A gradual but inevitable descent into cricket-based loathing and bile.
India vs. Australia, ODI Series: Preview
If there’s one thing that Australia need now, more than ever, it’s a completely pointless ODI series to distract them from their Ashes preparations. Unfortunately, if there’s one thing Cricket Australia need now it’s filthy lucre, hence those poor overworked players have been shunted off to play one T20 – a match so pointless that even we couldn’t be arsed to watch it (although apparently Australia lost) – and seven ODIs. Captain Clarke is already knackered, but how many players will join him as the tourists seek the six wins they need to return to the top of the ODI rankings?
Given that (with the honorable exception of Steven Peter Devereux Smith) Australia’s last visit saw them descend into a farce worthy of Rentaghost, we’re not exactly rushing to back them with whatever pocket change we have left after our little holiday. A holiday during which the work experience boy very nearly touched a lady’s breast, putting it among the more successful holidays of recent years, a fact we’re only really adding to pad out this otherwise dangerously brief paragraph.
51allout on holiday: the Archbishop of Banterbury prepares to address his followers.
The home side
In a damning indictment of both us and the powers of gin, we originally thought that India’s last ODI had been the Champions Trophy final. Turns out that they’ve actually played a tri-nation series with the West Indies and Sri Lanka, plus a five match series against Zimbabwe since then. So they’re not exactly short of match practice. And if they can overcome the state of national mourning brought on by Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement, they’ll start the series as massive favourites, having won their last eight matches.
The thing we’re most looking forward to is, of course, seeing Shikhar Dhawan’s moustache, which deserves its own spinoff show, plus Ravi Jadeja taking an absolute bucket of wickets with his mixture of slow straight ones that don’t turn and slow straight ones that turn even less. It’s basically a combination perfectly designed to make Australians look foolish.
Rather like these two.
The away side
There’s no Devereux in the Australian squad, so they’re blatantly not even trying. George Bailey’s captaincy might be the most significant thing to come out of the series, with the word on the street being that Michael Clarke’s back problems could keep him out of the Ashes altogether. Beyond that there’s not much of interest in the Australian squad; Glenn Maxwell and Moises Henriques can continue to prove that they’re not really that hot at this cricket malarkey, while Mitchell Johnson has a great opportunity to bowl himself back out of form. And Clint McKay will probably continue to grunt like Maria Sharapova after a night on the cigars.
A bowling attack featuring Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkener and Xavier Doherty doesn’t exactly sound all that intimidating, so it’s basically down to Shane Watson to win at least five matches single-handedly. While still getting all his homework done.
And providing his traditional share of lulz, obviously.
The 51allout prediction
India to win 7-0. Or maybe 6-1. Either way Australia to be rightly punished by the cricketing gods for not having Devereux in their squad. The action starts at 9am on Sunday (UK time) in the glittering palace of wonder that is Pune. If we bother to set our alarm, we’ll be tweeting as the game progresses @51allout.
Latest Poll
Loading ...
4 Comments
Post a Comment
1
Stuart Johnson
14 Oct 2013 15:25
Given the choices of the dull ODI or the last day of a Test match where a major upset might have happened, I know which one I’d have preferred to have had the chance to watch. As it turns out, we missed a Test hat-trick no less.
2
Matt H
13 Oct 2013 09:21
I have interest in it, but it is still pointless. There’s no context to the series. It’s not related to any tournament and doesn’t form the sub-plot to a Test series. I’d much rather our TV channel was showing the Bangladesh vs NZ Test match.
3
Nichael Bluth
13 Oct 2013 05:20
Anything with Xavier Doherty in it is pretty pointless.
4
cricbc
13 Oct 2013 04:16
Pointless. This is what you call this series. What according to you make point? People would argue sports itself is pointless. Personally I see this series as a great opportunity for young Aussie bowlers to test their mettle. Also, a come back series for Yuvraj Singh.
Lets not call a series pointless if you personally don’t have any interest in it.
If you feel like it, ridicule me here – @cricbc