Australia v. India, Third Test - SCG.

[K]

Burns dropped as Warner, Pucovski return for third Test

Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner

[K]

Ponting: "They've scored at two-and-a-half runs an over in Adelaide and here (in Melbourne) and they did (that) against India in the last series out here (and) that was also another losing series.

"They've got to show some more intent. They can't be scared of getting out. They've got to go out there and bat and score runs and they've got to get them quicker than two-and-a-half runs an over because what we've seen from Adelaide to here, if they're trying to apply themselves and bat for long periods of time they haven't been good enough to do that.

"I think they need to have a good look at how they're playing, a look at their personnel."

(cricket.com.au)

[K]

"Paine denied that either Steven Smith or Marnus Labuschagne have been caught out by India's planning over many long, Covid-19 affected months leading up to this series, even if few can remember seeing Smith's rotation of the strike so cut back by the posting of two square legs when the pacemen attack the stumps.

"India are bowling well, they've been extremely disciplined, we haven't been able to get partnerships together, but from what I've seen watching say Marnus and Steve Smith in their Test career, this is not the first time teams have targeted their stumps. That happens every single Test match," Paine said.

"These guys are executing it better and someone like Steve in particular hasn't been able to get in yet. Once he does he'll find a way, as he always has, and the rest of us will follow suit and need to improve, there's no doubt about that. But these aren't plans that we're encountering for the first time.""

(cricinfo)

[Donny]

Head 12th. man ?

[K]

Meanwhile, this being NYE, journo Pierik's Test team of the year has lots of Englishmen (as he says, they played more Tests), but no Bumrah or Paine:

Sibley, Warner, Labuschagne, Williamson (c), Azam, Stokes, Buttler, Broad, Cummins, Southee, Ashwin. 12th man: Anderson.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/the-2020-test-team-of-the-year-and-one-surprise-australian-made-it-20201230-p56qrv.html

[23 YIPPEE!!!]

No crowds for the test at the SCG. What a farce. Could have had 40 thousand at the MCG. Cricket aust have buggered this up heaps.

[K]

Well, maybe the NSW gov. is influencing CA (with money).

Meanwhile, Fairfax reports:

Rohit in, Yadav out...

"The BCCI was expected to confirm on Friday that the 33-year-old right-arm quick had been ruled out of the remainder of the series with a calf injury sustained during the Boxing Day Test.

The news, reported by multiple India media outlets, signals another test of the visitors' pace depth, one they have passed with flying colours to date.

Already without Ishant Sharma, who didn't tour because of a side strain, and Mohammed Shami, who suffered a fractured arm from a Pat Cummins bouncer on the chaotic final day of the first Test in Adelaide, their spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been quickly running out of friends."


If the Oz batsmen can't score runs when India are 3 bowlers down, they should be ashamed of themselves. Another Fairfax article tells us Marnus
"is one only three men so far to have more than 100 runs in the series (129 at 32.25), joining Ajinkya Rahane (181 at 60.33) and Matthew Wade (111 at 27.75)".

[K]

Baum pities the cricketers "imprisoned" in bio-bubbles:

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/when-protection-becomes-prison-cricket-s-trouble-with-bubbles-20201231-p56r3m.html

Not for the first time, I totally disagree with Baum. It's not a competition, but some of us have been "imprisoned" for almost 9 months without all the support staff and the huge salaries.

Baum: "You can say that they don't have to play IPL. But how many would turn their backs on a million-dollar fee?"

Huh? The million dollars is the whole point!! They value the million dollars more than some down-time not in a bio-hub. As would I. That means the million dollars is more than adequate compensation.

[Pies4shaw]

It’s not much money for what they do.

[K]

Well, they can't have it both ways.

If it's not much money, then there's no problem skipping the IPL.
If it is much money, then there's nothing to complain about.

Either way, Baum's argument is bollocks. They have free choice. They won't starve without the IPL. They won't go insane with the IPL.

................................

As for whether they should be paid more or less, that depends on what the IPL revenue is and what percentage of that goes to the players. Once that's known, we can compare with other sporting leagues.

Undated post, possibly 2019:

"When it comes to salaries, Virat Kohli leads the race in terms of individual IPL earnings being paid $2,656,250 per season. With the IPL running for a period of seven weeks, that roughly translates to a weekly wage of $380,000. This is similar to the wages demanded by the biggest stars in the EPL – Manchester United’s David De Gea, for example, is reported to earn almost $400,000 per week."

https://www.danielgeey.com/post/the-ipl-and-the-epl-compared/


I don't think EPL players are underpaid...

[K]

Natarajan added to India's squad.


India's squad for last two Tests

Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Rohit Sharma (vice-capt), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan

[Dark Beanie]

Several Indian cricketers being investigated for bubble breach.
Were at Secret Kitchen at Chadstone on New Year’s Day dining inside which is against COVID protocol.

[K]

Not-So-Secret Kitchen.

Fairfax names Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Navdeep Saini and Prithvi Shaw.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/india-cricket-board-investigating-potential-bubble-breach-by-test-stars-20210102-p56rbn.html


Rohit and Gill are crucial to India's batting.

[23 YIPPEE!!!]

May face match bans.

[KenH]

But won't! This will be swept away for sure.