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[Gerry SA]

I think Lyon has more to worry about with his bowling than Wade... When a "spin" bowler can't turn a ball on a wicket like that and the opposition spinner, who is average at best, cleans up with sharp turning balls and gets balls to jump up off a good length then he needs to take a look at himself.. Lyon bowled poorly and that is that... When Dhoni took to him he dropped his bundle.. When he needed to use flight he speared it in short and fast and became predictable.

You're either Muralidaran or punch drunk to claim R Ashwin is 'average at best'

Against England he was up and down. Bowled too many variations. He's gone back to his coach and worked on ripping the off spinner big and focusing on drift.

Ashwin is pretty inexperienced. Outside Test cricket he's only played 30 odd FC games.

He made rapid improves to fix his issues unlike his teammate H Singh, who after 100 Tests is still throwing down pies.

[Manormanic]

think for the second Test, Australia should go with the following line up:

1. Watson
2. Warner
3. Hughes
4. Clarke
5. Smith/Maxwell
6. Henriques
7. Wade(as there's no other keeper should be Tim Paine)
8. Johnson
9. Pattinson
10. Lyon
11. Doherty

So you'd drop Cowan (who actually batted well here) but not Hughes (who is embarrassing), would play Smith or Maxwell (who doesn't even bat five in state cricket) to bat five ahead of Khawaja, and would play two non turning pie chuckers instead of one...

[cricketbadger]

So you'd drop Cowan (who actually batted well here) but not Hughes (who is embarrassing), would play Smith or Maxwell (who doesn't even bat five in state cricket) to bat five ahead of Khawaja, and would play two non turning pie chuckers instead of one...

I agree, the side he named is pretty poor, to even mention Smith and Maxwell within the test side is ridiculous in my opinion, and the 2 spinners are woeful. But they have no other spin options really

[Vic Nicholas]

The mistake was made a few weeks back when the 17-man squad was named. The absence of top-class spinners in the country is hardly a scoop, but if they were serious about considering a second specialist in India - given the injuries to Jon Holland and Michael Beer - it should have been Stephen O'Keefe.

 The NSW left-arm orthodox took eight wickets in a Sheffield Shield match at Blacktown just days before the touring party was named, and is easily the leading domestic wicket-taker among spinners this season. He can bat, too. The word is O'Keefe has a line through his name, though, because he is a chirpy, confident lad not afraid to speak his mind. The suggestion is that kind of personality doesn't suit the team culture.
 Whatever the reason, his snubbing leaves them with few options. Australia played its best bowlers in Chennai and was taken apart - the danger is if it gets spooked in Hyderabad and picks another spinner for the sake of it.


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/spinning-out-the-blame-20130225-2f22t.html#ixzz2Ly9tFvmW

If the underlined is true...then questions have to be asked about this new metrosexual environment thats being created in the test team. it was no secret that the majority of the late 90s early 00s test team hated each other - but they still managed winning streaks that will never be matched.

[Binsy]

A tour to India was always going to be the litmus test for this Aussie line up. While no one can argue with the quality of seamers they have coming though (Pattinson, Starc and Cummins are all exceptional talents) there was always a doubt about a) the spin bowling department and b) how well there batsmen would fare on surfaces with which they weren't as familiar.

Let's not forget that England also lost the first Test to India in similar circumstances recently and went on to win the series. There is a lot of cricket still to be played.

[Manormanic]

If the underlined is true...then questions have to be asked about this new metrosexual environment thats being created in the test team. it was no secret that the majority of the late 90s early 00s test team hated each other - but they still managed winning streaks that will never be matched.

What is that saying about a team growing to mirror its captain?

[Manormanic]

Let's not forget that England also lost the first Test to India in similar circumstances recently and went on to win the series. There is a lot of cricket still to be played.

There is.  But England won because they had two world class batsmen at the top of the order who made consistently massive scores (why does Clarke, Australia's one such, choose to bat five still?) and two genuinely World Class spinners (Australia have a nominated spinner who isn't even as good as the five batsmen in the team at twirling!)

[Binsy]

There is.  But England won because they had two world class batsmen at the top of the order who made consistently massive scores (why does Clarke, Australia's one such, choose to bat five still?) and two genuinely World Class spinners (Australia have a nominated spinner who isn't even as good as the five batsmen in the team at twirling!)

Agree with this. I got berated on here the other day for suggesting this, but shouldn't Clarke, as captain and world ranked number 2 batsman, push himself up to 3 or 4?

[tim2000s]

There is.  But England won because they had two world class batsmen at the top of the order who made consistently massive scores (why does Clarke, Australia's one such, choose to bat five still?) and two genuinely World Class spinners (Australia have a nominated spinner who isn't even as good as the five batsmen in the team at twirling!)

And therein lies the point. Australia need to take 20 wickets on dustbowls that England's spinners made look like minefields. There is no one in the Aus side who looks like they will make that happen.

[cricketbadger]

witht he likes of maxwell, smith and lyon as the spin options, I'd rate Clarke as their best spinner

[Manormanic]

Agree with this. I got berated on here the other day for suggesting this, but shouldn't Clarke, as captain and world ranked number 2 batsman, push himself up to 3 or 4?

four would be ideal - it would suit his particular game better than three but still give one of the lesser batsmen a bit more protection.

[Manormanic]

witht he likes of maxwell, smith and lyon as the spin options, I'd rate Clarke as their best spinner

had to laugh in this game just gone - Lyon was chuntering away at haviong to bowl on a road and Warner come on and rips it square.

[johnnyw]

Bring katich back as a spinner. He would have been a good bowler if he did not have so many injuiries. He can bat abit aswell

[Manormanic]

Bring katich back as a spinner. He would have been a good bowler if he did not have so many injuiries. He can bat abit aswell

with qualities like those he'd need to be rested...

[cricketbadger]

Just seen the highlights of Dhoni's knock, and im rather bemused by Lyon's body language
Keeps chucking it up there into the slot for Dhoni to slap it into the stands, and he looks bewildered when dhoni launches it, what does he expect?
and look at his 3 wickets, both bowled her chopped onto the stumps, another was a terrible shot from kohli, somethings wrong if he cant trouble a batsmen in those spinning conditions