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2nd Test: New Zealand v Australia at Christchurch on Feb 20-24, 2016

ANTiLAG

First Grade
Messages
8,014
Honestly I'm not really bitter - if it wasn't for that knock the game is probably close to being over by now, just like stumps day 1 of the last test. Just seems like he tried to use his brain last game with a series victory on the line and it failed, and today he batted differently.

To save a series?
 

vvvrulz

Coach
Messages
13,457
What good batting conditions? Did you miss the first session? We woulda been rolled for under 200 without the slogging.

I don't think he was watching

lol, I was watching.

Yes there was a bit of support for the bowlers in the morning but it was hardly unplayable.
Nor was the bowling of great quality today.

Hey full marks to McCullum and Anderson for having a go and this time it really came off, but to be honest I don't think our test match batting skill was any better than our previous test. Anderson to his credit looked pretty solid but BMac was a walking wicket. We could have been very easily rolled for under 200 again.

I'm a big fan of Baz, but as a test match batsman he's several notches below the likes of Gilly and Sehwag. They truly mastered aggressive test batting, this was just T20 in whites.
 

tomdl

Bench
Messages
3,577
Just got home and checked the score to see we were one down. Surprised but very pleased to see it was Warner out and not Burns. The people calling for him to be dropped already are annoying me.
 

ANTiLAG

First Grade
Messages
8,014
lol, I was watching.

Yes there was a bit of support for the bowlers in the morning but it was hardly unplayable.
Nor was the bowling of great quality today.

Hey full marks to McCullum and Anderson for having a go and this time it really came off, but to be honest I don't think our test match batting skill was any better than our previous test. Anderson to his credit looked pretty solid but BMac was a walking wicket. We could have been very easily rolled for under 200 again.

I'm a big fan of Baz, but as a test match batsman he's several notches below the likes of Gilly and Sehwag. They truly mastered aggressive test batting, this was just T20 in whites.

Being a NZ cricket fan is tough enough. I fear that you must have a harder time than the rest of us.
 

JJ

Immortal
Messages
31,944
I'm a big fan of Baz, but as a test match batsman he's several notches below the likes of Gilly and Sehwag..

Sehweg is a bit overrated tbh

But I've never argued Baz is in their league - but he's still done many amazing things, today was just another
 

JJ

Immortal
Messages
31,944
It is like the WC final though, he's often going to look like a genius or a genius - but he's brave, I'll give him that. Without that innings (and Watling, Anderson and to a degree KW and Latham) we're f**ked. We're in the test, we shouldn't be, and we win that toss I am pretty confident Aust would be well behind.

yes, there was luck, but he rides it, and other times it's betrayed him - lucky or not, it was brilliant, and it was a great day of test cricket.
 

ANTiLAG

First Grade
Messages
8,014
It is like the WC final though, he's often going to look like a genius or a genius - but he's brave, I'll give him that. Without that innings (and Watling, Anderson and to a degree KW and Latham) we're f**ked. We're in the test, we shouldn't be, and we win that toss I am pretty confident Aust would be well behind.

yes, there was luck, but he rides it, and other times it's betrayed him - lucky or not, it was brilliant, and it was a great day of test cricket.


x2
 

ANTiLAG

First Grade
Messages
8,014
Sehweg is a bit overrated tbh

I agree with your point about Sehwag's quality being overrated but I believe that Sehwag is worth his runs and stats.

He destroyed people on dust bowls and roads in the sub continent and Australia.

He struggled to buy a run on the pitches of South Africa, England or New Zealand (but still scored 2 hundreds there).

He was a filthy slogger who by his own admission, made hay while people "wasted" fielders in slips and gully and within 25-30 metres of the bat.

He relied on hand eye and his career finished fairy early as his hand eye coordination decreased with age. He was no technician. He demonstrated the value of slogging in test cricket. Spread the field, remove all the pressure, hit the bowlers off good length on and just outside off, then play for singles. It can and does work and can often be a better alternative than a classical defensive batsman who return runs of averaging 25 - 35 at a SR of 40.

Sehwag was good in ODi cricket but not excellent. But he was an excellent test cricketer. For the right people, they can put up big numbers in red ball cricket by driving on the up, going over the top, hoicing to the leg side and being aggressive from ball one. Basically a "zero f**ks given" approach to batting.

Some people have the required defense to be able to bat out day 5 and save a test. Some people don't. Surely part of a batsman's value is the ability to score runs.

That is why I would give Munro another go in test cricket in the future.;
 
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Pete Cash

Post Whore
Messages
62,032
I was critical of mccullum in the world cup final at the time but in hindsight starc would have bowled 99 percent of batsmen.
 

vvvrulz

Coach
Messages
13,457
It is like the WC final though, he's often going to look like a genius or a genius - but he's brave, I'll give him that. Without that innings (and Watling, Anderson and to a degree KW and Latham) we're f**ked. We're in the test, we shouldn't be, and we win that toss I am pretty confident Aust would be well behind.

yes, there was luck, but he rides it, and other times it's betrayed him - lucky or not, it was brilliant, and it was a great day of test cricket.

I agree with all of this.

I just don't think we have a quality test batting line-up.
Worse, I don't think we're even trying

This slog-or-die won't work every time
 

hineyrulz

Post Whore
Messages
150,542
Well it ended up being a cracking days play, Kiwi's still well on top but once the ball gets soft it looks pretty good for batting. Not having a spinner may help the kiwi's in the last innings.
 

JJ

Immortal
Messages
31,944
I agree with all of this.

I just don't think we have a quality test batting line-up.
Worse, I don't think we're even trying

This slog-or-die won't work every time

No it doesn't, and without Taylor we don't - Guptill remains a liability.

Our success in recent years has been built around runs from Williamson, Taylor, Watling and Latham, Neesham too... and the not too infrequent assault from McCullum...

It was a great outcome for us having lost the toss - Aust would have wanted to roll us for <200, and we would have wanted to do same to them if we won the toss
 

hineyrulz

Post Whore
Messages
150,542
Oozie is a big loss this morning, first time he has been dismissed under 50 since his return.

The bowling has been very tight and solid so far this morning.
 
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