BGT 2023 - Australia vs India

Yeah disappointing start, there’s been such a build up to this series but it’s fallen flat on the first day.

India just so hard to beat at home, I believe in my life time they’ve only lost maybe two series at home? Australia 2004 and England when Monty & Swanny tore them apart?

Meek surrender there from Australia. Looks like it will be India vs Australia in the Final in July.

Very disappointing from Australia, all this talk about so well prepared and having game plans how to play in India was obviously all BS.

Last time we toured India in 2017 was our best tour there for a long time, we prepared well in the UAE and had a warmup game or two in India. Although we still lost the series, we won the first Test which is our only win in India since the 2004 series.

As is the case in all departments of world cricket these days, money and TV ratings are the seed of all issues. Cricket Australia were facing the prospect of having a real lacklustre end to the Big Bash with all the overseas players leaving for other tournaments.

So they decided to bring in the Test players for the end of the BBL to lift the interest back into the tournament. With the toughest tour in cricket just around the corner, these guys should have really been on a flight straight to India right after the Sydney Test finished to get prepared.

There was talk that relationships between the two countries are so bad right now that the fear was that India would prepare green tops for the warmup games and play 4 medium pacers like Pakistan did when Australia last toured the UAE in 2018.

I guess this is where countries like Bangladesh & Zimbabwe could take advantage of, Bangladesh could offer teams a pre-India tour warmup by hosting them for one or two tests. But with so much franchise cricket around these days there’s probably no time for it anyways.

jaybro wrote: ↑Sat Feb 11, 2023 10:19 pm

Very disappointing from Australia, all this talk about so well prepared and having game plans how to play in India was obviously all BS.

Last time we toured India in 2017 was our best tour there for a long time, we prepared well in the UAE and had a warmup game or two in India. Although we still lost the series, we won the first Test which is our only win in India since the 2004 series.

As is the case in all departments of world cricket these days, money and TV ratings are the seed of all issues. Cricket Australia were facing the prospect of having a real lacklustre end to the Big Bash with all the overseas players leaving for other tournaments.

So they decided to bring in the Test players for the end of the BBL to lift the interest back into the tournament. With the toughest tour in cricket just around the corner, these guys should have really been on a flight straight to India right after the Sydney Test finished to get prepared.

There was talk that relationships between the two countries are so bad right now that the fear was that India would prepare green tops for the warmup games and play 4 medium pacers like Pakistan did when Australia last toured the UAE in 2018.

I guess this is where countries like Bangladesh & Zimbabwe could take advantage of, Bangladesh could offer teams a pre-India tour warmup by hosting them for one or two tests. But with so much franchise cricket around these days there’s probably no time for it anyways.

Yeah, that's a good post. India are the toughest team to beat at home right now, no doubt about it and the Aussies should have given the longer format more importance over the BBL.

Franchise T20 cricket has damaged international cricket so much that for genuine fans like us there is a case of continuous decline in interest.

Even as an Indian I can say that the crowd wanted more fight from the Aussies, no one is buying those tickets to watch a one sided 2.5 day game. That's disappointing.

There is no way back for the Aussies here, it's going to be a long and boring series. I can tell you that.

jaybro wrote: ↑Sat Feb 11, 2023 10:19 pm

Very disappointing from Australia, all this talk about so well prepared and having game plans how to play in India was obviously all BS.

Last time we toured India in 2017 was our best tour there for a long time, we prepared well in the UAE and had a warmup game or two in India. Although we still lost the series, we won the first Test which is our only win in India since the 2004 series.

As is the case in all departments of world cricket these days, money and TV ratings are the seed of all issues. Cricket Australia were facing the prospect of having a real lacklustre end to the Big Bash with all the overseas players leaving for other tournaments.

So they decided to bring in the Test players for the end of the BBL to lift the interest back into the tournament. With the toughest tour in cricket just around the corner, these guys should have really been on a flight straight to India right after the Sydney Test finished to get prepared.

There was talk that relationships between the two countries are so bad right now that the fear was that India would prepare green tops for the warmup games and play 4 medium pacers like Pakistan did when Australia last toured the UAE in 2018.

I guess this is where countries like Bangladesh & Zimbabwe could take advantage of, Bangladesh could offer teams a pre-India tour warmup by hosting them for one or two tests. But with so much franchise cricket around these days there’s probably no time for it anyways.

Yeah, that's a good post. India are the toughest team to beat at home right now, no doubt about it and the Aussies should have given the longer format more importance over the BBL.

Franchise T20 cricket has damaged international cricket so much that for genuine fans like us there is a case of continuous decline in interest.

Even as an Indian I can say that the crowd wanted more fight from the Aussies, no one is buying those tickets to watch a one sided 2.5 day game. That's disappointing.

There is no way back for the Aussies here, it's going to be a long and boring series. I can tell you that.

2nd Test has been a great contest so far, but the Aussies have missed so many chances now and India are making them pay.

Can see India getting a lead then the Aussies succumbing to spin and it’ll fizzle out. Hope I’m wrong because it’s been a gigantic tussle so far.

pillowprocter wrote: ↑Sat Feb 18, 2023 9:50 am

India bat so deep. Somehow they've managed to produce three top class spin all-rounders.

They’ve got more too, Washington Sundar is also a great spin bowling allrounder.

I’m sure they’ve got a few more as well

So Australia get a 1-run lead! It’s been a great match but now it’s up to their ‘shaky batting’ to put them back on top.

Although the pitch has been playing tricks from ball one, it did seem to start playing a little better figuring the Axar-Ashwin partnership.

Pretty sure the numbers show that teams batting second have won a fair few games at Delhi, so maybe we could see higher scores in the 2nd dig?

Australia will want at least a 250-run lead to bowl to, maybe more. Very interesting Test indeed

The Aussies have made the bold move of opening with Travis ahead and it’s worked a treat. He’s 39 not out at a run a ball at stumps Australia off to a ‘Baz-Ball’ type start in their second dig.

I reckon the pitch is playing better now so the game continues to change and evolve in an intriguing nature. Test cricket at its finest.

Aussies have certainly fought back here in this 2nd test, a target of 250+ will be very tricky for india batting 4th.

sam_ahm wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 3:12 am

Aussies have certainly fought back here in this 2nd test, a target of 250+ will be very tricky for india batting 4th.

Let’s see how today played our Sam, but I certainly feel like batting got easier as the day went on

Yeah Ozzies need 250 minimum...ideally closer to 300.

Kohli hasn't scored a Test century in over 3 years now I think. Shocking!

The Indians never sweep unless it’s a slog sweep, I don’t know why teams go to Asia and try to sweep everything.

Smith, he rarely ever sweeps just got out to a wild swipe across the line. So so dumb ffs

Here’s the collapse I feared, all triggered by Smith’s stupid sweep.

Renshaw & Handscomb are really average cricketers, Cricket Australia must be concerned that they’re the best we have available. As someone on the forum once said “same old useless failures”

Game over now and that’s the series over

jaybro wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 3:16 am

sam_ahm wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 3:12 am

Aussies have certainly fought back here in this 2nd test, a target of 250+ will be very tricky for india batting 4th.

Let’s see how today played our Sam, but I certainly feel like batting got easier as the day went on

They just can't play spin. I'm ok with sweeping but then you need to be good at it. As an Indian obviously this is a great watch, as a cricket fan if becomes a dull and boring series. 4 games appears such a drag atm.

One man who can teach the Aussies about Sweeping and playing spin in India is Andy Flower. Haven't seen anyone play indian spinners as well as he did back in the day.