Australia v India: 2nd Test, Sydney

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Tuesday, January 3, 2011
Start time: 1030 AEDT; 0500 IST; 2330 GMT

Australia:
1 David Warner, 2 Ed Cowan, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Ricky Ponting, 5 Michael Clarke (C), 6 Michael Hussey,
7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Peter Siddle, 9 James Pattinson, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Ben Hilfenhaus.

India:
1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 VVS Laxman, 6 Virat Kohli,
7 MS Dhoni (C, wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Umesh Yadav.

Read a pre-match Review here courtesy of ESPN Cricinfo: India's Batsmen Hope For SCG Magic

Linebreaker wrote:From one ranga to another... hi boomer! Julia... nice top (and pink hat before).

I was looking forward to going in tomorrow - maybe to see Sachin stretch things out. I hope India can dig in for a while.

One day we will rule the world LB, so you better be nice.

Tomorrow could end up a great day. Sachin stars, or perhaps we win. Unfortunately work is going to get in the way for me tomorrow, and then I think management will have other plans for sat. Enjoy it if you get there.

Thanks mate. Just organised it for tomorrow. Meeting some buddies on the Town Hall steps early then take it from there.

Looking forward to it - especially if they can get GG out early. Sachin... I don't mind if he hangs around for a while.

Any chance that Tendulkar will actually get his hundred on this pitch? If seeing Ponting doing it wasnt motivation enough ....

Two down, should have been three. Not that it will matter too much.

Fair play to Clarke for not being greedy although I reckon a 10 over slog would have been worth a go.

He stuck around late today as if he intends be out there to do some business tomorrow. Pitch is holding up well - just a case of applying himself well and showing plenty of patience... of which he usually has bucket-loads.

I think he'll get close at least. Who knows... maybe even 200 to wipe the smiles off the Aussies' faces?

When i woke up and saw the scorecard i was really shocked. The Aussies have absolutely demolished India here. I hope that Sachin Tendulkar does get his ton but not here as that would take some shine off it as his team have been totally and utterly outplayed.

Well dont the Aussies.

One word to describe India...pathetic, which is a huge shame. Has there ever been such a toothless bowling attack?

Very well played Ponting, Clarke and Hussey, though - it still takes a great deal of luck and application to reach such scores.

Just hoping for that elusive Sachin ton now to a) make it a little more competitive at least and b) to end the ongoing media drag about him getting it, if they just shut up about it for a moment he might actually get it!

Fists of Fury wrote:One word to describe India...pathetic, which is a huge shame. Has there ever been such a toothless bowling attack?

Harris Siddle Bollinger North Doherty, Adelaide 2010?

Was hoping nobody would bring that up!
Also you scored big there in 2007/08 from memory.

I would never say the Aussies give up like India seem to and did last summer.

Yeah the Aussies do always try, India just give their neck far too easily.

lol sorry i werent on here last night for the game, i eneded up going out last night, came back and watched it in bed

however fantastic stuff from clarke and hussey.

Raining here now folks... but light stuff only.

Hope the weather is fine for you tomorrow Linebreaker ...

and although I'm sure you'd like to see an Australian win (which seems a strong possibility ) a Tendulkar hundred and a bit of fight from VVS to at least keep them working all day probably wouldn't be too awful to watch?

Exactly alfie. Rain has got heavier - lightning & thunder. I hope it goes away as quickly as it came. Might be a delay to the start... hard to tell?
Pitch might behave a bit differently. Will have to wait and see.

i really hope rain dosent ruin play im staying up to watch it tonight, and i actually want to watch this game lol.

I'll be up in about 6 hours and let you know how it is, mate.

ok thanks mate.

I think we might have finally seen the back of Dravid, Laxman, Sharma.

On a side note, will Kohli be banned for swearing at the crowd?

Demon Racer wrote:I think we might have finally seen the back of Dravid, Laxman, Sharma.

On a side note, will Kohli be banned for swearing at the crowd?

Nope, he was just given a fine.

skyeman wrote:

Demon Racer wrote:I think we might have finally seen the back of Dravid, Laxman, Sharma.

On a side note, will Kohli be banned for swearing at the crowd?

Nope, he was just given a fine.

Terrible decision, money seems to have gone to his head.

Would it be wise for India to change their captain? Dhoni has been a fine leader, but since achieving the ICC WC and also previously being World No 1 Test side, his motivation doesn't seem to be there any longer.

It was clearly shown during Australia's innings, Dhoni is regarded as someone to think 'outside the box', yet with only 191 on the board, he brings on his most reliable option(Ashwin) with a deep set field and Ashwin got milked for 150 runs without every looking like be a threat or keeping it tight.

When you get rolled for 191, your only chance is to bowl out the opposition cheaply. Dhoni seemed to give up.

india always look flat in the field, however i dont think you can just blame Dhoni for that. There are a lot of senior guys in that side, and only laxman gees up the bowlers when on the field..

dhoni must be under a lot of pressure as his glovework comes under scurtiny all the time, he is captain of india and csk, and his batting needs to be good every game now with the top order always struggling so i dont think he needs to be replaced as captain i feel that its down to senior guys to also motivate the side.

cricketfan90 wrote:india always look flat in the field, however i dont think you can just blame Dhoni for that. There are a lot of senior guys in that side, and only laxman gees up the bowlers when on the field..

dhoni must be under a lot of pressure as his glovework comes under scurtiny all the time, he is captain of india and csk, and his batting needs to be good every game now with the top order always struggling so i dont think he needs to be replaced as captain i feel that its down to senior guys to also motivate the side.

But does Dhoni justify a place averaging only 38? The Tendulkar's, Sehwag's, Dravid's average over 50. Gambhir and Laxman average 45+. Kohli is a rookie so is let off is this discussion. Personally Dhoni has kept really well thus far on this tour.

Dhoni is India's wicket keeper, and no other keeper averagd this high consistently in the last 30 years for India. And if you haven't noticed, he was India's top scorer in that mammoth first innings!!!!!!!!.
Anyways, There is at last the 2nd positive for India from the match, Gautam Gambhir managed to put bat to ball in a convincing manor in 3 weeks for the first time!.
Concerns are too many to list, and no point in bothering with it.
I know this batting lineup is aging and is on its way out, and the transformation will be dificult. Result may go against India, but the team has to show character even in defeat. That's all I expect and hope from them, hopefully they won't let down people big time again.

I think India will fight back tomorrow/later today, and may well take the match into a 5th day. Kohli's gesture is a bit of a mountain out of a molehill if you ask me.

Australia will want to keep the pressure on and pick up a couple of wickets before lunch. This indian line-up play spin fantastically well, so it's hard to see Lyon having much of an impact, but if he can hold up an end and get one or two he'll have done his job. Clarke could come into play from around the wicket looking to straighten the ball, as he bowls a bit quicker and may get some bite off the wicket, if he's not too knackered after his heroics with the bat.

I don't think this test is a foregone conclusion just yet, the pitch is still very good and India have some big players still to bat.

Mike, the problem is not so much with the pitch. India has nothing to look forward to at the moment. Even a pretty good batting effort may not enough to earn a draw. Already they are underperforming and are under pressure, ad then if their best effort can produce a defeat, then.......
But I just hope they reverse this trend of giving up far too easily, and put up a real good fight. That may help earn them some luck from the rain gods as well!!.

All Australia have to do is bowl in the right areas. They have masses of time on their side - don't be surprised if they wrap it up on Day 4!

Australia looked good in the evening session creating plenty of opportunities and they will do the same tomorrow.

It's such a good postion to be in for the aussies , India can bat really well and score 400 - 450 and yet still lose by an innings

dhoni will never be axed as skipper, the only way he will lose it is if he steps down...in india dhoni is like god, so there would probably be chaos if he was stripped of the captaincy.

Fair bit of rain overnight but hopefully play will start as scheduled.

I think we will see a few more wickets falling today.... when they get on the field - compared to Days 2 and 3.

(the weather channel now says 'light morning showers'... but the girl is smiling. Hopefully it will clear later. It is quite windy and cool now though)

I don't think India will wipe off the deficit today. It will be tough out there in the middle.

i hope the weather will be ok for the game, im staying up for it, so will be p****d off if the weather ruins it.

If Australia get Gambhir early, then Laxman and Kohli won't last too long. Dhoni might hang around, probably Ashwin as well. 9, 10 and 11 are rabbits.

If the weather is ok, and in the possible overcast conditions I am of the thinking that this match will be over by around tea time.

As of 10pm or 9am SWW Aus time, it is cloudy and windy but dry, so hopefully play will kick off on time.

Australia have really bowled well rubbish so far, but just as I type Sidds gets Gambhir with what you have to say is a terrible shot. Still 300 behind, only 7 wickets in hand now... Can Tendulkar carry on playing with the same freedom?

well Australia have bowled utter poopie so far, but managed to pick up a wicket so they won't mind too much. Tendulkar looks in good touch for India, can Laxman make some kind of score?

Haddin has kept like a drain in this innings.

Who would think it a rather amusing damp squib if Tendulkar got his 100th international century today only for India to lose by an innings?

Drinks break - time for Mike to look at my last 2 posts on the Hall of Fame thread!

Disappointing from Hilf and Pattinson. Clarke hasn't seemed too good with the plans for once.

oh no.

Unlucky Sachin. Out for 80.

Unlucky Linebreaker.

Sachin gone for 80! Another near miss. Caught at slip after Haddin juggled it, off the bowling of Captain Fantastic. He can do no wrong!

From 271-3 to 286-7, India are sliding to a heavy defeat.

Collapso Calypso.

After a quick slogathon 50 odd partership, Zaheer Khan goes for one slog too many and skies to deep cover where a back peddaling Marsh takes a fine catch.

Z Khan cSE Marsh bSiddle 35

India 342-8

Tea:

India 351-8, 5 wkts in the session.

India trail by 117 runs.

Six heavy overseas defeats on the trot looming for India, and the Perth Test coming up with a bouncy pitch, which will not suit the Indians.

Surely Rohit Sharma will come in for Perth, but with India looking likely to stick with Kohli, which big name player might they omit?

to Ashwin for a fighting 50, his batting since debut is a big plus for India.

India 383-8

And the bowling change works for Clarke, with Lyon claiming his first wkt.

I Sharma lbw b Lyon 11

India 384-9

Aus wrap up the game with Hilfenhaus getting a five-for and suprising me with his bowling.

A bit of fight from the Indian tail but India were always playing catch-up after their poor display in the first innings.

R Ashwin c Lyon b Hilfenhaus 62
India 400ao

Australia won by an innings and 68 runs and go 2-0 up.

No point in predicting the MoM, he could do no wrong. But a very good game for Ponting, Hussey and Hilfenhaus too.