Yesterday, Q, over at Well Pitched had a slight dig at us here at the flyslip for calling the SA v Aus series the biggest one this year.
Actually, we dint really believe it either, the India – Aus series was certainly the most anticipated one. But it it hardly lived up to any of the hype built around it.
In the end it dragged on and was rather a boring affair. It was good for India though.
They dominated the whole series and won comfortably in the end.
Not much in it for the neutral.
So it was with some trepidation we tuned in for first session today.
And BAM ! 20 mins or something into it, SA were thinking of ending the game late on the 2nd day.
Hussey went for a globe. That never happens so we had to convince our selves with the replays, several times over, to actually believe it our selves.
15-3.
Kallis comes on, moobs and all, and Krab decides he’s having none of this and screams 3 fours to the fence.
An hour in and it was more exciting than the whole Indian tour.
Australia continued their counter with Katich and Clarke.
SA absorbed the pressure and hit back at the right time.
Symo played a camio, Haddin chipped in.
Fuck, even Paul fuckingshithouse Harris picked up two wickets. That they were of arguably the two best players of spin in the team pissed me off even more.
Test cricket was alive and well and was kicking the shit out of every bastard who thinks this great game is boring or dying or whatever.
Bring on Day 2.
You’re absolutely right, three batsmen who aren’t in the best of form, chasing and edging deliveries they should have been no where near close to, already made the tour far more exciting than any in test cricket’s dull and boring history. The fact that no batsman after them was able to go on and score a big hundred, despite all of them getting a good start, and all falling to indiscretion made this a riveting contest, surely displaying the notion of patiently setting up and constructing an innings does not good cricket make. I can’t wait for Australia’s magnificent world record breaking bowlers to excite us all with their pace pace pace.
atch>Loving the overdose of sarcasm, me likes the slow set of up a test match as much as the next man.
But I’ll be damned if you are implying yesterday was not an exciting day of test cricket.
It lived to the billing.
Test cricket is definitely not dieing.. the cricket is not boring at all… and even though the India vs Australia series was not as closely contested as expected, the fact that the Aussies faced big losses and were totally outplayed I think was great vieiwng for the neutral, or maybe i’m the only one in that boat …
As far as SA vs Aus is concerned, my point was more abt how SA have always been outplayed despite being 2nd best… your right day 1 was extremely exciting and close and we witnessed a fightback on the 1st day of the series it self.. but as always it all depends on how well the Saffers bat.. lets c if they can get to the Aussi total…
Sorry Damith, I kinda went a bit overboard there, but it does get a bit annoying seeing everyone falling for Channel 9 and the Aussie media’s brainwashing that this is greatest series this year. Yes yesterday was an exciting day, but was it the best ever start to a test? No, I remember Irfan Pathan taking a hat trick in his first over against Pakistan, and I’m sure people have lots of similar examples.
Australia’s record this year is 12-5-3-4, but take away the Windies and NZ and that becomes 7-1-3-3! There is NO WAY, they are the best side anymore. Even if you take WI and NZ, they’ve won 46% of their matches, South Africa on the other hand have a record 13-9-2-2 (69% victories), take away Bangladesh and the Windies and it becomes 7-3-2-2. Like I said on my blog, the top 5 teams are relatively evenly matched and all will provide a good tight series, but this isn’t the best on offer, thats a subjective call and often influenced by your favorites.
Q> No worries mate, like you I was expecting the India – Aus series to be very closely contested. Actually it was a pretty good series, but some days seem to be a bit draggy.
Day 2 wasnt too bad either eh ?
Atch> If you look at it that way then the best series right now would be an India v SA
Clearly the Aussies arnt what they used to be, but they are still pretty damn hard to beat.
I like the added incentive for SA in beating the Aussies at home or winning a series against them since being re-instated.