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[Calzehbhoy]

Will the Aussies bring Maxwell or Agar in for the next test to strengthen their all round team too? Can't see a need for Mitch Marsh in this side at all!

[adb club cricketer]

One thing was clear from this game - Aus batsmen played for straight one as a strategy (unlike all the other teams Eng/Sa/Nz which visited india recently) and hence so many missed outside edges but few actually getting outside edge while Indian batsmen played for turn and hence so many lbws. So looks like the blueprint for success in subcontinent is uncovered (w.r.t. left arm spinners at least) - play for the straight one and be happy for outside edge misses...

I haven't analyzed Lyon's/Ashwin's  wickets enough to come to a definitive conclusion on strategy for off spinners but at least a simple solution as above for countering left arm spinners is quite a good (and big) start for visiting teams in subcontinent as shown by Aussies!  It holds for left hand batsmen facing off spinners as well..

Extrapolating for offspinners, I think strategy for off spinners is to play for turn/protect stumps and be happy for straight ones missing the outside edge!!

[adb club cricketer]

The game showed that for us "spinners" who can do all things except spin the ball, there is still hope left 

[ppccopener]

From the coverage  I saw this morning, which was only about 2 hours, okeefe was landing left arm darts in the right place. That's really it to be honest. If you have the one the goes straight on and the one that turns(the pitch or your talent) you will do well. A bit like Jadeja who I think is an excellent bowler. Look at okeefes pace, he was bowling good pace for that pitch.

You don't have to look far back to Swann and panesar our two best of recent years. and look at the freebies Ali and Rashid serve up around some good balls. hitting that length puts batsmen under pressure and if it turning like this pitch you are in trouble.

The fact that Australia outplayed India in these conditions is a bit of a surprise but the Aussies deserved it, it's no good saying India were poor....that's a poor argument, Australia were very good.When India were put under pressure they crumbled....on their own pitches.

[adb club cricketer]

From the coverage  I saw this morning, which was only about 2 hours, okeefe was landing left arm darts in the right place. That's really it to be honest.

Agreed...Many spinners can keep bowling without spin, but key is to put it in the right length as SOK did...As Michael Clarke nicely said in the commentary "the challenge of playing in these conditions  is that some balls will spin and some dont and that is from natural variation in the pitch"

If the bowler is doing doing it himself, some batters will pick it out of his hand, but if the pitch is doing it, there is not much the batsman can do in knowing which will spin and which wont..

[adb club cricketer]

... it's no good saying India were poor....that's a poor argument, Australia were very good.When India were put under pressure they crumbled....on their own pitches.

True..Aus played brilliantly and turned the pressure tables on India. More importantly Indians capitulated under pressure that Aussies and other things generated...The fact that no one expected Aus to do well let alone win worked to their advantage while Indians were under expectation that they will rip apart the opposition and nothing less. there was talk that the batting is so strong where a 300 scoring guy cant find place in xi..all these things put pressure...Aus also had new comers in their team without many big names and they  played boldly having nothing to lose while Indian top 5 were all big names though two of them Rahul and Rahane were not in great form, so they ended putting more pressure on themselves..

2 of the guys Ishant and Pujara couldnt get selected in IPL auction while a bunch of uncapped players got picked up for big amounts  - these things also play on the morale tbh..You could see Ishant and Ashwin on day 1, they looked quite jaded more like on a day 5 rather as on day 1...

[Felix Tito]

The main reason why O'Keefe was so successful was because he bowls round armed under cutters. Looking at the highlights Ashwin, Jadeja and even Lyon where getting too much turn most off the time. Batsmen where missing the square turners by 6-8 inches at times. The latter three obviously give it far more of a rip than O'Keefe. O'Keefe's money delivery is the straight on one, once he got the odd one to turn marginally, he was in the game big time.

[smokem]

Not just round arm, but more side spin and not so much over spin. That's how you get the natural variation. That's how they bowled most of their deliveries, except Lyon who still bowled with a fair bit of over spin. The highlights won't show you many of the straight balls the Aussies didn't get out to.

You can argue that the Aussies got a bit lucky at times but for some strange reason the Indian batsmen just didn't handle the conditions as well. For what it's worth, the Sri Lankan spinners bowled the same way to Aussies when they were in SL last year. It seems the Aussies have developed a plan to combat these conditions and this type of spin bowling. There's still a long way to go but hopefully they can keep it going.

[skip1973]

One win and all bashing started eh ? I for one was expecting Australia to put a big fight because the way they are ... And the first batting, Starc innings and poor Indian batting led to collapse. India will come back stronger but I believe this win was the everything combined together which also included Australia playing better than expected . No excuses but they were too good in alien condition and they used it properly .

Hardly bashing is it?

[InternalTraining]

One thing was clear from this game - Aus batsmen played for straight one as a strategy (unlike all the other teams Eng/Sa/Nz which visited india recently) and hence so many missed outside edges but few actually getting outside edge while Indian batsmen played for turn and hence so many lbws. So looks like the blueprint for success in subcontinent is uncovered (w.r.t. left arm spinners at least) - play for the straight one and be happy for outside edge misses...

I haven't analyzed Lyon's/Ashwin's  wickets enough to come to a definitive conclusion on strategy for off spinners but at least a simple solution as above for countering left arm spinners is quite a good (and big) start for visiting teams in subcontinent as shown by Aussies!  It holds for left hand batsmen facing off spinners as well..

Extrapolating for offspinners, I think strategy for off spinners is to play for turn/protect stumps and be happy for straight ones missing the outside edge!!

And yes, before I get flooded with requests, I may state that I AM  open to taking up batting consultant/analyst role for teams

Very good post!

[Manormanic]

Another point here is that catches win matches.  India dropped a lot in this game - Smith was put down, what, five times in the second dig, whilst for Australia Handscomb looked like he could catch the Flash.

[Number4]

Australia did drop a few in the second innings as well

[Manormanic]

Australia did drop a few in the second innings as well

Yes, but that was after they'd taken three blinders in the first, when India were basically just waiting to lose.

[Number4]

Yes, but that was after they'd taken three blinders in the first, when India were basically just waiting to lose.

So.... Catches don't win matches now? 

[Manormanic]

So.... Catches don't win matches now? 

Hardly what I said, is it?   Australia converted more of their chances, and all the ones at key times.