gadj1976 wrote:So, like the rest of the nation, I'm stunned by the stupidity of the Aust batting today, and I really cannot fathom the reverse sweep in test scenarios.
IMO, sweeping is high risk, especially on decks like this one. Reverse sweeping is ridiculously high risk, so why would you do it - to get a few runs against the traditional field placings? HUGE risk vs little reward IMO. Slog sweeping, like Cummins did is just plain Z grade cricket tactics. "Let's show em, I'll slog the first one for 6 and that'll teach em." Mate, you're the captain, we're 6/95, pull your head in.
That was the worst batting I've seen from an Australian line up, ever. And I've seen some shockers. But not one player wanted to actually pitch in and keep their wicket. It was real T20 stuff and completely f'd us over.
I watched the Indians use their feet to the spinners in the second dig and I didn't see that once from our batsman. Just terrible technique from our line up.
I wonder if Andrew McDonald will ring Langer for a few hints - cos he looked baffled in the stands. Obviously they'd decided to use the sweep as a tactic before the test. Jadeja after the game said that it was a dumb tactic (not exact words) on that pitch. How can we get it so wrong?
Rant over
I had a laugh at Cummins during the after-match interview saying that they hadn't the 'sweeping' as a plan during meetings. Find that extremely hard to bloody believe that in this day and age where they have a meeting regarding every aspect of the game, that all players came out sweeping yet that wasn't a plan.
Take some responsibility, man up and say we got it wrong.
Head had a fair crack.... Khawaja has shown he can bat on those wickets albeit the reverse sweep also got him, Labuschagne had a crack just got an absolute grubber that was on the stumps. Handscombe is trying. Even Lyon is having a fair crack with the bat.
Warner is done.
Smith.......im not sure what he was trying to do, probably the best player at using his feet and he plays the big slog sweep.
Renshaw.....arguably as bad an innings as you will see at test level.
Carey......the bloke clearly has no brain or is just a stubborn prick. Put the reverse sweep away FFS
Carbon Cummins....yeah sorry mate you're not captain material albeit one hell of a bowler
Kunhemann....you're not winning us the game but geez in your second game, number 10 and you're playing the reverse sweep as well....get fugged.