[wanderlustindia]

Ishant picks up another wicket now. 365/7. Aussies in a healthy position. Kumble will soon follow Dada's footsteps if he continues to be ineffective like this.

[Eddy]

The tail is wagging !!! And I smell an upcoming Indian batting collapse :(

[harry10]

Originally Posted by ntomer

The difference between the two teams is their skippers. While Ponting scored a fabulous century, Kumble had been thoroughly ineffective. Not only he has not bowled any wicket-taking delivereis but he is also dishing out lots of rubbish, making scoring easy for the aussies.

For last 2-3 series this has been the story for him, he takes some cheap lower order wickets and ensures his place in the team. There had been lots of hue and cry over the 4 veteran batsmen but hardly any over Kumble.

Time for him to bow out as well I guess.

\N

Dude no spinner is effective on a first day batting track even if its a Warne or Murli. Spinners come into play 3 day onwards and thats the main reason captains choose to bat first on batting tracks mostly.
India now needs to pile up atleast 500 in the first innings of they wanna save this game let alone win it. Time to see if the famous Fab 4 can do the job or not.

[jraj]

Originally Posted by harry10

Dude no spinner is effective on a first day batting track even if its a Warne or Murli.

That doesnt mean you can bowl 42 overs and go wicketless.never did he look threatening and aussies looked vulnerable only when Ishant was bowling.Even Zaheer seems one dimensional.RHB just shoulder their arms and dont play at him.He will be a much threatening bowler if he can bring the ball back into a right hander

[ntomer]

Originally Posted by harry10

Dude no spinner is effective on a first day batting track even if its a Warne or Murli. Spinners come into play 3 day onwards and thats the main reason captains choose to bat first on batting tracks mostly.

Yes, absolutely. You are right, and since spinners can't take wickets on first and second day wickets, he decided to bowl a concoction of long hops, short pitch balls, leg-stump half-volleys.

\N

P.S. Commentary from Cricinfo -

Thanks to Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, who took nine wickets between them, India have ensured they have not been batted out of the game. Especially Zaheer's burst after tea has kept Australia down to below 450, but it's still advantage Australia who have got the runs on the board on a pitch that is cracking fast.

So this isn't your typical first/second pitch. It is already cracking and spinners are expected to do well on such pitches.

[harry10]

I do agree with you on that. He isnot so much effective anymore.
Zaheer is bringing the bowl back into right handers if you have missed seeing it. Anyways Zaheer has taken klast few wickets and Oz is out for 430.
Now we need a good solid start from Gauti and sehwag.

[karanraheja]

I agree with Ntomer to an extent. Kumble has nt been picking up wickets that often. Even in Test series in SL he was quite ordinary ! Aussies all out for 430. This Hussey is Bevan ka baap! If we get off to a decent start today then we can HOPE for a draw. Or else we all know the result.

[Surprise]

Lara cautions BCCI against simultaneous retirement of top five players

Poor Lara, we have been waiting for that to happen

A board official earlier said that India’’s Test captain Anil Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Vangipurappu Laxman, all well into their 30s, had been told to plan their retirements by December.

[harry10]

Originally Posted by Surprise

Lara cautions BCCI against simultaneous retirement of top five players

Poor Lara, we have been waiting for that to happen

Lara is right. I cant see anyone filling the shoes of Tendulkar in Odi yet and in Tests cant see anyone filling for the fab four(even though ganguly has voluntarily retired). Tried yuvraj and others. Werent good enough. So best is let them go one by one and build the new team slowly.
As for board officials none of them knows how to hold a bat so let them talk crap as usual

[ntomer]

A sporting declaration by Ponting, India needs 299 to win this test in 83 overs.

But as usual, India's fourth-innings blues begin, and score is already 24/2 with Sehwag and Dravid back in pavilion.

My money is on Australia winning this test by more than 100 runs, what is your take?

Very soon Michael Clarke will come on to bowl, and he'll make Kumble and Bhajji look pedestrian. I don't know, what is it about his bowling which so scares the Indians.

And what are the odds of this being Kumble's last test match?

\N

[wanderlustindia]

India 60/2. Is thing the sign of things to pan out during the day. The 'God' looking in good touch so far. Can we win from hereon?

[karanraheja]

I dont see India winning now. With Sachin & Laxman at crease i think they just wanna hang in there for another 20 overs and give it a shot later. Problem is only Dada & Dhoni to follow. But my bet would be a draw.

[wanderlustindia]

Originally Posted by karanraheja

I dont see India winning now. With Sachin & Laxman at crease i think they just wanna hang in there for another 20 overs and give it a shot later. Problem is only Dada & Dhoni to follow. But my bet would be a draw.

At this stage, a draw seems imminent unless our much famed batting line-up caves in. If India has wkts in hand in the last session, they might think about having a go at the target, chances are unlikely though!

[Eddy]

Did you say WIN ? No ways, unless Dhoni plays the inninngs of his life. We should be great full even if we draw it.

[wanderlustindia]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Did you say WIN ? No ways, unless Dhoni plays the inninngs of his life. We should be great full even if we draw it.

Agree. A draw is on the cards.

"The umpires have called for a light meter, apparently
50.5 Watson to Laxman, no run, good length on off, stays low, defends it back to Watson
50.4 Watson to Laxman, FOUR, softly played, with no slip in place now Laxman plays at this one gently and runs it away for a boundary
Dark clouds have gathered over the Chinnaswamy."