Cricket Thread

[Syn]

Rather predictably, Dhoni plays an incredible innings of 139* to get a india to 303/9 after they were 154-6. Definitely the best ODI finisher of all time. Michael Bevan

[Syn]

Proper village cricket in NZ.

Great knock. A must see video:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/cricket/ne...ectid=11140958

[Dennis Bendtner]

January transfer window

Ishant Sharma ---> Pakistan (free)

[Dennis Bendtner]

Faf du Plessis has got off lightly for ball tampering. Rubbing the ball against a zip on his trousers. Sounds painful. 50% of the match fee.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/24675986

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Australia 350/6 after 50 overs.

Kohli 115* off 66 balls to get India home with 3 balls to spare.

His 17th ODI century, and he's only 24.

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Alex Tudor @alextudorcoach

Is there a technically a better player right now then Virat Kohli? No there is not #differentgravy

Pretty Much, Alex Tudor, you are Spot On and Exactly Right.

[Ollie the Optimist]

this ODI series has been woeful. might as well put a bowling machine at one end of the pitch and have 50 overs with that.

[Syn]

this ODI series has been woeful. might as well put a bowling machine at one end of the pitch and have 50 overs with that.

I'm willing to bet you haven't seen more than 100 overs out of the 500. Granted the only top class bowling has come from good days for Mitchell Johnson, but the batting on both sides has been top notch. Fielding has also been quality. Don't know what you expect from ODIs generally. You're reading about 350 scores being chased down and call it woeful because you have a preconceived notion that it shouldn't happen. With the fielding restrictions now, as Dhoni rightly said today, 350 is the new 280-290 as a ODI score. Still required fantastic batting to get to the old 280s, and this is no different.

[Dennis Bendtner]

It is too easy to score boundaries though. You get a bit for the bowlers early on before inevitable carnage. Middle overs have stupidly high run rates. India had it about right with the pitches earlier this year I think. I don't think 350 is a benchmark in ODI cricket and it being a par score here isn't normal. Granted, Kohli is an extraordinary one-day player.

[Syn]

It is too easy to score boundaries though. You get a bit for the bowlers early on before inevitable carnage. Middle overs have stupidly high run rates. India had it about right with the pitches earlier this year I think. I don't think 350 is a benchmark in ODI cricket and it being a par score here isn't normal. Granted, Kohli is an extraordinary one-day player.

The restrictions have added to that, and I agree with dhoni's concerns, but 350 is not par score anywhere, not even in this series. That said the par score has been rising everywhere (not just in India) since Twenty20.

We've just seen two extraordinary chases from a team known for being extraordinary chasers. It's not a freak series. You put South Africa in the same position and they probably wouldn't do it. You'd probably see more 'realistic' totals as well because the saffers bowling attack is about 8,562 times better than India's, and they'd restrict targets to 260. And then people would call it a better batting effort which doesn't make any sense.