I'm struggling to combine the innings - the reason why I think excluding rain draws - is that a team in scoring 600 runs, has really only batted less than half the test at typical scoring rates, so its very likely going to be  a result match. 

You're going to want a lot of something happening for bowlers to defend that, a load of English swing, a dustbowl in Asia...

I still remember NZ scoring 700 and being thrashed...

Firstly I love the pitch - great to see a typical old WACA type strip, that makes a test fascinating
Doff my hat to the curator.
The pace men have shown it rewards effort, Kohli proved you can bat on it & Lyon takes a 5 for - what an absolutely intriguing test match.
I think the pitch will play very similar as Sunday for the next 2 days as the weather is benign & whilst wind can dry a pitch very quickly, it is protected from same.
Khawaja is the key, if he stays in till the end of the innings, which = a good score for him & the tail, Australia wins.
If he goes cheaply, Head is not experienced enough and the tail will not wag as much.
I think I heard the commentators say that India has only chased down over 200 twice, playing away from the sub continent..
Kohli then becomes the big factor for India, does he have another ton in him.
Under 220 ahead India wins, 220 to 250 = 50 / 50, over 250 Australia wins

Yeah - I think we're all in similar range agreement here...

monkeygate continues

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/monkeygate-reopened-as-symonds-and-harbhajan-dispute-tearful-apology-20181216-p50mlq.html

Half the problem is CA and Australian media makes so much money out of India, and while the Aussie public only care about the Ashes, India by not playing Pakistan is desperate for a cricketing rival for the BCCI supporters. Remember - Star Sport India is owned by Uncle Rupert... Symonds tell all was on Craddock's show - Fox owned... is Symonds doing BBL commentary this year? Bhaji works in commentary...

The Indian pursuance of its rival to be Australia and all the money Australia makes as a result just fuels the endlessness of this garbage in both countries. 2001 Laxman and Dravid test was one of the classics, but they even go on about some weekend in the 1990's where Tendulkar got a couple of centuries in Sharjah against Australia... They coined it "Operation Desert Storm" - most Aussies would think that was the USA liberation of Kuwait...

At the end of the day - it is still the Ashes that really resonates with Aussies... I really struggle to take the Ind/Aus media beat ups in oxygen... there's too much marketing of a rivalry... 

We need Khawaja to stand up full stop and grind a good figure.
Kohli had 3 viable partnerships - we need similar from him.
Pretty disappointed with our openers, worse Marsh followed by the others.
Yes the pitch is a demon but imo we need 250 at least to feel in a better position.
I'm worried some of the Indian bats not just Kohli will finally knock up strong innings.

This is a bowlers deck no mistake. A little too much life even without the cracks. Even Kohli  dodged bullets on this track. I counted at least 5 play and misses? Missed some of the coverage so maybe more. He edged several too but his soft hands ensured they always went to ground.. except his controversial dismissal.
Out or not? comments.

Doesn't this ever go away. Has more scenes than Gone With the Wind:P

Harbajan's twitter certainly shows no remorse

Symonds seems truthful so either he's a very good liar or harbajan is a trumpy troll

Out!!
Love the life the pitch has - We have got used to too many docile wickets - this one will produce a result.
It does not favour either side due to good pace attacks for both sides.
Straight bat, soft hands like Kohli = good bating, Straight bat you will tend to play & miss if the ball moves to0 far of it's line
& the ones you do snick tend to drop. He was unlucky that it just carried.

out for mine

I don't trust tech to overturn close catch decisions

a decade ago it got silly with many clear catches overuled on revue becuse its hard to tell if fingers are under the ball

should only overturn the umps if its clear and obvious - say the ball has touched the grass before any fingers have touched it

Doesn't this ever go away. Has more scenes than Gone With the Wind:P

Surviving on grassy decks like we have in this series, augurs well for who we want for the upcoming Ashes. Those who struggle against the ball that deviates off the surface or in the air need not apply for a ticket.

These two only have to be sensible. If they fall to a superior ball .. then such is life. Just do not gift your wicket.

Totally agree Baggers. All Monkeygate showed how weak CA really were. CA always have supported the more powerful and allowed the weaker to suffer. Look at Clarke/Katich incident. CA should have taken the Barry Gomersall approach when the weak insipid Clarke complained, and said "Hit him back", but yet they destroyed a career in Katich. With Monkeygate CA should have backed Symonds all the way, but they backed down, thus ending a career, because in effect CA was saying to Symonds that it was OK for Singh to call him a monkey. This was a derogatory display by CA for Symonds.

Who do you have in mind for batsmen who don't struggle against deviating deliveries, that's the majority of Sheffield shield players, otherwise Bird and Tremain would not have taken so many wickets. And don't answer Patterson, because he has proven he can't play movement as his 9 average in recent years including this current season against SA shows.

Those who prosper against the Duke ball Mike. Thinking more of swing. Determine who bowls best using the Duke and who were their victims. Nick Winter had 34 alone from his 5 games last season. Chadd Sayers and Daniel Worrall are our only other recognised swing bowlers.

Here is my answer Mike. A few surprises. The list of the most successful bats against the Aussie Dukes.Is from an article last year.
Peter Handscomb @114.  Matthew Renshaw (aged 21; @67), Joe Burns (28; @60.5),  Matthew Wade (30; @56), Will Pucovski (20; @55.8), Travis Head (24; @52.8) and Jake Doran (21; @52.1).

Coupla gazzundas in this over. Are those cracks widening? India will not want to see this.

Yes Ussie. Half the job done.

I’m enjoying Aus rotating the strike with singles on a difficult pitch.

The left hand / right hand partnership means a big change in the field, plus completely different bowling lines and plans that are constantly forcing bowlers to change strategy and unsettle their rhythm.

200 lead now.  

Always maintained we should have a combination of l/r bats in our top six. For the very reason you have alluded DC.

Will Pucovski I'd take a risk with him. Head is already in the side. As for Renshaw and Burns, unless they are selected for the final 2 tests against India and 2 tests against Sri Lanka I wouldn't bother, they need to get games prior to a tour. Personally I don't think Harris nor Finch are going anywhere before the end of the summer. When under scrutiny 1 innings seems to be enough to appease selectors. 

Baggers

Even though Cummins bowled a little faster yesterday, he has already gone from a demon express bowler to a fast medium line and length bowler in a very short period of time.

What he was extracting out of dead pitches in Asia was amazing last year. At the time he was the most lethal fast bowler in the world.

Of course bowlers like Hadlee peaked late in his thirties at reduced speed, but Cummins is far too young to be losing an average of about 7 kph per ball.

Relatively, Cummins is looking innocuous compared to Starc, Rabada and Bumrah, whereas he had far more intimidation and fire than any of them a season and a half ago.

They have four Shield games in the New year to impress with the Dukes.

CA introduced  this specially adapted for Aussie conditions version Dukes a few seasons back for the prime reason of preparing us for the Poms in England 2019. Now they have to act on its results.

I will also take a risk on Pucovski. 

Given the state of the pitch this Khawaja/Paine partnership is one of the best Australian partnerships for a long time.

How many of our incumbent bats will be able to play in these four remaining Shield games. That  is a vexing question. Are Smith and Warner available then.. from their "life sentence"?

This deck is making Vihari look like a class spinner. which his FC record says he is not.

I was saying to Baggers that I don't think Cummins is 100% fit. I can't explain it, it is just a general poor performance. Speed down, line poor etc. His performance in Futures league was nothing special that would promote to Sheffield Shield level let alone Australian colours. I don't solely blame Cummins because he will want to play for Australia, and his "Gillette" promotional contract would warrant he is playing for Australia. Even Greg Blewett has a man crush on him (I can't believe he said that on National TV). I blame the trainers and medics and ultimately selectors for playing him if that is the case. But in saying that if Australia score 300 he is my pick to take wickets in the 2nd innings.

khawaja and cummins both down on form coming back from injury

it takes a few matches

This is the 73rd over and pop gun Shami is steepling them. Our boys must be salivating at getting the ball into their hands later on.

with 6 wickets in hand do you try and lift the run rate or just bat till tea