Congratulations to India.
Australia just not good enough.
And it’s their second series loss in a row at home to India, who had never won a series here prior to 2018.
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328 is the highest successful run chase in a test match at The Gabba.
It is embarrassing for Australian cricket team to lose the series against India which had suffered so many injuries and debuted several players. There will be a lot of soul searching for captain Tim Paine, coach Justin Langer and the selectors, before the next test series (which could be in South Africa next month).
In terms of World Test Championship, according to ESPNCricinfo:
Australia will drop to 69.2 and will need 89 points from the series against South Africa to go past New Zealand. That can only happen if they win at least two Tests and draw the third, in which case they will get 93 points from the series. Had Australia not dropped those four points for slow over-rate in Melbourne, they would have been on 70 even with a defeat. In that case, the runs-per-wicket ratio would have come into play (since teams have played an unequal number of series, the series wins isn’t being considered in this cycle); currently, Australia’s ratio is 1.42 while New Zealand’s is 1.28.
India will move up to 71.67 with a win and will need 80 more points against England to top New Zealand. They can achieve that with a 2-0 series scoreline in the four Tests.
England’s win in Galle has brought them into the conversation as well, but for them to go past New Zealand, they will need to win the second Test in Sri Lanka, and beat India 3-0.
Batting not good enough, bowling not good enough - frankly Tim Paine’s tenure at captain should be under question (although I dont know who to replace him with)
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Australia lost the series because the bowlers couldn’t contain India’s batting (bowling them out for 36 in Adelaide turned out to be a fluke), and the home side’s top six batting was vulnerable especially Steve Smith in the first two tests. Injuries to Warner and Pucovski didn’t help.
As I said on Twitter, I think the days of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins playing together in tests are numbered.
As for India, they have a remarkably successful tour this summer: narrowly losing the one-day series 2-1, before claiming the Twenty20 series 2-1 and the test series 2-1.
Since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was launched in 1996, there had been 15 series, with India winning 9 series, Australia winning 5 series and 1 drawn.
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When is Smith’s leadership ban up?
Smith’s leadership ban expired in 2020.
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I say bring him back as the captain.
I am actually glad to see Australia lose a little. I think Cricket Australia has taken the love out of the game. It was a win at all costs mentality and we have lost the love and enjoyment of the game. Remember the days where Darren ‘Boof’ Lehman would play a wacky reverse sweep and people used to have a good laugh. Or Justin Langer would come out at number 1 and just attack the ball while Matthew Hayden got himself settled. At the time, although they were winning, you could just see the players smiling and enjoying the game. You don’t see that anymore. It is all science, strategy and way too competitive. I have lost my enjoyment of watching the game and isn’t the most important thing to have people watching the game?
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Tim Paine has done a remarkable job as a captain and I think he should keep the captaincy until he decides to hand over the reigns. Train up the next captain and bring him into the test team.
After the terrible behaviour of the former captain, Smith putting Australian cricket into disrepute, he should not return to any form of leadership for the national team under ANY circumstance…
As for our bowlers despite bowling India out in the 30s in Adelaide, yes I agree that our bowling stocks need to be replenished. Starc just isn’t up to international dominance anymore. The other three I’d persist with despite Lyon getting in the twilight of his career.
I looked at our Test team and most of the team is in their thirties so we do need to look at youth I think!
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I agree to an extent - but he always felt a caretaker captain and his captaincy has been woeful in these last two tests especially.
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What do you actually think Smith did?
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He willingly turned a blind eye to cheating. Complicit.
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Tim “I can’t wait to get you to the Gabba” Paine.
How that sledge has come back to bite him.
It’s a big job to be keeper and captain.
Cummins is vice captain.
Perhaps he should be made captain, as I don’t think any of our bats deserve to be captain. Maybe Labuschange in a few years time.
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He was definitely complicit. But wasn’t the one cheating. Not that that makes it right either. But it all starts at the top and as I said earlier there has been a notion at Cricket Australia that its a win at all costs mentality. Yes he was weak, but I think he has shown growth and could become a great leader.
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I don’t really like fast bowlers as captains, just personal preference. I actually would go back to Smith, but on a tight leash. Mainly due to lack of options.
Yeah. Accessory to it, rather than having an active role.
There’s a redemption story there but whether he’s ready…?
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Who would you drop though?
I’d say Cummins and Hazlewood are continuing to perform very well so should be kept, but perhaps Mitchell Starc’s position needs to come into question. I think he’s already reached the peak of his career.
Lyon will probably have to stay in the side too as there are no other adequate spin options, and he also proved himself to be handy with the bat if required.
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I think that Steve Smith may never return as an Australian captain. Steve Smith was responsible for the ball-tampering scandal (which saw him being suspended for 12 months along with David Warner). I find Steve Smith’s attitude to be arrogant and has done some damage to the cricket.
But I think there needs to be a review for Matthew Wade. Matthew Wade failed to score a 50 during the summer. Wade couldn’t score more runs. Wade isn’t a strong Test wicketkeeper.
Cummins and Hazlewood continued to perform very well in the bowling attack. HOwever, Mitchell Starc’s position needs to be under review. Mitchell Starc has wasted a lot of chances during bowling.
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He wasn’t responsible for it.
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Very hard to be a ‘strong Test wicketkeeper’ when he didn’t undertake those duties v India.
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Agree, Starc would be the first bowler to be dropped.
He can be really good, but is too ordinary too often.
And agree with Lyon, the only reason he has played 100 Tests is due to our low quality spin stocks. He wouldn’t have got a look in when Warne and MacGill were around.
Australia really should have scored 450+ batting first in this game. That’s part of the reason why our bowlers were cooked, our batters haven’t batted for long enough to give the bowlers a decent rest at any stage of the series. Green and the part timers should Also have been used more to ease their workload given Cummins, Hazelwood, Starc and Lyon played all 4 Tests.
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Front page of The Courier-Mail today: