Third Test Australia v Pakistan Jan 3-7 1000hrs @ the SCG

[Around the Wicket]

I disagree with the MOS once again, M Marsh deserved it, 4 50's in 5 innings in what was a bowlers series.

 

[largebus]

Happy retirement Davey, enjoy the blacks in the cardoons on your OLED.

We're gonna be wishing he's back at the crease after we hear his insufferable commentating.

 

[Around the Wicket]

As a scorchers fan i would love that but he made the stupid choice of pulling out of the BBL this season, which also hurt the scorchers

why he pull out? to watch some Tests from the side lines?

 

[Saint12]

Sure hope we can find someone to cover Daveys 32.5 average since 2020 big shoes to fill

What about since 2015

 

[Jimthegreat]

I’d love to look forward but not sure Bancroft & Harris are the answer so who else is there with a future?

Id look to Smith now, tell Renshaw this is his opportunity to have a massive season and aim for Ussies spot, there’s a couple of half decent younger types like Hunt, Street, Ward etc getting around but they’re not ready. But they might be in 2 years when Smitty is done.

So whilst I agree in a perfect world yeah we’d turn to someone with some time up his sleeve but Bancroft and Harris are just stop gaps anyway, so IMO if we’re looking to a stopgap, go the one who also gets Green into the top order - ie Smith

Think I'd go with Renshaw. He started young, still 27, and might be the one with an extended run. I hope Pucovski is good to go next summer if he can keep his head out of the way of the ball.

 

[DaRick]

So Smith to open seems to be gaining traction, imagine he finishes his career opening the batting and avging 50+ when the team needs it, would absolutely cement him as GOAT (exc Don)

I love it tbh, Green to slot in at 4.

I very much question Steve Smith's technique against the new ball.

It seems like diluting a strength to mask a weakness.

 

[doggies ftw]

What has Green shown (with the bat only) that he can be trusted to perform at 4? Hes all rounder and needs to win his spot back first

He’s the best middle order batsmen in the Shield?

 

[THE A5]

Think I'd go with Renshaw. He started young, still 27, and might be the one with an extended run. I hope Pucovski is good to go next summer if he can keep his head out of the way of the ball.

Pucovski will never play test cricket again sadly. At international level he’ll get targeted and at level where you get elite bowlers bowling +145 clicks all it will take is one hit to the head to end his career. I think the kids needs to look at life after cricket and look after his long term health more than anything

 

[doggies ftw]

Yeah the thing concerning about that move is if he is going to bat 4 the expectations change, he needs to make more runs. Will probably have his bowling suffer a little if that is the case. I am not dead against it but a lot of people are just assuming he is going to nail that spot if it is awarded to him.

He’s a #4 batsmen, not suited at all to 6. He barely bowls as it is and won’t be needed to much at all with Marsh in the side too. He would be in the side as a batsmen. Sure his expectations change but what’s wrong with that? He’s a potential generational cricketer for us, with a couple of years of experience now - let’s see what he’s got. If he fails he fails, is what it is we need to find out at some stage.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

Not necessarily. We dont have an opener better than him.

highly debateable, at least on English soil.

Warner AVG's a bee's dick over 26 in England, I highly doubt Australia couldn't dig up another opening batsman who could do much worse than that.

Warner is great in Australia - no doubt about it, but he is ordinary outside of it, and terrible in England.

 

[Saint12]

Pucovski will never play test cricket again sadly. At international level he’ll get targeted and at level where you get elite bowlers bowling +145 clicks all it will take is one hit to the head to end his career. I think the kids needs to look at life after cricket and look after his long term health more than anything

He is actually a very good player of the short ball....most of his concussion issues have been innocuous incidents

 

[SleazySimon]

Actually, Watto averaged 40 as an opener. Ended up his best position.

Anyway, I digress, i generally agree.

And what about his bowling? It gets compromised. This is what im saying, even on this forum people only discuss Green as a batsman. Green is a primary bowler compared to Marsh or Watson.
Hes not a fill in the overs medium pace. He needs to be used in a 4 man pace attack. Australia never thinks about how much of a weapon that can be

 

[Slysh]

He’s a #4 batsmen, not suited at all to 6. He barely bowls as it is and won’t be needed to much at all with Marsh in the side too. He would be in the side as a batsmen. Sure his expectations change but what’s wrong with that? He’s a potential generational cricketer for us, with a couple of years of experience now - let’s see what he’s got. If he fails he fails, is what it is we need to find out at some stage.

I’m not dead against it, I just think people are getting a little carried away penciling him in for that role for a decade. Also a hard task to replace arguably the best number 4 in any of our lifetimes

 

[Cmarsh]

One thing about Warner we'll definitely miss is his fielding. In the post match discussion, Wasim Akram described him as the world's best fieldsman, and one might suggest that without some of his efforts in the field during the World Cup, we may not have won it.

Good point but if they go with Bancroft they have as as good if not better catcher.

 

[Topkent]

Can we all just appreciate how ******* boring these series are and why test cricket is dying?

Pakistan haven't won a test in Australia since 1995 and that's the only one since 1981

West Indies haven't won a test in Australia since 1997

Sri Lanka have never won in Australia

South Africa aren't interested in playing away series anymore.

NZ have one test win since 1985 in Australia

No wonder more people turn up for the big bash

 

[THE A5]

He is actually a very good player of the short ball....most of his concussion issues have been innocuous incidents

That makes it even more scary cause you can’t plan for it. Look at the Perth test when everyone getting hit.

 

[Jimthegreat]

That 4no took Smith's average back over 58. Went from 57.99 to 58.01.

 

[Cmarsh]

I very much question Steve Smith's technique against the new ball.

It seems like diluting a strength to mask a weakness.

His reflexes against the quicks has clearly gone down as was exposed by Mark Wood. Against the new swinging ball it could be exposed even more.

 

[philreich]

Can we all just appreciate how ******* boring these series are and why test cricket is dying?

Pakistan haven't won a test in Australia since 1995 and that's the only one since 1981

West Indies haven't won a test in Australia since 1997

Sri Lanka have never won in Australia

South Africa aren't interested in playing away series anymore.

NZ have one test win since 1985 in Australia

No wonder more people turn up for the big bash

Give me a boring Test series over an exciting Big Bash game any day of the week.

 

[doggies ftw]

I very much question Steve Smith's technique against the new ball.

It seems like diluting a strength to mask a weakness.

He’s never had a problem with the new ball in the past, has faced it many a time. Sure his eye is going a bit which is leaving him susceptible but it could be a new challenge to focus him a bit and reignite him.

Let’s be honest in this day and age the new ball means seeing off 6 overs of movement in this country before it’s no different to coming in at 3 or 4. Sub continent is not a concern and even England theyre dulling down their pitches and it’s obviously where he’s played his best cricket with the slower pace too.

I just don’t think opening is as specialist a position as people are making it out to be - in modern cricket. Plus are we really losing a strength? He avgd 40 this year we need to start bringing through a new number 4 which is typically going to be the guy you rely on for bulk 100s in a batting line up.

 

[Cmarsh]

highly debateable, at least on English soil.

Warner AVG's a bee's dick over 26 in England, I highly doubt Australia couldn't dig up another opening batsman who could do much worse than that.

Warner is great in Australia - no doubt about it, but he is ordinary outside of it, and terrible in England.

Well Bancroft and Harris in tests they have played were pretty horrible in England.

 

[Jimthegreat]

Can we all just appreciate how ******* boring these series are and why test cricket is dying?

Pakistan haven't won a test in Australia since 1995 and that's the only one since 1981

West Indies haven't won a test in Australia since 1997

Sri Lanka have never won in Australia

South Africa aren't interested in playing away series anymore.

NZ have one test win since 1985 in Australia

No wonder more people turn up for the big bash

You got India and England here next.

Apparently, the SA Cricket board is being finally propped up by the IPL. Hence one of the conditions was that the players be available for the T20 series there, unfortunately on as the same time as the NZ Tour. Wasn't so much SA wasn't interested in the Test Series, just had a big financial arm twist.

This current series was a good series.

 

[Some Idiot]

Can we all just appreciate how ******* boring these series are and why test cricket is dying?

Pakistan haven't won a test in Australia since 1995 and that's the only one since 1981

West Indies haven't won a test in Australia since 1997

Sri Lanka have never won in Australia

South Africa aren't interested in playing away series anymore.

NZ have one test win since 1985 in Australia

No wonder more people turn up for the big bash

More people only turn up for the Big Bash in Perth.

 

[Jimthegreat]

He’s never had a problem with the new ball in the past, has faced it many a time. Sure his eye is going a bit which is leaving him susceptible but it could be a new challenge to focus him a bit and reignite him.

Let’s be honest in this day and age the new ball means seeing off 6 overs of movement in this country before it’s no different to coming in at 3 or 4. Sub continent is not a concern and even England theyre dulling down their pitches and it’s obviously where he’s played his best cricket with the slower pace too.

I just don’t think opening is as specialist a position as people are making it out to be - in modern cricket. Plus are we really losing a strength? He avgd 40 this year we need to start bringing through a new number 4 which is typically going to be the guy you rely on for bulk 100s in a batting line up.

35yo old though. That does nothing for us, especially with a 37yo opening partner.

 

[JimmyBC]

If you think Big Bash is better than the Test series we just had you are cooked.