Australia vs ICC World XI: match 1

[Big Merv]

McGrath takes the catch. Bye bye Flintoff.

[Big Merv]

Lee takes the last wicket. GAME OVER!

[flanflinger]

What an odd game this Cricket is...

Earlier this year Australia lost to Bangaldesh, less than six months later they have beaten some of the best ODI players in the world, by a huge margin..

Barmy...

[Big Merv]

That is why this game is so good. It's so unpredictable at times.

[Notts Exile]

Australia are still a very good One Day team. Overall they beat England last summer with several players not performing. The Test Match will be more interesting.

Whoever picked Sehwag needs their head examining, I hadn't realised he was in this side. Graeme Smith and Chris Gayle would have been better options. The Aussies did very well to limit the combined contribution of Sehwag, Lara, Kallis, Pietersen and Afridi to less than thirty runs!

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by flanflinger

Earlier this year Australia lost to Bangaldesh, less than six months later they have beaten some of the best ODI players in the world, by a huge margin..

What's striking is that the Aussies finally seem to have cracked the small matter of showing bowlers abit of respect: earlier this year I reckon they would have gone at the RoW bowlers as if they were from some second rate club side and would have rather arrogantly assumed they could just go for 300+ no matter how good the opposition.

On any pitch that's fair to the bowlers, 255 is a very good total. The pressure of McGrath's 7 overs for 14 runs.... and the loss of early wickets... clearly exacerbated matters. Kallis did the right thing and started playing himself in... but a boundary on the ball before he lost his wicket tells a story. After that I guess the pressure was akin to chasing 355 rather 255... so no surprise.

The one thing that surprised me was Afridi coming in down the order. He's not (yet) a guy to inspire confidence in those who bat above him (as someone like Flintoff might) and I'd have preferred to see him play as an opener or at 3: at least that way the middle order knows before they bat whether he's going to fire or fail!

[Paoli]

Wait for them to gel...they'd have got a fair idea of it today but in my opinion the World XI will miss Herschelle Gibbs as they don't have a dynamic fieldsman. If they do, Pietersen is the closest thing, actually he is quite dynamic but nothing when you compare him to Symonds, Ponting, Hussey and Clarke, and even Shane Watson who showed himself as a good throw today.

Saw most of the game and it was great to see Gilchrist back to his dynamic best again, and it was also great to see Damien Martyn prove a point to the selectors; trying to smack Murali all the way to Coburg third ball of the innings. Great thinking Marto. Watson's bowling is much improved as well.

Disappointed that Cameron White didn't get a bowl on debut though

Next match I'm tipping (and hoping for, to make it such a good series) a World XI victory.

[greg]

Well i got it wrong.Couldn't really get excited about the game though.It was just like watching a benefit game for me.Meant nothing so i couldn't give a monkey's about the result.Well done to Australia anyway.Here's hoping they drop Flintoff and Pietersen for the remaining games to stop them getting injured.

[Maranello]

Originally Posted by Paoli69

Wait for them to gel..

I thought they played together well in the field; seemed supportive of each other, got behind the bowlers, and there was the usual amount of both consultation and encouragement. Certainly seemed like a team that was up for it, and was playing as a team.

the World XI will miss Herschelle Gibbs as they don't have a dynamic fieldsman. If they do, Pietersen is the closest thing, actually he is quite dynamic but nothing when you compare him to Symonds, Ponting, Hussey and Clarke, and even Shane Watson who showed himself as a good throw today.

Yes one of the commentators (Sanjay Manjrekar) was making the same point. However, this is entirely the World XI's own fault; they had their best fielder (Afridi) cooling his heels in the pavilion as the 12th man! Afridi as a close catcher, or as someone fielding in the deep, is as good as Ponting or Clarke et al. I have not seen a stronger or more accurate throwing arm. The rest of the World XI fielding side is quite poor though; Murali cannot throw, Dravid is not very good apart from in the slips or close to the bat, Sehwag cannot run much, etc. KP is easily the best of this lot!

Next match I'm tipping (and hoping for, to make it such a good series) a World XI victory.

Yes, good point. Shame about the attendance there though, you and fellow Melbournites let the ICC down Paoli!

[ykickamoocow]

Originally Posted by Maranello

Shame about the attendance there though, you and fellow Melbournites let the ICC down Paoli!

Thats the problem with day matches, if it were up to me it would have been a night match as more people would have attended. Also if it was a night match it would have been more convieniant for people in England, India and Pakistan as it would have been in the middle of the day for them.