Australian Tour of India, October 2010/11

[War]

I have a problem with it too and it's from an Australian perspective. We aren't preparing for a series in India - we are preparing for the Ashes. And I'm sorry to insult our Indian brethren but I think Australia would rather win back the Ashes than beat India in a Test series.

But more importantly India is pulling all the strings here and it's an OBVIOUS attempt at keeping their #1 ranking. While they are at it, I'm guessing they'll probably schedule the games at the lowest and slowest pitches they can conjure to maximise their chances there too. And if they play the schedule right, they can probably get Australia there only playing 1 warmup game - maybe even NONE. Does anyone else see this as unfair and wrong? It seems like daylight robbery to me - all the factors are in India's favour in a rushed reschedule job like this, all in the name of prolonging their reign on top of the rankings.

Now having said that, I love watching Australia-India Test cricket. But I feel that series like these - made for the wrong reasons, are not what should be appearing in the schedule. I personally hope that Cricket Australia says no to the proposed Tests and I hope the ICC stresses to the BCCI that they just can't play god with the schedule based on their current ranking.

Haa word. But the unfortuante thing is as i've mentioned continously on this site & i suppose most cricket fans are too. The ICC is broken & is not the strong independent body, the BCCI is the defacto most powerful cricket board. Thus they can dictate to the ICC.

The only way this series can be cancelled is for CA to reject as you rightfully said.

Plus the funny thing with the BCCI tryign to schedule this series to try to protect their so called "# 1 ranking according to the flawed ranking system". Is that although IND are playing very good test cricket now. Even back in the 90s when India weren't that great - they where virtually invincible at home too - but crap on tour. So even if AUS go to IND & draw or lose like what occured with the Saffies earlier this year. That clearly won't be a fair way to gauge who is the # 1 team in the game since winning in India has always been hard.

Since as most would agree, India can't go to AUS, SA or even England & win test series with that bowling attack. Currently its a 3 way tie with AUS/SA/IND are the 3 premier test sides - but no # 1.

War added 12 Minutes and 37 Seconds later...

Agree with the above. I was thinking it would be a good idea to send a 2nd XI anyway to India and let the test guys spend a month playing Shield cricket, no point at all in getting spun out in India and coming home with little preparation to face England. England are being much wiser this time around and getting to Aus much earlier, if we come back from India from a thrashing it just wont be good. A repeat of 86/87 would not be good. That was THE worst Ashes series ive ever seen, we were horrible.

I see your concern & point sir Robellina & its very valid. But although the current team will be going into the 10/11 Ashes still in sort of this post McGrath/Warne/Gilchrist era transition from the 2006/07 Ashes exdous. Just like how Border's team went into the 85/86 Ashes in the post Chappell/Lillee/Marsh era transition from the 83/84 PAK series exodus.

Ponting'S team currently is wayyy stronger than Border team of the mid 80s who has you are well aware of, was in dark era for the AUS side (pretty much AUS worst period in test history).

So even if AUS where to tour India & lose i dont think it will be a huge problem to be fair. Since i'd expect AUS to come right back home in familar conditons & play well. England really dont have a team that can win a 5 test series in AUS conditions.

 

[Robelinda]

I see your concern & point sir Robellina & its very valid. But although the current team will be going into the 10/11 Ashes still in sort of this post McGrath/Warne/Gilchrist era transition from the 2006/07 Ashes exdous. Just like how Border's team went into the 85/86 Ashes in the post Chappell/Lillee/Marsh era transition from the 83/84 PAK series exodus.

Just one point I want to make, that IMO it wasnt the Chappell, Marsh and Lillee retirements that sunk australia in 1984, rather it was the 25 players who went on the rebel tour to SA for two years and were banned for a further year, 25 of the best players (mostly young) in the country, whatever was left went to England for the 85 Ashes where we duly were thrashed. If half of those rebel players went to Eng in 85 it have been very different. When the rebel players came back into Aus cricket, in 88/89, all of a sudden we beat England in 89, and beat WI in the 4th test in 89, with rebel players like Hohns playing.

 

[sifter132]

Oh man that would be a huge middle finger to the BCCI if we had the balls to send a 2nd XI. Would be completely awesome though

In one way though that's why keeping the 7 ODIs wouldn't be too bad. We could sneak quite a few 'non-essential personnel' into the squad and hopefully keep our better players at home, or at the very least rotate them so they only play half the games.

 

[pcfan123]

Honestly on those flat tracks I reckon Australia would hammer India currently. There is no single bowler worth mentioning, even Khan is losing his wicket taking ability day by day. On the flip side Id back the Aussie seamers to take 20 wickets on Indian pitches every match, even with just a seam attack.

2 quick Tests and 2 solid wins might be a good boost for Australia pre-Ashes.

India have a serious bowling problem, who will be their attack in 4-5 years? They have no decent pace bowling prospect.

 

[SaiSrini]

@ hMarka: This is what happens when money minded and power hungry people run Indian cricket. Those who dont know anything about Indian cricket are bosses (one guy is going to become international cricket's boss pretty soon - god save international cricket). The problem is, they dont have opposition. Only when the current ruling group of the BCCI have competition, they will either do better or the new group can do better.

 

[pcfan123]

@ hMarka: This is what happens when money minded and power hungry people run Indian cricket. Those who dont know anything about Indian cricket are bosses (one guy is going to become international cricket's boss pretty soon - god save international cricket). The problem is, they dont have opposition. Only when the current ruling group of the BCCI have competition, they will either do better or the new group can do better.

I don't think internal politics have anything to do with it. It is not infrastructure either as India has some good fast bowling specific academies and a competitive 1st class tournament.

Honestly, I think it is partly because of Tendulkar. All young Indian cricketers want to bat and bat only. The Sachin craze over the last two decades has created millions of wannabe batsman. Even those who bowl want to be spinning allrounders. You would be hard pressed to find anyone young who is focusing on fast bowling alone. They all want to be the next Sachin and who can blame them.

 

[drainpipe32]

Agree with the above. I was thinking it would be a good idea to send a 2nd XI anyway to India and let the test guys spend a month playing Shield cricket, no point at all in getting spun out in India and coming home with little preparation to face England. England are being much wiser this time around and getting to Aus much earlier, if we come back from India from a thrashing it just wont be good. A repeat of 86/87 would not be good. That was THE worst Ashes series ive ever seen, we were horrible.

Oh really? I always thought the 1253 series was worse

You never cease to amaze me.

 

[Robelinda]

Hey the 78/79 was THE worst Ashes of all time ive seen, but i picked 86/87 because it was the last Ashes in this country we did badly at. 78/79 was just the worst batting and bowling and fielding possible by a team, 6 tests too.

 

[drainpipe32]

And again. How do you remember all of this!

 

[Amar791849]

Cricket Australia agrees to BCCI's request

Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India is working on the dates of the home matches against Australia but it is likely that some matches of the high-profile series will clash with the dates of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

?We have requested Australia to play two Tests and three one-day internationals instead of a series of seven one-dayers,? the BCCI?s chief administrative official Ratnakar Shetty said. The dates for the series are expected to be finalised by next week. Australia are due to arrive in late September and must be home by October 31.

The Commonwealth Games take place in the Capital from October 3 to 14.

When contacted, a Cricket Australia official said his board, in principle, has agreed to tweak the series. ?We have said we are happy, in principle, to discuss playing Tests if that is what India so wishes,? Peter Young, CA?s communications manager told.

He, however, was not sure when the dates will be out. ?I don?t think James Sutherland (chief executive of CA) expects progress before next week.?

Young said the announcement should come from the Indian side.

?James and Michael Brown, our head of cricket, both firmly believe this is India?s series, not ours, and we have suggested to media they stay in touch with the BCCI as the body which should be making any announcement or holding the public discussion about the details of the series.?

Cricket Australia agrees to BCCI's request

 

[AkshayS]

There should have been 3 tests. 3 ODI's are just a waste, a test should
ve been added.
But then ICC wouldn't have allowed it.

Atlast we're going to see tests atleast.

 

[Prithvi]

There should have been 3 tests. 3 ODI's are just a waste, a test should
ve been added.
But then ICC wouldn't have allowed it.

Atlast we're going to see tests atleast.

Man, you must be happy with what all "Test Matches" we get. Getting them is tougher than India playing in Ashes.

 

[AkshayS]

Man, you must be happy with what all "Test Matches" we get. Getting them is tougher than India playing in Ashes.

see my last sentence, I'm satisfied that atleast we got to see the test matches.

 

[War]

I read on cricinfo quite recently that Ricky Ponting was saying AUS would possibly play 2 spinners in this series - with the likelihood of Smith playing a possibility. Hopefully that was sick joke, since historically pace wins in India.

Best AUS XI once all are fit:

Katich
Watson
Ponting
M Hussey
Clarke
North
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Bollinger
Hilfenhaus

 

[Prithvi]

If at all test matches go on, Hyderabad has to host one of them.
It has been like 22 years, since a international test match here.
With New ground being coming and ICC approving it as test venue, many expected a test match against South Africa this early summer, but Ahemdabad hosted that match due to bloody political issues here ATM. We din't even had IPL. So, it'll be fair if we'll be gifted with a Test Match.