When you’ve lost six consecutive Test matches away from home, you could really do with not playing the next match in conditions that are alien to you, yet ideal for your opposition. So it must be with at least a smidgeon of apprehension that India travel to Perth.
We’re always keen to encourage new writers into the 51allout fold. Here ‘The Australian’ (as he’d elusively like to be known; we call him Matt L) discusses the spin options for his home nation.
The G’s have laid down the gauntlet, and the H’s have stepped up to the plate
Round five has been and gone in a flash, like a typical Phil Hughes innings. Here’s what we made of it.
You win the toss on a flat track, in bright sunshine, just days after your side has inflicted a painful psychological blow on your opponents. What do you do next?
One of the great innings from Michael Clarke was more than enough to see off a sorry India side. Indeed, the away side were so poor that it made us genuinely angry. We’ve calmed down enough now to write a review.
Chicken. Cricket. Steve Smith. You know the drill by now.
Ideally, Test cricket should have bat and ball in equilibrium, so that the best batsmen can be rewarded, but bowlers always have a chance of taking wickets. If that balance can’t be achieved- whether for reasons of weather, playing surface, ability or lack thereof – then the next best is a match that favours the bowlers.
What a difference a week makes. Seven days (or so) ago South Africa were amazing and Sri Lanka were rubbish. What about now?