Australia tour of South Africa, 2011-12

[Sidhoni]

So many congratulatory threads being started by Ganesh.

[Sidhoni]

On Topic-:good: Nice achievement

[ganeshran]

So many congratulatory threads being started by Ganesh.

I start a thread for any player crossing above 3000 run milestone and 100 wickets and above

[Trichromatic]

Amla ka hamla

[Alchemist]

Amla ka hamla

This would be a prefect Aaj Tak headline.

[Trichromatic]

This would be a prefect Aaj Tak headline.

That was indeed headline of some news channel few years ago. Anyone remembers 'Rudra ka Raudra roop' after an ODI match against Pakistan.

[Feed]

It's time former Australian captain Ricky Ponting hung up his bat: Malcolm Conn More... Malcolm Conn says it's time former Australian captain Ricky Ponting hung up his bat Malcolm Conn The Daily Telegraph November 12, 2011 Time to go: Malcolm Conn says it's time for old stagers such as Ricky Ponting to be replaced by the new breed. IT'S time. Ricky Ponting's mortality has caught up with him. Some former teammates of Australia's best batsman after Bradman were right to believe that when he retired from the captaincy earlier this year Ponting should have walked away altogether. His downward spiral has become a freefall but Ponting is not tumbling alone among those involved in Australia's second-innings debacle of 47 during the first Test against South Africa in Cape Town. If Simon Katich was sacked to rebuild for successive Ashes campaigns in 18 months then the new selection panel under chairman John Inverarity has much work to do. It will be a tough assignment for captain and new selector Michael Clarke to make some ruthless decisions for the sake of Australia's future. If there's going to be continuing pain let's have it with young players on the way up, not fading players on the way down. Hanging onto an aging side can quickly become catastrophic, as India found in England earlier this year when they were flogged 4-0. There will be few more comfortable assignments than meeting New Zealand in Brisbane and Hobart next month. And while a four-Test series against India looks tough on paper its team of fading greats were unable to win a series in Australia when they were in their prime. Then there is a tour against the modest West Indies, all good opportunities to give the next generation confidence and experience. Shane Watson remains Australia's most valuable player but the better he bowls, the worse he bats. He should replace Ponting at number four. Over the past year Ponting, the most prolific batsman this country has ever seen, is carrying a Test average of 18.8. He has just one century in his past 41 Tests innings. Australia's most senior batsman is joined by its most senior current bowler, Mitchell Johnson, on the slippery slope which has claimed a number of fast bowlers when they turned 30. With almost 200 Test wickets Johnson should be leading Australia's attack but instead he remains its most inconsistent bowler. Having discarded Doug Bollinger and Ben Hilfenhaus in quick succession there appears no reason to treat Johnson any differently unless he did something imposing overnight. Especially with talents like Pat Cummins, 18, and James Pattinson, 21, making a rapid appearance on the horizon. Australia's greatest wicket-keepers have found their batting always fades before their keeping. Rod Marsh, Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist were all the most successful gloveman in the world at one stage and all finished well below their career high batting averages. Marsh's fell from 38 to 27, Healy's from 30 to 27 and Gilchrist's from 62 to 48. Now aged 34, Haddin is going the same way. It has fallen from 43 to 36 after the dreadful charge and slash duck he made in Australia's woeful second innings. Regular reserve keeper Tim Paine may be injured but Victoria's Matt Wade, 24, is also an impressive wicket-keeper batsman who played for Australia's Twenty20 side in South Africa last month. One of the next generation given plenty of time to establish himself is Phil Hughes, who must surely have run out of time for now. Usman Khawaja is an outstanding back-foot player who should be given the same chance at the top of the order as Hughes. David Warner is an imposing talent who has matured on and off the field over the past year to the point where he is averaging 60 in first-class cricket. The new selectors should strike while his form is hot. Without the Ashes there is nothing to lose.

[Pagalpanti]

I hope he gets a pair in next and is dropped against us, or he sure is gonna find his best against us and might be the difference between both the teams.

[gaurav92]

David Warner :WTF: I'd say recall Simon Katich and Brad Hodge

[ganeshran]

Katich had a fight with Clarke, no way he is getting back in the team.

[gaurav92]

^Personal issues should go down the drain while selecting the team

[phaedrus]

no matter what happens i am sure he will play against us. If that tour too is shite, he might be nudged to call it quits

[ganeshran]

Im pretty sure he will click against us and crawl his way back to form

[gakgupta]

what about ferguson?....he is a fantastic player...i can't imagine warner in a test match and that too for a Australian side.....i dont know much about australian cricket history but i think this is one of the worst sides that australia has ever produced

[BeautifulGame]

Warner averages 60 in Sheffield Shield cricket this season.Thats why there are lots of calls for him to be included into test team.

[rahulrulezz]

Lol this Malcolm will get pwnwd real bad by Ponting just like Manjreker n Chappell did by Tendulkar

[deathmonger]

Lol this Malcolm will get pwnwd real bad by Ponting just like Manjreker n Chappell did by Tendulkar

but Tendu was around 33 when Endulkar happened. Ponting's 37. Isn't it too late for a revival?

[VRV Singh]

I have seen this Warner for Tests campaign build up. It's more than a little desperate. I can't say I think Ponting will shut the doubters up, nearly two years since his last hundred :((. However I hope he does.

[deathmonger]

I have seen this Warner for Tests campaign build up. It's more than a little desperate. I can't say I think Ponting will shut the doubters up, nearly two years since his last hundred :((. However I hope he does.

Hope he doesn't when we tour there.

[rahulrulezz]

but Tendu was around 33 when Endulkar happened. Ponting's 37. Isn't it too late for a revival?

Ponting is too good of a player to be dropped.. remember 2 years back, some people even said that he was the best player to play cricket after Bradman.. how time changes... On topic, Tendu was 35 when was going thru bad patch.. which is not far away from Ponting who is 37.. I think Ponting needs to go back to his agressive style of batting .. He IMO wud still be 4th best test player in the world currently after Sachin, Kallis, Cook