[libranof1987]

Possibly to ensure they have a full-strength team for the India tour. Australia have a pretty rotten sporting spirit in cricket so wouldn't be surprising if the ban is lifted prematurely.

Cricket Australia (CA) is considering a demand from the players’ union that the ball-tampering bans on Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft be lifted immediately, Australian media reported on Wednesday

https://www.telegraphindia.com/sport...io/cid/1674362

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Possibly to ensure they have a full-strength team for the India tour. Australia have a pretty rotten sporting spirit in cricket so wouldn't be surprising if the ban is lifted prematurely.

That would actually be good. Then I hope we are able to beat them fair and square without a possibility for them to whinge about it being a weak side.
The longest running whinge is also ironically from the Aussies. About bodyline.

There is a also an excellent write-up on Cricinfo from Osman Samiuddin about the two faces presented about elite honesty

[NPV]

England Vs Sri Lanka first Test:
Sri Lanka could muster only 203 in their first inning.

England declared their second essay at 322/6 and now Sri Lanka need 462 for a win which is highly improbable

So much for all the good work Sri Lanka bowlers did during the first half of the England first inning - the English tailenders took them to a very good score of 342 and now the match is surely going their way.

[hemanth.anand]

http://youtu.be/4Xs3XvbMbO0

One of the most debated videos recently. Surprised it's not here.

IMO it's a perfectly ok delivery. He doesn't change his bowling arm, he doesn't change the side from which he's bowling from, just rotates once in his run up (which is very difficult and I'm surprised how he could do it so neatly). In the already batsman friendly game, there are far too many restrictions I feel. Many are unwarranted IMO. And bowlers can do anything new like this.

There's a rule that bowlers shouldn't deliberately distract or deceive a batman it seems. I wonder then how a Googly or a doosra is allowed as that's also a deliberate attempt to deceive isn't it? Also Paul adams of South Africa, Shivil Kaushik of India and Kevin Kothigodda of Srilanka all having similar actions are much more distracting but Paul Adams has bowled so many years.

Batsman on the other hand can do anything! Switch hit as a good example. Another recent example being in the last T20i between India and Windies (18th over). Rishabh Pant moved to the leg side and when bowler bowled it on his legs, he moved back quickly and got a wide also

probably a day will come when bowling teams have to play with 10 fielders and a bowling machine and the batsman can control the bowling machine

[kavensri]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/25/conte...y/1165381.html

I really liked some of his 'humble' and 'honest' answers.

[PPS]

Thought the game was dead & buried when we needed 60 from the last 4 overs, but it was a good effort in the end to get so close!

The absence of Hardik Pandya is really upsetting the balance of this team. Chahal cannot play because we need a 3rd seamer (who is inexperienced). We don't have a 6th bowling option.

To accommodate KL Rahul at no.3, Virat is batting at no.4 where he doesn't seem comfortable.

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by PPS

Chahal cannot play because we need a 3rd seamer (who is inexperienced). We don't have a 6th bowling option.

Chahal can replace Krunal Pandya. He may score less relatively but will also give away less runs and take wickets.
Let us see if senior Pandya proves me wrong in the next matches.

Also, I seriously hope they restrict the selection blunders to the T20 series and don't extend them to the test series like they did in SA and England

Meanwhile, what a terrific fightback from New Zealand to win the first test against Pakistan. Edge of the seat stuff and I am really glad to see NZ pull it off. That man Wagner was again in the thick of things. We need an impact player like him in the Indian team.

[kavensri]

Originally Posted by PPS

Thought the game was dead & buried when we needed 60 from the last 4 overs, but it was a good effort in the end to get so close!

Even I thought that the game was dead when 60 odd were required. But, what a fight back from Pant and Karthik. We should have won it when 11 required in last over. But, what kind of shot was that from Pant? I think this is the second time he is playing such an high risk shot. He has to learn and learn it fast.

[Oxy]

Saw the ladies lose the WT20 semi final to England today morning in a pretty one sided affair. With 112 on the board to defend, we never had a chance. England were clinical.

[libranof1987]

All the good work the Indian Women's team has been doing of late stands the risk of being undone. This is what Mithali Raj's manager tweeted.

"Unfortunately @BCCIWomen believes in politics not sport. After witnessing what @M_Raj03 's experience could do in IndvIre it's shocking that they went with what pleases @ImHarmanpreet -a manipulative, lying, immature, undeserving captain," Gupta's tweet read,

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/...rmanpreet-kaur

[NPV]

Just read about the Pakistan Vs New Zealand second test, Pakistan right on top at this stage and it will be a miracle if New Zealand manage to save themselves from a defeat
Pak First Innings 418/5 declared and New Zealand first innings 90 all out, following on they're 131/2 in their second innings.

Scorecard of New Zealand first innings looks like 31, 22, 28, followed by 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 4, 0 (and 4 Extras)

[Waspune]

K L Rahul has a staggering T20 record with an average of 48 and a strike rate of above 150. But the problem is that he is a natural opener or at most a number 3 player. The openers can't be touched as both of them are impact players and are in good nick and Kohli bats the best at number 3. This means that K L Rahul can only bat at number 4 at which he isn't the best.
Such a dilemma!

[pratyush6]

Originally Posted by Waspune

K L Rahul has a staggering T20 record with an average of 48 and a strike rate of above 150. But the problem is that he is a natural opener or at most a number 3 player. The openers can't be touched as both of them are impact players and are in good nick and Kohli bats the best at number 3. This means that K L Rahul can only bat at number 4 at which he isn't the best.
Such a dilemma!

Don't think its a dilemma. If he is better than the current openers & 3, he should bat at that position. If he isn't, then is he the best at No. 4? Don't think he is that too, specially with the kind of cricket India play.

[PPS]

Originally Posted by Waspune

Such a dilemma!

The same yardstick used in ODI's should apply in T20's. In ODI's Rahul is one of the reserve openers, he doesn't get selected if there is a vacancy at no.4 in the middle order. Same should be the case in T20's as well but isn't. Offcourse, his T20 record is much better than ODI's, but most of his runs have come as opener. Problem with him is that he promises a lot but delivers little!

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by NPV

Just read about the Pakistan Vs New Zealand second test, Pakistan right on top at this stage and it will be a miracle if New Zealand manage to save themselves from a defeat
Pak First Innings 418/5 declared and New Zealand first innings 90 all out, following on they're 131/2 in their second innings.

Scorecard of New Zealand first innings looks like 31, 22, 28, followed by 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 4, 0 (and 4 Extras)

This was after the NZ openers put up a 50 run stand.

What kind of a team collapses from 50/0 to 90 all out?