Test The Ashes First Test November 21-25 1300hrs @ Perth Stadium

[foxdog50]

Played and won a golf tournament

Now I wonder . What is the truth...

 

[BarryMorgan]

Now I wonder . What is the truth...

I’ve been a big Khawaja defender, but I think this should be curtains for him at Test level.

 

[Hamingja]

Lets wait and see what they dish up in their second dig before we declare the Ashes lost

I look at it this way.

Starc's heroics in the first innings are not going to be repeatable over a 5 match series.

England's five man pace attack may well be.

Send the SOS out to the Indian pitch curators.

That's going to be our only chance for the rest of the series.

 

[Borisdog]

Based on yesterday, doesn’t seem like anyone’s up to fighting hard.

Let's see if there's any personal pride or responsibility on display the second time around.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

One hell of a coincidence with an ageing body then.

Khawaja is miles past his use by date. It sends a terrible message to keep picking him. There's nothing to lose by picking someone who's absolutely desperate for a chance, like Renshaw.

 

[foxdog50]

I’ve been a big Khawaja defender, but I think this should be curtains for him at Test level.

His last 16 months has been poor sadly.

If only we had great batting depth like our bowling attack is

 

[Around the Wicket]

Pressure?

Last 12 months, hardly our most pressing issue

View attachment 2483329

openers are non existent, was covered up when Labs was averaging 60+... openers need to get the ball old for the middle order to flourish.

 

[Cleavy]

We've got to really fight hard in our second dig, to at least try to put some miles into Archer and Wood.

If they're only gunna bowl a handful of overs each innings then they're only gunna need to play 3 tests.

That'll be the first 3.

we need to, if we want to win, since we'll be batting last

 

[sr36]

Played and won a golf tournament

Oh no. He played golf the day before. If we think he's not physically capable of backing up after a round of golf ...

 

[Cleavy]

it's going to be interesting to see if any batsmen put their name forward in the D/N Shield matches, or whether the bowlers dominate and then we're really in a selection quandary. (noting the squad we picked was for the 1st Test only)

 

[Lunchtime]

His last 16 months has been poor sadly.

If only we had great batting depth like our bowling attack is

Bancroft was in form in domestic cricket for the past 2-3 years and continued to get ignored.

As the saying goes "You make your bed, you lie in it". The selectors have a lot to answer for. Plus the "mates club" within the team. Arrogance too.

 

[Nelso]

He looked horribly out of nick today. Even shots he got through the infield had barely any timing, usually when he hits them they stay hit.

It's tough though because he's the kind that can turn it round in an instant, and he's just about the only bloke in the country who can score quickly and freely against world class bowling. We basically need him to fight through this form trough.

Head should have played more than one shield match in the lead up to the First Test.

Why on earth he was playing in the meaningless one day and T20 matches against India?

 

[MisterMarcus]

Khawaja is miles past his use by date. It sends a terrible message to keep picking him. There's nothing to lose by picking someone who's absolutely desperate for a chance, like Renshaw.

I think the fundamental problem is that the selectors let Warner hang around too long.

So they couldn't tap Khawaja on the shoulder - even if he might have deserved it - because then we'd have had two new openers being blooded at the same time. Combined with Marnus' dry run and Smith getting towards the end, it's like they've kind of had to let Ussie hang on just to maintain some sort of stability in the top order.

 

[revo333]

Oh no. He played golf the day before. If we think he's not physically capable of backing up after a round of golf ...

Yes, but the insinuation is the back problem was related to him actually playing golf.

 

[FullyBigKPro]

Wood, Archer and Carse under lights at the Gabba will be brutal viewing.... could be a 2 day Test...

 

[Bucking Beads]

The writing was on the wall with Khawaja last summer. They opted to take him on tours instead of backing younger talent in. He was never coping with the Pom quicks at this age. It just never happens.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Wood, Archer and Carse under lights at the Gabba will be brutal viewing.... could be a 2 day Test...

Glad I've got day 2 tickets then

 

[SC_Power]

openers are non existent, was covered up when Labs was averaging 60+... openers need to get the ball old for the middle order to flourish.

The number of times over the past years Head has come through with 50’s and 100’s when he’s come in at 3-30, 3-50, 4-100….. a brief look back shows so many occasions back to WTC final v India in England and further.

 

[Australian Randall]

Too many restrictions on fast bowlers
I remember the 1st ball of the Edgbaston test in 95
Curtly pitched it a tad short and it flew over the keepers head for 4
His eyes lit up
Without intimidation the game loses something
The short ball and Intimidation, packed close in fields were part of the fast bowlers armoury.
This Bazball shit would have been impossible in years gone by

 

[Cataholic]

Oh no. He played golf the day before. If we think he's not physically capable of backing up after a round of golf ...

The evidence suggests he couldn't.

 

[sr36]

The evidence suggests he couldn't.

If we think Uzzie shouldn't play golf the day before a game because he'll struggle to back up - the issue isn't him playing golf, the issue is him being in the team.

 

[Cataholic]

If we think Uzzie shouldn't play golf the day before a game because he'll struggle to back up - the issue isn't him playing golf, the issue is him being in the team.

Don't disagree, but I think even his merit as a player aside, most believe it would've been wiser to forego the golf and focus on Day 1 given his age and the fact that everything gets harder as you get older.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

There needs to be a proper inquisition to this rabble of an Aust side..

Absolutely 0 planning and forethought on preparing an Ashes team, we've just picked tired blokes on reputation, who's best mates with who and who thinks they are still good enough.

Where have been the batsmen 2-3 years out putting proper claims in to get a spot.

Where are the young tear-away quicks coming through so we dont have to rely on plodders like a 35yo Boland and Dogget?

Why did we play Nafan Lyon? the guy is totally past it and offers nothing.

Just a total shit show, Aust cricket team on the pathway to being the Wallabies, total laughing stock.

Its Test cricket. You pick the best available, not potential. You're looking to win now, not build to a premiership window like its footy.
And its one (bad) innings where the bowling was very good and not at all like England have been able produce perhaps since the days of Frank Tyson.

It isn't so much a selection issue, as a structural one that has been building since Ponting was captain. Back then he wa slamenting how players were reaching the test squad without proper technique and grounding in the game. The types of things that used to be learned in the early days at Shield lever were being learned in the Test arena. Now, stuff that should be learned before reaching grade level is learned in Test cricket. Australia got away with the devaluation of the Shield for a long time, and pushing all the talent through "everybody gets a go" versions well suited to mass participation but not elite talent development. T20, particularly the BBL interrupting the First Class season, has made those worse but is not the only cause. CA have been downgrading the Shield on a continual basis ever since Australia had some of the most formidable Test teams around. They may finally have broken it.

That said, Khawaja is no longer best available. The best available is also not good. I can understand not wanting to swap out the whole top three in one go, but Khawaja was always the biggest question out of the three opening options imo. And if the squad had been picked a week later, Renshaw would probably be there ahead of Weatherald.

Labuschagne has been performing as well as anyone at Shield level, and we know when he is inform he can do well in Tests. Seems the right call on the evidence available.
Boland has a very good record with the ball coming in as a fill-in, and Doggett as good as anyone who is fit. Not that bowlking is as much of a problem even with a few injuries.

 

[Boots73]

So Uzzie doesn't play the last shield game but the rest of our batters do.
He's good for golf tho.
If his back can't stand the rigours of standing in the slips for 30 overs ,there is no way he should play next test.
Bring in Renshaw

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

Not likely, he’s a devout Muslim

He wouldn't be playing cricket either if that was the case.