Ashes 25/26

[mysteryman666]

I've got a feeling England win the series 3-2

 

[CrowBloke]

I'm an insomniac.
Before I went to bed about 3 hours ago I made the following list:
Marsh
Weatherald
Marnus
Smith
Head
Webster/Green (whichever is fittest)
Carey
Starc
Lyon
Hazelwood
Boland
for the first Ashes Test, but I didn't post it, because
1) I derided Marsh when he was the world's worst #6 in Test Cricket
2) I thought the concept of dropping (good-old-)Khawaja would be widely criticised, if not mocked, and
3) Marsh is quoted as wanting to be 6 beers in by Lunch, observing, on Day One
and
3) well, it just seems too unlikely.
After tossing/turning for 3 hours I got up again (as often happens) and, lo and behold, Marsh has been touted as a potential opener in an ABC24 online article, below.
I didn't get much confidence from that, though, because it's ex-Pommie-Captain Vaughn who suggested it and I dislike the idea of agreeing with him but, there it is.
I think Khawaja's time is over. Australia won't be preparing any batting roads for him not to get out on
and
wouldn't it be nice if Labuschagne could consolidate his re-found form coming in after their bowlers have been knocked around by Marsh and Weatherald for a session or more?
Also, imagine what Smith and Head could do to tired, dispirited bowlers instead of having to be in rescue mode at 2- and 3-down for not-many.
An insomniac can dream, even when awake at 0245 (the current time):

'Six beers deep': Marsh's Ashes plan is not about opening

Michael Vaughan wants Mitch Marsh opening the batting for Australia in the Ashes but it would require a serious leap of faith from Test selectors.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Westend]

I'm an insomniac.
Before I went to bed about 3 hours ago I made the following list:
Marsh
Weatherald
Marnus
Smith
Head
Webster/Green (whichever is fittest)
Carey
Starc
Lyon
Hazelwood
Boland
for the first Ashes Test, but I didn't post it, because
1) I derided Marsh when he was the world's worst #6 in Test Cricket
2) I thought the concept of dropping (good-old-)Khawaja would be widely criticised, if not mocked, and
3) Marsh is quoted as wanting to be 6 beers in by Lunch, observing, on Day One
and
3) well, it just seems too unlikely.
After tossing/turning for 3 hours I got up again (as often happens) and, lo and behold, Marsh has been touted as a potential opener in an ABC24 online article, below.
I didn't get much confidence from that, though, because it's ex-Pommie-Captain Vaughn who suggested it and I dislike the idea of agreeing with him but, there it is.
I think Khawaja's time is over. Australia won't be preparing any batting roads for him not to get out on
and
wouldn't it be nice if Labuschagne could consolidate his re-found form coming in after their bowlers have been knocked around by Marsh and Weatherald for a session or more?
Also, imagine what Smith and Head could do to tired, dispirited bowlers instead of having to be in rescue mode at 2- and 3-down for not-many.
An insomniac can dream, even when awake at 0245 (the current time):

'Six beers deep': Marsh's Ashes plan is not about opening

Michael Vaughan wants Mitch Marsh opening the batting for Australia in the Ashes but it would require a serious leap of faith from Test selectors.

www.abc.net.au

Good effort bro I hope you get some sleep

Marsh is no chance they will be naming the test squad after the next shield game starting o the 28th

 

[crows dude]

My updated Squad of 13

Renshaw
Weatherald
Lab
Smith - C
Head - VC
Green/Webster
Carey
Neser
Starc
Lyon
Hazelwood/Boland

 

[the_interloper]

My updated Squad of 13

Renshaw
Weatherald
Lab
Smith - C
Head - VC
Green/Webster
Carey
Neser
Starc
Lyon
Hazelwood/Boland

Neser has been unlucky to not have played more, gun bowler of course but he's good with the stick too, perfect for number 8. It's a good thing but surprising that Khawaja may have played his last test, before the Shield sseason started it was more who would bat with him.

 

[magpiemaniac44]

Khawaja will 100% play whether that is the right call I’m not sure but he’ll be there in Perth

Will retire after the Ashes I assume anyway

 

[CrowBloke]

Good effort bro I hope you get some sleep

Thanks , I kinda did; 0530 to 0830.

Marsh is no chance they will be naming the test squad after the next shield game starting o the 28th

I said I think it's unlikely, but I dunno about "no chance". According to Bailey:
"" ...I think at some stage there will be conversations around where he's at with his red-ball cricket.

"I said a long time ago, I didn't think that the door was closed for him to play red-ball cricket. I think (coach) Andrew McDonald has backed that up.

"I think the final piece of that puzzle is where Mitch feels about it. That's probably the most important piece of the puzzle." ".


It's clear how Mitch "feels about it".
He thinks he'll be beering it up on Days 1 and 2 of the first Test.

It's clear from watching Marsh's speech (and the reactions to it) when he won the Alan Border Medal (January 2025) that he's a much-loved member of the Australian Team,
well,
unless he's commented publicly since then about the bowlers' role in the Sandpaper plot ....

 

[PhatBoy]

I could picture Marsh facing Wood on a flyer and playing a leaden footed back foot punch to an in between length ball and getting caught at second slip in the first over of the series if he were to open

 

[Blackhawk42]

There can't be any chance that Mitch Marsh is considered again... surely.

I feel as though it's quite straight forward all things considered. Depending on the fitness of Green and Webster.

Uzzie
Marnus
Green
Smith
Head
Webster
Carey
Starc
Hazelwood
Boland
Lyon

Would like to see Neser and Wetherald in the squad.

 

[western royboy]

There can't be any chance that Mitch Marsh is considered again... surely.

I feel as though it's quite straight forward all things considered. Depending on the fitness of Green and Webster.

Uzzie
Marnus
Green
Smith
Head
Webster
Carey
Starc
Hazelwood
Boland
Lyon

Would like to see Neser and Wetherald in the squad.

Green isn’t a three, not before, not now, not ever. Marnus is a 3, Smith is a 4, Head is a 5. Khawaja will play out this series at 1 and then that’s it. 2 is the issue. Green if he can bowl (huge ?) or Webster at 6, Carey at 7 then the bowlers.

 

[PhatBoy]

You would hope from a competitiveness POV that the English bowlers don’t do what every visiting team does and bowl short rubbish half the time. Show them some footage of Bumrah and Joseph from the last two summers and say ‘please just TRY and do this’

 

[Rabish Binney]

Uzzie
Weatherald
Marnus
Smith
Head
Green / Webster
Carey
Starc
Hazlewood
Lyon
Boland

1. Don't want to see Konstas anywhere near being considered to be picked until he learns to pull his head in.
2. Weatherald deserves a chance.
3. Probably Green gets the nod over Webster at this stage.

 

[Rabish Binney]

You would hope from a competitiveness POV that the English bowlers don’t do what every visiting team does and bowl short rubbish half the time. Show them some footage of Bumrah and Joseph from the last two summers and say ‘please just TRY and do this’

Agree 100%

Perhaps the Australians should take the same advice and to an extent I think they have

The short crap they continuously dished up to India 4 years ago (which India won that series here) and to the Poms over there in 2023 you would think they must have learnt something.

 

[Freezin]

Khawaja will 100% play whether that is the right call I’m not sure but he’ll be there in Perth

Will retire after the Ashes I assume anyway

More hope than assume me thinks...only way Uzzie retires, is if he does nothing and gets dropped....if he scores a half decent number of runs, it will fool the fella, and the selectors, into carrying on.....

 

[eth-dog]

I think it ends up as:

Khawaja
Labuschagne
Green
Smith
Head
Webster
Carey
Starc
Lyon
Boland
Hazlewood

Neser and Weatherald in the squad

 

[the_interloper]

I think it ends up as:

Khawaja
Labuschagne
Green
Smith
Head
Webster
Carey
Starc
Lyon
Boland
Hazlewood

Neser and Weatherald in the squad

Yeah that looks about right. As I said earlier would love to get Neser in there but the quicks make sense.

 

[FreoGirl]

There can't be any chance that Mitch Marsh is considered again... surely.

I feel as though it's quite straight forward all things considered. Depending on the fitness of Green and Webster.

Uzzie
Marnus
Green
Smith
Head
Webster
Carey
Starc
Hazelwood
Boland
Lyon

Would like to see Neser and Wetherald in the squad.

I wouldn't be surprised - he's in great form

 

[PhatBoy]

I wouldn't be surprised - he's in great form

The problem when you’ve had a lean run as long as Labuschagne’s is that it only takes 2-3 bad innings, particularly if they are involving dismissals like the ones that have plagued him over the last few years, and that confidence erodes entirely - counts for zilch. It was only one innings not 4 admittedly but a good recent example was Kohli last summer. Came in at Perth with his team on top and the pitch flattening out and he just creamed them out of the middle from the moment he arrived and looked like he was having a net. I for one sort of thought ‘well this is ultimately a fairly meaningless innings but he’s back.’ He got out cheaply in the next innings at Adelaide and from there he did nothing but edge the thing and couldn’t help himself

It’s really important for him that, assuming he gets the opportunity, he at least makes a start in the first test and reminds himself that he’s still got it at the top level rather than scratching around for 5-10 and nicks one behind

 

[cricketnut14]

More hope than assume me thinks...only way Uzzie retires, is if he does nothing and gets dropped....if he scores a half decent number of runs, it will fool the fella, and the selectors, into carrying on.....

nahh he finishes at the end of the summer, if he can get there, regardless whether he makes important runs or a pile of runs.

common sense says he finishes as there's a 8 month break after the ashes and a low key home series v Bangladesh (top end)- perfect time to work on a fresh opening pair. in any case by this time khawaja will be a couple of months shy of his 40th birthday.

 

[Westend]

nahh he finishes at the end of the summer, if he can get there, regardless whether he makes important runs or a pile of runs.

common sense says he finishes as there's a 8 month break after the ashes and a low key home series v Bangladesh (top end)- perfect time to work on a fresh opening pair. in any case by this time khawaja will be a couple of months shy of his 40th birthday.

Regardless of the result win lose or draw needs to retire the end of this series...we need to move on as a team...Konstas Weatherald to replace

and if he struggles in the first two tests and we lose one or two reckon he will be gone he needs a score

 

[Cleavy]

I think it ends up as:

Khawaja
Labuschagne
Green
Smith
Head
Webster
Carey
Starc
Lyon
Boland
Hazlewood

Neser and Weatherald in the squad

Add Inglis due to concussion sub requirements for squads

 

[eth-dog]

Add Inglis due to concussion sub requirements for squads

Eh. He can be flown over if necessary. Plus, first test in Perth anyway

 

[Borisdog]

Green isn’t a three, not before, not now, not ever. Marnus is a 3, Smith is a 4, Head is a 5. Khawaja will play out this series at 1 and then that’s it. 2 is the issue. Green if he can bowl (huge ?) or Webster at 6, Carey at 7 then the bowlers.

Yep.

2 Shield games left for the contenders. If none of the "in contention" openers make a good case we might HAVE to go with Marnus, Green and Webster. Perhaps not ideal but in reality Marnus is "all but" opening in many cases, and at least there's some form there at the moment. Although he's only been in early once in 3 hits so far. The fitness of Green and Webster also remains to be seen.

Just short of 4 weeks to go though so "plenty" of time to get it right if you're in the mix.

But it is definitely an opener we need, and have done for quite some time. Weatherald on form has to be the front runner at the moment.

 

[Around the Wicket]

I've got a feeling England win the series 3-2

Its England in Australia.... I've been putting $500 of my monthly pay on Australia to win since the start of the year paying $2... now dropped to $1.80... Australia win this with ease... its going to be green tracks so England will fold more often then not.

 

[Around the Wicket]

I think it ends up as:

Khawaja
Labuschagne
Green
Smith
Head
Webster
Carey
Starc
Lyon
Boland
Hazlewood

Neser and Weatherald in the squad

Still 2 shield games so spots are still open but I think it'll end up..

Khawaja
Renshaw
Labs
Smith
Head
Green
Carey
Starc
Lyon
Boland
Hazlewood

Webster (Unlucky)