Australia versus India second Test - The Liebke Ratings (Part 1)

With both teams having completed their first innings, the second Test between Australia and India at the Gabba is perched on a knife-edge.

This is an extremely dangerous and silly place for any cricket game to be perched. Nevertheless, here are the ratings so far.

Australian selectors
Grade: C

After the first Test, a series-ending injury to Michael Clarke saw the selectors promote Steve Smith to captain the rest of the series. More importantly, they drafted in Shaun Marsh to replace Clarke the batsman, Josh Hazlewood to replace a sore Ryan Harris and Mitchell Starc to replace a poor Peter Siddle.

Glenn Maxwell was not selected to replace anybody.

This saw the Australian XI break down as follows:

Mitchells: 3
Marshes: 2
Mitchell Marshes: 1
Non-Mitchell Marshes: 1
Mitchell non-Marshes: 2
Non-Mitchell non-Marshes: 7
Non-(Mitchell Marshes): 10

Australian injuries
Grade: D

Speaking of breaking down the Australian team, the first day of the Test saw the Australians in the field. Until they got injured. At which point, they’d go straight off the field, to be replaced by Queensland’s finest Under-21 fielders, who are too young and silly to worry about trivialities such as extreme heat and humidity.

Even during periods where they weren’t injured (and let’s remember that Australia’s depth in fast bowler injuries is the best in the world), the Australian bowlers struggled.

Mitchell Johnson wasn’t particularly threatening. Mitchell Marsh took his first ever Test wicket, having somewhat touchingly waited until his brother was in the side before doing so, but then hobbled off with a torn hamstring (presumably a belated, muddleheaded bid for the captaincy). And, while Mitchell Starc was letting his bowling do the talking, much of that talking was mindless, errant gibberish.

Australia were sorely missing Siddle’s ability to take Day 1 hat-tricks at the Gabba. As a result, India ended the first day well on top at 4/311

Murali Vijay
Grade: B+

The key to India’s batting success on that first day was Murali Vijay, the man who had been dismissed for 99 during India’s ultimately unsuccessful last innings run chase at Adelaide.

While many batsmen would be disappointed at having fallen for 99, it appears that Vijay couldn’t care less, as he required prodding from his batting partner Ajinkya Rahane in this innings before reluctantly acknowledging his century.

I like this. Any player who doesn’t celebrate the arbitrary milestone of moving from two digits to three digits in a base 10 counting system is okay by me.

The Australians then cunningly lulled him into batting on in the exhausting heat for a base 12 ton (144), ultimately rendering him easy prey for Nathan Lyon. Clever stuff from the Australians and a shame for Vijay to fall into such an obvious trap.

Josh Hazlewood
Grade: A-

With the other bowlers struggling, it was debutant Josh Hazlewood who led the Australian fightback on Day 2. He’d already shown some good form on Day 1, taking two wickets and having the ‘E’ and ‘L’ in his name moving both ways on Twitter.

He picked up three more wickets before lunch on Day 2 as India ended on 408. A person with an outrageous French accent and an addiction to terrible wordplay might even make the claim that Josh ‘haz le wood’ on the Indian batsmen.

Not me, though.

During the lunch break, Trevor Hazlewood, in the crowd at the Gabba, was asked his reaction to his son’s five-wicket haul. He replied that he was ‘doing handstands up in the grandstand’.

So, a shame he missed it. But I hope he had fun.

Captain Steve Smith
Grade: B+

While Smith’s captaincy in the field seemed to be sloppily lacking a world class bowling attack that would skittle any team for 150-odd, his ability to lead while batting was unquestionably excellent.

The rest of the batting line-up didn’t perform as well as hoped, however. First Warner was inexplicably dismissed 71 runs short of his inevitable century, allowing Shane Watson to join Chris Rogers at the crease.

Fun Fact: This was the first time ever that Chris Rogers and Shane Watson had batted together. (Note: may not be a fact.)

Rogers made 55 before caught by MS Dhoni off the bowling of Umesh Yadav, while Watson brought up another magnificent Base 5 hundred.

But it was captain Smith who held the innings together. With the Marshes and Brad Haddin all falling cheaply, he eventually teamed up with Johnson in a 148-run partnership off 160 balls, during which he brought up his century.

It was fine stuff, although I dare say Clarke would have thrillingly declared half an hour before that point and 150 behind the Indian total for some reason. Instead, Smith let the tail bat on to make 505 and take a perfectly commonplace lead of 97 on the first innings. So a lot still to learn for Smith.

But with a Test batting average as captain almost a hundred runs better than his average as a non-captain, it’s fair to say the leadership role suits him.