Oz tour of India, Feb 9 - March 22

[bigfluffylemon]

Would have been another wicket but Jadeja overstepped

Even the Indian fans on Reddit are complaining about this. Lyon got over 8 degrees of turn at one point.

What's worst is that India don't need rubbish like this to win. They're already bloody good at home on a fair wicket.

[sussexpob]

Australia wont get a bigger chance to win a game in India then right now.

[sussexpob]

The pitch is a bit weird tbh. 2 overs pass by with nothing that alarming, and you feel like it might be ok.... then you get a ball like that one Marnus just got from Ashwin that spun more than the Earth on its own axis, and you think nope.... there is a ball with your name on it out there that could come any ball.

Australia maybe a little lucky that none of these balls have ended this partnership yet. That last inside edge could have gone anywhere...

Could easily see 52/1 turn into 100 all out

[GarlicJam]

Could easily see 52/1 turn into 100 all out

Yes. there is zero certainty about each ball. (thought now they are just about up with India's score) Labuschagne has lucked his way to 30.

[sussexpob]

Jadeja finally breaks the partnership, Marnus goes after a very handy 31.

Another decent partnership, and you struggle to see how Australia lose from here. This partnership has had some luck go its way, but I cant see either team batting long second dig....

Odd ball is turning back on itself, and more than a few balls keeping low and skidding.

[GarlicJam]

He stopped lucking, as I posted...

[sussexpob]

Hints of the Mumbai test of 2004/05 about this match. India failed first up for about 100, Australia grinded out a score in tough conditions and took a mammoth lead (in the context of the match).... India batted well in the 3rd innings, but by the end of day 2 the ball was teleporting to other dimensions off the pitch, and Michael Clarke turned into Murali (6 wickets for about as many runs if I remember).

Australia then made 80-90 in the last innings by memory, on a pitch resembling a first world war battlefield.

A good lead feels terminal at the moment, but as that test showed on a similar pitch, how many will Australia get batting last? I am guessing unless this pitch defies expectations and flattens out, 100 might be a defendable target.

[alfie]

Marnus must have been born under a lucky star. Finds a way to avoid early dismissals in all sorts of bizarre ways. His big strength is he usually makes the opposition pay...

Fell eventually ; but surely he and Khawaja have built a platform that the tourists can use to build a match winning lead ?

Never rule out an Indian comeback , especially at home. But it is going to take some serious magic to turn this one around...

Edit : I do however note that Sussex has just pointed out a tricky precedent ! So not off to the betting shop to put the house on Australia yet

[sussexpob]

Khawaja goes .... Handscomb, Green, Carey.... India into the soft underbelly now, they need to carve this middle order apart before the close

[sussexpob]

Marnus must have been born under a lucky star. Finds a way to avoid early dismissals in all sorts of bizarre ways. His big strength is he usually makes the opposition pay...

I read an article recently that talked about how Steve Smith and Marnus are noteworthy weak players when first at the crease, have very high false shot ratios early on in their innings, and Smith in particular gets out in single figures a lot (cant remember the exact stat, but it was something like 6-7 runs or under scored in half the tests he played).

But when Smith passes 9 runs, his batting average goes into the stratosphere (averages north of 80 when he gets a start) ... and about 55-60% of his innings he reaches double figures end in at least a half century.

Difference between the greatest and the worst.... cash in on the luck you get.

[sussexpob]

That ball just grass hugged... having a check on DRS, I think its missing, but how are you supposed to get bat on that

[sussexpob]

Smith wont be turning the start into a century today, but that ball has exploded like a hand grenade off the pitch. Tries to get forward to it to smother it, but no chance.

146-4.

I am guessing all out for 200-230

[sussexpob]

Pitch continues to be unpredictable. Handscomb gets 5 balls from Jadeja, 4 don't do a lot, one lifts off like Apollo 13 and Handscomb is lucky to get nothing on it.

Batters are at the grace of god at the moment. Lot of edges squirting around not going to fielders or carrying.... key here is to play with soft hands.

[Durhamfootman]

Hints of the Mumbai test of 2004/05 about this match. India failed first up for about 100, Australia grinded out a score in tough conditions and took a mammoth lead (in the context of the match).... India batted well in the 3rd innings, but by the end of day 2 the ball was teleporting to other dimensions off the pitch, and Michael Clarke turned into Murali (6 wickets for about as many runs if I remember).

Australia then made 80-90 in the last innings by memory, on a pitch resembling a first world war battlefield.

just an ordinary day at Taunton

[Durhamfootman]

Australia wont get a bigger chance to win a game in India then right now.

absolutely

I think even a draw guarantees them a test champ final at the Oval... presumably against India