India tour of Australia 17 Dec - 19 Jan: Tests

[sussexpob]

Although Australia really need to look at themselves if anything. I dont necessarily agree with the bowling, Pant had barely scored a run before Paine put him down. In fact Paine put every single batter down today didnt he? Ok, the first one from Lyon is the sort of take that excellent wickies make look easy and bad wicket keepers occasionally make stick, but all four were chances, and particularly the chance back to the quick was a total dolly. Paine's performance today was a true stinker, its about time the Aussies got rid of the waste of space, he's neither that good a bat nor a reliable keeper. Ironically the only thing that stuck was that diving catch that was ruled out off the arm guard.

Maybe if Paine had stuck to thinking about his glovework rather than insulting and swearing at Ashwin for hours, he might have caught something. And on that note, what the hell was Steve Smith doing tampering with the wicket? I take it the new fuzzy, we play hard but fair Australia thing has worn off already. Smith particularly is a brave man for doing that considering his reputation is already in question. Some unnecessary gamesmanship and bad sporting behaviour creeping in as India batted on. Although again, I think Paine claiming he had some outstanding average to Ashwin (picked up on the stump mic) was pretty funny; he apparently averages quite a lot away from his Bradmanesque brag (high 30s in India I read, nothing to brag about that much).

In fact Australia had a lot of chances to take wickets. Pant certainly edged one that was put down in the slips, i think it was Pujara who pulled and was dropped in the leg side at backward point, and I think another one found its way into the slips that might have been downed (or just short, cant remember).

Vry sloppy day in the field for the Aussies. Pant also bottom handed a lot of shots that went aerial, but considering he had a problem in the upper body i think its not a technical issue. On another day I wonder how many of those shots the hand comes off the bat with end sailing to the fence instead of the fielder. Rode his luck a lot.

[sussexpob]

Final observation; if I am Tim Paine, I would consider targeting that very short 4th stump line to the Indians if any get away in the 4th test. Pretty much every Indian batsman at some point tried to play an uppish cut shot to those balls when there was simply no room, and probably Vihari's most worrying moment was hanging his bat out and edging into dangerous zones after being totally cramped. A couple of others opened the face and almost ramped it over the slips a couple of times too. Pant at one stage played a staggering shot (I literally have no idea how he got on top of the bounce, but it was almost like a cut version of Dhoni's helicopter shot). On Australian pitches you cant be playing off the back foot into the offside if the ball is in at the body. Very risky, as I said if I am an Aussie bowler, Id be tempted to pack that offside and test that next test. Indians would do well to leave those sorts of lines of attack well alone.

[meninblue]

Disgraceful from Tim Paine. What is the need to use such words. Luckily I didn't waste my time watching a match played in such dirty spirit.

Tim Paine: "I an't wait to get you to the Gabba, Ash."

Ravi Ashwin: " I can't wait to get you to India, it'll be your last series."

Tim Paine: "At least my teammates like me, dickhead."

[meninblue]

The video on twitter doing rounds in which Smith is seen tampering the ground near batting crease. For someone who was banned one year for cheating not long ago, to cheat again is very shameful and resembles the cheating nature of this player.

[Alviro Patterson]

The video on twitter doing rounds in which Smith is seen tampering the ground near batting crease. For someone who was banned one year for cheating not long ago, to cheat again is very shameful and resembles the cheating nature of this player.

Disgraceful behaviour.

Bowlers are warned for enroaching the technical area, Smith blatantly goes on it and alters the playing condition.

Should be banned for another year. Otherwise Cricket Australia's efforts of redemption have failed and the Amazon documentary will be seen as a PR stunt.

[Alviro Patterson]

Disgraceful from Tim Paine. What is the need to use such words. Luckily I didn't waste my time watching a match played in such dirty spirit.

Tim Paine: "I an't wait to get you to the Gabba, Ash."

Ravi Ashwin: " I can't wait to get you to India, it'll be your last series."

Tim Paine: "At least my teammates like me, dickhead."

Haha, superb from Ravi to get a response.

Can't see how Paine can survive this when Cricket Australia have tried so hard to improve their image after sandpaper gate.

[sussexpob]

I dont think its Paine's fault that his board scrambled out of a crisis of identity by setting themselves an unobtainable standard to live up to in the future. This is professional sport, sometimes people toe the line, other times they blow straight past it; regardless of whatever flowery, cuddly image you want to project. I dont think this is a particularly bad instance worthy of particular merit, calling someone a d*ck is far from outrageous. Yeah, it doesnt reflect well on Paine as a person maybe, but I have zero faith in many professional sportsman acting like gentleman or being nice blokes to their opponents now ( on the field. yesterday when the Indian lads complained of racial abuse from the crowd, Paine came out of the dressing room to gather with the Indian players in a move that looked to be one of solidarity - so we cant confuse or judge people on what they do in the heat of a test match in the balance when maybe as a guy in private he is a shining example for humanity).

I think if anything its the fact the Aussie ironically had their plan backfire. Paine was full of words all day trying to break Indian concentration, but then every time an opportunity arose, Australia fluffed it. So it appears the whole exercise if anything got Australian fielders carried away and lose focus on the job at hand; you could argue as well they only did it because they suddenly felt under pressure with the game possibility slipping away from them. If I am a coach or higher up, Id really be less concerned with swearing and demand to know why my captain lost his mind in the crucial moments.

As for Smith, cheating is a strong word. I guess we will never know what his intentions were, but its hard to call what he has done cheating. Idiotic, surprising considering his position, needless.... but not cheating. Of course I will admit that I do question whether removing the footmarks is why we find him in the crease, or whether or not he was walking around the crease hoping to create further damage and maybe realises the batsman and umpire are coming to the crease. But thats conjecture based on his previous willingness to engage in the dark arts, you still have to judge him on what he did..

Although I concede I don't know the rules concerning damage to this area of the pitch, as the ball is unlikely to pitch that far and be effected in anyway.

No doubt Smith is going to live to regret his actions though, a lot of people will jump on this like a drop of blood in a shark tank.

[sussexpob]

I guess it reminds me a bit of the sweets on the pitch gate in 2007. No one needs to get banned or much made of it as per rules and punishment, but you can judge people as being moronic and childish for doing it.

[yuppie]

No idea what Smith is doing but i certainly don't think he is affecting the playing surface on that length. Its more a question of what are you doing and why? Trying to get into the batsman head by taking away their guard? Im really not sure what he is trying to achieve?

I'm not sure Paines words carry much weight either, especially after how he played. Makes him look like an idiot to be fair. He has not covered himself in glory in the last couple of tests. It seems that the pressure is getting to him.

Yet again another Indian Australian Series is descending into farce. Probably be better if they never played each other again. Both teams to be fair are acting like dickheads.

[westoelad]

He was clearly interfering withthe surface of the wicket which is against the rules.If you're breaking the rules you're cheating. It's up to the referee what sanctions,if any, to impose.However, if a year's ban hasn't taught Smith anything, any further sanctions won't alter his behaviour.

[Alviro Patterson]

Difficult to defend Steve Smith's actions when the match was extremely poised. India needing 200ish in 2 sessions for the loss of 3 wickets. Pujara and Pant well set. Scuffing up a batman's mark doesn't look good and accusations of cheating are justified.

Imagine Ravi Ashwin at the non strikers end, scuffing up a bowlers mark because he was shadow bowling as Australia needed 2 wickets to win. There would be outrage of high proportions.

[yuppie]

We will have to see what the ICC says.

[sussexpob]

The Australian teams explanation does Smith no favours, I have to say. If Paine had simply admitted that this was a childish and pathetic act to get in Pant's head, then fair dos, it has negligible benefit and it isnt cheating in my eyes for the very well put reasoning that Yuppie explains.

But explaining this is something he does multiple times every game to me just doesnt wash. At that point you have to question what is he doing. This is a day 5 pitch, stepping around the protected area, scratching around markings and stepping around the pitch is really not something you should be doing. One has to ask why he does it all the time if he does? Because its not hard to see how a fielder continually stepping on the pitch unnecessarily can have a benefit on day 5 of a test. Simply saying Smith cant help but shadow bat is not a defence; get off the deck and stay in the field, you have no right to get on the pitch unnecessarily. Its almost like the defence is uncovering a habit that can easily be seen as something else.

The reasoning dont check out. You cant say Smith continually marks out his middle stump guard during a game so hes in the batting mode, he doesnt need to bat again for 5 days, and thats a 1000 miles away in another venue. And why would he shadow bat left handed if this is the case, he isnt frigging left handed? Its been forwarded that he was shadowing pant so as to visualise what line Lyon needs to come to Pant, but if thats the case, why is he marking his middle stump guard and taking his own stance? The line would be wrong. The different excuses dont add up.

Maybe its his previous dishonesty that makes his stink, but I personally see this as an incident that isnt cheating on the evidence we have, but I do severely question whether he was attempting to cheat before the umpire comes to stop him. And if he isnt, he needs to be told to stay the hell away from the batting crease when in the field, and if he steps into it once more in the future he gets charged under the laws unless hes fielding the ball.

[Durhamfootman]

I just wonder if the idiotic behaviour from the crowd gave a few Indian players a bit more focus today.

I hope so

[westoelad]

Paine obviously not aware of the adage_" if you find yourself in a hole,stop digging".
The rule is rather vague " scuffing of the pitch can be considered a level 1 or 2 offence".
As for cheating,from an Aussie point of view,it's only cheating if you get found out.