5th ODI: Australia v Pakistan at Abu Dhabi - May 3, 2009

[TheParraboy]

As TT said, 4 wickets down with over 10 overs to go, and to just plod and poke around was a no no, No matter who was batting.

I could understand totally if we were losingwickets at regular intervals, then Sunshine had to be there at the close, playing the anchor role. But with plenty of wickets in hand, the best and right thing to do was play some shots. The majority of us can see this, nothing to do with Watson hate, Id bag the crap out of Clarke or Haddin if it was them in this instance

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

He can't win, can he? He was clearly not picking the chucker again, but he fought through that and got a well made hundred that was apparently too slow...and I'd bet my house that if he'd got out to Ajmal in the 80's he'd still be being bashed from pillar to post for it. The hate for Watson on here is just ridiculous...

It is justified. It applies to anybody in that situation. Watson wasn't getting a move on and we had Hopes sitting in the dressing room rubbing his balls. 4 wickets down and not getting a move on is criminal and in the end the Pakis romped it in.

We are talking 4 wickets down not 6 or 7 when he would have been well within his right to bat through the innings.

 

[Bazal]

I can't agree. From an opener, in massive heat, on a pretty average track an unbeaten hundred at 79 is a great platform and back bone for the innings. He essentially guided us to what was easily the best total of the series at the time, on a pitch that had made getting 200 look tough. Anyone who is seriously even half blaming him for the fact we couldn't defend 250 on that wicket is on crack IMO...look at our bowlers and the farcical decision not to give Shezad out

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

His c**k ups are half the reason we didn't get a good enough total. His constant attempt to hit the chucker into cow corner (I lost count after 15 attempts) and failing each and every time are another reason.

The Pakis easily romped in the total and 7/8 overs of Hopes would have been nice since Watson couldn't get a move on.

http://content.cricinfo.com/australia/engine/match/392620.html?innings=1;view=commentary

Read it for yourself, Watson prodded and probed and easily left us atleast 25 runs short. Didn't even attempt to get a move on save for his wild swings that he missed by a week against the chucker. Infact, the Paki commentator said after one swing "all that he will achieve by doing this is a top edge." And, sure enough, he top edged one that was dropped.

4 Wickets down he should have hit the accelerator as the senior batsman but was too concerned with his own hundred.

 

[wittyfan]

Sunshine's knock was very Geoff Marsh-esque imho.

 

[PB]

Watson is the most self absorbed prat ever to be given the honour of wearing the Australian colours. How do you carry your bat and not hit a boundary in the last - i think it was almost 10 overs!... and with 6 wickets in hand!?!

He is a disgrace and the lack of enthusiasm from the Aussies on thier balcony when he did scored his ton showed they were not impressed.

I have also found it amusing that he can critise a bloke for his bowling action when he himself is incapable fo bowling two overs without going down "injured"..

 

[lockyno1]

Great knock Sunshine, love you baby, pity no-one else did anything

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

^^ Ferguson was the one who was in a hurry in the final overs. Pity the big nice person wasn't.

Watson is the most self absorbed prat ever to be given the honour of wearing the Australian colours. How do you carry your bat and not hit a boundary in the last - i think it was almost 10 overs!... and with 6 wickets in hand!?!

He hit one in about 16 overs and it was such a pie from Umar Gul that it was harder not to hit for 4 than it was.

 

[lockyno1]

Watson was playing the anchor role, it is the other players' fault for not doing anything. ferguson aside they were terrible.

 

[8Ball]

Two long innings from Shane sh*thouse. He's going to pull a hammy soon.

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

Watson was playing the anchor role, it is the other players' fault for not doing anything. ferguson aside they were terrible.

No it's not. All he was concerned about was his hundred. We had wickets in hand and he didn't even look to have a swing save for frustrating swings against the chucker because he can't pick spin. Big nice person was probably worried about breaking a nail.

 

[lockyno1]

Hardly, it was not the pitch to try and belt spinners, Hauritz was our best bowler. The Pakistan spinners are difficult to pick at the best of times let alone hen they chuck the thing. You don't just swing and hope for the best, you have to calculate your risks, attacking the spinners was not a calculated risk on that pitch. Apart from Hauritz our bowlers did not do the job. 250 was plenty on that wicket, we bowled poorly.

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

Nobody said anything about belting spinners. The fact the big blonde nice person just prodded around for 14 overs with no intention of picking up the pace cost us runs, especially when Hopes was due in next.

 

[lockyno1]

Watson was not the only one going at that rate- the other batsmen were going at the same rate..I see you did not blame Clarke and co for doing the same thing. If we did not bowl as terribly as we did, we would have won the game, blame the bowlers not Watson who made a good ODI hundred

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

Clarke and co were already out and not prodding around in the last 10 overs when we need to get runs quickly. Ferguson tried but was let down by Watson. This smacks of similar Matthew Hayden incidents which you yourself have been heavily critical of in the past.

 

[hineyrulz]

Face it Locky, selfish Sunshine cost us the match. More worried about getting an Ashes birth than winning a game for Australia"disgusting" :x

 

[Bazal]

:lol: Still blaming the bloke who got an unbeaten hundred and not the blokes who couldn't defend the biggest target of the series? When Locky says something that makes him look like he has a clue in comparison to what others have been saying, you know you're in deep trouble...

 

[hineyrulz]

:lol: Still blaming the bloke who got an unbeaten hundred and not the blokes who couldn't defend the biggest target of the series? When Locky says something that makes him look like he has a clue in comparison to what others have been saying, you know you're in deep trouble...

Some people might be winding Locky up just a touch Baz ;-)

 

[Bazal]

Some people might be winding Locky up just a touch Baz ;-)

;-)Some are....some, though, honestly believe what they're saying :crazy:

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

:lol: Still blaming the bloke who got an unbeaten hundred and not the blokes who couldn't defend the biggest target of the series? When Locky says something that makes him look like he has a clue in comparison to what others have been saying, you know you're in deep trouble...

Says the bloke who thinks Watson and Ferguson were running brilliantly when they were a run out waiting to happen.

Did you honestly watch our innings? Because I doubt you did. Watson was in no hurry to get a move on and it cost us.

People still rip Hayden apart for his century in the final test in England and locky just happens to be one of them. Too slow they say. Scored 150. Same deal.