导出博客文章Against South Africa in Adelaide, Australia made five changes and named three
debutants in one of the most comprehensive overhauls of the national side since
World Series Cricket. They won, but a dead rubber only, and now face the
expectation of winning a series against Pakistan. But Steven Smiths men have
much schooling ahead of them in international cricket, with many lessons to
learn. And if Mickey Arthur has taught the Pakistanis anything, they will punish
Australia if they havent done their homework. So, here are six subjects that
Australias new-look squad might (or might not) benefit from studying.Ancient
historyOne of the most enduring records in Australian cricket is the teams
unbeaten run at the Brisbane Cricket Ground - nicknamed the Gabbatoir for their
slaying of opposition dreams at the venue. Last time Australia lost a Gabba Test
was in 1988. Smith wasnt even born then, and nor were half of his team. Not to
mention this will be the first Gabba Test played with a pink ball under lights,
and the first Gabba Test full-stop for up to five of Australias XI. And so, like
most students, Australias cricketers will view this ancient history as
irrelevant. We might as well be discussing who won the Punic Wars.Weve got a
great record here and hopefully we can keep that up, but its a little bit
different this year - the pink ball compared to the red ball, Smith said. Im not
really paying much attention to that, its about going out here and making sure
weve got our processes right and were playing good cricket. And if were doing
that then hopefully the result will take care of itself.Modern historyAustralia
and Pakistan have both been ranked No.1 in Tests this year, but have fallen to
No.3 and 4 respectively after losing campaigns. Australia lost away to Sri Lanka
and at home to South Africa, and Pakistan lost on the green seaming pitches in
New Zealand. It is also worth noting that only four in Australias side - Smith,
David Warner, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc - have played Tests against
Pakistan. By comparison, 10 of Pakistans squad have played Australia. One of
those is fast bowler Mohammad Amir, who skittled Australia for 88 at Headingley
in 2010. That Test marked the beginning of an era in which Australias batsmen
often suffered humiliating collapses against swing - an era that remains
ongoing. Under lights with the pink ball, Amir could be a serious threat.I
remember watching out in Australia in 2010 he bowled with really good pace, said
Smith, the only current Australia player to have faced Amir in Tests. I think he
was hitting 145-150 and in England he slowed it down and got his wrists right
and swung the ball, so its great to have those sort of gears and those skills.
No doubt he could potentially be a handful if its swinging around. Guys are just
going to have to identify those difficult periods and adapt and show some
resilience and things will get easier from there.GeographyIn 2014, Australia
learnt a lesson about deserts. On the dry pitches of the UAE, Pakistans batsmen
handled Australias fast men with ease, and their spinners with contempt.
Pakistans slow bowlers were dominant, including legspinner Yasir Shah. On debut
in that series, he claimed 12 wickets at 17.25 across the two Tests, more
wickets than all of Australias spinners combined. But in Australia, where the
pitches will offer far more bounce and pace, Smith hopes that the threat of
Yasir will be diminished.I guess the Gabba, youll get a bit of extra bounce as a
spin bowler, Smith said. I guess that can play in your favour, and can also play
against you. Your length has to be spot on. Generally there isnt too much turn -
its more bounce, so length is crucial. And if youre slightly off your length,
you can really cash in down the wicket and square of the wicket as well. So hes
going to have to be pretty accurate. Physical educationAustralias new-look side
boasts some fine fielders - Peter Handscomb pulled off a super catch at gully in
Adelaide - but some aspects of working together require improvement. Australia
will, for example, hope that wicketkeeper Matthew Wade and first slip Matt
Renshaw have no further disagreements over who should go for a catch. Still,
Australia will likely have the edge over Pakistan in the catching department.
Pakistans batsmen might also find themselves up against some bouncer barrages as
Australias fast men try to exploit the pace and bounce in the pitches, although
the likes of Wahab Riaz are more than capable of returning the favour.Weve
watched a little bit of the New Zealand series, just recently, and I think
traditionally sub-continent sides that come over to Australia dont handle the
pace and bounce, or arent as comfortable with the pace and bounce of our
wickets, Smith said. You need to try and find ways to exploit that as much as
possible and at times Im sure were going to see some short-pitched bowling to
mess with their feet and be possible ways to get them out as well. We watched
New Zealand pretty closely and they obviously did a good job, so hopefully our
bowlers can replicate that.MathsCalculations are always important for a captain,
whether setting targets or juggling bowling spells. But in day-night Test
cricket an extra dimension is added, with the knowledge that batting can become
harder as the floodlights kick in. In Adelaide, Faf du Plessis even declared
South Africas first innings before the close of the first day, such was his
desire to test Australia under the lights.I think if you look at all the
pink-ball stats that have come out, most wickets have been lost in that final
session so I guess it adds another dimension to the game, Smith said. Captains
have to be switched on and possibly figure out different times to have a crack.
If we get the opportunity and it might be about going out and trying to score a
little bit quicker to get 10 overs with the new ball under lights, because weve
seen it can do quite a lot. It throws some different strategies into the
game.ScienceThis is where the lessons get complicated. At about 5pm on match
eve, the Australians gathered around the 22-yard strip in the middle of the
Gabba and tried to work out how it would perform. At Adelaide Oval, the curator
had left six millimetres of grass on the surface to help protect the pink ball;
at the Gabba, only two millimetres will be left on. Perhaps only in cricket do
agriculture and sport combine to hold the attention of so many. The Gabba
curator, Kevin Mitchell jnr, believes the pitch will perform like a typical
Gabba Test surface. Whatever the case, Australias uncertainty was such that
Smith was unable to confirm whether spinner Nathan Lyon would play.
Wholesale Shoes For Sale
Online . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of
their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a
20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain
of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene
Stadium.
Wholesale Fashion Shoes
Free Shipping . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He
accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday.
http://www.wholesaleshoesfreeshipping.com/
. Despite dominating possession, Schalke needed an own goal from Nicolas Hoefler
for the breakthrough a minute before the interval. The Freiburg midfielder
misjudged Jefferson Farfans corner and bundled the ball into his own net.
Wholesale Cheap Shoes Free
Shipping . I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my
youth. Brian Downing was with the Chicago White Sox at a time when I listened to
every game I possibly could on the radio. That particular season the late great
Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games.
Wholesale Shoes Free Shipping
Online . Denis Coderre, the former federal MP who was elected mayor on
Nov. 3, has drawn the ire of some Montreal Canadiens. During last nights game he
tweeted: "Hello? Can we get a one-way ticket to (minor-league) Hamilton for
David Desharnais please. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Chiefs have gone from the
talent-bereft team acquiring everybodys cast-offs just a few years ago to the
team that is now sending its own fringe players away for draft picks.Kansas City
traded cornerback Marcus Cooper to Arizona and wide receiver Rod Streater to San
Francisco for undisclosed selections, part of a series of roster moves that
allowed the Chiefs to reach the NFLs 53-man limit for the regular season by
Saturdays deadline.The Chiefs also cut quarterbacks Aaron Murray and rookie
Kevin Hogan, meaning Tyler Bray earned the third-string job behind Alex Smith
and Nick Foles for the opener against San Diego.But the trades may have been the
most eye-opening part of the roster-building process, if for no other reason
than it demonstrates just how deep the Chiefs have become under general manager
John Dorsey.We always put in where there are potential holes, you know -- Dorsey
does that -- puts a board up. I remember the first year, we had a lot of circles
up on the board, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, and this year, there arent those
circles. So thats a good thing.The Chiefs wound up keeping running back Knile
Davis, who provides some depth in case Jamaal Charles is not quite ready for the
opener. Charles is the presumptive No. 1 option despite coming back from ACL
surgery, while Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West are next on the depth
chart.Davis has also proven valuable as a kick returner.Ive been in the league
going on four years now, so I pretty much know what to expect, Davis said after
the Chiefs preseason finale, when his future was still in question.The Chiefs
also kept speedy DeAnthony Thomas, who missed much of last season to a
concussion. He was on the fringe after the Chiefs drafted a similar player in
Tyreek Hill, who also made the team.Im just doing whatever I can to contribute,
Thomas said, whether its on special teams, whether its on offense.dddddddddddd.
Just going out there and knowing I can make plays to motivate our team.The
Chiefs technically have 54 players on the roster because of an exemption they
received for safety Eric Berry, who did not sign his franchise tender and report
to training camp until last weekend.They are allowed to keep 54 players until
Saturday, the day before their season opener.Others who were cut: linebackers
Tyrell Adams, Andy Mulumba and Terrance Smith; defensive backs Jeron Johnson,
Shak Randolph, Deveron Carr, Jamell Fleming and Brock Vereen; wide receivers
DaRon Brown and Frankie Hammond Jr.; defensive linemen David King and Jimmy
Staten; offensive linemen Zach Sterup, Daniel Munyer, Jarrod Pughsley and Reid
Fragel; tight end Brian Parker and running back Darrin Reaves.The Chiefs still
have a couple of areas of need that could be addressed on the waiver wire.With
pass rusher Justin Houston out following knee surgery, and Tamba Hali hobbled by
his own knee problems, the Chiefs could use help at linebacker. They also could
use a veteran cornerback -- the most experience among their top six is three
years in the league.Still, those are relatively small holes compared to what
Dorsey and Reid found when they arrived in Kansas City in 2013, and took the
reins of a franchise coming off a two-win season.John Dorsey and his guys
provide us with a lot of competition at a lot of positions, Chiefs defensive
coordinator Bob Sutton said. Thats a good thing and, like we talked about last
week, sometimes you have to let go of a player that can play for you. You can
only keep so many.---AP NFL website:
www.pro32.ap.org and
www.twitter.com/AP-NFL
China NFL Jerseys
Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys
NFL Jerseys Cheap
Wholesale NFL Jerseys
Cheap Basketball Jerseys
Online Stitched Hockey
Jerseys Wholesale Baseball
Jerseys Football Jerseys
Outlet College Jerseys For
Sale Cheap MLB Jerseys
Wholesale Soccer Jerseys
Wholesale Jerseys For Sale
Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '
Find in Directory
Find in Events
Find in Marketplace