Australia Tour of Sri Lanka 2022. Thread is now complete.

[Chris M]

TF?

What does that mean?

 

[Chris M]

That's what I'm asking you. Your post #57.

Ok. I didn't realise the series was on. Didn't see any news about it. Australia lost. Not only a game but the series. I guess it was in the days around Saints big win so it went unnoticed for me.

Australia spun out in Colombo as Sri Lanka clinches ODI series

David Warner stars with a lone 99 as Australia collapses to lose the one-day series to Sri Lanka, in a serious warning for the tourists before the Tests.

www.abc.net.au

How did this happen? Did Sri Lanka play really well, much better than expected or did Australia play really badly? If the latter, do you know who screwed up? Anyone likely to be dropped as a result?

 

[RedVHeartbeat]

Not a big 50 over white ball follower to be honest. I detest the yellow kit we wear for starters.

Reading between the lines our spin play was not up to scratch.

Not the case with the 'A' side. They shared the white ball matches and won both four day ones.. sending out signals to the Test selectors. The last day finish in the second match was a thriller with our boys coming back from losing four early cheap wickets to nail the 360 run target. No mean feat with centuries to our next Test opening batsman Henry Hunt and Qld Bulls keeper/skipper Jimmy Peirson with the nation's second best all round cricketer Aaron Hardie icing the cake.

 

[Chris M]

Not a big white ball follower to be honest. I detest the yellow kit we wear for starters.

Reading between the lines our spin play was not up to scratch.

Not the case with the 'A' side. They shared the white ball matches and won both four day ones.. sending out signals to the Test selectors. The last day finish in the second match was a thriller with our boys coming back from losing four early cheap wickets to nail the 360 run target. No mean feat with centuries to our next Test opening batsman Henry Hunt and Qld Bulls keeper/skipper Jimmy Peirson with the nation's second best all round cricketer Aaron Hardie icing the cake.

So it was the batters who screwed up?

 

[RedVHeartbeat]

So it was the batters who screwed up?

Yep. Unable to handle the good spin bowling by Sri Lanka.

 

[Chris M]

Yep. Unable to handle the good spin bowling by Sri Lanka.

Hmmmm ok coach, how to rectify the problem?

 

[RedV01]

Hmmmm ok coach, how to rectify the problem?

Sack all the batters!!! Except Warner and Maxwell.

 

[RedVHeartbeat]

Hmmmm ok coach, how to rectify the problem?

I believe there has been a general improvement in spin tuition at state level over the past decade as most states now have their own spin coach. As for our national players CA has set up spin friendly practice pitches at the National Academy in Brisbane where our most promising spinners attend an annual spin camp. we have in the past. (unsure if now) sent our best under 18 juniors to Asian nations to play in their local club competition. So our cricket bosses are making an effort to finally redress this age old problem, which is not a simple thing to tackle as we Aussies are inherently moderate (being generous) players of spin because we grow up on lively, bouncy pitches more conducive to pace bowling than spin. Those without much between the ears struggle to adapt to playing spin correctly, specially on the Sub Continent. Those that do adapt are very much in the minority.

 

[Chris M]

I believe there has been a general improvement in spin tuition at state level over the past decade as most states now have their own spin coach. As for our national players CA has set up spin friendly practice pitches at the National Cricket Academy in Brisbane..plus our best juniors are (or were) sent to Asian nations to play in their local club competition. It is not the total answer but at least something to redress this age old problem, which is not a simple thing to tackle as we Aussies are inherently moderate (being generous) players of spin because we grow up on lively, bouncy pitches more conducive to pace bowling than spin. Those without much between the ears struggle to adapt to playing spin correctly, specially on the Sub Continent. Those that do adapt are very much in the minority.

Out of the current team, which players lack most "between the ears" in your opinion?

 

[Chris M]

Warner, Harris, Labuchagne, Head I'd say. I will give you a generalisation. Those batsmen that play spin from the crease with no footwork. Simply plonk the front foot forward followed by the bat and hope the ball hits the middle and not the edge. Those that use the risky slog sweep in front of their stumps to cow corner (deep mid wicket) rather than move feet and get to the pitch of the ball and guide the ball to wherever they want. If there is no turn all those players I mentioned have the ability to loft the ball back over the bowlers head, so they are not total spin play duds.

I obviously haven't been following it as closely as you but is it still the case that Labuchagne can bat but very, very slowly?

 

[RedVHeartbeat]

Finally some Test cricket involving us Aussies with the first of two a two match series to be played in the Sri Lankan fort city of Galle tomorrow.

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar (injured), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner. Standby players: Jon Holland, Matthew Kuhnemann, Todd Murphy.

 

[Chris M]

Batting slowly.. I call it patiently.. is the key in Test cricket as the match covers five days as I'm sure you know. Marnus, like all good Test batsmen ensures he is "in" before he expands his batting. The best at this has been Steve Smith, who has nerves of steel and over a five/six year period, 2013-19 held together our batting and cricket. The man is a phenomenon.. much like the incomparable Don Bradman. Labuchagne is a good batsman, yet not in the same class as those two.

Lets agree to disagree on this. Of course there are times when very slowly isn't bad but remember the glory days of Waugh(s), Ponting, Gilchrist? Even Mark Taylor was fast compared with Labuchagne.

 

[Chris M]

I am a cricket purist.. you obviously are not. I am one of the dwindling few that enjoy sitting through five 90 over days watching blokes test their ability, judgement, composure, fitness and technique with both bat and ball.
If you want Test cricket on steroids then you would have enjoyed the just played series between England and NZ. Bat clearly was dominant over ball.

I get what you are saying but I think there is a balance. I feel the slow batting Labuchagne is out of balance. he has gone too far with it. At least he did. I haven't been following test cricket carefully in a while. I just remember last time I followed it, Labuchagne was batting so slowly it was painful to watch.

As you mentioned, Steve Smith has a pretty good balance in test cricket. He doesn't go out and belt the ball all over the place as Waugh, Ponting, Gilchrist used to but he scores much faster than Labuchagne. Mark Taylor was another scored slowly but still much faster than Labuchagne.

 

[RedVHeartbeat]

I get what you are saying but I think there is a balance. I feel the slow batting Labuchagne is out of balance. he has gone too far with it. At least he did. I haven't been following test cricket carefully in a while. I just remember last time I followed it, Labuchagne was batting so slowly it was painful to watch.

As you mentioned, Steve Smith has a pretty good balance in test cricket. He doesn't go out and belt the ball all over the place as Waugh, Ponting, Gilchrist used to but he scores much faster than Labuchagne. Mark Taylor was another scored slowly but still much faster than Labuchagne.

Nothing wrong in preferring Test batsman to score their runs quickly. As long as they do it with minimal risk. I have seen far too many Test players throw way their wicket and a good position in the game by playing a risky white ball like shot.

To which Waugh are you referring .. Steve or Mark? Steve valued maintaining his wicket whereas his twin played his shots. No doubt Mark was the best of the two to watch but he also lost his wicket more often, result being he finished his career with 10 points less average than Steve.

Not sure where you are coming from re Labuchagne being a slow scorer. As I posted before. Once he considers, like most of our best Test batsmen, that he has established his innings, he goes to another gear. That is the balance you spoke of. In fact he does this more often than Smith did during his golden run. It was not unusual for Smith the bat all day, picking off only the loose balls to build his score.

 

[Chris M]

Nothing wrong in preferring Test batsman to score their runs quickly. As long as they do it with minimal risk. I have seen far too many Test players throw way their wicket and a good position in the game by playing a risky white ball like shot.

To which Waugh are you referring .. Steve or Mark? Steve valued maintaining his wicket whereas his twin played his shots. No doubt Mark was the best of the two to watch but he also lost his wicket more often, result being he finished his career with 10 points less average than Steve.

Not sure where you are coming from re Labuchagne being a slow scorer. As I posted before. Once he considers, like most of our best Test batsmen, that he has established his innings, he goes to another gear. That is the balance you spoke of. In fact he does this more often than Smith did during his golden run. It was not unusual for Smith the bat all day, picking off only the loose balls to build his score.

I'm sure you're right regarding Labuchagne. It's been 2 or 3 years since I followed up on what is happening with test cricket. At that time, he was scoring pitifully slow.

I was talking about Steve Waugh. His brother used to go for more audacious shots but score less and slower.

 

[RedVHeartbeat]

At that time, he was scoring pitifully slow.

He had only just come into Test cricket off the back of a fairly moderate first class average so was trying to keep his place with his steady scoring rate I imagine. That was against Pakistan and spin in UAE in 2018 from memory. Marnus came into his own in the Ashes tour the following year when he almost topped the batting over Steve Smith.

 

[Chris M]

You are confused between the two. Mark scored quicker than Steve who became the team batting brick wall. Yes Mark played audacious shots with an element of risk but had great timing too when he played correct cricket shots. If I wanted to watch a batsman purely for aesthetic value I'd pick Mark but if I wanted to win a Test match I'd choose Steve.

Do you have stats to confirm that? I think you are wrong. It was a long time ago but I remember a commentator talking about how Mark had a reputation as a more talented batter but he scored fewer runs at a slower pace.

 

[Chris M]

What stats do you want. I can produce any number that shows Steve was a better batsman than Mark. As for the pace they batted I have seen dozens of games of the two batting. I dont have to rely on the random hearsay of a commentator.

It wasn't hearsay. He was saying that it was hearsay that Mark is more talented, which was a popular opinion at the time. The commentator pointed out that the stats show Steve scores more runs and faster, and showed the stats.

 

[RedVHeartbeat]

Sri Lanka 2-68 at lunch.

 

[RedVHeartbeat]

It wasn't hearsay. He was saying that it was hearsay that Mark is more talented, which was a popular opinion at the time. The commentator pointed out that the stats show Steve scores more runs and faster, and showed the stats.

What is your point. I followed both their careers until retirement. So respect that I know what I am talking about. Steve was the more productive batsman of the two from Ashes 1989 onwards. Mark played second fiddle to him after that. I always maintained that Mark made batting look easier than Steve but lacked his brother's temperament. Mark was also the better player of spin.
Perhaps if I post their respective career stats you will accept my point of view and drop the subject.

Steve Waugh Profile - Cricket Player Australia | Stats, Records, Video

Read about Steve Waugh cricket player from Australia profile, stats, rankings, records, videos, photos at ESPNcricinfo

www.espncricinfo.com

Mark Waugh Profile - Cricket Player Australia | Stats, Records, Video

Read about Mark Waugh cricket player from Australia profile, stats, rankings, records, videos, photos at ESPNcricinfo

www.espncricinfo.com

Note the strike rate of the two. There is proof Mark scored quicker than Steve over their careers.