interesting "series" this.
close game in the first: if Bollinger had bowled on the last day...
if Punter knew how to captain a spinner....
if Laxman...
and now for the 2nd test we see a grinding affair which may not be great for a result, but which has as discussed elsewhere given North another 6 months...
shown the need for batsman to 'settle' and wait for the bad ball...
and just how great S. Tendulkar STILL is...
we have NEVER had his number (49 test tons- 10 against aus), and while only idiot speak in absolutes, we never will and he shall retire knowing HE could always beat Australia. He almost makes me glad we have timed tests, otherwise...
on Ponting and Hauritz; regardless of the lack of support from a captain, a spinner MUST still bowl on the spot -even saying to and showing his captain where he'll put it- to force the captain to see the need for a bowlers selected field. Hauritz has failed to do this in this 2nd test, and will be publicly pilloried for failing to get a bagfull on the sub-continent. Spin great B. Bedi offered great support of Haury over the weekend and made a similar point about Punters inability to work with and use a bowler like Haury... but any way you look at it 0-153 will have you horse whipped by all and sundry.
with 2 days to go- unless this track opens up wider than Boonies smile at the the thought of 'shifting tin'- this game looks to be little more now than a test of: concentration or attrition... unless someone decides to get a bit excited; Big Kev, where are you?
As stated before Ponting's inability to captain a spinner is the product of captaining a freak of nature (Warne). It mattered little what field was set for Warne, the result was inevitable. Unfortunately for mere mortal spinners fields are essential and Ponting has no clue.
ReplyDeleteit would seem- according to Ponting in response to Warnes crit of the field placements that Haury's field are all his own doing. i find that hard to believe, but if so we now have 3 problems.
ReplyDelete1) if the above is true, how can a captain not take over and tweek the field to compensate for errant bowling?
2) why is Haury setting a field to a tactic he can't find a line/length/turn too?
3)why can't he find the control he needs?
it has NEVER appeared that Hauritz has had control of his field since his return to internation cricket, i smell a "this is how it is to shut every one up, so let's show team unity" thing going on here.
such a shame!