Laurie Bingham
6 Dec 2009, 15:52
We all know our bowling attack can't be as penetrative without Warne and McGrath and we will be thus facing bigger scores for the foreseeable future. But there are also issues with our batting and I don't think the selectors have got it right. The batting was a big part of the reason that we lost the Ashes.
My current line up would be:
Katich *
Hughes (providing he has minimal mental baggage from being unceremoniously dumped during the Ashes)
Clarke
Ponting
North
Watson
Haddin
I believe Clarke is now our best batsman and is wasted at number 5. He has tightened his technique considerably (although he did get out to a soft dismissal today) and has become more of a "grafter". He has averaged 50 and 55 in 2008 and 2009 compared to Ponting 47 and 41.
The most difficult issue is Hussey. I am loathe to drop a guy who averages 50 in Tests but unfortunately even when he has made runs recently he has done so with far less fluency than he did at his peak (the hundred in the last Test in England and his innings of 40 odd today being examples). This makes our current middle order of Hussey, Clarke and North a bit too stodgy.
Katich remains at the top of the order more by default than anything else. He gets out way too often when he is set (after making 30+) rather than going on to make a century which is vital to establish a dominant position in a Test match. The same can be said of Watson, which is why he should drop down the order (which will also hopefully allow him to bowl more). The value of the big hundreds made by Hayden at the top of the order is magnified significantly with our current opening partnership. I would prefer Rogers in the side but it would not be prudent to blood two inexperienced players (internationally at least) at the same time - especially at Rogers age. After Hughes gets to about 15 to 20 Tests experience I would reassess Katich's position (providing Katich keeps making his 40s and 50s in the meantime).
Ponting should drop down to four. His age means he is probably past his peak as a batsman (and his average over the last two calendar years bears this out) but he can still be a potent attacking weapon. He also, I think, tends to get out a bit more when set now than he did at his peak.
North should move up a place as he is a "grafter" also and needs time to make his runs and not just batting with Haddin, Johnson and the tail. Watson slots in at 6 as an attacking weapon with a reasonable technique if we have lost some quick wickets.
I think this top 7 is much better balanced than our current lineup. Attacking options of Hughes, Ponting, Watson and Haddin. "Grafters" Clarke - who can still score reasonably quickly too - and North in their rightful positions. The two question marks are Hughes' mental state and Katich but I think we have to leave Katich there for the moment.
Let the debate begin...
My current line up would be:
Katich *
Hughes (providing he has minimal mental baggage from being unceremoniously dumped during the Ashes)
Clarke
Ponting
North
Watson
Haddin
I believe Clarke is now our best batsman and is wasted at number 5. He has tightened his technique considerably (although he did get out to a soft dismissal today) and has become more of a "grafter". He has averaged 50 and 55 in 2008 and 2009 compared to Ponting 47 and 41.
The most difficult issue is Hussey. I am loathe to drop a guy who averages 50 in Tests but unfortunately even when he has made runs recently he has done so with far less fluency than he did at his peak (the hundred in the last Test in England and his innings of 40 odd today being examples). This makes our current middle order of Hussey, Clarke and North a bit too stodgy.
Katich remains at the top of the order more by default than anything else. He gets out way too often when he is set (after making 30+) rather than going on to make a century which is vital to establish a dominant position in a Test match. The same can be said of Watson, which is why he should drop down the order (which will also hopefully allow him to bowl more). The value of the big hundreds made by Hayden at the top of the order is magnified significantly with our current opening partnership. I would prefer Rogers in the side but it would not be prudent to blood two inexperienced players (internationally at least) at the same time - especially at Rogers age. After Hughes gets to about 15 to 20 Tests experience I would reassess Katich's position (providing Katich keeps making his 40s and 50s in the meantime).
Ponting should drop down to four. His age means he is probably past his peak as a batsman (and his average over the last two calendar years bears this out) but he can still be a potent attacking weapon. He also, I think, tends to get out a bit more when set now than he did at his peak.
North should move up a place as he is a "grafter" also and needs time to make his runs and not just batting with Haddin, Johnson and the tail. Watson slots in at 6 as an attacking weapon with a reasonable technique if we have lost some quick wickets.
I think this top 7 is much better balanced than our current lineup. Attacking options of Hughes, Ponting, Watson and Haddin. "Grafters" Clarke - who can still score reasonably quickly too - and North in their rightful positions. The two question marks are Hughes' mental state and Katich but I think we have to leave Katich there for the moment.
Let the debate begin...