never in doubt! the aussie revival

[Ken Gargett]

how wonderful to have a good ashes test for a change though that might depend on where one resides.

almost impossible to believe it is the same aussie bowling attack (of course, it is not, thanks to the idiot selectors finally reinstating johnson - now that KP has got zero and 3, does anyone expect him to be dropped next test? of course not but the decision to drop johnson after one bad test was on a par with that).

actually greg chappell has finally come out with some sense. hughes will play in mellbourne and clarke not ready for the captaincy.

how good is hussey!!!

interesting that warnie (already caught cheating on liz hurley - you have to love the bloke) was scathing about strauss's captaincy. i reckon he is spot on. and hasn't he been proved right about batting first on this pitch. what a tragedy we never had him as a captain.

and how about one of the english bookies!!! i gather that they have already paid out on bets backing england to retain the ashes as they saw no chance of the aussies fighting back. thought it would be nice for punters to get their dosh pre chrissy. they may just have to pay out on both sides!!

finally, interesting article this morning that the aussies have decided no more mr nice guy and brought back the sledging. they apparently got sick of copping it from england (and given the past and how importrant the ashes is, no blame to england at all for any amount of sledging). apparently after the harbajan/symonds incident (and wasn't that just one of the aussie cricket board's more disgraceful efforts), the aussies have largely kept stumm. but KP, prior, swann and anderson have been giving us an endless barage. so the aussies decided enough and back they came. apparently prior was particularly put off. i would imagine that KP would love it, despite the scores he got. there is now a belief in the aussies that the poms are a lot softer than they have been making themselves out to be.

still think the poms will get it together (assuming we win this test) and take the series.

and okay, possibly it was a little in doubt.

[adic88]

Stupid POMS! grrrrrr. What a terrible collapse. That performance wasn't worthy of test cricket.

[Ken Gargett]

I think it was good to rest Johnson and let him work on getting his action right. Had he played second test and this one he'd been crap in all three. They should rest Ponting and Clarke for the fourth test for the same reason. This will never happen, although Ponting might be forced to rest if this finger doesn't heel.

the johnson thing is one of those questions we'll never know.

i understand the argument for resting him but i don't agree.

the bloke needs a rest after one test? please! i find that absurd and insulting to every cricketer who ever put in the hard yards. and it makes his gatorade ads, about how gatorade lets him play so hard and so long, look a bit daffy. he would be a very rare cricketer who improved from not playing, instead of playing and practicing. i remember reading how when trueman was asked what training he did for an upcoming season, he firmly pointed out that he bowled a lot. johnson earns a million plus a year. it was time he earnt it.

can anyone imagine dennis lillee asking for a rest at any stage of his career? i know one of our most famous keepers, no longer with us sadly, had heart troubles that were kept from his team and selectors. a teammate of dad's found him on the dressing room floor once and was sworn to secrecy in case it got out and the selectors heard. these were blokes who valued a spot in the aussie team and would do anything to keep it (saying this, i can't imagine he was keen on the decision to drop him and if it had been me, i'd have been furious). playing club cricket s a keeper, you had a dud knee or broken finger or something, if there was a bloke competing with you for the spot, you shut up, played with it, no matter how painful.

johnson was cricketer of the year last year and then has one bad test and gets dropped. that was a panic move by headless chook selectors.

chappell (ian) made the good point this morning that he is not so worried about ponting getting a big score soon as his feet are in the right position and he is moving well. i think the exact opposite is true of clarke. his dismissals were both flat foot wafty waves well outside off with no foot movement at all. once an outside edge, next time an inside one. for me, the last thing he needs is a rest. he needs as much time in the middle as possible and the best place is probably back playing for nsw.

suspect we'll be same team for melbourne with beer in for siddle unless any greenness in the pitch, and depending on ponting. england will be interesting. suspect they'll be unchanged but collingwood is lucky he can field so well.

[mazolaman]

a lot of what is said on this thred is reffering to spirit and team togethereness,which was the answere to Kens previous slating of Strauss as captain,ie he hasn't the nouse of Vaughan,but the nouse comes from Flower,and the spirit comes from Strauss.The current England team has good spirit.

Pontin doesn't have the nouse of Waugh,but it looks from here as though the spirit isn't so good in th Oz team.

Dead right re Johnson,It reminds me of Cook,who had poor form in the run up,but they stuck with him,and he has been a batting star thus far.

I still feel that both KP and Trott will only get runs when the preassure is off.This is why I felt before the Ashes started that a lot depended on Strauss,ie,he gets runs,they all do,he gets out,they all do.

Interesting comments about the sense of a prize at getting in the team,and the fight and desire to maintain it.

I feel in todays England team the likes of Kp and Trott cannot have the same desire as other members of the team,as they are guns for hire.personally,I hate this aspect of modern sport.

well done to Oz,deserved victory.

Melbournes a slower one,sydney a quickie,,,,a lot on Swann now.

[Ken Gargett]

It's not a rest for being exhausted it's a pause to help find form rather than keep on playing when things are not "clicking". I don't understand this enormous stupidity here in Australia that once you're in you play until you die otherwise you're not a "real bloke". It's better to take a break and correct things that don't work - purecommon sense.

If guys get dropped when playing badly you complain. If they don't get dropped when playing badly you complain. For god's sake make up your mind!!

absolutely not true and contrary to what i've often said.

i was strongly against them dropping johnson from day one and said so often. and i have been very strongly against the chopping and changing. not saying someone has to stay in forever if they are not up to it but believe in the idea of giving someone time. even an english paper (guardian i think) said this morning that this was a very un-australian way of doing things. the english finally cottoned on, which is why, on ereason at least, they have been more successful these days. bobby simpson, a great aussie opener, played tests for about 6 years before his first ton.

i'd be surprised if you found many cricketers anywhere that felt they were likely to improve their form by nets rather than getting out there and playing. and that goes for every country.

not blaming johnson - he didn't drop himself.

[Ken Gargett]

a lot of what is said on this thred is reffering to spirit and team togethereness,which was the answere to Kens previous slating of Strauss as captain,ie he hasn't the nouse of Vaughan,but the nouse comes from Flower,and the spirit comes from Strauss.The current England team has good spirit.

Pontin doesn't have the nouse of Waugh,but it looks from here as though the spirit isn't so good in th Oz team.

Dead right re Johnson,It reminds me of Cook,who had poor form in the run up,but they stuck with him,and he has been a batting star thus far.

I still feel that both KP and Trott will only get runs when the preassure is off.This is why I felt before the Ashes started that a lot depended on Strauss,ie,he gets runs,they all do,he gets out,they all do.

Interesting comments about the sense of a prize at getting in the team,and the fight and desire to maintain it.

I feel in todays England team the likes of Kp and Trott cannot have the same desire as other members of the team,as they are guns for hire.personally,I hate this aspect of modern sport.

well done to Oz,deserved victory.

Melbournes a slower one,sydney a quickie,,,,a lot on Swann now.

i did post somewhere else that while i do think strauss is not captaining well on the foeld, an english mate pointed out the unity in the team and how well they've gone off field and a great deal of that must come down to strauss. thought his attitude in post match talks today excellent. he is very good in that sense but i think he lacks in his on-field captaincy.

interesting thoughts re spirit v nous. in this test, could not fault the aussie spirit. ponting has maintained it has been good, despite the press. may be he is right. think we'll find out in the next two tests.

not sure i agree re the comments re nous coming from flower - so much of cricket happens on field that if your captain doesn't have it, then the best coach in the world won't save him. if a batsman in form, the captain has to deal with it. can't waitr for instructions from off the pitch or at lunch or tea. would have loved to see a coach send out instructions to someone like ian chappell. there would have been a very firm reply. he had interesting comments re selectors and captains. of the view that while the captain should be heard on selections and 12th men, he doesn't get a vote. once the 11 selected, then the selectors bugger off and the captain does the rest, including batting order etc.

always thought vaughan did a good job with a limited team.

i'm convinced we are not seeing anything like the best of strauss re batting. he has been lucky with the two innings where he got runs. if you are correct re needing him, then england could be in a bit of trouble.

as well as cook, hussey is another perfect example. if they'd sent him back to the nets to get back into form, we'd have never seen him again and england would already have the ashes. there is nothing that compares with match practice. toss in net work and talking to the technicians etc but match practice essential.

you might have those pitches round the wrong way on usual form but given the gabba was a shadow of its elf and perth was back to what it was 20 years ago, who knows.