Does this count as a negative post?

"Shouldn't be top 4"???

Markiviz has us at 45% for top 8....

HI there guys, Happy new year. I am pretty optimistic, not sure we will make the 8 but we shouldn't be top 4. Lots of positivity at the club, we are heading in the right direction

Anna in the house!!! Hope you’re great.
How do you think we’ll go this year???...

Yesterday’s highlight

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7hOK5JF5XGA

Hottest 200 crapping over the 100 so far...

8 hours drinking.
8 hours dogs.
8 hours cricket.

You don't need sleep.

Might be Trump TVs first big target in Aus...

They're going down the same road as the NRL.  Many matches exclusively for pay TV

So Big bash crocket local derby not on fta TV tonight???...
My disdain for ‘the product’ vindicated by CA and the broadcaster...
CA has absolutely killed the goose that laid and mortally wounded test cricket pathways in the process...
I may have to pass on the top job at the Dogs to fix this mess...

If you can stay on the track for 90% of the time, Des would be happy.

It doesn't matter if you get lapped 5 times by the leader, as long as you can hit that 90% target.....

Imagine Des coaching F1 racing, all cars would breakdown before they got to the starting grid.

Drivers would be pushing the cars around the track with no one steering. Just like #DesBall.

You need to cut down to just watching 4 games a night #SoccerOverload.

Try watching AFL before Soccer, you will really appreciate soccer.
 

Not even Des could make soccer more boring..,

Probably one day before they started losing.

I think the pitches played into India's hands...2 reasons...they weren't as bowler friendly first up and never detiorated as perhaps history would have suggested. That played into India's hands. Their bowlers bowled stump to stump whereas the Aussies fell into the old trap of bowling too short.. Not quite sub continent conditions but closer than to the historical Aussie pitches. Have to admire them though. Starc was particularly annoying. Someone should staple a bit of paper on his fekking forehead...you are the best over the wicket yorker bowler in the game. Still thought he could have come on for the last over and attempted to do just that.

When did Des start coaching them?

Have the wheels fallen off Liverpool FC?

Indians just drive it down the ground for 4 when bowlers pitch up and bowl straight.
Short and straight can be hit to many areas.
If there is seam, swing or spin they might miss.

Lyon was definitely too straight, that cost runs and the opportunity for wickets.
Stark was all over the place, but too often down leg side.

Lack of ability or execution isn't always due to tactics.
A lack of planning is, planning is setting the right field for each batsman and bowling in  the right place.
I saw zero evidence of any planning by the Australians and not much evidence Lyon and Stark were (on the day) capable of executing a plan.

The West Ham fans have Post Match Pint with 4 fans discussing the game on YouTube.

Due to our exceptional good looks Villi, Dman and I are a walk up start.

We then have:-

With Zef - Post Match Piss Up.
With Steve - Post Match Ponderings
With Marki - Post Match Punch Up.

The lads have a goood vocab of swear words the ref is always the F'n ref and rightly so.
So we will need to match that fine example.

I'm not going off stats and only my recent memory here.... but I feel that Australia seems to rely heavily on getting out batsmen who are chasing the ball (caught or playing on)  rather than cleaned bowled or LBW. 

I feel the subcontinent teams target the stumps more - probably due to the pitches they predominantly play on.

One the major side effects of trying to get batsmen out by chasing the ball outside the line is that in defensive mode (Indians in Test 3 and 4) it is futile. The Indians showed great composure and patience to leave all those deliveries and play only high percentage defensive shots on the straighter ones.

Our bowlers (and tactics) just failed to adapt to the situation awareness needed at the back end of both these Test matches and were found out badly. 

If anything, Paine needed to instruct the bowlers to keep it straight or try something from left field, something the Indians were not use to.

The aussies continually bowling outside the line and looking for cracks in pitch or mistakes from the batsmen was akin to Des hoping for a 90% completion rate even if his team is getting flogged by 30..... 

Not Wades sorry...

It’s a delicate balancing act time vs runs... I think we tried to up the run rate but weren’t able to make it happen... Labs and Wades get out shots a sign of that...
We we’re always gonna give ourselves 2 new balls...
With the exception of Cummings we bowled poorly on day 5, and had no plans...

Actually 11 Ben Barbas is the new aussie pace attack 😁

17 Ben Barbas would put us to shame....

17 Billy Slaters and they may as well habd us the premiership now....

The best thing about the result is it means it’s the end of the series and we don’t have to put up with Mockviz know nothing posts about cricket, and the other know nothing liking those posts...

Caveat being we now have to deal with a similar issue for 30 weeks on N’VL...

Cant wait for the first post stating we need 17 Ben Barbas...

The flat wickets meant bowlers needed to bowl accurately and the captain had to have a plan for every batsman.

The lack of a plan meant more time bowling and the bowlers got tired.

With Starc and perhaps Lyon we need cover, because they rarely come good in the middle of a test series.
So with the benefit of hindsight perhaps 2 new bowlers should have played the last test.

Green needs more experience as he can potentially provide vital cover with a game.
For Lyon it is easy, throw in a leg spinner for the occasional test.

For Starc we don't have a lot of good options, if Green comes good, play Lyon and the leg spinner for the occasional test.

We have got plenty of 20/20 players and very few potential test players, this is no accident and it will be hard to fix.

Batting wise Puc, Smithy, Labs and probably Green look the goods.
We have to see how Puc goes with injuries.

Warner I'm not sure about, I would like to see his record for the last 20 tests, it seems like a while since he consistently made scores.

Paine should be dropped, but again I wonder how many like prospective test keepers we have.

The areas were the team can improve are captaincy, planning, patience, execution and depth.
We need to try a few new faces just to improve our depth and keep the team fresh.

Mentally the side needs a lift and needs better focus. They need to learn how to be polite while playing hard.
They need to cope with pressure and sledging without letting it affect their performance.
We need a Steve Waugh / Allan Border type leader, someone mentally tough with a instinct for the game and high standards.

That is why I suggest Cummins, he is mentally tough and focused, he can lead by example, if anyone sledges him, he can send his response when bowling.

I think this Indian performance proved that our bowling attack is not as great as everyone thinks it is.
We had Starc, Lyon and Green bowling rubbish that wouldn't get an 80 year old grandma out.
Only Cummings and Hazelwood were trying to get batsmen out.

If India's batsmen weren't going to get themselves out, our guys would be bowling into day 7.

There are wickets where bowlers and fielding team actually get the batsmen out and there are wickets that the bowler is lucky to have a wicket next to his name, only because the batsmen have got themselves out.

I dont believe it should be understated that if India batten 3rd in this Test match, the result would have been different.
This meant we either had to have them follow-on after first innings or have them bat first.

We had a far better chance getting these guys out when they had to set the pace rather than defend for dear life.

India just played old school Test Cricket and showed how it’s done. Batting there was always one at the crease to anchor through a few partnerships while the other (usually Pant) looked after the scoring rate. Mind you they never worried too much about it, they just waited for our bowlers to tire and then cashed in - old school.

Bowling, their tactics were to individual batsmen and they had plans for them. Smith - top of leg stump with fieldsman square and just backwards. Labs - the corridor outside off. Wade - bring on a spinner to give it air and let Wade get himself out. They had a plan for everyone who walked out there - old school.

This nation which is the home of 20/20 cricket uses 20/20 cricket to find those with the technique to become Test cricketers. Any Indian who comes into the Test side has already played with and against the best cricketers in the world, past and present, and performed under pressure in front of the biggest noisiest and most hostile crowds in cricket. They’re pressure cooked, if they got the technique India already know they’ve got the temperament.

Despite this loss I still think we got the best team we’ve had for a while. The bowlers will come good and I wouldn’t change any of them yet, nor would I expect before next years Ashes. And that includes Starc, he’s had this funk before and come back more dangerous and I’d give him every opportunity to do it again. Lyon too. And it can’t be dismissed how much bowling they had to do. India’s injuries through their bowling attack was somewhat of a blessing in disguise, their bowlers were a lot fresher than ours.

Batting I think we’re looking as promising as we have for years, and why I think this is the best team we’ve had for a while. Puck and Green look long-termed and solve some real problems. In fact I think the only spot open in the top 6 is Wade’s. And I think we can afford to play whoever’s in form in that spot or #6 (moving Green to #5 if and as necessary).

And then there’s Payne, who I think is at the point Gilly realised he should retire and if Payne won’t - then push him. Before SA.

So I’d basically take the same 11, the Sydney 11 with Puck instead of Harris (excepting Payne) to SA and play them in the first Test with maybe Wade v whoever for #5 or #6 being the only other change.

Cummins to capt only because everyone who seems to matter thinks he should be, Labs a shot too maybe.

wicket-keeper? Don’t know. Be brave. Take an Ian Healy style punt on the best youngun’ in the country

I see Mark Taylor is suggesting Sayers and Worrall as replacements for Starc to diversify attack.  Sheffield Shield 20/21:
Sayers, 4 matches, 8 wickets @ 43
Worrall, 2 matches, 2 wickets @ 103
Not a great audition for test selection

As discussed here a few weeks back Issue with giving the likes of Cunmo experience as a C in long form cricket is the way our summer is structured to accomodate T/20 crocket....
I think Smith is the right captain to get Lyon bowling slower and more at a fourth and 5th stump on the off...