(12-06-2025, 10:47 AM)ericlegrisly Wrote: Opposition better than you, fair enough, but I don't think these necessarily are, especially with their second string bowlers.
This is what makes it so pathetic and embarrassing. The two teams are fairly evenly matched in terms of talent. If anything we may even have the slight edge.
However, we have beaten ourselves by playing the same brain-dead, arrogant, aggressive, cricket that saw us comprehensively beaten in the first Test, and we have contrived to throw wickets away, drop catches, and bowl awfully.
Australia haven't had to play well in either Test to win. We've gifted them a 2-0 series lead. They haven't blown us away by being brilliant and unplayable like they did in Mitchel Johnson's pomp, for example.
This Australian side are beatable, they're good, but they're not invincible or spectacularly good. Wins are there to be had.
If we had a competent coach, good preparation, and a set up that was respectful and played Test Cricket in the traditional way, we'd have had a reasonable chance of winning the series. Unfortunately our collective stupidity and arrogance has seen that we won't.
It's frustrating, disappointing, and a missed opportunity those involved will live to regret.
It'll be a long while before we get as good a chance as this to win the Ashes down under, and these unlikeable, up their own arse, players, McCullum and Key, have spectacularly blown it with two pathetic, lackluster, embarrassing displays. let's be clear, we've been outplayed in all but 1, possibly 2, sessions, and as I say, Australia haven't really done anything special. They've been pretty average, in all honesty.
It's as poor and as embarrassing as a Test series can be, there's nothing or no one to blame but ourselves and our attitude. It stinks, and it's high time it changed.
How can Brook be so good, yet so bad at the same time. He's so talented, he shouldn't be getting himself out like he does.
There's nothing worse than unearned and undeserved arrogance.