Australian Cricket Season 2020-21

[love_the_life]

Well done to India - there were detractors but they stuck at it and played 'proper' test match cricket.

 

[CaptJCool]

An amazing conclusion !

we were beaten by a better squad....
we took in 4 bowlers to 4 Tests unchanged... they didn’t bowl them out in sydney. Why dId they expect a different result ? Arrogance, and the loyalty card. that’s why

in better times, under-performers get kicked to the curb but not here...lulled into a sense of false security.... the veterans failed to deliver and the rookies were given extra chances after chances to make a score.

you know it’s falling apart when a player (coming off a 12 month ban) is given the latitude to determine the other player selected. That under performance gives you a place in the team....

india took 5 bowlers into Test. We took 4.
starc was way below par and his only attribute was “bowl fast”. Front line batters cope with that tailenders are easy wickets. There are better options now who bowl as fast and plenty more accurate.
our spinning stocks are empty 9 wickets at 55 Is really bad....

I suspect unless there’s retirements now they would occur after a losing Ashes series but sadly it’s time for at least 4 of this losing lot to hang up the boots (especially if they are going to give boundless opportunities to rookies, which until recent times we never did. Perform or you’re gone builds character and when you keep selecting a poor performer either failed rookie or long term veteran. someone else misses out.....

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I actually think it was poor strategy, so in my mind falling upon the coaching, as the main contributor.

Bouncers/short pitched bowling by all the pace bowlers seems to show it was the team strategy/tactics.

Aussies thought Sydney hold out was a fluke and Melbourne was poor batting. End of the day India got more series wickets!

 

[serfty]

There's a cricket "Test Championship" scheduled to be played in June.

Currently qualified to play are India and New Zealand - Australia are now behind the Kiwi's due to being penalised points for poor over rates at the MCG.

Standings | ICC World Test Championship | ICC

Official WTC website - live matches, scores, news, highlights, commentary, rankings, videos and fixtures from the International Cricket Council.

www.icc-cricket.com

 

[Pushka]

There's a cricket "Test Championship" scheduled to be played in June.

Currently qualified to play are India and New Zealand - Australia are now behind the Kiwi's due to being penalised points for poor over rates at the MCG.

Standings | ICC World Test Championship | ICC

Official WTC website - live matches, scores, news, highlights, commentary, rankings, videos and fixtures from the International Cricket Council.

www.icc-cricket.com

Kiwis are on top of the Cricket Rankings now aren't they?
A time question. Has their performance deteriorated since the return of Smith and Warner? Can't remember.

I think the selectors are accountable for this performance. That and the demise of the Sheffield Shield four day matches for the stoopid BBL. Sheffield Shield trained the players to develop tactics when play was not going their way, bowl more cleverly and set field placements for long drawn out innings and pesky batsman. How to rotate bowlers and try out 'non bowler' spin players to see if they could change the pace. Develop proper Captaincy skills in managing the field placements and effective use of bowlers. Allow batsmen to develop skills that keep them at the crease for a longer period but slower run rate and not have to try hit every ball out of the park. To be clever.

 

[zenyattamondatta]

india took 5 bowlers into Test. We took 4.

4 + Green and Labuschagne, who had 12 test wickets going in (probably more than the entire 5-man Indian attack with their combined four matches of test experience) and was only allowed to bowl one over in each innings. Australia psyched themselves out about Indians being good players of spin and ended up not using their spinners properly.

 

[zenyattamondatta]

a losing Ashes series

Not if England stick with Broad and Anderson.

 

[serfty]

Kiwis are on top of the Cricket Rankings now aren't they?

India are now on top of the World Test Championship test table with New Zealand Second. India jumped third to first and Australia dropped second to third yesterday.

To qualify, Australia needs to have at least 2 wins and a draw from next month's scheduled tour of South Africa.

If that tour does not go ahead, Australia can not qualify.

 

[zenyattamondatta]

India are now on top of the World Test Championship test table with New Zealand Second. India jumped third to first and Australia dropped second to third yesterday.

To qualify, Australia needs to have at least 2 wins and a draw from next month's scheduled tour of South Africa.

If that tour does not go ahead, Australia can not qualify.

Not so, because India's percentage of points won out of points contested (which is what counts now) can still change depending on how they fare in the upcoming four-test series against England.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Not so, because India's percentage of points won out of points contested (which is what counts now) can still change depending on how they fare in the upcoming four-test series against England.

Does that mean NZ qualifies for the final no matter what? ie played all their remaining matches and cannot be overtaken for at least 2nd spot?

 

[serfty]

Not so, because India's percentage of points won out of points contested (which is what counts now) can still change depending on how they fare in the upcoming four-test series against England.

True ... I had believed that had been cancelled.

India need to win three of the four tests (or win 2 with 2 ties [not draws]).

Australia would be ahead (on a tiebreaker) of NZ if not for the points deducted by the Boxing Day test match referee (David Boon).

 

[Bodie]

First up - Very well played India during entire series. One very poor session in Adelaide cost them the test. 100 more runs would have made an intersting chase in Adelaide. Gill is a find as opener.

Australia - batting only smith and labuschagne had good series - i think pucovski has potential and will give green a pass mark. They need a Australia A tour or go themselves to india to learn to play spin. I believe Matt Hayden did that early on in his career.
Paine was outcaptained by Rahane by country mile. Should have bowled our part timers more in both sydney and brisbane. India had plans and bowlers delivered. If Australia had plans generally didnt work or bowlers didnt get on the mark. See below.
Bowling - we carried starc and lyon. Starc is either injuried or totally out of sinc. One 4 wicket innings in Adelaide with pink ball. Lyon has lost his drift and drop. Fairly confident to say Ashwin would help win tests in situations had been reversed. coughmins and Hazelwood carried the attack. India's bowling was great - everyone who played contributed.
So where to from here - if we tour south africa - have to stick to with harris and warner - play pucovski at 5 - keep green - paine as captain (last series) need to play nesser ( should have played in brisbane) and give swepson a run as spinner.

 

[samh004]

An amazing conclusion !

It's not often I'll run the AM on the car radio when driving back from anywhere to hear a ball by ball of test match cricket. When we got home we daren't leave the car until the conclusion incase we couldn't get the TV on in time! I'm happy to see the Gabba spell has been broken, though CA might not be so keen to move it to the last fixture in the next summer series

 

[Bodie]

Further - Fully agree with CaptJcool said

Cricket Australia needs a good hard look at their schedule. I know covid but where is couple shield games before first test at gabba - then cont shield til before boxing day test ( 3rd or 4th test of summer) then you could do a shorter big bash over xmas and new year finsh mid jan - then last few shield games and final. So test players and hopefuls can get some 4 day cricket before tours start after aussie summer and during the first couple of tests of summer so injury and form - -you have players playing shield cricket til almost boxing day.

I think carey could come in as keeper and captain. But wonder if they might make labushagne captain of qld next year as future vice captain or even captain material in national team - assuming smith and warner wont be considered, which i dont think they should be either.

 

[moa999]

Reality is as played India should have won 3-1 (if it wasn't for injured players on the pitch they could have been in the same position in Brisbane).

I don't think Paine can be blamed too much.
Simply put the pitches in Sydney and Brisbane were insipid and our full time bowlers just couldn't do enough.

Both were pitches that should have had 500+ scores on them, but neither side at its best.

 

[TomVexille]

Does that mean NZ qualifies for the final no matter what? ie played all their remaining matches and cannot be overtaken for at least 2nd spot?

No. It can still be an India v Australia matchup. Cricinfo has a good summary of the scenarios here

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Test Squad to South Africa and T20 to New Zealand announced

Test: Wade out, Head in, Carey back up, lots of bowlers added

Matthew Wade axed as Australia names Test squad for South Africa tour

Matthew Wade has been dropped from the Australian Test team, missing out on a spot in the 19-man squad scheduled to tour South Africa next month.

www.news.com.au

 

[CaptJCool]

So the Tassie bloke who got to play the last two Tests gets axed completely. I wondered if it had to do with old Bailey holding court as a selector
and the bloke who got “rested” got a call-up.

go figure

 

[moa999]

Shame that the Sixers and Thunder are forced to host home finals in Canberra, given the current Covid situation in NSW - they haven't played a home game all season.

 

[Pushka]

Shame that the Sixers and Thunder are forced to host home finals in Canberra, given the current Covid situation in NSW - they haven't played a home game all season.

Agree. But nothing is normal anymore.