Victoria v India

[commonwombat]

Sorry but they obviously chose to disregard Mr Hookes verbal flatulence. He's not in the team.

Changes from last Test: Gillespie and McGill are in; Hogg and Lee are out.

[JLC]

Its simple all Hodge has to do is move to NSW and he will be right for a game.

jlc

[labrooy]

Maybe he should perform to a high level over a period of time. History is full of flash in the pan performers who put a series of good scores together, get selected in the Aussie side and fail miserably. For what its worth I think Hodge has what it takes but his best bet is to keep his form going and be named as Steve Waugh's successor in the team.

[Donny]

Hodge went on to 264. Harvey was out for 71 and White made 39.

The Vics declared on 8/518.

At close of play, India had dawdled to 2/116 with Chopra on 55 n.o.

[Donny]

Hodge shines in drawn match

Wisden Cricinfo staff


Brad Hodge showed up the lack of bite in the Indian bowling attack, hammering a superb double-hundred as the three-day match between Victoria and the Indians petered into a draw. Cameron White finally declared Victoria's innings at 518 for 8, shortly after Hodge fell for 264. It left the Indians with almost three hours to bat out, which they did quite comfortably, with Akash Chopra (55 not out) getting some useful practice and Sadagoppan Ramesh further strengthening his case for inclusion in the Test team.

The first two sessions belonged to Hodge, though, who scored 111 out of the 170 runs scored by Victoria today. His batting was punctuated by plenty of drives down the ground, as the Indian bowlers erred in length and served a generous dose of half-volleys. Zaheer Khan and L Balaji felt the heat early in the day, as Hodge repeatedly drove them in the V between mid-off and mid-on. Balaji provided the only cheer of the morning session for the Indians, trapping Ian Harvey in front for 71 to end a 161-run stand for the sixth wicket, but White joined Hodge to further prolong the Indian misery.

Hodge reached his double-century off 309 balls with his 26th four, a pull to the midwicket boundary off Balaji. Harbhajan Singh had another listless day, with White tonking him for a six and Hodge driving and cutting him for fours.

Sourav Ganguly had no option but to resort to the part-time bowlers, and it was Virender Sehwag who finally got the breakthrough, when Hodge edged a drive and was snapped up by Rahul Dravid at first slip (518 for 7). Hodge and White added 125 for the seventh wicket. Four balls later, White was on his way too, fishing at one outside off stump from Zaheer and nicking to Parthiv Patel, who latched on to the catch on his second attempt. The declaration came soon after, with Victoria achieving a first-innings lead of 252.

The Indian innings began with Sehwag getting off to a boundary-ridden start, lofting Mathew Inness over mid-off and cutting Harrop behind point. The entertainment didn't last long, though, as Harrop trapped him in front with one that nipped back and kept a trifle low (24 for 1).

Ramesh and Chopra ensured against a collapse, adding 90 for the second wicket. Chopra, out for just 2 in the first innings, redeemed himself with a well-compiled half-century. He was cautious early in his innings, scoring most of his runs with steers to third man. The circumspect approach was shunned only when David Hussey came on to bowl his offspinners – Chopra swept and then lofted him over midwicket for fours. Ramesh holed out to deep square leg late in the day for 36, allowing Dravid to come in and score his first run of the match.

[Donny]

Hookes slams Indian tactics
November 27, 2003

VICTORIAN cricket coach David Hookes described India's approach as "staggering" after their three-day game ended in a nothing draw at the MCG today.

Brad Hodge's record-setting 264 was the only highlight on the final day as India reached 2-116 in their second innings.

Victoria declared before tea on 8-518 in reply to India's first innings of 9(dec)-266.

Hookes claimed Indian captain Sourav Ganguly had agreed to his suggestion before the toss that the two sides bat 70 overs apiece per innings.

But he said once India won the toss: "Ganguly came to me and said 'It's our first day on the tour, we should just bat'.

"So once he went well past that and his tailenders didn't bat properly, I thought 'bugger it' – we were pretty annoyed.

"They didn't learn to play cricket....it was a staggering approach."

Victoria's reaction to India's 90-over first innings was to make the tourists field for more than nine hours as Hodge posted his second-highest first-class score.

It was also the highest score in Australia against India, beating Justin Langer's 223 in the third Test at Sydney during the 1999-00 season.

Hookes said India had treated the three-dayer as a "net session".

He warned India against taking the same approach into another three-dayer from Saturday against a Queensland XI, ahead of next Thursday's first Test at the 'Gabba.

"You need that game of cricket leading into a Test and they have not had a game of cricket – they've had an extended, glorified centre-wicket practice," he said.

"If they treat the Queensland game like a glorified centre-wicket game, then they are, in the words of Brad Hodge, 'nowhere'."

The frustration of the two sides became evident today as the Indian spinners at times bowled to stacked leg-side fields.

Victorian wicketkeeper Peter Roach bowled an over late today, while the Indian batsmen initially declined an offer to call the game off six overs early.

The match finished anyway after another four overs.

"Hopefully this is the last three-day game that's ever played at the MCG," Hookes said.

He was much more positive about Hodge, who posted his fifth triple-figure score for Victoria in a month.

Hodge's first-class figures so far this Australian season are 579 runs at an average of 115.8, with two centuries and double ton.

"As long as he maintains his form, which doesn't necessarily have to equate to runs on the board, he should be a real chance to go to Sri Lanka – that should be his target, I would think," Hookes said.

Ganguly was diplomatic after the match, saying it was "up to them" how Victoria played.

"Obviously Brad is trying to find a place in the Test side, I believe they were playing a bit for him, that's how it goes," Ganguly said.

Ganguly hoped his side would improve after a below-par tour opener and said three-dayers were inevitable in such a tight international calendar.

"That's what you get these days because the itinerary is so tight....you've got to make the most of what you get," he said.

[Donny]

Sounds like he's a bit closer ("serious credentials") than you think, wombat.

"Hohns would not speculate about Waugh's successor but lavished praised upon one-day skipper and captain-in-waiting Ricky Ponting's recent leadership.

He nominated current Test player Simon Katich, last-Test centurion Martin Love, in-form Victorian Brad Hodge and exciting youngster Michael Clarke as four players with serious credentials to take Waugh's place in the long term"

[commonwombat]

Yes, Donny, have read that article too where Hohns also said that Lehmann was not out of the selcetors minds either.

Of the 4 mentioned, the pride of chavenistic Victorians would at best rate no.3 in the pecking order and more likely no.4. Katich and Love have credible Test performances on the board; Katich and Clarke are legitimate bowling options and probably all three would rate higher than Bradley dear in the field, not that I class him as inadequate in that regard.

[Donny]

Yes, fair enough. I'm just pointing out he's NOT out of the frame.

Boony was there for a reason and it would've been more to look at Hodge than Inness. Braddles is hot on the heels of Martin Love and possibly a touch ahead of Clarke.

But it does highlight the healthy batting reserves Australia has at the moment. To have Katich, Love, Hodge, Clarke and Hussey all vying for Waugh's spot in the Test team bodes well for the years ahead.

Although 4 of the above named are 28 and 29, that doesn't put them out of the picture when you consider they're 9 and 10 years younger than the retiring skipper.

Even with a massive injury toll, there are still players like Blewett, Elliott and Di Venuto in fine form.

Footnote: Boony just might have also been having a squiz at Cameron White with an eye to the Sydney Test and the sub continent tours coming up.