Aus cricket - Is it to early to say they're back?

[Guest rob]

A good to decent first innings with the bat, and a brilliant second innings with ball.

If Johnson isnt there its a different game... but he is there, and I'm glad he's on our side. I'm also glad that we're not being handicapped by having Watson in the team. Replacing Bailey was necessary, but we could have carried him for what he brings to the 'team'.

Is this the kind of stuff that brings us back from the brink of a generation of embarrassment?

[westg]

Been watching it as well . Really impressive, Johnsons ball that took Smiths wicket just awesome, the Australian team really look like they are enjoying there cricket.

I must say the attention to the South African women in the crowd is warranted..very beautiful.

[Ken Gargett]

A good to decent first innings with the bat, and a brilliant second innings with ball.

If Johnson isnt there its a different game... but he is there, and I'm glad he's on our side. I'm also glad that we're not being handicapped by having Watson in the team. Replacing Bailey was necessary, but we could have carried him for what he brings to the 'team'.

Is this the kind of stuff that brings us back from the brink of a generation of embarrassment?

matters not in a sense. to win the ashes like that and to be competitive in south africa. brilliant and kudos to clarke and boof.

but disagree re bailey. you can't carry players against the best. remember it would have been marsh not in thee team. you think bailey would have batted like that?

[Coolio]

A good to decent first innings with the bat, and a brilliant second innings with ball.

If Johnson isnt there its a different game... but he is there, and I'm glad he's on our side. I'm also glad that we're not being handicapped by having Watson in the team. Replacing Bailey was necessary, but we could have carried him for what he brings to the 'team'.

Is this the kind of stuff that brings us back from the brink of a generation of embarrassment?

Hats off to Johnson, after 12 wickets in this Test he's undoubtedly the premier bowler in Test cricket a the moment. What a comeback he's had! And he hasn't done it after being set up by his batsmen scoring 500 either, which is all the more impressive. If we can get some consistent runs on the board the job for the bowlers would be a lot easier.

I think the 3 quicks at the moment, in Harris, Johnson and Siddle, must be very tough mentally, as they keep producing good spells when needed.

It's great to see them playing well.

Now if the selectors would just play ball and piss off Watson for good.......... We don't need him, and I bet the team are a better unit without him in it.

I'm regretting not having Foxtel at the moment!

[Guest rob]

I must say the attention to the South African women in the crowd is warranted..very beautiful.

Last nights 'action' was very very impressive..... Jaw dropping stuff by the cameramen with keen eyes!

[Coolio]

Last nights 'action' was very very impressive..... Jaw dropping stuff by the cameramen with keen eyes!

Now I'm REALLY regretting I don't have Foxtel!

[fingerburner]

Big time. Breathtaking bowling by Johnson with great back up support. Always a couple of guys who put up scores with the bat. I hope they put Watson into stud permanently.

[ARRV]

Team looks really balanced at the moment. The batting line up looks decent - Doolan played a great no3 innings in the second innings. Came in early and grafted - perfect balance with Warner. Imagine Watson - he would have been out caught behind wafting at some out swinger. Unfortunately no place for him

[OZCUBAN]

I will go out on a limb here and say WERE BACK

[Coolio]

Team looks really balanced at the moment. The batting line up looks decent - Doolan played a great no3 innings in the second innings. Came in early and grafted - perfect balance with Warner. Imagine Watson - he would have been out caught behind wafting at some out swinger. Unfortunately no place for him

Reading between the lines this morning, Lehmann has said it 'isn't guaranteed' that Watson will be back in the side for the 2nd Test, and that he needs to be fit. He also said however that it might depend on if we need another bowling option. ie. if the pitch is going to be a bit flatter and/or drier, he's basically said he'd like Watson in for his bowling.

If he gets selected, i hope he breaks down early in his first spell and sits in slips brooding for the rest of the game. Then gets dropped (left out injured for the papers) and never returns.

[Ken Gargett]

Reading between the lines this morning, Lehmann has said it 'isn't guaranteed' that Watson will be back in the side for the 2nd Test, and that he needs to be fit. He also said however that it might depend on if we need another bowling option. ie. if the pitch is going to be a bit flatter and/or drier, he's basically said he'd like Watson in for his bowling.

If he gets selected, i hope he breaks down early in his first spell and sits in slips brooding for the rest of the game. Then gets dropped (left out injured for the papers) and never returns.

not sure we really need another bowler. competent batsmen and no tossers seem more crucial.

mind you, hard to see that the yarpies, even with their attack, will be doing anything but making the next track as dead as possible. though they have to win both remaining tests to win the series.

[Coolio]

not sure we really need another bowler. competent batsmen and no tossers seem more crucial.

mind you, hard to see that the yarpies, even with their attack, will be doing anything but making the next track as dead as possible. though they have to win both remaining tests to win the series.

It appears Ken that the saffa's (Smith at least anyway) are trying to unsettle Johnson with comments about the pitch helping him and that he only gets tail-end wickets. If Smith rates himself as a lower order batsman then I'll have to give him some credit for being correct! I guess this is just a smokescreen. At least if they lose the series, in early March the Pistorius trial starts so that will take all the headlines!

I wonder i we leave the 3 quicks plus Lyon as our official bowling options, if Steve Smith might get a bowl this week? I see that Warner bowled a couple of overs, but as I don't have Foxtel I'm not sure if it was serious, or Clarke just used him to help someone else change ends?

[Ken Gargett]

warner was one of those quirky changes clarke likes to pull. they work, he is a genius. they don't, then not much lost.

if smith made those comments pre the first test, fair enough. after all, mitch johnson didn't have any top end batsmen to bowl at in the ashes.

but in one test, he got smith twice, de villiers twice (a candidate for world's best bat), petersen twice, duminy, du plesssis et al.

ten of his 12 were in the top 7 of the order. and one of the other two, peterson, averages a bit under 30 in tests. only top bat he didn't get was amla, but only because he didn't need to. i don't think johnson is at all bothered by those comments these days. five years ago, we might have had tears, now we just get more wickets.

if smith really did say that then he has got a seriously good sense of humour.

[Ken Gargett]

quote from the guardian about smith's thoughts on johnson.

"he blamed the pitch, which was like attributing the casualties of D-Day to the beach".

[Isotonic]

It's actually quite remarkable that as of right now... right this minute Australia is the best team in the world. Maybe the next 2 tests will show a more muted Australia but currently we have the best attack, best batting depth (rookies included) and a spinner who is a terrific part player. I may even be short selling Lyon.

The most incredible and speedy 180 I have ever witnessed in world cricket. Nothing ruins the confidence of the opposition and lifts yours like a truly brutal fast bowler. Let's just call it for what it it is. Everyone is just ****-scared of him.

P.S Please don't anyone even mention India in this convo. New Zealand 105 and still won. There... I said it

[Coolio]

quote from the guardian about smith's thoughts on johnson.

"he blamed the pitch, which was like attributing the casualties of D-Day to the beach".

What a great quote! He made all the comments about johnson i've read, post match. I fear they will come back to bite him on the helmet at 150+!

[Coolio]

It's actually quite remarkable that as of right now... right this minute Australia is the best team in the world. Maybe the next 2 tests will show a more muted Australia but currently we have the best attack, best batting depth (rookies included) and a spinner who is a terrific part player. I may even be short selling Lyon.

The most incredible and speedy 180 I have ever witnessed in world cricket. Nothing ruins the confidence of the opposition and lifts yours like a truly brutal fast bowler. Let's just call it for what it it is. Everyone is just ****-scared of him.

P.S Please don't anyone even mention India in this convo. New Zealand 105 and still won. There... I said it

Nobody would like to play us right now. You've put in in the right context 'as of right now, we're the best'. we'll need to see how we play through the rest of this year before we can say we are the best. I don't really put much emphasis on the rankings anyway (and i didn't have to mention India!).

I reckon the team and test cricket fns in this country would be happy for them to just keep improving and be feared by the rest of the world.

[Ken Gargett]

and finally seeing a few good batsmen in shield putting pressure on those there.

silk, mattinson, hughes, chris lynn, joe burns and kwajha showing some class with that brilliant 180 no, chasing down that huge total. that is what has been needed.

[assassin]

Blame the pitch? are you serious no problem for the aussies with tons being scored on the said dodgy pitch

[Guest rob]

In fairness, the 4th day was a diabolical surface, the aussies faced two overs to start the day, lost a wicket and declared.

[Ken Gargett]

In fairness, the 4th day was a diabolical surface, the aussies faced two overs to start the day, lost a wicket and declared.

they did say clarke saw enough to declare a lot earlier than planned. BUT HANG ON - smith won the toss. he had the choice. and playing at home - he might have a far better idea of what could be expected than clarke would have.

reports suggested his captaincy was as appalling as cook's. hard to believe.

[Guest rob]

they did say clarke saw enough to declare a lot earlier than planned. BUT HANG ON - smith won the toss. he had the choice. and playing at home - he might have a far better idea of what could be expected than clarke would have.

reports suggested his captaincy was as appalling as cook's. hard to believe.

Totally agree... Clarke is a very good captain, and has a great sence of how to turn screws and apply pressure. He can read the situation better than most.

He's also good at inspiring the best from his team (except Watson, who is a liabilty to the success of the team).