of fresh air post-Hilditch and cronies.

The Boxing Day Squad (Baggy Greens):
Batsmen:
Michael Clarke (captain), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Brad Haddin (wk).
All-rounder:
Daniel Christian.
Bowlers:
Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon.
I wrote an article yesterday with regards to how things looked to be shaping up for the Squad announcement. The main highlights:

- This is Michael Clarke's second Test series as Skipper in Australia (Boxing Day will be his 4th Test as Captain in Australia) and his first match leading the Baggy Greens against India. Michael has been in good form but like the other seniors he has been lacking consistency but for his good measure it has been a case of a big score or single figures.
He has the skill to keep playing his part and I have a feeling he will piling on the runs this series!

- Shane Watson didn't pull up fit so it allowed for the selection of Dan Christian to potentially make his debut. His selection is based on a solid season as an emerging all-rounder capable at all forms of the game. His batting has been his key to success this season.

- Phillip Hughes was expectedly dropped and he has been vocal that he will be working hard to regain his place and address his technicalities. Best of luck to him.
This has resulted in the inclusion of Ed Cowan, who like Dan Christian, doesn't boast overly impressive career statistics but his current form (which is an element of the Argus Review) has been sublime. He had to be given the call-up to the Baggy Greens and he has earned it. Well done Ed!

- Usman Khawaja has been left out of the side despite scoring an unbeaten half-century in the 2nd innings against the Indians in the second warm-up match.
It would seem Ussie was left out due to the inclusion of Shaun Marsh which I think may have been a slight hiccup as it does seem Shaun may not be ready with his fitness.
Shaun has a serious lack of match time and despite his outstanding step into the elite level doing what many of the others couldn't do, I just feel that with the selectors having also stated that this is a concern maybe Usman would have been a better option?

Ussie had made plenty of starts and is in some ways rather unlucky but it just wasn't enough to cut it with the excellence in reputation of Ponting and Hussey not being cast aside just yet.
Although I am sure we can agree (with all due respect) that this is make or break for these guys, progression is being held back as we wait for their class to re-emerge.

- David "Pitbull" Warner has been retained due to his maiden-century in just his second match and deserves further opportunities to begin his journey as a Test cricketer and I believe he has the goods and with this belief I will continue to back him 100%.

- With Tim Paine in for further delays, Brad Haddin retains his place but Matt Wade will still be eyeing a spot in the side should Hads continue to struggle.

- Ben Hilfenhaus has been given a recall and he will be in competition with Mitchell Starc. Hilfy deserves his opportunity and having worked with Peter Siddle with success, the two of them add experience.

As mentioned by a follower of the blog, Starc struggled to penetrate the Black Caps batting line-up like Hilfy struggled to do so against England.
One must remember a few important points here. Hilfy had been struggling with a knee injury and shouldn't have played. It created a psychological block and his bowling action had come under serious question due to the adjustments he was making to accomodate his injury. Small technicalities affected the synergy of his action and the poor results reflected this. This has now come right and having been dropped (as many other player's should have but escaped) he went back to State level and has delivered with his performances in the Sheffield Shield. He can add experience (a core reason for his selection) and having catched some of the footage from the Tigers games he may reproduce the element of swing again.

Mitchell Starc is a young man and nerves probably resulted in his wayward bowling. A fuller length with a consistent line will see him reap better rewards but I'm inclined to have the experience of Hilfy and Siddle with the young ambition of the impressive James Pattinson.

- Peter Siddle is a beast the MCG and I can't wait to see him lead the attack. Damn he's going to go mental! Throw in his partner in crime James Pattinson (also a Bushranger player) and you will be looking at some brutal stuff. If swing is on offer, Pattinson, Hilfy and even Dan Christian can exploit the conditions.

- Nathan "Wheelhouse" Lyon deserves to retain his place as our spinner. He has continued to impress and has improved game after game. His story is inspiring and he backs himself. Excited to see him have a go at the Indians!

Conditions pending and the fitness dilemma, my gut feeling is that the starting XI may very well be:
Warner, Cowan, Ponting, *Clarke, Hussey, +Haddin, Christian, Pattinson, Siddle, Hilfenhaus, Lyon.

With the starting XI above the worry of inconsistency is still ever present and Marsh will be a solution to the problem given his application to Test cricket but his lack of match time and that he is not quite yet at his best physically is why I left him out of the above forecast. I also can't see Punter and Huss not making the starting XI.

I will do a Podcast within the next few days just to fine tune my opinions but all in all I am pleased with the side. I will make it available via the blog as well.
I was also featured on an Indian bloggers Podcast "Verbal Slogs" presented by Christopher Poshin at Poshin's World, so keep an eye on that!

Yes, I also agree that progression is crucial now for the team and the next 2-3 years have to be looked at. For this reason holding onto some of the senior players has become a worry but I just hope that they can deliver the goods soon.
I do feel that John Inverarity and his panel won't persist with any players who haven't delivered come the conclusion of the SCG. And I am sure we will be given clarity on the tactical dynamics as well.

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How things are shaping up for Boxing Day

2011-12-20T02:53:00.000-08:00

It would seem that a probable starting XI is not easy to determine at this point but the probable players coming into consideration seems easy enough to pick out.

The big question is what will John Inverarity, his panel, Michael Clarke and Mickey Arthur decide upon as a starting XI?

Inconsistency remains ever present and for our veteran players, like Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey, this is their moment to try and have a summer of Test cricket to remember.
Rahul Dravid went through a terrible form slump and came right but it was as extended a run as Punter. Hussey's poor form in his last four Tests has somewhat slipped under the radar due to the fact his limited overs form has remained solid and the Sri Lankan Test series gave him massive momentum after some sensational performances.

Sylvester has been churning out the articles recently here at the Baggy Green Blog regarding these inconsistencies but it is a worrying. Article 1 - Batting Collapses, Article 2 - Michael Hussey's stats in recent times.

THE BAGGY GREENS:

The selectors have a very tough job to do for this Test, never mind the actual series!
Here’s a quick look at the potential options and the value I see in the players. This may also give you an indication of the difficulties the selection panel faces.
The NSP has many “what-if” scenarios to consider.

Ed Cowan cannot be ignored especially after scoring a century in the 2ndwarm-up game against India. His case is similar to that of Dan Christian where their career Statistics don’t look overwhelming or daunting to the opposition but I am very much of the belief in trusting ones instinct and it’s a special skill to identify an X-factor of a player.
The statistics that matter however will be what these two guys have produced this season!
It proves that current form is a must-have in order to get players of worthy value into the system!

With Phillip Hughes unlikely to be selected and David Warner fresh after a maiden Test century and a Big Bash century (he only scored 2 in the three day warm-up versus India) it does seem as if there is a big chance Ed Cowan could debut and open alongside David Warner.

It will still be a left-left duo which I like and given the talk in the media of the unlikelihood for Shaun Marsh to come right for Boxing Day (a lack of match time too) I reckon it will be a good move.
Heavy tension and nerves for the duo but that is the nature of the game and these calls have to be made. I am also staying confident David "Pitbull" Warner will mould himself into the side this summer. His gritty century in Hobart was a big testament to his selection and I just hope he gives us something extra to cheer about this series.

The reason I speculate about these two is as opening prospects is because there has been no clarity on Shane Watson’s selection status as a batsman.
Where will he bat given that he is unlikely to bowl? Will he be given the responsibility again the top of the order or will he be nestled in the middle order?

Usman Khawaja is walking a line after making many starts but only managing 1 half-century from his opportunities. Given the fact he gets things on the go is a positive but you do get the feeling that come the return of the impressively disciplined Shaun Marsh that Ussie will luck out if he doesn’t get things right with the first two Tests.
Having said this, if Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting don’t find the class that defines them as epic cricketers then Ussie may be retained.

If we wanted to see Cowan, Warner, Watson and Christian in a starting XI it would mean Hussey or Ponting would miss out and I can’t see the selectors being that bold even though many are quite vocal about this move being made.
Therefore there is a huge debate as to whether you will Watson and Christian in the starting XI together unless it is maybe at the expense of Khawaja, while the omission of Marsh may be what gives the inform Cowan his debut opportunity.

Dan Christian is an all-rounder who has stood out with the bat in hand, especially in the Sheffield Shield which is where the form counts for Test cricket.
He has piled on 475 runs at 59.37 with 2 centuries.
He should not be overlooked as an all-rounder with Shane Watson unlikely to bowl, therefore it puts Dan in a strong position of consideration. I will be pumped if he gets the selection.

The statistics for a given season provide a strong foundation for him which is a similar reason why Ed Cowan should be overlooked by the selectors.

With Patrick Cummins still set to sit out and Ryan Harris expected to be in the Big Bash pool for a bit, the bowling prospects seem obvious.

Ben Cutting is unlikely to be selected and Mitchell Johnson is going to be out a while.

For this reason I have a feeling Mitchell Starc will be retained as neither Peter George nor Doug Bollinger have impressed enough in the warm-up.

I expect Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc to be named as the pace bowlers with Nathan Lyon rightly so to be retained as our frontline spinner!
I can’t wait to see Nathan aka “Wheelhouse” in action.

Peter Siddle will be at his favorutie hunting ground, the MCG, so expect the most vicious leadership attitude from him yet and don’t be surprised if he gets a 5fer!
James Pattinson stepped in excellently and continued where Patty Cummins started so we have two dangerous young guns with the ball in hand. He will be on his home ground as well with Pedro. Lethal!
I don’t see Starc getting a game at this point but he will be fine if he can just bowl in a fuller, consistent line and length. Brush aside the nerves and just get in there!

I am confident about the bowling prosects and good discipline will see them right.

THE INDIAN TEAM:

The batsmen, whoever selected, will have a mighty tough task.
Whilst I see the Indian bowling attack a their weakest point with their daunting batting line-up, I still feel they have just enough to offer even if Zaheer Khan doesn’t play purely due to his fitness, even though he is currently playing the warm-up game.

I think the media has built Ishant Sharma up a lot in order to maybe intimidate him but Umesh Yadav is one to watch out for!
He is one of the few genuine Indian pace bowlers to slip through the system and if he can find the ability to swing the new ball with a swing maestro like Zaheer it could prove to be another insane challenge for our struggling batsmen. Throw in the height of Sharma and the potential spin options of Ojha and Ashwin (fresh into his Test career like Nathan Lyon) and they have a reasonably effective bowling attack. I still don’t see it as their strong point though.

Their batting line-up is the boasting point.

The veterans of Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid immediately get you thinking.
There’s the experienced duo of Sehwag and Gambhir and I have paid close attention to the young guns Virat Kohli (who I think will become the next Indian Skipper) and Rohit Sharma.
Our bowlers are more than capable of knocking these blokes over but then there’s still the Skipper MS Dhoni who has been out of touch with the bat for some time now but he’s certainly got the goods of sticking it out in any circumstance.

Put this on paper with their bowling and I think there’s little debate as to where we need to capitalise!

THE SUMMARY:

It’s going to be an exciting series when looking at the opposition.
Their probable “weakness” is their bowling unit which our inconsistent batting unit (our weakness) will need to dominate in order for our bowlers to have the best possible platform to work from.
Our bowlers have been bailing us out for far too long and if they are expected to repeatedly combat the Indian batsmen it will be bloody hard work.

If our batting does come right though I am confident the Baggy Greens will get back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The only players in the current side from 2007/08 are Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke. There have been massive changes since so it’s a whole new battle of who has faced who and there’s little history to gamble upon from that controversial series.
New history to be written for a highly anticipated Test series!

India have a strong chance at the WACA and the Adelaide Oval given the track conditions but the Baggy Greens will need to seal the deal for the MCG and SCG in order to get the momentum, the confidence and the killer instinct to counter-attack the Indian side.
It’s going to be a cracking series and I cannot wait especially seeing Michael Clarke leading the side as the Skipper in his first Test series against India as our Captain.

The Squad announcement tomorrow will start to paint a picture for the starting XI and what we can expect.

3 on the trot for Warner

2011-12-17T12:07:00.000-08:00

Sydney Thunder won their maiden match against the Melbourne Stars in the newly formed Big Bash League, thanks to David Warner who marked his return to domestic T20 cricket carrying on where he left off in his previous encounters – scoring an unbeaten hundred.

Warner’s previous domestic outing was for the now disbanded NSW Blues in the Champions League T20 semi-final against Royal Challengers Bangalore. In that game he scored 123 not out from 68 balls with 6 fours and 11 sixes.

In the game before against the Chennai Super King, he made 135 not out in 69 balls with 11 fours and 8 sixes.

Tonight marked his first domestic outing since the semi-final loss to RCB. And against the Melbourne Stars at the MCG featuring the great Shane Warne, David Warner stole the show with his 102 not out in 51 balls featuring 6 fours and 6 sixes.

In scoring his latest hundred, he made it three hundreds on the trot in domestic T20 cricket. Many considered his back to back hundreds in the CLT20 to be an impressive feat, however Dave Warner doesn’t believe in limits raising the bar to three hundreds on the trot.

Warner is also on another streak where he has now made back to back hundreds in his last two matches carrying on his 123 not out against NZ last week.

Can David Warner carry on this hot streak to an unheard of forth hundred on the trot? It may happen in the IPL as Warner won’t play another game for the Sydney Thunder if he is as expected retained for the Boxing Day Test.

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Hussey outside of Australia and the Sub-Continent

2011-12-16T17:35:00.000-08:00

I was doing some research into Michael Hussey for another post and stumbled upon some very surprising stats. No one has really noted this, not in the media, blogs or forums. How does Michael Hussey perform outside of Australia and the Sub-Continent?

Hussey started his career with a hiss and a bang averaging 120, 56, 64, 81, 92 and 150. Those are some amazing numbers to start a career and it made Hussey much loved and much talked about. The average of 64 was in Australia in South Africa Test Series, 2005/06. The reason why I single out this average is it remains the only time he has done anything of note outside of Australia and the sub-continent.

His following series outside of these places show the following:

The Frank Worrell Trophy (Australia in West Indies), 2008 - 3 test, 137 runs at 22.83, HS 56 with 1 fifty
Australia in South Africa Test Series, 2008/09 - 3 test, 132 runs at 22, HS 50 with 1 fifty
The Ashes (Australia in England), 2009 - 5 test, 276 runs at 34.5, HS 121 with 1 hundred and 2 fifties
Trans-Tasman Trophy (Australia in New Zealand), 2009/10 - 2 Test, 93 runs at 31, HS 67 with 1 fifty
MCC Spirit of Cricket Test Series (Australia, Pakistan in England), 2010 - 2 Test, 69 runs at 23, HS 56* with 1 fifty
Australia in South Africa Test Series, 2011/12 - 2 Test, 60 runs at 15, HS 39

Extra:
Trans-Tasman Trophy (New Zealand in Australia), 2011/12 - 2 Test, 23 runs at 7.66 (threw this in since they were seaming tracks)

So quite surprisingly Hussey did not once average over 40 in any of these countries listed. Originally I was looking at how Hussey went on seam friendly tracks hence I threw in the recently completed series against NZ. But after seeing how he has gone in WI I added the criteria shown in the title.

In regards to seam friendly tracks, I may have missed some in Australia and the sub-continent however it is generally accepted that England, NZ and SA are where these pitches are at. Hussey is generally labeled as a guy that has a good technique and puts a high price on his wicket but the seam friendly tracks seem to suggest his technique is not as air tight as most of us thought it was (myself included).

Now lets take a look at how Hussey goes outside of Australia and the Sub-Continent. Using cricinfo very useful stats in 20 matches in England, SA, NZ and WI, Hussey has scored 1024 runs at an average of 30.11 with one hundred. Compare this with his average in the sub-continent (India, SL and Bangladesh) where in 11 matches he has passed his total runs in those countries listed before with 1198 runs at 63.05 with four hundreds and a highest score of 182. In Australia from 35 matches he has 2974 runs at 59.48 with ten hundreds and his highest score of 195. So interesting enough Hussey actually performs better in the sub-continent than at home which suggest he loves the slow wickets and facing spin. Quite clearly he doesn't prefer the seaming tracks founds in England, SA, NZ and whatever tracks they prepare in WI.

Over to a nice career summary provided by cricinfo showing what I have pointed out in a nicely laid out format.

So how do other players compare. Obviously players from the sub-continent would be a good measure since Hussey loves playing. Lets take a look at the man trending atm, Virender Sehwag.

Sehwag's numbers are very similar to Hussey in the seam friendly tracks (NZ, SA, England). Hussey fares slightly better averaging 31.67 on these tracks compared to Sehwag's 24.7. Sehwag has gone better in WI but since I have no idea what tracks Sehwag or Hussey played on in WI, I'll leave it at that. So while Hussey has gone better, it certainly isn't anything to write home about.

Next on the comparison list is Michael Clarke, who started his career off with his flashy shots which went in the air and has been prone to some brain fades in particular before breaks.

Clarke has copped alot of criticism for the way he plays. He was dropped following the 2005 Ashes series but despite that poor showing his record in England remains very good. Interesting enough he finished that series at a better average than Hussey with 37.22 with two fifties. His figures in England also weren't bumped up by the Pakistan series played in England as he only averaged 34.75 in that series. The reason his average is in the 40s in England is because of his outstanding showing in the 2009 Ashes where he averaged 64 with two hundred and two fifties. He has a much better record in NZ and WI while his record in SA is on par with Hussey. Of course in the zone (sub-continent) Clarke doesn't come close to Hussey's record.

The last man I will compare is a batsmen who is at the peak of his powers atm - Alastair Cook. He has played a similar amount of games as Hussey but far less first class experience.

There is a slightly small sample size to work with here but we still get a very good indication of what a guy with a good technique and a high price on his wicket can do. As one would expect he should have a good record in his home land which he does. In SA he has done what Hussey hasn't been able to do thus far in scoring a hundred and his average of 40 is more than respectable. New Zealand remains the only blimp on Cook's radar which I'm sure he will rectify in the future.

To summarize, we can see Hussey like most of the Australian batsmen these days, struggles in the seaming conditions. This was quite surprising for me as I thought he had done better in those conditions especially since he spent so much time on the County Cricket circuit.

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Where did it go so wrong for Hughes?

2011-12-15T02:51:00.000-08:00

Philip Hughes is a man who has gone through an entire career worth of criticism at the ripe old age of 23. How have things gone so wrong for him?

Upon making his test debut, his first class average was above 60 and his runs had come in all kinds of situations. His display on a green Bellerive Oval (not to dissimilar to the second test against NZ) showed he was a class above the rest of the batsmen playing in this match.
Guys like George Bailey, Ed Cowan, Tim Paine, Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith were left in the wake of Hughes whose scores of 93 and 108 was so far above the next highest score in the match of 59, it was Bradman like.
In fact this was one of the few records he would go on to take from the great Don Bradman, in this game he recorded the greatest two-innings contribution to a team’s game total and brought up his 1000th FC run at a quicker rate. His other moment came a season earlier where he scored 116 in the Shield final (at the time known as the Pura Cup) leading NSW to a dominant 258 runs win against Victoria.

These amazing feats heightened expectations ahead of Hughes’ test debut in SA.
The moment had come and as quickly Hughes was on his way back to the pavilion, out to one of the more crazier shots you will see by a player making his debut. This was Hughes confidence on show. Not bothered by this, Hughes showed what all the fuss was about scoring 75 runs in the second innings, easily the highest score in this innings with Haddin’s 37 the next closest.

Next came the moment where he would write his name into the history books.
The second test against SA at Durban saw Hughes score his maiden hundred in the first innings and then his maiden 150 in the second innings. In doing so he became the youngest player in Test history to achieve this feat. Bradman only achieved this feat 20 years after his debut.

Despite all this, the short ball weakness continued to flow through the media and from the South African players. His third test was less eventful compared to his first two matches. Not fussed by this Hughes went on to his nicely timed County Cricket stint.
Playing for Middlesex he took the County attacks to school, scoring 574 runs at 143.50 in just five innings, which topped Bradman’s 556 runs in as many knocks in 1930. The Hughes show by this point had taken Australia, England and South Africa by storm.

One would call me crazy to suggest this would be the beginning of the end. However sadly this is exactly what happened. The man famous for bowling a wide to second slip in the first ball of the Ashes exposed the short ball weakness which SA said they should have done but didn’t. The England Lions game saw Harmison brutally exposing Hughes against the short ball and in the process bursting his bubble.

The moment had finally come for Hughes, making his Ashes debut at Cardiff. He started like he did in his test debut, backing himself and full of confidence. He took each of the English quicks in the game (Broad, Flintoff and Anderson) for a boundary on his way to 36. Hughes first Ashes dismissal came at the hands of Flintoff.

Flintoff to Hughes, OUT, got him! Flintoff wins the battle with a ball that perhaps moves in a touch and Hughes, trying to punch it through off, gets the thinnest of inside edges behind to Prior

He would not be required in the second innings. So onto the greatest moment in a cricketer's career – playing at Lords. His first runs at Lords came off a nicely timed boundary.

Anderson to Hughes, FOUR, and Australia are off the mark with a solid punch forward of point from Hughes, it wasn’t terribly wide but he’s quickly onto that and places it well

However his innings wouldn’t last long when he was out to the second worse way to get out in cricket.

Anderson to Hughes, OUT, Anderson strikes! Hughes tries to pull down leg side and England are confident it’s tickled his gloves, Rudi Koertzen’s left index finger eventually confirms their suspicions

Hughes would get a second innings this time round. Little did we know this would be his last innings of this series. After a few boundaries and looking confident, his nemesis would return.

Flintoff to Hughes, OUT, gone, got him, gone! Is he? Hughes edges it to Strauss at first slip who claims this low, scooping catch. Ponting sends Hughes back, asks Strauss if he caught it. Koertzen’s given him though. This will run, and run, and run…

This would be the temporary end for Hughes as he made way for Watson as the selectors looked for a way to make up for the wayward Johnson. At long last we get to the reason which I personally believe was the point where it went all wrong for Hughes.
Not since the Lions game was Hughes out to a short ball excluding the one from Anderson which was down the leg side. This so called short ball weakness never led to his downfall in this Ashes. Since when do we drop a guy for a weakness exposed in a tour game and on the basis of the words of a few opposition players.

I said at the time that Hughes should have been stuck with because he was never out to his precised weakness. In each occasion in this Ashes series, Hughes got out in a different manner (a welcome change from b. Martin c. Guptill!). You don’t just discard a guy that has been breaking records for fun. Essentially 2 games since his successful tour of South Africa, Hughes was sent packing.
That should never be the way we treat a youngster particularly one that had Hughes record to date.

He should have been given the full Ashes series as we knew once he got dropped for this “short ball weakness” he would have to change his technique. We will never know what the old Hughes might have become but it is a dam shame it will remain a ‘what if’.
And just to note to those shouting “but he got worked out once players got to analyze him”. Again refer back to the dismissal I have shown, in 3 innings he was not out once in the same fashion and none of them were to do with his so called short ball weakness.

As I mentioned in my previous paragraph, Hughes would have to change his technique to get back into the side. Even though he never got out to this weakness apart from in a Lions game, he had no choice but to change his technique to please the selectors and get back into the side.

What followed was Hughes beginning the long journey of developing a new technique. The Hughes we have seen since no longer has the same carefree confidence in himself. Instead he is doubting himself and always wondering when to play straight. His next stint in County cricket demonstrates this point perfectly, in 6 innings he made a total of 85 runs a far cry from his previous stint.

We now enter the final destination for Hughes’ new technique. By the time Katich injured his thumb in what happened to be his last game, Hughes was having his worse ever Shield season. However the selectors decided to take a punt on him overlooking Usman Khawaja who was in much better form at the time. Below is commentary from cricinfo of selected Hughes dismissal.

5th Ashes Test: The battle ends for Hughes! What a disappointment. Tremlett bangs it in on a length outside off, Hughes could have left it but instead fenced fatally and it nipped the edge and flew to Collingwood at third slip who took the chance above his head

1st Test SL: What a beauty this Test could be. Takes off, explodes, from short of a length. It’s close to off, and Hughes is committed to playing at it. The extra bounce means he has to fend at it, and it takes the shoulder of the bat before lobbing to slip. He didn’t even run his fingers across this one. Let me remind you this is just the 10th over. Vicious bounce there from a length

This was a sign of things to come for Hughes and while he scored a career saving 126, the hound dogs were only around the corner. By his return trip to South Africa he ended up being dismissed in similar fashion 3 out of 4 times. The outlier was his 88 in the 1st innings of the 2nd Test, which shows Hughes can still make runs but he has Marcus North like consistency.

1st Test SA 1st innings: Similar ball to the previous one, lands short of a length around middle and off and then goes away like a charm. This was pacier than before, Hughes gets squared up as he angles the face of the bat in hope, but the ball takes the edge and is into Bouch’s gloves in a flash. He ends up looking just as clumsy as Watto did. This is brilliant bowling in great conditions for such bowling.
2nd innings: It was a short of a length ball that bounced sharply and seamed across the left-hander, squaring Hughes up. The ball hit the shoulder of the bat and went to third slip. It was dying on Rudolph as it reached him but he seemed to just get his fingers under the ball. Close call but looked like it carried.

2nd Test SA: Philander it is again, gets it to bounce from back of a length, not far from Hughes, would have required an incredible leave to survive that one, Hughes was already close to it with that across movement, and ended up edging it to second slip as he hopped and pushed hard at it.

What could be the last test series for Hughes in a while came against NZ on home soil.
Here was his chance to build on his 126 and 88 and cement his spot for the Boxing day test.
Instead what eventuated will almost certainly see Hughes dropped for Boxing day despite having a more recent hundred than Ricky Ponting.
In this series he was squared up 4 times and should have been out 4 times by that fashion.
This would have broken the b. Martin c. Guptil trend but it would have maintained his fatal flaw.

1st Test, 1st innings: gotcha with a ripper and a superb catch! Hughes has to go now. Martin sprints in and delivers on a perfect length, but it is almost outside leg. It then hits the seam and darts across, opening up Hughes and catching him completely out of balance as he looks to defend. It moved so much, it took the outside edge and flew low to gully. Guptill is among the best there, he dives forward and plucks it inches above the turf.
2nd innings:Dropped Hughes was all at sea really and so was McCullum, Hughes tamely pokes his bat at a delivery angling on his body, the ball hits the shoulder of the bat and McCullum juggles and makes a mess of it at second slip

2nd Test, 1st innings: Hughes is caught in the slips once again, the pressure on him grows, lovely delivery in the channel outside off, shaping away from the left-hander, leant forward to defend and it took the outside edge as it moved away, Guptill made no mistake at second slip. Tried to defend there with a slightly open face did Hughes
2nd innings: Hughes has been caught in the slips, off Martin once again, New Zealand have started superbly, short of a good length, a little closer to the off stump this one and nips away after a bit of outswing, a fatal poke from Phil Hughes and it’s that man Guptill again who snaps him, moving to his left at second slip, early pressure on the hosts. Four in four for Martin, Hughes and Guptill

So there we have it, the roller coaster ride that is Philip Hughes is complete. It is clear Hughes is not in sync with his technique. His new technique has got him in an awkward position where he feels the need to play at the angle delivery even though it was never going to threaten the stumps. He needs to return to first class cricket to get back in sync with his technique.

In summary I believe the point where he was dropped was the point where it went wrong for him.
We never got the opportunity to see if Hughes’ old technique could have copped with the rigors of Test cricket. Now I’m not saying he would have ended up any different but I like to believe the records he broke weren’t by fluke. I hope Hughes ends up sorting out his new problem and returns with his new technique and a return to his old Bradman breaking record ways.

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How much more sweeping can the Aussies do?

2011-12-12T00:59:00.001-08:00

*For the 2nd Test match analysis written by Ian, click here to be navigated to that article or scroll down.

Latest article from Baggy Green Blog contributor, Sylvester.

How much more sweeping under the carpet can the selectors do before the mess under the carpet is too much? That is the question which the Australian selectors will have to answer for the Boxing Day test.

Hilditch and cronies have left the new selectors in a tough position. By failing to move along some of the older out of form players, we have now come to the point where our batting is a complete and utter mess. The team now has young guys that are struggling to find their feet at the top level, coupled with experienced guys who are failing in the same innings far too often.

In the past two years there are 7 innings where the team has scored less than 200 including 3 innings where the team has scored less than 100. Now if we take a look into these scores:

150 v West Indies Perth 16 Dec 2009 - Watson, Katich, Clarke, Hussey, North, Haddin (Top score Watson 30)
127 v Pakistan Sydney 3 Jan 2010 - Watson, Hughes, Ponting, Hussey, Clarke, North, Haddin (Top score Johnson 38)
88 v Pakistan Leeds 21 Jul 2010 – Watson, Katich, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, North, Paine (Top score Paine 17)
192 v India Mohali 1 Oct 2010 – Watson, Katich, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, North, Paine (Top score Watson 56)
98 v England Melbourne 26 Dec 2010 – Watson, Hughes, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, Smith, Haddin (Top score Clarke 20)
47 v South Africa Cape Town 9 Nov 2011 – Watson, Hughes, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, Haddin, Marsh (Top score Lyon 14)
136 v New Zealand Hobart 9 Dec 2011 – Warner, Hughes, Khawaja, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, Haddin (Top score Siddle 36)

In this period we have dumped North hoping he was the problem. The Boxing Day Test against England showed this problem was not solved. So Smith and Katich were dumped in the hope they were the problem. Then came the lowest point in Australian cricket when they were reduced to 9/21, quite clearly this problem was still not fixed. A lack of replacement batsmen meant this problem was swept under the carpet by the old selectors. Inverarity and his new selectors were spared the hard decisions when Marsh and Watson were ruled out however this didn’t stop the team being rolled out by NZ and losing to NZ for the first time on Aussie soil in 26 years.
We can keep playing musical chairs but it is clear the core of the problem lies with the players that keep appearing in these collapses.

In less than half of these innings the batsmen has been top score, and only in one occasion did the batsmen pass 50. Now if we extend this onto the second innings of the Hobart test, taking out Warner’s knock, the next highest scorer in this innings was Khawaja with 23. Where are the experienced batsmen? That is a minimum of 8 innings where all the experienced batsmen have not contributed in the same innings in the past 2 years and there could be more that I have missed. This is a major reason why we have seen these collapses over the past 2 years.

In comparison the number one ranked side, England, has been rolled under 200 in two test matches in both innings giving a total of four with these coming against Australia and South Africa. India has been bowled out for under 200 in only two occasions against SA and England. And the last of the top three, South Africa has been bowled out three times for a score under 200 in the past 2 years which have come against Australia, India and England. It is understandable that teams will get bowled out for a low score at times but what this shows is Australia is getting bowled out for a low score at double the rate compared to the top 3 sides. And when these sides are bowled out cheaply, it is occurring against the best ranked sides not against teams ranked 6^th, 7^th and 8^th. And lastly only South Africa has a score below 100 and they ended up winning that match. Australia on the other hand has three scores under 100 in this period.

If these stats weren’t worrying enough then the fact three guys are over 34 and all three are under pressure to retain their spots should be. So if the selectors choose to sweep this latest debacle under the carpet, in a year or so when Ponting, Hussey and even Haddin call it a day, then the batting lineup will have three new faces in it. One can only hope the new guys in Warner, Marsh and Khawaja have established themselves at this level by that time.

The other issue which has also stalled the rejuvenation of the batting lineup is the failure of the youngsters to step up. A lot has been invested into Philip Hughes and Usman Khawaja making the step up. Hughes started with a hiss and a bang before being dropped for technical issues. He came back into the side when he was in a form slump however things appeared to be looking up when he made three hundreds in three matches including the Sheffield Shield final and against Zimbabwe A making it easier for the selectors to give him first crack at the vacant opening role left by the shock axing of Katich.

While he made runs in both the SL and SA Test series, the Marcus North like consistency coupled with another technical issue leading to b. Martin c. Guptil should see Hughes being made the first scapegoat for the loss to NZ. Khawaja on the other hand does not have the technical issues of Hughes; however he also hasn’t got the conversion stats like Hughes. In a more settled lineup, Khawaja would probably be given a few more tests to establish himself, however in this lineup it appears he will be the next one off this sinking ship.

Warner and Marsh represent the success stories of the youngsters to date. However it is still too soon to tell on this front. Warner is only into his second game while Marsh continues to be injury prone. For the sake of Australian cricket, one can only hope both of these guys go on.

So what changes can be made for Boxing Day?
If Watson and Marsh prove their fitness they will obviously be in the best 11. However those who think Watson will fix the problem only need to look at the stats I have shown where Watson has been a part of 6 of the 7 collapses. Marsh may add some stability if he can get through the match. Hughes would be one that makes way; the other is between Ponting and Khawaja.

Khawaja has failed to cement a spot in the side, in particular this series where he has got starts. Ponting made another 50 at the Gabba but the end looks nigh for him and he hasn’t made a hundred in two years. Brad Haddin is also the last thing this batting lineup needs, in the 47 all out he played the most ridiculous shot and in the Hobart test his shots weren’t much better. Matthew Wade is waiting in the wings and Peter Nevill is starting to make a name for himself. Hussey’s runs in SL will give him the first 2 test matches against India pending results, failure in those could seem him out the door.

If the worse should happen with Marsh and Watson or the selectors decide to give Ponting and Khawaja the flick then we need to take a look at the options at domestic level. Below are the leading run scores for this season.

Peter Forrest 581 runs from 11 innings at 58.10 with 3 hundreds
Michael Klinger 538 runs from 11 innings at 48.90 with 4 fifties
Wade Townsend 502 runs from 11 innings at 50.20 with 1 hundred
Chris Rogers 492 runs from 11 innings at 44.72 with 2 hundreds
Daniel Christian 475 runs from 9 innings at 59.37 with 2 hundreds
Peter Nevill 472 runs from 11 innings at 67.42 with 1 hundred

Other batsmen of interest
Ed Cowan 578 runs from 11 innings at 64.22 with 3 hundreds (Includes Australia A game)
Matthew Wade 369 runs from 7 innings at 61.5 with 1 hundred
Callum Ferguson 320 runs from 11 innings at 29.09
Chris Lynn 119 runs from 6 innings at 23.8
Nic Maddinson 276 runs from 6 innings at 27.6

As we can see the guys that top the run tally this season are guys that aren’t really in test contention. Christian was on standby for the Hobart match but this was more due to him being an all-rounder than his batting alone. While he has been excellent this season, it does remain the only season where he has averaged over 50 and hence his overall FC average of 30. Cowan is the other guy who might be a chance at sneaking in a Boxing Day test as he is the form opener in the competition. He vales his wicket which could be very useful for the present Aussie lineup, if he has the technique to stand up to the next level, remains to be seen. I mentioned earlier that the youngsters haven’t stepped up and as we can see here none of the youngsters that have been identified as prospects have stood up to apply serious pressure on the struggling incumbents. Ferguson has been having a dreadful season, likewise Maddinson while Lynn has only returned but also struggled.

I wish there was a quick solution to our problem but the mess which the previous selectors have left us in coupled with the loss of form from the experienced guys and the youngsters not stepping up makes it a tough decision whichever way the selectors decide to go. Khawaja remains the most interesting decision if we do decide to ditch Ponting. Do we hope he comes good or do we go with someone like Cowan?
Personally I am mixed on what we should do but as I have banged on about in this article, we cannot sweep this problem under the carpet any longer so some changes must be made to the core of the problem i.e. Haddin, Ponting and Hussey.

2ndTest: Warner’s century couldn’t prevent some Black Cap history

2011-12-12T00:55:00.000-08:00

Another good game for Test cricket and even though the Baggy Greens weren't victorious, it was good to see a game where fast bowling dominanted with swing conditions on offer throughout all four days.
Low scoring games have proven to be exciting, but when you look at it in detail the Baggy Greens have been a big part of the low scoring dilemma.

It remains a big issue and while it can be expected every 5 Tests or so that a bad innings will occur for most sides, it has become a frequent matter.
You can’t help but feel the Selectors will be making some tough calls, which we all expected heading into this series.

As always you need to find the positives.
There were a few to make note of but many of the negatives will unlikely be swept aside by Inverarity.
Well done to the Black Caps though. Some special history for them with their first win in Australia since 1985 and Doug Bracewell made the most of the conditions, a green top wicket and was consistently swinging the ball bowling from a good length.

2nd Test: Black Caps won by 7 runs.
Scorecard
Series drawn 1-1, The Baggy Greens retain the Trans-Tasman Trophy.

BATTING:
1st innings 136 all out, Peter Siddle 38
2nd innings 233 all out, David Warner 123*

The 1st innings was atrocious. After The Black Caps fell for 150 I honestly didn’t expect them to win the Test. A mate in Hobart informed me the wicket would be tough for the first three days and then likely begin to flatten, further assisted if there was some sunshine to bake the track a bit.
His forecast was spot on with a tough batting track but it didn’t get much easier due to the lack of sunshine.

The track had variable bounce (at times keeping very low and rapidly darting off a short length), lovely conditions for swing bowling which both teams utilised and something in it for the spin bowling.
It was a good track for bowling and neither side was fully up for the challenge with the bat in hand.

The shot selection was tough to watch. Very loose strokes and not enough patience shown by the senior batsmen. The loss of Shaun Marsh appears to be big with that element of patience he brings to the batting order. Even when Usman Khawaja managed to be patient, as soon as David Warner showed slight discomfort after committing to a run in the 2nd innings, Usman tried to be more aggressive and got himself out. We needed someone to just hold the fort while Pitbull Warner continued his outstanding performance, scoring 52.8% of the teams runs.

David “Pitbull” Warner was great to watch. I am so proud of the bloke and I always felt he would do something this series. He took a few innings to get going but not only was he there until the end watching the experienced players drop around him but he scored his maiden century.
It is always a wonderful moment to see a batsman celebrate a Test century. Conditions were tough out there and it was an innings of hope from Warner as the Baggy Greens neared in a 2-0 series win.
Unfortunately while he played fluently and powerfully with his confidence on the rise as his time at the wicket increased, his batting partners didn’t maximise their time.

Early on David’s area of scoring was behind square of the wicket due to some edges and a fair bit of luck with some inside edges down to fine leg which accounted for a number of boundaries.
Some luck is needed but as he settled the shots became more controlled and excellently placed.
His wagon-wheel is good to look at to see how he became more assertive as he got down to business knowing he could get the team home, even if it was by his own means.
It was good to watch his performance and in my opinion he has arrived.
We’ve been in need of a young man with a sound technique and ability to switch his temperament at the top of the order with Shane Watson in a place of question whether he should continue opening or not.

It’s good to note his areas of placement for his runs. *Four runs not accounted for in Wagon-wheel.

The Black Caps bowled well but I feel the guys just weren’t able to give themselves enough time for some application on the track to adjust to the conditions. It wasn’t easy batting but they surely could have shown better patience out there.
It was disappointing but at the same time it forces the Selectors to have a long think about their plan of action for the Border-Gavaskar series.

It looks like Phillip Hughes’ time is up.
With Shaun Marsh set to play in one of the warm-up games prior to the Border-Gavaskar series and Shane Watson in line to return, it seems Hughes will be going. It would only seem right and David Warner has taken his opportunity.

Yes, Hughesy works hard at his game and has a hunger for the game but it probably isn’t sufficient. Consistency is needed within the team and with Warner there is a sense of stability and he has a sound technique with a very flexible game, which he’s been working bloody hard at.
Hughesy is still a young man but his dismissals have been carbon-copies now since the South African series and we’ve seen it all before.
A mental weakness seems to have become apparent due to a possible technical weakness and this is cause for concern. You could hear it in Michael Slater’s tone when Hughes was dismissed that this is the end of the line for now.

Bowled Martin, Caught Guptill. Four times it occurred. Quite something.

Michael Hussey had an excellent series in Sri Lanka but has struggled since. His enthusiasm is always refreshing. Huss is a remarkable limited overs cricket and possibly the best in the game. He is versatile, sharp between the wickets, can dominate any bowler and has won so many games for the Green & Gold’s.
Come Test cricket, despite his Ashes performances and the Sri Lankan series, he’s maybe lost the edge a bit, a slight let down of instinct. I’m not sure but as much as I’d like to see Huss play on in limited overs (where he’s remained consistent) maybe it is time for him to make way for an emerging player?

This could be said for Ricky Ponting as well, who is my favourite of all time and has been a massive inspiration to me. I don’t want to ever see him go but I can’t help but feel the end of his epic career is near.
This summer will surely be his final campaign as a Test cricket?
He has nothing left to prove, I’ve written about it before and the standing ovation at Bellerive when he walked off the park was symbolic. The crowd, at the ground where the journey began for Punter, seemed to accept it has all come to an end and that was the last time they’d see him in Test gear in Tasmania.

I hate to sound all doom and gloom but we often talk about the sake of progression.
It could easily turn around for Huss and Punter against India and we’d all love to see that, but for progression can it be depended on?
Can the Selectors be bold enough to make those tough calls amongst the good start they’ve already made?
Brad Haddin must surely be in this category as well when Tim Paine returns?

My best wishes to our senior players who have provided us with many cricketing memories and given us entertainment and pride with their respective performances.
I am just not sure if the Selectors will handing out the honours based on reputation for the Border-Gavaskar series. The gut instinct would be to give them another go but there’s that cloud of progression and the urgency for consistency to start developing with a team to look at for the next 2-3 years.

It was disappointing no one could support David Warner and it was a worry Pedro Siddle was the top run scorer in the 1st innings.
With other player’s eager to have their opportunity and a core group needed for Test cricket the bowling stocks have fallen beautifully into place with options available but the batting won’t progress with stagnant selection, a tough area of question for the new NSP.
Please understand I’m a staunch supporter so saying this isn’t easy but sometimes you need to look at the bigger picture rather than the individual accolades.

The batting was bleak but there’s still plenty to be proud about, especially the arrival of David Warner!
Nathan Lyon was devastated after the loss. I really felt for him but it wasn’t his fault, it wasn’t his ultimate responsibility. He tried his best as a guy who is highly capable with the bat but the batsmen up top fell like flies during a wonderful spell by Doug Bracewell.

It’s just a game of cricket and life goes on but as supporters we still need to discuss our views objectively.

BOWLING:
1st innings; James Pattinson 5-61, Peter Siddle 3-42
2nd innings, James Pattinson 3-54 , Peter Siddle 3-66 , Nathan Lyon 3-25

Our bowlers were awesome. Pattinson took another 5fer and consistently swung the ball with good pace. He pitched the ball up well and showed that similar element of composure to that of Patty Cummins. He deserves many more opportunities for the summer. I dig his Bree Lee-like attitude.
With the full length he bowled it regularly encouraged the Black Caps top order to play at the ball and this resulted in many edges to the slips.
I can see this menacing the Indian batsmen!

It is an area Craig McDermott seems to have nailed with the bowlers and an area that was deemed a weakness. The bowling attack also seems to have far better stability and consistency with the young guns coming through. Its splendid!

Well done to James as he was great to watch. That’s two 5 wicket hauls and an average of 14.00.

Pedro Siddle lead the attack excellently. I understand he has a lack of variation in what he brings to the table which results in criticism but his never ending fight within him is inspiring and he was good. Like Pattinson, when he pitched it on a fuller length it created opportunities rather than bowling back of a length which works for Pedro at the MCG.
His pace has been rising and rising to a stable point of very menacing pace. There was even some movement on offer for Pedro and he managed six for the game. Can’t forget his top score!

Mitchell Starc could have had far more success but unlike Pedro and Pattinson he was unable to find a consistent balance with his line and length. He’s also a young bloke so the taste of the elite level will do him the world of good but he’s another youngster in the waiting line. Nothing wrong with that and I look forward to seeing him get more exposure in limited overs cricket.
When the time is right I see him having more Test exposure.

Nathan Lyon continued things from the Gabba proving he is the guy to stick with.
He managed three for the game and even though he went wicket less in the first innings he kept things tidy while the pace bowlers wrapped things up.
I have mentioned it before but I am excited to see him go for the summer and I stand by my supportive outlook being that should he get a beating or two from India, he must be retained.
Only through patience, encouragement and variable opportunity (against the top opposition sides) will he discover his true skill set as a spin bowler and develop into our front line spin bowler.

Not much else to say other than with Ryan Harris, Shane Watson, Patrick Cummins and a few other blokes lurking about the system, I feel the bowling is on track.
Craig McDermott has also been given plenty of acknowledgements from the bowling units so he’s clearly doing the job well.

Pitbull Warner kisses the coat of arms on his helmet as he reaches his maiden-century. I strongly believe there will be many more to come. Despite the loss it was an outstanding achievement for him.

© Associated Press

I will be doing another Podcast prior to the Border-Gavaskar series but there’s a bit happening.
For one this weekend the Big Bash League kicks off.
If you want to join the Baggy Green fanatics in the Fox Sports Big Bash Fantasy League, please click here or scroll down to the previous article to find our League code.

There will also be two warm-up games which will assist the selectors with fine tuning a team for the Indian series. I look forward to the healthy competition.

Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.

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The Big Bash Fox Sports Fantasy League, it's back!

2011-12-08T00:07:00.000-08:00

*Don't forget to read the latest article (scroll down): The concept of Australia's player rotation.

Yes, it is that time of year where all of us cricket geeks get together and play the Fox Sports T20 Fantasy League. This time around it is for the new Big Bash League set to start on Friday 16th December. See the fixtures here.

Head on over to Fox Sports' Big Bash Fantasy League (http://bigbashfantasy.foxsports.com.au/). Register yourself (if you took part last year your info will still be valid) and get your team setup!

To join our League, setup by the BGBs loyal follower Joel Chaos (CEO Bay 13 at the MCG), go the "Leagues" tab once you have set your team and enter the code below:
12152-2047

Hope to see you for the fun.

Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.

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The concept of Australia’s player rotation plan

2011-12-07T05:06:00.000-08:00

Player rotation is an interesting topic of debate at the moment.
There’s a few ways you can look at it with the given pros and cons behind it.
On the surface I’d have to say I am in favour of it but let me go a little further into detail.

Pat Howard is the performance manager for the team. He has notable experience with the Wallabies as a player and will perfectly understand the management of hyper Rugby Union athletes having been General Manager of the High-performance Unit for the ARU (Australian Rugby Union).
I trust Howard’s stance on the matter and trust that he will be looking at what is the best for the team moving forward handling player management as a collective tactic rather than individual pampering.
Howard can also play a vital role in strategic execution for the side as well.

Mickey Arthur, recently selected full –time Coach, has stressed that player rotation will occur and, in conjunction with the Argus Review, the player’s must respect the concept and the matter must be handled maturely and subjectively.
It puts immense pressure on a Captain and Coach when new players get selected on the basis on desperation to fill the void for a player out injured.
Arthur is already in a tough place being new to operating within the Australian cricket landscape and having to also gel with his team.

A major positive with Arthur is he has little emotional history with the players in terms of loyalties having not played as an Australian State cricketer, worked in State coaching and has been in operation with an opposition side.
There won’t be any favouritism given to support an individual selection if a player repeatedly shows inconsistency and doesn’t deliver, despite that player’s legacy.
I can’t see politics playing a role with his time on the job and a support staff with immense knowledge of the game, the Australian cricket landscape and the players which will only enhance things for Arthur.
If a player needs to sit out, I can’t see him having sleepless nights about it if it is the right thing for the match, the team or the player.

Then there’s Michael Clarke who has been on the playing field with a dramatic peak in fixtures. He immediately made a point of stating that Patty Cummins needs to be handled with care if he is to be a player on longevity at the elite level. He (Cummins) is already injured and clearly demonstrates he must either be worked over at Test level or given more time in the shorter forms of the game.
A balance has to be found!
I also trust Michael will have the insight into his team and the courage to know when a player is reaching burnout.

A player being burnt out with fatigue, over played to the point of waning concentration or even given continual ego boosts of their invaluable role for the side can be handled by positive implementation and execution from a designated group of individuals to assess how the player rotation is to be managed.

This shouldn’t be confused or misused within an administrative position as a safety net for player’s showing inconsistency and continually struggling within their respective roles to be given endless life lines.
I think there has been some confusion on this matter with regards to Michael Hussey’s statements that he views player rotation as a worry. I think he was rather ranting on about inform players scoring runs being left out of a team just to protect their bodies and workload, even if there is no apparent threat.
A batsman shouldn’t be left out if he is scoring runs and has found rhythm purely because the game can turn around so quickly that a bloke in form today could be heading back to Sheffield cricket in two weeks’ time.

I feel that Michael Hussey’s views recently stated not agreeing with the rotation on a batting frontier could be seen as a defence mechanism for player’s who have been inconsistent. This seems to be where the confusion came in on the various forums and articles I have read. It would seem Hussey made a slightly confusing statement mixing player rotation for workload management with the concept of a player being on the verge of getting dropped for not scoring consistently.
Hussey made a point in a source where he stated;
“I think from a batting point of view, if you're playing well you want to keep batting, and if things aren't quite going right, you want to keep playing so you can get that big score.
"So I think it'd be more so with the bowling stocks, because there's so much cricket and back-to-back games, it is tough to keep backing up. Maybe more [rotation] with the bowlers, but I think from a batting point of view, once you get in there you want to keep the roll going.”

The first part of Hussey’s statement defends the obvious being that a player in-form and scoring runs should not be rested if he feels he’s handling things well. There is, in many respects, less pressure on a batsman’s body than that of a bowler’s.
So yes, Hussey is spot on when he says “if you're playing well you want to keep batting”
The supporters should definitely agree on this!

What I don’t agree on is Hussey’s statement that if things aren’t going well you want to keep players going until they get that big score.
This is what leads to inconsistency and is a clash with the concept of player rotation.
This persistence is what leads to an inability to confidently call on players to replace key players either dropped or injured after an extended run.

It is a waiting game which can be detrimental to progress. Even as supporters a degree of trust and belief must be shown to each and every player within a side but it’s not an old boys club. It is competitive sport and if a guy is not finding rhythm or consistency which is costing the side and retaining him is at the expense of a player ready for action or deemed worthy by the selectors, then he shouldn’t be played. It is surely as simple as that.

It would be a cop out if a player is under-performing but retained for two or three series waiting for them to come right having this policy in place to allow some players just a bit of breathing space. With some player’s I can understand this to a degree as it’s the nature of sport but there has to be a line, especially where inconsistency is concerned.
It’s important that player rotation is used for its ultimate goal to manage a player’s workload and then reel in recognised player’s with a stable and consistent skill set offering to be given a fair chance.

Player rotation must be seen as a positive. It will allow the selectors a chance to get the contingency players in the mix at the elite level and have players understand exactly where they are in terms of the team’s progression.
It will test the depth of the players for the NSP (National Selection Panel) to call upon and allow the Coach and Captain the knowledge to work with 20 to even 25 players worthy of contributing with their skill sets in whichever format they are to be needed.

The recent string of unfortunate injuries has actually been a blessing in disguise.
We now know the young emerging players who recently debuted are in actual fact not just “exciting prospects” but rather “young players of proven worth”.
Patrick Cummins, Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon and even Tim Paine were all given their opportunities indirectly or directly as a result of injury to players but having shown promise to know they could indeed handle Test cricket, the pinnacle of the game.
It is early days for most of them, some of whom have little First-class experience but sometimes observation in action is more powerful than statistical evaluation.

The injuries to some of the key players has now given the performance manager and the selection panel a huge advantage to be able to confidently have a player rotation policy in place to call upon a blend of youth and developing cricketers.

Had these injuries not occurred it may have left a side of predictable nature that would only sink the progression of Australian cricket whereas now, with the facts of what has presently happened, one can clearly see the contingency plans are blooming and risk of desperate selections to “fill the void for a senior player” is no longer seeming an obvious issue.
Sure, these young players will all struggle at times in their career but with a rotation policy they can be managed efficiently to play a role as either a front line player or a shadow player of worthy capability.

The player rotation policy can also ensure that with trialled and tested players capable at taking Australian cricket back to the top, they can be rested prior to massive series.
While I am a bloke who prefers to see the best team out there to win every game no matter what, I am also very open minded to the rotation of players for series that are seemingly “less anticipated” rather than poorly dubbed “less important”.

Every series the Baggy Greens or the limited overs players set out for, I want them to win at all costs. Even though my expectations understandably shift in accordance to the level of experience on the field, I still want the side to win, the best team possible out there to go for the kill.
So my support of players being rested prior to a big series mustn’t be seen as, “Don’t go easy on them! They’re professionals who get paid plenty to do what they do!”

This is a fair statement some might say but times have changed and player management is essential!
Overkill cricket is a big concern in my eyes and the players are sportsmen, not machines.
They get injured, they train, they rest, they play hard and give it their best putting their bodies through, in many ways, abnormal motions to do what they do. Injury is becoming inevitable for the full-time, versatile cricketer.
I just can’t see how a player rotation policy can be overlooked in this regard.

As Mickey Arthur recently stated as a direct point on this matter:
“We'll just have to see when we get down to Hobart how all the different permutations work out. We need to keep rotating guys through the summer because there is just so much cricket, guys are going to break down and we need others ready to come in at any given time."

Cricket has seen a dramatic peak in fixtures at both International and State/Domestic level.
Bowlers suffer the most and I can’t get over how many injuries all the major International sides have seen. It really is concerning but I owe a lot of it to the intensity of competitive cricket and the overkill fixtures in many regards. This isn’t just to do with say the length of a series but also the mash of formats where players also undergo mental shifts. This is tiring!

Therefore having looked at the concept a little closer I see it as a valuable tool moving forward.
With fair/consistent rotation the supporters will also have a better chance to know the team, get to know the players and anticipation can even be built up to a Squad announcement.

In conclusion to sum it all up, the major low I see of it is the absence of key players for many games where I want the side to win, which would be upsetting if a player is in sensational form.
However, with the modern day game as it is and progressive thinking required, I see fair rotation as important and the obvious benefit for domination being that the depth gets put to the test to find a core group of players and this way the selectors can have a solid contingency strategy.

Over the summer time will tell how well it will be executed but with the Argus Review changes having already been implemented and the right men for the job in place, I am going to remain confident for the remainder of the season.

Pat Howard is one of the key players in the strategic move forward for Australian cricket as Performance Manager.

Photo by Malcolm Fairclough/Getty Images AsiaPac

*Quoted article sources from Cricinfo.com

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1st Test: A match of luck, promise and entertainment

2011-12-05T01:59:00.000-08:00

Another debutant takes a 5 wicket haul and another century for Michael Clarke.
It was great to see the Baggy Greens take the first Test of the two match series but to also see the depth put to the Test.

Heading into this Test match the circumstances were a bit bleak with 5 players out injured (some to be out a while) but I saw it as an exciting challenge for the selectors to show us what they’re made of with their backs against the wall. It gave them a chance to also test the depth of our bowling stocks.
The results look good!

The final Test will be down at Hobart where Dan Christian has been called into the Squad. Exciting promotion for him and there seems to be a push of younger, seasoned players to test the depth of availability so in the case of injury or further player rotation, Michael Clarke and the selectors will have a batch of players to call up.
With Shane Watson also in line for potential rotation given his return of bowling duties, Dan is a good option as an all-rounder capable at producing the goods in all-forms of the game.

Brydon Coverdale recently had an interview with D C on the call-up.

Only criticism I can see heading into the 2nd Test is that the boys need to take their catches!
Too many grassed chances and given the way our guys set the benchmark for fielding standards it was a bit disappointing.

On a further note three debutants featuring in this test. the thing I found with the emegring players with Hilditch and the gang I saw as threatening because it never seemed apparent that they had a definite game plan or contingency plan. It seemed desperate as opposed to tactical.
With these selectors I get the feeling that they are on the pulse and I am pleased with their plan to test young guys in situations where the opportunities genuinely request their abilities be on offer to serve the team, rather than just taking a chance to see if their “young emerging talent” can produce an instant superstar.

As for the opposition, I thought the Black Caps put up a good fight but just lost it with their missed chances.
I have always quite liked their team but they just lacked a winning attitude and the way they were rolled in the 2nd innings was enough.

1st Test vs New Zealand:
Australia won by 9 wickets (1-0)
Scorecard.

BATTING: 1st innings (continued) 427 all out
Michael Clarke 139, Brad Haddin 80, Ricky Ponting 78

Ricky Ponting would have been disappointed to have been dismissed LBW so early on day 3 but he made a good start to the summer. He had some luck, which is sometimes a needed element in a Test innings but he assisted the team and played some glorious shots. I know this will boost him for the Hobart Test where he will be ready to perform in the State where it all began.

Michael Clarke, well what can I say? He had his fair share of luck and Black Caps can only blame themselves as their wasted chances gave the Skipper the life line to score his third century as Captain making it a century per series.
It was the standard stuff. Excellent footwork against the spinners, great use of the angles of his bat with his off-side stroke play and confidence with quick bat speed! He executed some powerful pull shots (which is often plays on the front foot, which I like) and there was some urgency in his innings.
I hope it continues and we get to see him score his 18th century!

Here’s a comparison in the wagon-wheels with Michael Clarke's century from the 1st Test against the Proteas and this one against the Black Caps.
Look at the way he is playing to all areas of the ground which highlights his variation of execution against the bowlers and an all round game.

Brad Haddin could consider himself fortunate Tim Paine wasn’t recovered from injury given Matt Wade was also overlooked despite his solid input for Victoria and Australia ‘A’.
However in Watto’s absence Brad was given some leadership responsibility which may have been a strategic move as well to place some additional importance on his role within the team for the Test.

He’s had a very below par run and generally throws away his wicket. He scored a very well played 80 runs which was enjoyable to watch and his dismissal was one where he tried to play the lofted drive for six. He was out, throwing away his wicket but Hads managed to make a statement that he wants more opportunities for the summer.
I do feel the vice-captaincy played a part in this which meant he had to be headstrong going into the game. His work behind the stumps for the game was good with some sharp tricks here and there.

Kudos to Mitchell Starc as well for his batting performance where he contributed a valuable 32* runs having been dropped on a duck.
He played some lovely pull shots and had a solid defence. He gave Brad Haddin worthy support.

BOWLING: 2nd innings 150 all out
James Pattinson 5-27, Nathan Lyon 3-19

The Blacks threw away their wickets with some careless shots in both innings but our guys have done the exact same thing in many matches. It happens and having said that many catches on offer were put down. It was a game with plenty of luck on offer. Nothing should be taken away from James Pattinson and Nathan Lyon

James Pattinson got rid of Brendon McCullum at the close of play on day 3 and the next morning it just went better.
He bowled a beautiful line with enough deviation (an angle of about 2.0-2.7 degrees difference between actual and projected) to find the outside edges. In many ways a case of luck, in many regards a case of bad luck for many bowlers who repeatedly miss the edge, like Siddle who did his utmost best as leader of the pack.

It was a tough ask for the debutant and he delivered excellently to claim a 5wicket haul, just miss a hattrick (how lucky was Jesse Ryder?) and this has been another defining step in the emergence of the bowling stocks with some very young and very impressive bowlers.
His attitude reminds me so much of a young Brett Lee. He took his opportunity and was so driven!

It’s so exciting and with the injuries having gone around, these guys were called in to fill the void but asked to give their utmost best as with the change in tide it has opened the door for so many players to showcase their ambition and skills. This is a particular case where bowling is concerned.
What these performances have presented is a list of 20 worthy cricketers to play at the elite level, the pinnacle of the game being Test cricket.
It tests the depth and will start to look daunting for opponents. It’s look promising, very promising!

Nathan Lyon was in actual fact my bowler of the match.
He’s such a good bloke I want him to see find success. He was placed in the team in very intense circumstances to deliver a role that has been a bit of an emotional talking point in Australian cricket. He has done a wonderful job and he’s a champ for it.

He will get hammered around the park, he will have games where he will feel like trash and get criticised but if the selectors keep easing him ahead game by game and he’s given the encouragement, support and correct training to enhance his skills…watch out for Nathan Lyon!

His success was highlighted when Jesse Ryder tried to launch him over mid-off. His ability to get good shape out the hand, generate enough spin with his fingers and flight the ball into the right zones makes him a handful.
It forces batsmen to take him on and Michael picks excellent fielding placements for Nathan looking for edges off the bat at the right angles, having guys close to the bat, having the fielders in strategic places on the outfield.

Throw in the spin he can generate, quite sharp at times, and we have a very capable spin bowler. The only way he can improve is through more opportunities and for his first game at the Gabba, 7 wickets isn’t shabby at all.
It must also be said that Michael Clarke's public support for the players is spot on, particularly the case of Nathan.

Michael Hussey also managed a wicket with his handy part-time medium pace bowling and when he took his wicket his victory roar was priceless!
He may be having a below performance run with the bat in his last few innings but I always get a kick out of Huss’ enthusiasm.
Such a cricketing nerd and I will always admire his work ethic.

BATTING: 2nd innings
David Warner 12*

It was great to see Pitbull Warner hit the winning runs. The boundaries weren’t just shots where he was flogging the ball around but rather using raw muscle, raw power and solid shot execution.
He also sent down an over of leg spin and nearly took a wicket. I know Richie Benaud once noted he was impressed with what he saw in David Warner’s bowling at a net session or two so who knows? May be we get the spin option in the Pitbull like we had in Katto?

While he only scored 15 runs I stand by my firm belief in his abilities and I just know he can become a solid opener. His technique is trustworthy and he can definitely mould himself into a versatile batsman while still possessing the strong ability to dominate a bowling attack with monstrous power.

I feel he deserves another chance in the 2nd Test to such an extent I’d have zero issue seeing him stand in place of Hughes. It is too early to judge but I just have a gut feeling about David Warner as an opening batsman in Test cricket with someone like Shaun Marsh or Usman Khawaja at the other end.

Phillip Hughes, while I hate being critical of the players, seems to have a genuine technical issue that is detected very quickly by decent bowlers. In South Africa I can’t shrug off the way he was repeatedly dismissed in similar style each innings and this Test he was taken in the gully.
I want every player in this team to succeed but I don’t know, I just get the feeling that while Phillip has an unquestionable ability with the bat in hand he does seem to struggle for consistency and momentum at the elite level. He is young and has time on his side (as I have said many times).

I wonder if when Shaun Marsh is fit whether Phillip may fall victim to the “player rotation” system? In this case a cleaner way I am wishing to refer to the concept of being dropped.

Your opinion on the matter fanatics?

The 2nd Test will begin on Friday.
After the series the Big Bash commences which will be worth taking a look at with the new sides and selection policies?
Following the Big Bash the Border-Gavaskar series shall commence with the 1st Test on Boxing Day.
I will do a Podcast regarding that eagerly awaited series!

Congrats to the Baggy Greens. Go make it a clean sweep!

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1st Test: Some chances slip away but Punter fights back

2011-12-02T00:46:00.000-08:00

It's fair enough to say the Baggy Greens let the Black Caps run away a bit with the game but it has given the game some life as the batsmen find themselves 141 runs behind, 7 wickets still in hand. Ricky Ponting is at the crease and he is batting with serious determination!

Prior to the start of the Test it was inevitable that we'd see a batch of debutants.
Come the morning of the Test James Pattinson (#424), Mitchell Starc (#425) and David Warner (#426) all received their Baggy Green caps.

Their caps were handed to them by legendary Richie Benaud, former opener and Channel 9 commentator/part-time comedian Michael Slater, and former player/ new selector Andy Bichel to mark the occassion. Well done boys!

1st Test at the Gabba.
Scorecard

BOWLING: 1st innings - New Zealand 295 all out from 82.5 overs
Nathan Lyon 4-69 (21.5 overs), Peter Siddle 2-57 (24 overs), Mitch Starc 2-90

I have been amused as to how much criticism has been let out on various cricket forums regarding the bowlers for this 1st Test. I think it's a very harsh call to make given this is one of the least experienced pace attacks we've seen in well over a decade and a young one at that too.
You get the impression that a fully fit bowling unit would only see Nathan Lyon make the bowling unit with Peter Siddle always being in some room for potential selection.
This Test Pedro was to lead the bowling attack and I don't buy into the critcism at all! If anything I think he did a bloody good job.

It was interesting that Pedro didn't bowl the first over of the game and it was a rattling start by James Pattinson but a good reality check.
All in all I have little to show concern about regarding Pedro. He beat the outside edge regularly, was able to get good movement throughout the days play and the length he bowled was spot on for him to trouble the batsmen. It kept things exciting throughout his spells.

He's always ambitious and gives it his utmost best. This is a strong reason why I rarely get frustrated watching him bowl. I know he is doing his best for the team and on his day I find him to be a world class bowler.
Given the responsibility to lead the attack was something I never expected him to do anytime soon but his opportunity is here and he did an excellent job.
The two wickets he claimed has little reflection of his true effort and performance. If he needed a boost for his confidence this was it! Well done Pedro.

It was also clear the bowlers who've already played for the Baggy Greens were the guys to work the overs. Pedro sent down 24 overs and Nathan Lyon sent down 21.5, as opposed to Pattinson and Starc who had a collective 35.

I said it before and I'll say it again, "Nathan Lyon must be given an extended run as the main spin bowler."
It seems to be the case as he has done a terrific job this Test. Not only is it his first Test in Australia but also his first ever game at the Gabba. Exciting stuff, maybe seen as a worry initially but certainly exciting. Only with an extended run and a chance to get flogged by good batsmen and gain success against good teams can he realise what his strengths are and what he can offer the team.

The stuff up Andrew Hilditch and his cronies made was by chopping and changing spinners looking for an instant superstar, effectively screwing up a few careers.
Nathan's journey is one of talent scouting and a unique rise to the elite level but he's being given fair opportunity and the PROPER SUPPORT needed to back himself.

His initial selection puzzled me given his impact was in limited overs but I have been excited for him since his call-up. I'm enjoying his performances even when he's been challenged.
When I met him a few weeks back I actually asked him if reality his sunk in yet given the way he's had one heck of a unique journey. In an amusing yet very honest way he said (four Tests into his career) he is still struggling to believe it all.

The general idea I get from my followers on Twitter is that he's an exciting bowler to watch. This is due to the fact he seems to be a guy who is an attacking spinner and every over you sit on the edge of your seat wondering what will give.
He has little fear to give the ball some flight, was able to get some menacing bounce of the track and created some very sharp spin that will definitely be important come the summer against India if he can get some more overs under his belt.

It's always a special moment to see a debutant get his first wicket. Fortunately both debutants managed to get in the action and it was fitting that Starc's first wicket was as a result of a catch taken by David Warner, the third debutant. If he can just tighten his line and pitch it up a bit more he may be in for some good pickings come the 2nd innings.

It was clear that there was a big step up for them and there were plenty of nerves but they can only improve. They are both very young men and statistics shouldn't be the core factor at play here. Personally I really thought Ben Cutting was the best option given his Sheffield performances and the obvious advantage that he's a resident player for the Queensland Bulls. Unfortunately he was overlooked but it's given these two young guns a chance.

An area that concerned me was the fielding where a few catches were grassed.
It's always been a key area of play for the team over many years so when the standards slip it is frustrating because fielding is the most important aspect. Your bowlers create the chances and if the fielding standards are bleak on the day, you will pay the price.
One example to rest my case is the fact Brownlie was dropped twice when he was still in single figures.

Don't blame the bowlers, don't blame the young bowlers. Catches may win matches but they also win passages of play and when grassed it can be what makes a quick look at a bowlers stats average versus invaluable.

BATTING: 3-154 from 46.0 overs
Ricky Ponting 67*, Usman Khawaja 38, Michael Clarke 28*

I must emphasise when I state I don't like the aggressive/aggressive opening duo it is no reference to the manner in which David Warner and Phillip Hughes were dismissed but rather a reference to their natural games or top of mind temperament.
It was a gamble that needed to be taken having the two of them open but as mentioned in my Podcast prior to this Test both of them play for the same State and this should be a temporary solution until Shaun Marsh is back along with Shane Watson to see how the opening partnership will be shaped.

David Warner received a damn fine delivery which he just struggled to avoid.
It's only his first innings and not everyone can have a memorable debut innings. If anything it will just give him extra hunger to cane the Black Cap bowlers next innings. I am still confident that he can adapt well to Test cricket and in many regards has a far more solid technique than some other players.

He can brush away all this Twenty20 hype which is what I'd be happy to see him do given the fact he wants to be a better player than that. He wants to be a quality batsman and his selection can be owed to hard work and determination to add a new dynamic to his game.
I hope he has a good run in the 2nd innings and I'd like to see him get a chance down in Hobart.

Phillip Hughes continues to be a concern with inconsistency. He also received an excellent delivery which Chris Martin made good use of the seam. Phillip was dismissed in three almost carbon copy ways in South Africa and even though he managed a half-century (as well as a century in Sri Lanka) you wonder what the selectors will start to think, mostly regarding the inconsistency and that there does seem to be a way in which good bowlers expose his technical weakness very quickly. There's still an innings to follow.

Usman Khawaja was simply unlucky. He'd really applied himself but Punter made a daft call for a run. Okay, Usman did hesitate a bit on a run which wasn't his call but it was a run that wasn't a necessity under the circumstances. It was a tough dismissal to accept as Ussie had looked good out there for his 38 runs with three boundaries.

The man of the moment was Ricky Ponting though for the excellent shots he executed and his call on experience to get through some tough moments of play. Once again it was experience and self-belief from the maestro! Going to miss his excellence and presence at the crease when he eventually goes, despite the obvious struggles of the last 2 years.

He had some luck this innings but I always believe this is a necessity in Test cricket even if it is one edge that doesn't carry to the slips in an innings, it is still some luck. So given those chances he must capitalise now and get the job done for the team and himself!
Punter is a team player so the century will be a milestone achievement (and a welcome relief for us) but most importantly will be knocking off the deficit to get ahead of the Black Caps.

He is 33 runs away from his 40th century which has been due for way too long now. I so badly want to see him get it and this is the ideal opportunity for him before the Hobart Test where he will receive an outstanding reception.
We need the best from him if he is to play in Border-Gavaskar series, which he should play a role in.

I have enjoyed this innings immensely, especially the way he has executed the shorter pitched shots. There was one particular pull shot he played before the close of play where everything was right, mostly importantly his head position when playing the pull shot. He was balanced and composed. Reflexes looked sharp as ever.
He has also scored the majority of his runs in boundaries (11 fours) with outstanding shot selection.
Come on Punter!

Michael Clarke also had some wonderful luck when he played one on to get bowled but the Umpires used their authority and it was a no-ball! The Skipper remains at the crease with the former-Skipper and together they can continue fresh on Day 3 to knock off that runs that we trail by.
Michael Hussey and Brad Haddin are still to come. Without Mitchell Johnson there is that slight loss in lower order strength but I am confident the four recognised batsmen can move us forward.

What a picture. Punter's following on from his half-century at the Wanderers ahead of a massive summer for this team and the maestro himself!

© Getty Images

Enjoying the contest but would like to see some domination kick in now.
Daily updates will be on the Facebook page for the blog (See the Baggy Green Blog Facebook banner in the sidebar at the top) while Twitter is where you can find random chirps in 140 characters.

Weather looks alright for Day 3 but hopefully there will be a full days play after bad light stopped the match yet again. It's becoming an expected ordeal now isn't it.

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I respect Michael Clarke's leadership

2011-11-30T06:13:00.000-08:00

*This article is featured at Cricket Country. The edited version is available for viewing. View it here.

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During the final months of Ricky Ponting’s Captaincy I was one of the many people not entirely convinced Michael Clarke was the right choice to lead the Baggy Greens.
Like most people, this slightly distorted view point was due to the constant drama and media spotlight around his personal life, the incidents that were on display to the public. At the same time, like many, this view of mine has since changed drastically.

I am not at all inspired nor fascinated by celebrity lifestyle. I don’t find it to be that appealing. Maybe this was the reason it did create a negative perception as to me with the prospect of Michael leading the Baggy Greens?
With the stigma attached to Michael’s high-profile relationship with Lara Bingle and all the prima donna glitz and glamour that went with it, it naturally made many other genuine cricket followers concerned. Admittedly there were a few incidents where even I was frustrated with hype and what appeared to be an open distraction.

Despite all of this it never made me doubt Michael’s understanding of the game.
His personal affairs did cast a dark cloud over whether he'd handle the intensity as Skipper and have the mental toughness, in the eyes of the casual onlooker, which is understandable. I am damn sure this is the reason he seemed unpopular with the general public. It wasn't about his game, it was because of the perceived lifestyle, nothing more, nothing less.
One Baggy Green fanatic I chat to sometimes, Joel Chaos, was very vocal in seeing the true aspects that were evident in Michael's cricket to grab the opportunity and take on the leadership. Despite the apparent drama he kept backing Michael.

It was a tough time for Michael and he was subjected to loads of criticism and attacks regarding his personal life, in many ways his actual character.
If you have followed the blog for many years you will notice I rarely write about a player’s personal life or situations.
The reason being I don’t personally know the players and, secondly, I believe if I couldn’t say the things I write to that player’s face, it just isn’t worth going down that road.
Yes, it was frustrating to see a cricketer thrown into the paparazzi spotlight, like Shane Warne, but I actually empathised with Michael, especially come the break-up with his fiancé.

During the time of his emergence as a senior player, the rollercoaster ride in his personal life seemed to be travelling at the speed of a Brett Lee bouncer as opposed to the steady pace of Glenn McGrath.
It seemed to just spiral out of control and after some serious emotional problems during this time and family difficulties, it was a testing situation for Michael as a man coming of age in both his personal and professional life.
The fact he needed some time out of the side to get his affairs in order, including a bunch of journo’s hanging outside his apartment during his relationship breakup, showed nothing more than his human side. I respected that.

What I cared about was Michael rising above this and returning to the cricket field. It was important for the supporters that he’d get his career back on track and that he remind everyone of the value he had to offer and what was the vital ingredient to the talk behind his possible promotion as Australian Crickets Skipper for so many years.
It came with a century against the Black Caps at the Basin Reserve in 2010 and even though it would be a difficult Ashes series that followed, his full-time ODI promotion was just around the corner.
Michael had already impressed me by this stage with the leadership shown when he’d taken on the ODI Captaincy in Punter’s absence.

He’s a sharp tactician, flexible with his methods, smart when executing his bowlers and he can be as aggressive and ruthless in many regards as his predecessors.
Having been given the full-time job after taking it on following Punter’s step down, these elements of his own leadership scope have been well on display for all too see.
He also leads from the front, is highly positive with his statements, backs his team 100% and the value I see as his strongest is the way he takes accountability and responsibility very seriously.

He’s quick to address poor performances and will painfully write off his own performances if the team falls short. This was evident when he laughed off one of his best centuries I have seen from him. This was his 151 against the Proteas. Having watched his batting live, it was a tough contest against the ball and it was a serious testament to his arrival as the Skipper. It highlighted his ability to lead from the front and it was a Captain’s knock.
After losing the Test match he dismissed his century as a worthless effort and wanted to forget it. Quite upsetting after witnessing a great spectacle of Test batting, but under the circumstances I respected that a hell of a lot. Not easy to do and you could hear in his voice and see in his body language he was livid and had taken responsibility. That is something I won’t forget.

Within a few days of the loss I was able to have a very brief chat with Michael at a net session where he was upbeat, positive and very enthusiastic to talk about moving forward and assured the few of us Baggy Green supporters who were there that, “things are on track, mate”.
The series didn’t end of a personal high with Michael’s batting but he was leading the side on the back of a Sri Lankan series win (where he scored a century and also grafted hard for a half-century in the 1st innings on a very difficult batting track).
This slight momentum, despite the freak match at Newlands, would have helped the team’s confidence in the 2nd Test where victory was achieved in nail-biting circumstances.
Granted it was a game both teams let slip on a number of passages of play but Michael had seen his team achieve victory and come back from a daunting situation.

That killer instinct, the ability of backing yourselves and never giving in was present!
Self-belief is a key aspect of Michael’s character and this seemed to flow amongst each and every player of the side, including Ricky Ponting who may be in doubt for another 10 Tests plus. I will really miss the day Punter goes and when the man performs the positivity is contagious amongst the team and the supporters, in my opinion!
Michael saw his team learn an important lesson in how to win a game with mental challenges present from Day 1 of the series.
This ability to come back from the dead can only be learnt with a group of players experiencing this, gaining the knowledge how to comeback collectively and Michael was a member of that original side that had the knack to make it look so easy.
He has the chance to ensure this present side uses the 2nd Test as a turning point for Australian cricket and a special game for his own leadership timeline.

I want to see this team become a core group where Michael will know his players, where we will know the players to see how he rotates them and how they will feed off each other’s abilities. This was what we understood very well when watching the Waugh/Ponting teams.
I want to see Michael be his own Captain but embrace that die-hard attitude Steve Waugh and Allan Border drummed into the team’s intimidating spirit.
Having said this I know Michael Clarke has the leadership qualities to do it, to follow through with his own game plan and ensure that it is done in the most tactical way possible.

He may appear to be a soft sort of bloke on the outside, but to blend into one of the greatest sides cricket has ever known, to overcome his personal struggles and shrug of media haters, to lead a mixed side with his own demonstrative input and to have lead from the front in numerous games already to gain the respect of his team is the sign of a tough bloke, mentally tough! This is what I want to see from the Captain.

All he needs is to get a good summer with the bat in hand which will indicate he can handle his own game with the responsibility in front of the Australian cricket supporting masses.
The side is now a very intense blend of experience and inexperience but the stocks look to be setting into place with the emerging talent starting to be evidently present.
The results we desire may take a while to come around with the consistency we so badly want to see return. It starts with each and every player who is selected contributing, especially on the batting front!
If Michael can stay true to himself, continue to move forward with his attitude of “win every game and improve all the time”, while scoring plenty of runs (which he is more than capable of doing) he should gain the respect and confidence of Australian Cricket Supporters.
It’s a big summer for him and if there was a time to let his game to the talking and really show a tougher dynamic, this is it!
I have gained a lot of respect for Michael Clarke over the recent months and I have been very impressed by his tactical and strategic execution in the middle.

While Michael is still new to the Test duties, his ODI Captaincy stats are impressive where he has contributed as well:

MJ CLARKE Captaincy:

Tests:
Played 6, Won 2, Lost 2, Drawn 2 = 33.3% victory rate.
ODIs:
Played 37, Won 26, Lost 9, No result 2 = 70% victory rate.

With 6 Tests to come his way this summer, it will show the shape of things to come.
The 1st Test of the New Zealand Tests begins on Thursday.

It’s an intense series where we may see three or four debuts occur in a time where senior players are handling injuries and the new selection panel have boldly called some young guns to order!
Mickey Arthur begins his Australian Coaching duties while this is Michael’s opportunity to begin his own era.
If he gets the stable support from the new selectors, the consistency is discovered with this team and supporters get behind the side, he can dig into his own skill set to dominate.
It could be a great summer for the Baggy Greens.

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Podcast #2: Talking about the Chappell-Hadlee 1st Test Squad & series

2011-11-27T03:51:00.000-08:00

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1st Test Squad:
Michael Clarke (Captain), Phillip Hughes, *David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Brad Haddin, Peter Siddle, *Mitchell Starc, *Ben Cutting, *James Pattinson, Nathan Lyon.

*Potential debutant.

For the Baggy Greens fixtures, please click here to see the 'Fixtures' tab.

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