Australia v India: 3rd Test, Perth

First topic message reminder :

Friday, January 13 - Tuesday, January 17 at the WACA
Start time: 1030 WST; 1330 AEDT; 0800 IST; 0230 GMT

Australia:
1 David Warner, 2 Ed Cowan, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Ricky Ponting, 5 Michael Clarke (capt), 6 Michael Hussey,
7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Peter Siddle, 9 Ryan Harris, 10 Mitchell Starc, 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 (capt & wk), 8 Zaheer Khan, 9 Ishant Sharma, 10 Vinay Kumar, 11 Umesh Yadav.

Kumar out - caught by Clarke at 1st slip off the bowling of Hilfenhaus.

171/7

Zaheer out first ball... almost identical dismissal. Hilfy on a hat-trick.

171/8

Ishant Sharma survives the hat-trick but is out 2 balls later. He pops one up to Ed Cowan at short leg. So 3 wickets in 5 deliveries for Hilfenhaus.

Kohli stuck on 75*

171/9

...and Siddle gets the last one. Kohli edges it to Haddin.

India all out 171.

So Australia win by an innings and 37 runs, take a 3-0 lead in the Series and win back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Hilfenhaus 18/6/54/4 (3.00)
Siddle 15.2/5/43/3 (2.80)
Starc 12/4/31/2 (2.58)
Harris 16/3/34/1 (2.12)

Well done Australia Very professional clean up.

Hilfenhaus has had a remarkable return for a man whose very presence in the team was greeted with a wave of un-enthusiasm in the Australian media when the team for Melbourne was announced ...

What a difference a few weeks makes.

I'd assume they'll select Hilfy and Siddle for Adelaide.

So one of Harris or Starc will be unlucky to make way for Lyon again - on his home turf. (in more ways than one)

You must be a happy man breaker. Absolutely walked over India. Another whitewash is on th cards for India and surely they must start to look at phasing out some of the older players now.

eirebilly wrote:You must be a happy man breaker. Absolutely walked over India. Another whitewash is on th cards for India and surely they must start to look at phasing out some of the older players now.

Yes Billy, I was a bit surprised to see it wrapped up so quickly but happy to see the Australian team on the up again.

Linebreaker wrote:

eirebilly wrote:You must be a happy man breaker. Absolutely walked over India. Another whitewash is on th cards for India and surely they must start to look at phasing out some of the older players now.

Yes Billy, I was a bit surprised to see it wrapped up so quickly but happy to see the Australian team on the up again.

I am not

Clarke was adamant there was still a lot of work to be done.

Still some fragility in the batting but hopeful they can continue to do well as they have in this B-G Series. He was happy to have the problem of trying to slot Watson back in (when fit) and to have a great group of bowlers to work with.

Pat Cummins was saying that he would be ready in early February... but he seems a very exuberant young chap so we'll have to wait for the Doctor's verdict as to when he can play again. There was a snippet of him during the lunch break on the golf course. Not bad at all!

Australia still have to get the replacements for Ponting and Hussey - whenever that time comes. Haddin needs to score more runs.
The bowlers need to maintain the rage in Adelaide... and then remain fit and firing when they tour the West Indies in March/April.

When it rains it pours. Dhoni is banned from the Adelaide test for slow over rates in Perth

.... just saw that. A bit harsh but that's the rules.

Surley he could claim a few 'seagull interruptions' and the couple of injuries to Warner - one on the head and the elbow hit. Those took a bit of time off him.

For some fans (or the BCCI?) it's a soft way of getting Saha into the team. Dhoni hasn't had a great series and seems to show no urgency or panic in his dealings with the crisis at hand.

I think that its a culmination of things breaker. He has had slow over rates for some time now. Perth was just the straw that broke the camals back.

Do you think they will drop Laxman? I noticed another scathing article on him this morning.

I am not sure that they will breaker. Not now that Dhoni is out anyways.

Whats your take on Marsh? He must be under some pressure surely?

Also wanted to say that i am happy to see Ponting in the runs again this series

For sure but they won't be dropping him yet.

As they say: "It's harder to get out of the Aussie side than it is to get in..." (for some; that is!)

That's the problem when you are Son of Swampy (Geoff Marsh) - who's having a hard time a the moment coaching the SL side (I noticed)

I always liked Geoff Marsh, thought he was a great player but i dont see him as a great coach.

My favourite Aussie player of all time is Michael Bevan, followed by Dean Jones and David Boon, the keg on legs

I always thought Deano left the game too soon. Huge fan of Bevan and Boon. Also the Waugh twins and Gilchrist.
Actually I liked quite a few of the great players. Some did get on my nerves (no names) but I guess we were lucky to have them play for us.

I could watch Dean Jones bat all day, really wonderful style.

I met Michael Whitney once as well, could not stop laughing. I met him in a pub and we had a few beers, desperately funny guy.

I have the twelth man also, brilliantly funny stuff.

Michael Whitney was/is a real character.

The 12th Man is a classic. Billy Birmingham is on a weekly sports show called The Back Page and often does those impersonations.

I stumbled across it when i was first in oz back in 88. I bought it because i thought that it was a sports editorial, brilliantly funny stuff. I suggest to any that havent heard it to go listen.

Don't get me started. There's a very rude one when he names the Pakistani cricket team. Do you remember that one?

Oh god yeah, that had me in stitches LOL

Seriously funny stuff

skyeman wrote:Hilfy got Sehwag again

Hilfenhaus is making himself look like the new Terry Alderman of Australian cricket whilst getting Sehwag out time and time again just like the way Alderman kept getting Gooch out in the 1989 ashes series.

gboycottnut wrote:

skyeman wrote:Hilfy got Sehwag again

Hilfenhaus is making himself look like the new Terry Alderman of Australian cricket whilst getting Sehwag out time and time again just like the way Alderman kept getting Gooch out in the 1989 ashes series.

Terry Alderman, now there is a name from the past

india are awful away from home, and lol at dhoni being banned.

The seam bowling in australia is building up nicely again. Hilfenhaus and Siddle will most likely be their main seam bowlers for some time, and there are a whle host of promising youngsters who had a good start to international cricket.

Good job.

hilfenhaus showing how underrated he really is...cant stop taking wickets, great sign for the aussies.

Another great win for the Aussies. India have been poor and seemingly unable to learn from their mistakes, but of course international cricket is no place to overcome technical and mental difficulties. Having said that, you would think they would at least try to change which balls they are playing at and which ones they aren't. Shewag, Laxman, Kohli, Dhoni, Kumar were all out in the 2nd innings playing at balls they should have either left, or played decisively. They have been doing that all series.

For Australia, Shaun Marsh's form is beginning to be of concern, although it is only 4 innings. Jeremy Bray (former Ireland international but played first grade cricket in Australia so he knows what he is talking about) had this theory that Marsh is very still at the crease, and possibly too much so. His trigger movement is late compared to other players. Jezza thinks that as a result Marsh will struggle to get in (and get his feet moving) but once he's in he scores big. This is a pretty sound theory IMO: if you think about it, even in ODIs Marsh has scored big knocks, but the vast majority of the others have been under 10. Whether that's a facet you want from your number 3, or whether he should maybe move down the order to say 6 is an interesting question.

Ponting failed, but caught very well. It's tough for Ponting, because he is fighting his natural game, which has caught up with him with age. People talk about his head falling over, but that's nonsense. Ricky Ponting's head has always fallen over. The difference is, when he was in his prime, he hit the balls on middle-stump through mid-wicket for 4 and no one ever said anything. Now his eye has gone a bit, and he finds himself missing those balls. And hence trying to change his technique slightly and stay more in line. It is tough, and again international cricket is not a forgiving environment. However I firmly believe he still has so much to give to Australian cricket with his experience, tactical awareness and mental strength. He certainly deserves to go on his terms, but speaking to people who know him, they say he's probably too proud to do so. He will probably be pushed at some point on the quiet and allowed to announce his retirement. But not yet IMO.

Haddin is probably on his last legs. Paine's finger is a concern, and it is a question now whether you wait to see if Paine will ever be fit again, or give the gloves to Wade now. Again, with little pressure on the last test, now might be a good time. Or after this series, with the team on the up. It is much easier to come into a side which is doing well.

On the plus side for Australia is the seam-bowling. Starc has emerged as a bowler with test credentials (it only took him 3 tests), Harris has always looked quality, Hilfenhaus has got his zip back, and Siddle is hitting a good length. Then on the bench (at the moment) you have Pattinson and Cummins. It is a good position to be in. Mitch Johnson is still around of course, but it's doubtful he will ever play a test match again. One of the noticeable things about this attack is how they've hunted as a team, with pressure from all ends. You can't do that if Mitch is bowling a 4 ball every over. I've always been a big fan of Mitch (he's a genuine match-winner and those are rare) but now the onus seems to be on pressure building wickets, and with the odd fantastic spell thrown in.

Where Australia have a genuine decision to make is what to do if and when Watson returns to the side. And I honestly have no idea. Until yesterday I would have said Cowan would make way. But can you drop someone who's just featured in a 200 run stand? Has Cowan now made himself undroppable? I must say I don't know. I'm not sure I'd bring Watson back for the next test, maybe keep him fit for the one-dayers.

Very much agree with Mike's comment above re Johnson : seems to me that the absence of the regular release of pressure through a loose couple of overs from Mitch has been a big factor in the success enjoyed by Hilfenhaus in particular this summer.
Granted , Hilfy has been sharper this year , but even last season there were times where he bowled some good spells but got nothing to show for them as the batsmen simply waited them out and plundered at the other end , something India have been unable to do. While the current set up continues to get results I think they'll be most unwilling to look at a loose cannon like Johnson again.

Of course , it remains to be seen whether these bowlers will be as efficient against a more resolute opponent - we may have to wait a little while to find out.

Its about time Dhoni got banned. Im still not sure how it didnt happen over the summer.

I guess India will make multiple changed at Adelaide, with Shewag becoming skipper.

If Dhoni is really true in getting rid of their old guard, then Adelaide is the place to start.

Laxman, Gambhir and V Kumar should be axed, and obviously Dhoni as well.

Rahane should open up with Sehwag. Kolhi should move up to 3. Dravid down to 5 and Rohit Sharma at 6. Ashwin should return, on his batting alone. And Saha at 8 for Dhoni.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:Its about time Dhoni got banned. Im still not sure how it didnt happen over the summer.

It seems I have missed something, why must Dhoni get banned?

Presumably for his consistently slow over rates.

Thanks.

yet again india have proved they cant play away, and have been totally humilated.

It will be interesting to see who the Australian selectors go with for Adelaide.

Lyon will be in for sure but they're still undecided on the pace bowlers. There is talk of giving one of Hilfenhaus or Siddle a rest.

Good to see the Aussie's smashing the Indian team. Keep up the good form.

Will feel even better for us when we cuff our commonwealth cousin's in 2013.

Surely we'll do better in 2013. Still a long way to go but we have a knack of turning things around when all seems lost.