2nd Test Australia v West Indies Jan 25-29 1430hrs @ the Gabba

[Geelong_Bisons_#36]

Should have put some money on the WI & Eng double. Would have been huge odds.

 

[Santana]

Head was due a quiet summer after his winter heroics, no issues there.

Our problem is our elite players have turned into good but not great ones. Smith and Labuschagne are performing to a level where they won't be dropped, but their returns are smaller than is years past. The rest of the batsmen aren't really making up the difference that we've lost.

I'm not sure there's really a better team we could be selecting at the moment. Right now, every member of the side deserves to be there more than anyone waiting in the sheds. Green is maybe the only exception but we need at least half an eye on the future.

There were people here just last week saying we needed to give money to the smaller teams! When we cleary need to sort out our own issues, because no one else is sorting them out apart from us.

 

[sydney_gws]

Do you think they are well below average test level batsmen?

 

[The 747]

Labs - I think of all the top six he would benefit from being dropped. He will come back a better player. He is a good number 3 but won't get anywhere near the levels some were predicting. He gets grouped with Steve Smith but he won't get near him over the course of his career.

Green - Looked like getting out every ball but did get some runs today. I am happy to have him in the team as an all rounder but he is not good enough as a pure batsman at the moment. Looks a walking wicket at times.

Head - Needs to do better. I'd give him longer than Labuschagne to find form only because I don't think dropping him will help. He has also scored more imprtant runs in recent times but he will need to be more consistent in New Zealand or he could be gone.

Marsh - I thought he might stick around for a few years and make plenty of runs. Not so sure anymore, another one who is lucky there isn't much pressure from outside the team. A bit like Head, I think once he is gone he won't make it back so I'd stick with him for a bit longer.

There is nobody even remotely viable to replace Labs at 3.

Green is fine as a 6, unfortunately someone else has that spot.

Head will not be dropped, he wins games for us and again there is nobody out there to take his spot either.

 

[SleazySimon]

Great effort by the WI and a result that will not only kick start the careers of young Shamar Joseph et al, but also the WI Board to keep Joseph playing test cricket.

Good effort by Smith and a lesser extent Green in their new roles.....looks like after that flakey 2nd innings effort, Aust could do with a new number 3, 5 and 6.....

Hopefully the Windies can hold on to them and not lose them to the ridiculous mickey mouse Indian Premier League. The Windies isnt a country, so there isnt the same national pride that Australian and English players have for example.

 

[Santana]

We are enabling B grade overseas players to pursue a living playing T20 in Australia and ignoring the lifeblood of Australian cricket for the majority of our summer. I need someone to explain to me why that's a good idea.

It was hardly like it was like that in the beginning.

CA can't afford to miss out on the T20 train, no matter how some here would like us to play 10 tests a summer

Can't blame it all on the BBL. There were problems in the first class comp before the BBL was even around

Who preferences their first class comp nowadays anyways?

 

[The 747]

Do you think they are well below average test level batsmen?

Yeah, they average low 30s batting in the top six.

 

[burge13]

An amazing effort by the Windies.

Our middle order looks really poor all of a sudden. Need someone to come from nowhere and put some pressure on.

Why? Selectors wont pick anyone making runs hand over fist in shield cricket so by put pressure on I assume you mean be good mates with George and Pat?

Glad Windies won, good result for test cricket, we took them lightly and it backfired. The young man getting 7/, tremendous effort

 

[BACCS]

The bowling unit has won us test matches, sometimes even with their batting.

I think there are questions marks over all the top six in various ways.

Khawaja - Has been our most consistent but age is against him. I think he could be gone in 12 months. To me he is the type of player who could fall away real quick or just walk away.

Smith - made runs today but has been anything but convincing this summer. I think his best is past him but still has a few years left.

Labs - I think of all the top six he would benefit from being dropped. He will come back a better player. He is a good number 3 but won't get anywhere near the levels some were predicting. He gets grouped with Steve Smith but he won't get near him over the course of his career.

Green - Looked like getting out every ball but did get some runs today. I am happy to have him in the team as an all rounder but he is not good enough as a pure batsman at the moment. Looks a walking wicket at times.

Head - Needs to do better. I'd give him longer than Labuschagne to find form only because I don't think dropping him will help. He has also scored more imprtant runs in recent times but he will need to be more consistent in New Zealand or he could be gone.

Marsh - I thought he might stick around for a few years and make plenty of runs. Not so sure anymore, another one who is lucky there isn't much pressure from outside the team. A bit like Head, I think once he is gone he won't make it back so I'd stick with him for a bit longer.

Was 100 last match not enough when barely anyone else could score? Or the 100 to win the WC final 6 months ago? Could name many other key moments over his last 18-24 months. But sure, 'needs to do better', great analysis. He could make 4 golden ducks in NZ and not be under any pressure for his spot come the India series.

Green fought through a tough period today and then played some great shots, certainly didn't look like getting out every ball. It took a brilliant bit of bowling to get him.

Why is age against Ussie? Jimmy Anderson is still going strong at 41 as a fast bowler, he could have another 3-4 years in him, nothing suggests he's slowing down either.

These are our top 10 run scorers since the start of the Aussie home Summer in 2021, in which time we have been the best Test side. Does this look like a team on the decline?

 

[Geelong_Bisons_#36]

Can we play 2 all rounders in the same team? Or do we need to?
With our bowling attack surely we don't need 2 more bowlers who are only going to be getting limited overs anyway.
And perhaps a specialist batsman would support our struggling batting line up right now.
Marnus fails again in the next series he's gone.
Plus I can't stand the way he stands there after nicking off in disbelief he's done it again. Tell your story walking

 

[Around the Wicket]

There is nobody even remotely viable to replace Labs at 3.

Green is fine as a 6, unfortunately someone else has that spot.

Head will not be dropped, he wins games for us and again there is nobody out there to take his spot either.

The side picked is the best side, imo Starc and Hazlewood are close to done though. Lyon is old but his still the best spinner we have by some way.

 

[The 747]

The side picked is the best side, imo Starc and Hazlewood are close to done though. Lyon is old but his still the best spinner we have by some way.

We do have viable replacements for the seamers, and the spinner. Very unlikely they wlll be as good though.

Batting is the bigger concern.

 

[SleazySimon]

Heavy pass, Green has to bat in the top 4, he’s never going to be a 6 might work ant 5 no lower. Ideally and they won’t do it Head actually is a perfect 6. Carey would want some runs, one innings this yes where another day he’s bowled for squad again first innings isn’t great.

People have to take a step back with Green and look at actual results.
First of all hes lucky to be in the team.
The few times hes made decent scores is at number 6. He has never performed at number 4. What makes you think he will?

 

[The 747]

Plus I can't stand the way he stands there after nicking off in disbelief he's done it again. Tell your story walking

Yeah this habit really shits me as well. Get off the field.

 

[Woody15]

 

[Santana]

No young player has dominated the Shield like Green did his first 3 seasons in it for a very long time

A lot of you say you want a fresh, younger team but I don't believe you really know what that entails or the patience that is required

 

[big_e]

With our proper warm up out of the way I can’t see any other result than a Windies win

Post number two in this thread. Good call.

 

[SleazySimon]

Can we play 2 all rounders in the same team? Or do we need to?
With our bowling attack surely we don't need 2 more bowlers who are only going to be getting limited overs anyway.
And perhaps a specialist batsman would support our struggling batting line up right now.
Marnus fails again in the next series he's gone.
Plus I can't stand the way he stands there after nicking off in disbelief he's done it again. Tell your story walking

Australia has this wierd obsession with thinking all rounders can play middle order (Green) and open the batting with no problems at all (Watson years ago).

We just dont know how to use all rounders.

Think of all the great all time all rounder players - Botham, Hadlee, Dev, Shaun Pollock - they all batted at number 6 or lower.

 

[melanChronic]

Game was lost when the arse fell out of the middle order after Green got a snorter. Head and Carey ideally aren't getting cleaned up by straight full ones with the game on the line.

 

[PhatBoy]

Post number two in this thread. Good call.

lol and I actually voted for it in the poll

 

[Silver Tongue]

Can we play 2 all rounders in the same team? Or do we need to?
With our bowling attack surely we don't need 2 more bowlers who are only going to be getting limited overs anyway.
And perhaps a specialist batsman would support our struggling batting line up right now.
Marnus fails again in the next series he's gone.
Plus I can't stand the way he stands there after nicking off in disbelief he's done it again. Tell your story walking

I reckon Marnis is next man out. Green could essiy be our third seamer meaning Marsh still plays snd bowls 5-10 in Australian/England conditions.

Doubt Marsh or Green play in subcontinent.

 

[apollo_creed]

He isn’t a 6, never will be. He needs time, this innings was a perfect example took a while to get in, but was playing beautifully the last 20 runs. Copped a beauty but made 42, a lot more than the next 3!

He was also very lucky to get to 20. So if you ignore all the plays and misses and edges and just look at the last 20 runs then yeah he looked ‘great’.

 

[BACCS]

I reckon Marnis is next man out. Green could essiy be our third seamer meaning Marsh still plays snd bowls 5-10 in Australian/England conditions.

Doubt Marsh or Green play in subcontinent.

Green made 100 in his last innings against India, I reckon he's getting a gig next time we are on the subcontinent.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

People have to take a step back with Green and look at actual results.
First of all hes lucky to be in the team.
The few times hes made decent scores is at number 6. He has never performed at number 4. What makes you think he will?

He is a top order bat period. Batted well today, today’s innings showed the type he’ll be, take his innings today, was looking fantastic the last 20 runs. It’s important he bats in the top 4.

 

[PhatBoy]

We only need 3 days to win lol

lol, yeah you do hey, three days should do it, maybe even two hey. That should do it