SL Aus
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="605912" data-time="1471392452">
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<p>I disagree, I saw that and I would be gobsmacked if any other keeper didn't take the opportunity in todays game</p>
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<p>Worryingly I agree with Hooroo - the ball was far from dead at that point.</p>
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<p>Pakistan did really well to draw 2-2 with England in what was an excellent series. There are now a few teams gunning for number 1 spot in tests and none of them are very good - or rather they all have substantial weaknesses.</p>
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<p>Pakistan - unbeatable in UAE but flaky away from there. Actually have a well rounded team compared to others.</p>
<p>India - unbeatable at home with the right pitches, pace attack not so good.</p>
<p>England - only 2 class batsmen, no spinner and a potentially world beating 6-9 in the batting order that can also collapse in a heap.</p>
<p>Australia - batting really weak (tail starts at 5), spin bowling weak.</p>
<p>South Africa - on the way down it seems, but still potentially the best team in the world on their day.</p>
<p>NZ - similar to England for strengths and weaknesses</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mimic" data-cid="605937" data-time="1471397287">
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<p>i read somewhere that sri lanka may have saved their declaration because the team due to bat in the morning gets to choose the roller used overnight?</p>
<p>so i guess its makes sense.. the middle/lower order will fold quickly..</p>
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<p>That's very clever.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="No Quarter" data-cid="605991" data-time="1471406743">
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<p>That's very clever.</p>
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<p>For the record, overs batted by the Aussies in this series:</p>
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<p>Test 1, 79 and 88 overs</p>
<p>Test 2, 33 overs and 50 overs</p>
<p>test 3, 125 overs</p>
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<p>Lead over 300, surely time for a declaration and try and survive 85 overs?</p> -
<p>3 overs in teh first half hour? tut tut Australia</p>
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Just 3 wickets to get now. Surviving the final day was always going to be a tough ask. Sri Lanka have bowled nothing but spin this entire innings lol.
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<p>In the county champs in England, James Franklin has been captaining Middlesex to the top of the table in division 1 in Adam Voges absence & Essex are top in D2 - tho' Jesse Ryder's shithouse form means he can't get into the Essex 4 day side... </p>
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<p>He's sort of morphed from a batsman who bowls a bit, to a bowler who bats a bit to a guy who should probably be playing in the Lancashire leagues all in the space of 2 seasons</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="606153" data-time="1471464378">
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<p>When was the last time Aussie were whitewashed in a test series?</p>
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<p>Pakistan did them 2-0 in the UAE and India 4-0 before that. So a couple of times quite recently - they have plenty of weaknesses that get badly exposed away from home against the Asian teams.</p>
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<p>Sri Lanka I didn't expect though, they are very much in a rebuilding phase with a host of unproven players. I couldn't be happier for them, and I hope some of those blokes go on to have Jaya/Sanga type careers. I don't want to see Sri Lanka fall away following their retirement.</p> -
<p>haha holy fuck, when the collapse came, it came quick didn't it? Boom, 0-9 recently away from home to Asian sides. That's fucking atrocious, and exactly the same as the shit i heckle the Indian team for. I would call them pretenders, but that would imply someone else would actually deserve to be called the best team. </p>
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<p>Smith and Starc are top drawer. Warner and Hazlewood are pretty handy. The rest are average. There are a lot of average cricketers around at the moment though. It's good for the competitiveness of the test game though. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="606223" data-time="1471474692">
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<p>There are a lot of average cricketers around at the moment though. It's good for the competitiveness of the test game though. </p>
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<p>Problem is <em>where</em> they're average - there aren't many competitive series' at the moment. Asian team belts non-Asian team on home soil. Asian team gets belted on non-Asian soil.</p>
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<p>Its fucked.</p> -
<p>well, Pakistan just did okay in England, so it's not <em>quite</em> that cut and dried. But yea, most are good at home, and suspect away (unless the home side helpfully prepares flat decks, aye NZC?)</p>