Test The Ashes Third Test December 17-21 1000hrs @ The Adelaide Oval

[Snarls Barkley]

This was a good toss to win for sure but the Gabba day night is always going to be the most important one to win

They would have had the biggest hissy fit of all time if they lost that toss. Were already sooking prior to the Test about how unfair and unnecessary day night Tests are

I really enjoy pink ball Tests (I would like two a summer) but it’s still too great of a difference maker having the hard ball under lights. So if you win the toss and bat 100 overs it’s game over. Fortunately for us it isn’t how they go about it and left the door ajar for us to do exactly that

 

[Big Bryza]

Big difference to "full speed but full and targeting the stumps" and "I'm going to bowl halfway down the pitch at his body and bowl no-balls by over a metre".

If the point was to make Piers Morgan look foolish you don't think sending stumps cartwheeling three or four times would have achieved that just as much as a broken rib?

Fcuk Piers Morgan.

 

[JimmyBC]

We won the Ashes all we needed was a draw in Adelaide to retain them.

They should've awarded the trophy after this test.

 

[Hojuman]

Fcuk Piers Morgan.

 

[CakeEater]

Dunno how we can drop Khawaja after what was exactly a match winning knock - 82 runs

Easily Bedi

 

[Gavin Excell]

When was the last time the Sydney test was not a dead rubber?

 

[Gough]

View attachment 2499828

He's made it about himself which is the important thing for Piers Morgan. He's the living embodiment of Wilde quote about the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.

 

[passmark]

For 50 years the game has been evolving into one which rewards professionalism, fitness, improving by small percentages on natural ability and a strong mindset. Above all always compete.

McCullum has over seen the dismantling of all of these facets in favour of natural abilities and vibes.

The poms cannot perform any of the three aspects (batting, bowling and fielding) for more than a session if that.

This England team wouldn’t have beaten any of the Australian or English teams of the last 25 years , just because of their lack of professionalism.

 

[Mofra]

Cummins, Inglis, Lyon out.
Smith, Neser and Murphy in.

Would love to flip Green to Webster as well but doubt we make 4 changes.

Webster hasn't been banging to door down has he? IIRC he's dropped off quiet a bit in recent matches.
Green's in terrible form but he only goes out if there's a better option to replace him.

Weatherold had to tear the door off it's hinges to get his current opportunity and it looks like a masterstroke.

 

[Snarls Barkley]

I don’t think he’s a part of the squad but should England pick Foakes to keep and pick Smith just as a batsman?

Outside of the awful shot to get out, he was looking promising at the crease, and surely Pope can’t keep getting selected.

Probably not. Their biggest issues are top 3 and that doesn’t seem like a position that Smith is going to bat and think they are reluctant to move the others up

Foakes shouldn’t have been dropped when he was (and Bairstow alone probably cost them the Ashes in the first two games) but there was no guarantee that his batting was good enough for Test level. We’ll never really know, he never played many games that weren’t on very bowler friendly pitches

His keeping has been rough but have never noticed it being particularly bad in England. I think he’ll get backed in for the very long haul and hope his keeping improves with experience. Maybe it gets to the level one day like it did with Wade that you have to make a call on it but that’s for the future

This series has been a real eye opener for him. Has found a Test cricket very easy until now. He had looked wildly uncomfortable until before this innings but looked fantastic until he threw it away

 

[troybe]

I can’t keep up, how many moral victories is that for England now?

 

[010203]

Smith came back and annihilated England after sandpapergate.

Carey has put up with the abuse for throwing at the stumps, came back and has dominated. First WK man of the match since Gilchrist in 2001.
Bairstow? No where to be seen.

What other shit material are the Barmy Army going to come back with?

Barmy Army!

Barmy Army!

Barmy Army!

 

[Snarls Barkley]

Webster hasn't been banging to door down has he? IIRC he's dropped off quiet a bit in recent matches.
Green's in terrible form but he only goes out if there's a better option to replace him.

Weatherold had to tear the door off it's hinges to get his current opportunity and it looks like a masterstroke.

Not particularly but pretty small sample size. I would choose to read more into his form of being in the Test team and the prior two years of Shield cricket where he averaged probably 50 more than the three games he has had to start the season

Weatherald’s form to start the season was good without being outstanding. Renshaws was outstanding but they chose to reward the previous 12-18 months over a couple of games

 

[010203]

When was the last time the Sydney test was not a dead rubber?

94-95 when it hosted the 3rd Test.

 

[Stottzy]

England- Outplayed with bat, ball and field. But someone that isn't getting enough credit, is Andrew McDonald. He has completely outcoached McCullum and the tactics have been pretty spot on. Totally destroyed the Bazball philosophy with the Australian way of hard work, discipline and relentlessness. Master-stroke to have Carey keep up to the wicket with Boland and Nesar. This would be his greatest achievement.

 

[to1994]

Now for the best part of all this, checking the English Cricket forums:

"Key's out the door, give Anderson his job and let him shoot Baz out of a cannon back to NZ."

"Stokes need to be relieved of the captaincy and sent to a clinic to sleep for the next two months to try and remove the enormous pits from his eyes. Also sent to drama school so he can put his dramatic, brooding, world-on-my-shoulders routine to proper use. I think he’ll win a BAFTA."

"Whoever is responsible for this deluded mindset of constant positivity and vibes, zero self reflection, seriousness and common sense needs to go. I have never been as pissed off by an England test team as much as these guys, and have seen absolute dross over the years."

Loved this one which adds some extra insight I wasn't aware of - "Stop this. Key and McCullum have enabled each other. Baz has ****ed us by sacking off half the coaching team and making the most idiotic selections I’ve ever seen. He sacked the fielding coach and does fielding drills himself now, did you know that? Guess which team has dropped 8 catches in two tests. You’re not serious about this team if you want McCullum to stay"

 

[010203]

I see St Baz has admitted that they didn't get their preparation right. Great insight champ.

 

[Bedi]

I think Khawaja should move to the middle order if hes gonna play, at his age it'd be better to send him out when the balls moving a little slower

As a spectator i want to see the fireworks of Head/Weatherald opening Day 1 Boxing Day, but if were coach I'd be picking Head/Ussie. A better dynamic. Experienced opener seeing off the new ball all while the scoreboard keeps ticking over.

(With that said, cant go wrong playing Khawaja in the middle order for reasons you've said -- and think ultimately the selectors will bat him 5)

But my team would be

Head
Khawaja
Labuschagne
Smith
Green
Carey
Webster
Starc
Neser
Boland
Murphy

 

[Jimthegreat]

Webster hasn't been banging to door down has he? IIRC he's dropped off quiet a bit in recent matches.
Green's in terrible form but he only goes out if there's a better option to replace him.

Weatherold had to tear the door off it's hinges to get his current opportunity and it looks like a masterstroke.

Webster had a good innings for Australia A against tongue and Potts, and did make 78 the game before albeit in a 50 over game. Took a while with his batting this year but looks like he has found some form.

His bowling though has been terrific. 8 wickets in one game this year. Even opened the bowling in one game. I have him well ahead of Green right now. I trust him so much more.

 

[Tugga27]

Saw this on the BBC website.
Unbelievable really.

"Darren Lehmann gave an interview after play yesterday (day 4), and as coach of Northamptonshire he has never seen or spoken to a selector.

That is unfathomable. Here in Australia, selectors are in contact with the state squads and watch plenty of shield games. How can selectors make an informed decision without doing their job?"

 

[themidlandmaster]

As a spectator i want to see the fireworks of Head/Weatherald opening Day 1 Boxing Day, but if were coach I'd be picking Head/Ussie. A better dynamic. Experienced opener seeing off the new ball all while the scoreboard keeps ticking over.

(With that said, cant go wrong playing Khawaja in the middle order for reasons you've said -- and think ultimately the selectors will bat him 5)

But my team would be

Head
Khawaja
Labuschagne
Smith
Green
Carey
Webster
Starc
Neser
Boland
Murphy

Personally, I like the idea of Usman opening in the first innings and Trav in the second. I don't think it's a coincidence both of Head's tons were in the second innings. One of the reasons he's so damaging at 5 is playing across the line against an older ball, and opening in the 2nd innings on a flatter pitch helps in a similar way.

Usman
Weatherald
Marnus
Smith
Head
Carey
Webster
Neser
Starc
Boland
Murphy

 

[Jimthegreat]

I'll go...

Head
Weatherald
Marnus
Smith
Ussie
Webster
Carey
Starc
Richardson
Boland
Kuhnemann

Marnus i'm not sure of but they are going to pick him. No point me doing anything different. Right now he is a professional fielder.

 

[Stottzy]

Now for the best part of all this, checking the English Cricket forums:

"Key's out the door, give Anderson his job and let him shoot Baz out of a cannon back to NZ."

"Stokes need to be relieved of the captaincy and sent to a clinic to sleep for the next two months to try and remove the enormous pits from his eyes. Also sent to drama school so he can put his dramatic, brooding, world-on-my-shoulders routine to proper use. I think he’ll win a BAFTA."

"Whoever is responsible for this deluded mindset of constant positivity and vibes, zero self reflection, seriousness and common sense needs to go. I have never been as pissed off by an England test team as much as these guys, and have seen absolute dross over the years."

Loved this one which adds some extra insight I wasn't aware of - "Stop this. Key and McCullum have enabled each other. Baz has ****ed us by sacking off half the coaching team and making the most idiotic selections I’ve ever seen. He sacked the fielding coach and does fielding drills himself now, did you know that? Guess which team has dropped 8 catches in two tests. You’re not serious about this team if you want McCullum to stay"

It's also been great for workplaces all over Australia who now can hit bosses who spruik "be positive, be happy" philosophies with "Yeah, did wonders for England cricket".

 

[sr36]

Green won’t be dropped. Should he possibly but let’s not pretend Webster is in great form with the bat

Jeez he needs some runs. But our strength is keeping the relentless bowling pressure up. He's got his bowling back up to scratch and is the only genuine 5th bowler who can keep challenging batsmen.

 

[Jimthegreat]

As a spectator i want to see the fireworks of Head/Weatherald opening Day 1 Boxing Day, but if were coach I'd be picking Head/Ussie. A better dynamic. Experienced opener seeing off the new ball all while the scoreboard keeps ticking over.

(With that said, cant go wrong playing Khawaja in the middle order for reasons you've said -- and think ultimately the selectors will bat him 5)

But my team would be

Head
Khawaja
Labuschagne
Smith
Green
Carey
Webster
Starc
Neser
Boland
Murphy

Prefer Head, Ussie is 39 and may not have the reflexes against fresh bowlers with the new ball these day. Better down the order now. Weatherald will play anyway. Don't need Green if we have Webster.