Ponting and Hussey regaining form.....

Is it bad for Australian cricket in the long run? Can they honestly make it through to the 2013 Ashes series in England (a country where neither of them have done wonderfully well, even in their prime)? Or will runs against poor attacks give the impression that they are fine, before better bowling than India's exposes them again, and Australia are forced to face England with a batting lineup with very little experience?

Seems like India are having that problem right now. Cracks were papered over with flat pitches and less than wonderful bowling, but suddenly a few decent quicks and some spicy pitches come along, and the Indian batting looks incredibly frail (literally).

Why worry about the older gentlemen making runs when their top three is so shaky? I mean, they have 'The Reinventor' who may be too busy with experiments to GAF about the moving ball, the actuality of your adulation is hardly consistent and if 'Swampy' isn't getting injured he's getting gated.

The long run is just a whole lot of short runs one after the other. A lot of wittering about 'the long run' comes from people who have been seen talking through their arses in the 'short run' so they need to change tack to the 'long run' because that has become their best chance of being right.

The radio comms made a big deal of Punter's 100 celebration today, the big call being made by somebody that this could be his last Test in Oz, or maybe even anywhere. Assume that's true - who plays in his spot Test 1 in the Windies? Watson who can't stay on the park and you've been slinging off at all summer anyway? Kwaj who we've all decided is not ready and his his hate mob have already decided never will be? Or do the NSP just keep turning blokes over till they find the next Bradman (and just hope like hell they recognise him when they do?)

Fred Nerk wrote:The long run is just a whole lot of short runs one after the other. A lot of wittering about 'the long run' comes from people who have been seen talking through their arses in the 'short run' so they need to change tack to the 'long run' because that has become their best chance of being right.

The radio comms made a big deal of Punter's 100 celebration today, the big call being made by somebody that this could be his last Test in Oz, or maybe even anywhere. Assume that's true - who plays in his spot Test 1 in the Windies? Watson who can't stay on the park and you've been slinging off at all summer anyway? Kwaj who we've all decided is not ready and his his hate mob have already decided never will be? Or do the NSP just keep turning blokes over till they find the next Bradman (and just hope like hell they recognise him when they do?)

Punter's already denied that his exuberant celebration today was a pointer to retirement. The whole thing is a delicate balancing act though. One could argue that Punter and Hussey are the two best for their respective slots but there was a clear argument to drop one or both before this series. No SS cricket has complicated matters and there aren't batsmen knocking down the door but equally there's some chance that the likes of Ussie could have made runs against this attack and that while we may point the finger at the problematic top three, the most experienced trio continue to occupy the 'cushy' spots in the batting order.

The Hussey/Punter runs could certainly turn out to be fool's gold as both guys looked very much ill at ease for most of the series against the South Africans and the kiwis when the bowling was a lot more challenging and the pitches tended to be bowler-friendly.

If they survive until the Ashes, some seaming conditions could really find them out.

India appears to be in a more parlous position though. It's incredible that they didn't use these conditions to give Rahane and/or Sharma a gig.

Knowing there's some experienced batting to came frees up Warner and Cowan to do their thing. Cowan's effort today shouldn't be underestmated for its value (a 50-run stand with Ponting steadied the innings and removed what momentum there was from the Indian attack) and Warner I seem to recall batted OK in Perth. The problem isn't 1, 2 and 3, it's 3 and right now any of the current top 6 would be preferable to Marsh in that spot. So would Khawaja or Watson (barely in his case). Personally I'd like to see the new skipper bat in that spot, he's gone in at 3-40 a few times recently, as well as today's 3-84, and done OK. And 3-40 seems to me like a harder spot to start an innings from than 1-30 or even 1-0.

Fred Nerk wrote:Knowing there's some experienced batting to came frees up Warner and Cowan to do their thing. Cowan's effort today shouldn't be underestmated for its value (a 50-run stand with Ponting steadied the innings and removed what momentum there was from the Indian attack) and Warner I seem to recall batted OK in Perth. The problem isn't 1, 2 and 3, it's 3 and right now any of the current top 6 would be preferable to Marsh in that spot. So would Khawaja or Watson (barely in his case). Personally I'd like to see the new skipper bat in that spot, he's gone in at 3-40 a few times recently, as well as today's 3-84, and done OK. And 3-40 seems to me like a harder spot to start an innings from than 1-30 or even 1-0.

Agree about Warner in particular and undoubtedly he'll be inconsistent to an extent but also a matchwinner. Cowan may be a stop gap for a few years but Marsh surely can't be picked again.

As for the skipper moving up, he should but his record at #4 is very poor. While 3/40-80 is psychologically not a great position for a batsman, it still usually means that the ball is that much older and the bowlers are that much tireder than when an opener confronts them, or the #3 batsman if a wicket falls early. In any case Cowan essentially took the shine off the ball today so it's still a moot point as to whether Clarke can succeed going in first drop.

Brass Monkey wrote:Why worry about the older gentlemen making runs when their top three is so shaky? I mean, they have 'The Reinventor' who may be too busy with experiments to GAF about the moving ball, the actuality of your adulation is hardly consistent and if 'Swampy' isn't getting injured he's getting gated.

It may or may not be worth noting that his two innings of note have come on the most movingest of pitches that we have seen in Aus for a long time. Pitches on which almost every batsman has struggled. Not sure if that means anything

Hey, it's wonderful that Australia has two elder statesmen in its team, and that they've rediscovered their form against a popgun attack that anyone with half a brain and a modicum of talent should be scoring a bazillion runs against.

I mean, let's have a look at precedents. I mean India, with elder statesmen in its top order managed to get to number one in the Test rankings. Surely Australia should follow that example. Number one - that's where it's at, baby...

G.Wood wrote:It may or may not be worth noting that his two innings of note have come on the most movingest of pitches that we have seen in Aus for a long time. Pitches on which almost every batsman has struggled. Not sure if that means anything

Aye, true. Still, I'm praying that our bowlers can challenge him a little more than a bunch of hicks from NZ and hacks from India, given our juicy home conditions.

Meh, this planning for the future bulltwang is way overdone. It's about putting the best 6 batsmen on the field NOW, and right now, Ponting and Hussey are 2 of the best 6 batsmen in the country. I'm sure if there were two young bucks absolutely smashing the door down to get into the Aus top 6, they would have made their debuts in this summer.

Oh wait, Warner and Cowan DID make their debuts this summer.

Looks like Trev thinks that 4 new batsmen in a summer is what Aus should be doing.

G.Wood wrote:

It may or may not be worth noting that his two innings of note have come on the most movingest of pitches that we have seen in Aus for a long time. Pitches on which almost every batsman has struggled. Not sure if that means anything

aye, astute Woody. The carry the bat effort was not random chance.

poor Trev is getting desperate...all the pommy bats are ageing and are on ther slide...the current series reinforces the need to get rid of Bell, KP and Strauss...only cook and morgan have improvement in them

I had written in a mail to the Wozzie assassin before the test series started that India would massively bring back all 3 - Punter, Paris and Pup, back to incredible form. That India was the best team for any team down in dumps or any player struggling and on brink to bounce back. We have a great record there and it's sad to know that it didn't change this time too. Some things never change.

G.Wood wrote:

Brass Monkey wrote:Why worry about the older gentlemen making runs when their top three is so shaky? I mean, they have 'The Reinventor' who may be too busy with experiments to GAF about the moving ball, the actuality of your adulation is hardly consistent and if 'Swampy' isn't getting injured he's getting gated.

It may or may not be worth noting that his two innings of note have come on the most movingest of pitches that we have seen in Aus for a long time. Pitches on which almost every batsman has struggled. Not sure if that means anything

Reinventor

Yep, I like it.

I'd still try and convince Hussey to retire.