Well since there is no thread relating to the magnificent Australian cricket victory yesterday I thought I may as well start one. What a fantastic achievement, if only SR Waugh could of been leading the team! Unlucky for Gillespe not to get Man of the match I thought but Martyn batted very well.

All in all a fantastic team effort.

Here here. I agree. I wouldn't mind going and watching them in the 17th Nov test match here in Brissy.

Yeah still stand by your words spidz when you said clarke wasnt worthy of his postition?

(Heme's Bro *Macca*)

Yep, we booked our tickets for Dec 17 already. Can't wait! Aktar v Lee at the WACA. There's about 14 of us going and we're seriously considering buying another ticket so we can hire a skimpy beer wench for the day muahaha

Yeah still stand by your words spidz when you said clarke wasnt worthy of his postition?

of course I do. At the time I said he would score runs, but it doesn't change the fact he was pipcked on a hunch and not on form. Sure the hunch was right, but it was still just a hunch.

A 1st class average in the mid 30's doesn't warrant test selection. Especially since both Watson and Hodge scored over 1000 shield runs last year and average 50. Who is to say either of them wouldn't have scored the runs Clarke has? they were both in better form and with superior records. However, we will never know now because the opportunity they earnt was taken from them unfairly.

Maybe the selectors know a bit more than you do spidz and don't just pick on runs scored and average?

Anyway, Australia are now the best team in the world by a long margain ie. no other team really compares at the moment,

we rock

I think the Indians still compare quite favourably, sure we're the best team - but its not like we completely own the Indians.

I think the Indians still compare quite favourably, sure we're the best team - but its not like we completely own the Indians.

I think they did... Considering we were playing on a docktted pitch.

2nd test wicket was designed for Kumble, and the Indians almost beat Australia on it.

Never looked in the game at all on the other two wickets.

What's the go with Ponting?

He'll play in the next Test.

The team seems to be pretty strong without him though. Who replaced him (not as captain)?

awesome effort by the aussie lads

gillespie bowled unbelieviablely in the second innings

we have our tickets for the test in aus
second day againts nz

i feel sorry for the kiwis already

Maybe the selectors know a bit more than you do spidz and don't just pick on runs scored and average?

exactly what I was thinking.

Stick: Clarke replaced Ponting, but Ponting will definately come in for leahmann who's done his groin or hammy can't remember which.

last edited by Fade2Black at 18:55:57 30/Oct/04

and on a side note I got 6-32 today :D

I think the Indians still compare quite favourably, sure we're the best team - but its not like we completely own the Indians.

dude, we completely demolished them in this test, their tailenders have now scored more runs then the top order batsmen without sehwag

i wouldnt call a team who has to depend on half its runs from bowlers as being anywhere near the best in the world, and their ranking shows that :P

dude, we completely demolished them in this test, their tailenders have now scored more runs then the top order batsmen without sehwag

i wouldnt call a team who has to depend on half its runs from bowlers as being anywhere near the best in the world, and their ranking shows that :P

I agree.

I agree that they've looked pretty poor batting wise, but then our batting order has only really been heald together by martyn, clarke and katich. Hayden, Langer and Gilchrist are only averaging around 30 with the bat this series.

Gilchrist scored 100 in the first test.

As far as all the other comments go, you all are too one-eyed.

First test - we beat them pretty good and stamped our class.

Second test - the rain saved us from a VERY likely defeat. (and sif doctored wicket, no more doctored than the WACA or the gabba when asian nations tour here)

Third test - a crazy indian curator actually prepared a pitch that favoured us. The indians were missing their best spinner and their best pace bowler, lost their captain on match morning and Tendulkar returned from injury after not batting for 3 months.

I think we are the best side in the world, but it was less than a year ago that a full strength indian side came out to Australia and drew a series on wickets very much in our favour.

Our Top XI really isn't that far ahead of theirs, but these 3 tests sure did show that when injury strikes we have some serious depth in our ranks. Ponting was out and was replaced by a bloke that top scored for the series. Tendulkar/Ganguly out injured and replaced by players not up to test standards - that's where the real difference lay in this series.

the aussie bowling is absoutlely awesome
so much pressure
so few bad balls

get the feeling the aussie batting has been a bit lucky, but the bowlers are doing the hard work

doesnt hurt that the indians are having shockers

as much as i hate rob craddock (the courier mail cricket writer) but he summed it up good in the paper today
out bowled
out batted
out smarted!

(out fielded as well)

I think the form of Laxman was a huge factor in he series sop far, especially the way in which he got himself out in the 1st Innings of 3rd test. It would have dropped moral for the entire team.

They never had a chance in the 3rd test, no Singh, no Ganguly, no Pathan, an underdone Tendulkar and a green pitch. I would have been surprised if we didn't thrash them.

and like I said earlier, only rain saved it from being 2-1 with one test to play.

What absolute bollocks spidz. The second test could have gone either way; I don't know how you come to the conclusion that we were the more likely side to lose. The fact is it got rained out so nobody won or lost and saying one side would have lost is pure speculation.

Tendulkar being underdone is a matter of speculation also: they picked him, so he must be ready to play. Clearly he didn't play at his best but don't forget that McGrath and Gillespie are the two bowlers to get him out more than any others IIRC. Also lets not forget the fact that Clarke was making his debut and could have gone either way. Don't foget the reason we lost last time was because of VVS Laxman producing some extraordinairy batting: on the whole we outplayed them and that's not just my opinion it's also the opinion of some of the aussie players.

The pitches over here last time the two sides met were also suited to them: the WACA didn't bounce and was slow, and Sydney was also slow and didn't really turn. In terms of doctoring pitches the asian teams are past masters whereas I don't think you can say the Australian curators deliberately produce a certain type of wicket: each ground has different characteristics whereas all the Indian grounds are dustbowls (except Nagpur hehe).

India didn't play a Test at the WACA last time they came here.

I think we are the best side in the world, but it was less than a year ago that a full strength indian side came out to Australia and drew a series on wickets very much in our favour.

Of course we were missing McGrath and Warne, who at the time would have been the two best bowlers in the world regarding spin and pace.

Oh and lets not forget it was India's batting that drew that series. McGrath and Warne could have meant a winning series for us.

we werent just missing mcgrath and warne - throughout the series over here we lost gillespie and lee as well, two of our best bowlers at the time - we were pretty much playing with a 2nd string bowling lineup, and it showed with pretty much all of the indian batsmen excelling

even on the the spinner pitches over there their batsmen have failed with the exception of sehwag and kaif, in fact, take out those 2 players in the 2nd test and india had trouble getting to 100, and getting 240 odd on the last day of a test match with our bowlers bowling as well as they are? yeah, definitely a win to india there /sarcasm

and yeah, the first two wickets WERE doctored - as are ours, its just the home country advantage, and india still didnt come close to us in the first test match, and their bowlers were the only players keeping them in the 2nd test (again excepting sehwag/kaif)

imo, this fourth test will be interesting, with australia having to play against players theyve never seen before, i have a feeling it will be closer than ppl are expecting against 4 indian new-comers

lee is probably the most overrated bowler around.

i mean s***, if they need someone to bowl wides all the time, give me a baggy green.

or Harmison ^^

I still reckon they should put Waugh back in for another match. Then he could claim to be part of the side that finally won in India! :)

watch them drop kaspa for Lee as soon as we return to Australia - f***ing homo's.

also, anyone notice that Bennet King just took on the job as West Indies coach - should be very interesting.