Test Changes for... India 23 Edition + Post-match chat...

[BGman]

He was on the Australia A tour, wasn't he?

Australia will be without Ashton Agar for Friday's second Test in Galle after being unable to recover from a side strain. Victorian left-arm finger spinner Jon Holland has been added to the squad.
(CA website July 2. 2022)

I like Green but with him unable to bowl I'd play Renshaw to strengthen the batting.

Seems CA have Pete Handscomb as the front runner to replace Green. That is if they decide not to play him only as a batsman.

 

[doggies ftw]

Green should play as a specialist batsmen even if he can’t bowl, he has the temperament and technique to make runs over there and I get the feeling he’s primed for a big one, he’s ready to breakout and a good series could be the difference between us putting up competitive scores or not.

If Renshaw is to play it should be in place of Warner and Handscomb should be back up for the middle order

 

[Around the Wicket]

Hang on a minute.

When someone suggested in November that Todd Murphy should go to India, you responded with:




And now you're saying the selectors should have picked him in a test already?

At least be consistent.

What I meant was the selectors should have picked a spinner and gave them preparation for India over a summer of weak opposition, I purely posted Murphy because that's who the selectors have picked. The other name Kuhnemann is who I would have went.

Nothing inconsistent about it. I still wouldn't picked Murphy.

 

[Around the Wicket]

I think they will pick Agar as the second spinner.

I like Green but with him unable to bowl I'd play Renshaw to strengthen the batting. Fairly sure they will back Green in as a pure batsman though.

Agar will get the first shot because the selectors have had a shocker, there picked a off spinner extremely similar to Lyon and a extremely out of form Leggie.

Kuhnemann should have been the spinner picked.

 

[sydney_gws]

Green should play as a specialist batsmen even if he can’t bowl, he has the temperament and technique to make runs over there and I get the feeling he’s primed for a big one, he’s ready to breakout and a good series could be the difference between us putting up competitive scores or not.

If Renshaw is to play it should be in place of Warner and Handscomb should be back up for the middle order

I think more time for Greens hand to strengthen the better. I would not pick as a pure batsman.
Leave him for the second test.

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

Agar will get the first shot because the selectors have had a shocker, there picked a off spinner extremely similar to Lyon and a extremely out of form Leggie.

Kuhnemann should have been the spinner picked.

He's not similar to Lyon at all. Whirlwind action, heap of drift and killer arm ball like Swann. Lower trajectory like Swann too. Not to discredit Lyon he has been a legend but just saying he is a very different bowler.

 

[11kgm]

I feel like we broke Swepson

I just hope it's not a complete thrashing with Jadeja back and in deadly form in worried

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

I feel like we broke Swepson

I just hope it's not a complete thrashing with Jadeja back and in deadly form in worried

I just feel like he isn't that great tbh. Hope he proves me wrong. But when you bowl at the loopy pace he does you need to be a MASSIVE turner, with a wrong un that is also hard to pick but also turns hard. MacGill for example. He so far hasn't displayed those qualities. Sitting duck at international level. Especially in India when leggies have always battled, most notably Warnie. We haven't had a top class leggie since Warne and MacGill and before that it was Benaud decades earlier, in fact he was the only one of our great leggies to emerge fairly closely out of the shadow of another great leggie, 6 years after Tiger O'Reilly.

The whole reason India have been so successful at home over the years is their accurate finger spin battalion, some relying solely on flight and accuracy others on variation, very few on turn alone. The 2 leggies of theirs who excelled in home conditions were quick over spinners, Kumble and Chandrasekhar.

Anyway, Swepson will be mincemeat if played. Don't take this in anyway an endorsement of Agar. My personal thought is you play Cummins, Hazelwood/Starc and Boland along with Lyon if they decide not to go with Murphy. If you look back at our last win there our attack was McGrath, Gillespie, Kasprowicz and Warne.

The three quicks did the damage, while Warne really contained. Cummins essentially does the job McGrath does, just faster and able to take the aggressor mantle, Hazelwood can do the role Dizzy did then, he had slowed down a bit but was still metronomic and got some reverse, while I feel Boland is the perfect 'heavy ball' workhorse specialist that Kaspa was, 15 over spells in the heat without letting up. Depending on the value of reverse you could take Starc over Hazelwood, but I really feel Boland should be second quick picked in these conditions.

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

Of course we also had Lehmann and Clarke whose accurate left armers were very handy. We haven't got that this time. Head will be a factor but having a decent part time left arm around the wicket to the amount of righties they have would've been very useful. I know Marnus and Smith both turn it away from the right hander and I think with the way Marnus darts them in he could be a surprise packet, he is too unreliable, and Smith's loopers will be cannon fodder. I just really hope they don't play Agar just for the sake of having a left arm darter. Honestly think what Lehmann and Clarke provided as a package was equal if not better to what Agar alone provides...but those guys were top notch batsmen foremost, bowling was a bonus. If Green can't bowl, back in the quicks. If he can, unleash the Todd. I know I'm laboring the Swann comparison, but like Swann, he is a bowler you want out there in India.

 

[Slysh]

I think more time for Greens hand to strengthen the better. I would not pick as a pure batsman.
Leave him for the second test.

His hand is fine isn't it? He just hasn't had the workload to bowl.

If he is ready to go as a pure batsman i am backing him in, he is in the best 6 batsman in the Country imo.

 

[t_94]

Interesting that CA keep buttering him with awards he doesn't deserve. They must think he's kinda simple......

He is.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

He is.

Yep

If only Marnus had ran the campaigner out in Melbourne, he would not be in India

 

[darksquare]

I really struggle with Kuhnemann. Every time I've ever seen him bowl, he makes me start salivating. I've seen the stats, I know he's a terrific bowler and he's gotten a significant amount of waaaaay better bats than I am out, but something about his bowling just makes me want to get out of my crease and hit him in complete safety to the gaps. He looks comfortable, and plunderable.

'Spose that's the art of a spinner, though. How to be threatening without looking it.

Rangana Herath's secret weapon for 433 test wickets. I'm hoping it works for Agar too. He's got the "looking unthreatening" part of the equation down pat, and now he just needs to add "being threatening" to the mix.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

His hand is fine isn't it? He just hasn't had the workload to bowl.

If he is ready to go as a pure batsman i am backing him in, he is in the best 6 batsman in the Country imo.

No, his finger isn’t fine. Hes able bat but not bowl with it. There is a check up scheduled with the doctor this week I believe.

 

[Gethelred]

Rangana Herath's secret weapon for 433 test wickets. I'm hoping it works for Agar too. He's got the "looking unthreatening" part of the equation down pat, and now he just needs to add "being threatening" to the mix.

I will not hear a bad word about Herath. No-one in world cricket has better been able to convince the batter the next one is really, really going to spin.

 

[Voice of the G]

No, his finger isn’t fine. Hes able bat but not bowl with it. There is a check up scheduled with the doctor this week I believe.

Most likely fielding close to the wicket might be an issue as well,a very handy fieldsman in the gully.

 

[eth-dog]

In addition, if we play Handscomb and Renshaw, those two are two of the best in the cordon in Australia

 

[akkaps]

This looks like the opening scene to a movie about Schapelle Corby...

I rate Indian coffee better than I do instant coffee here in Australia.
It's sweeter and stronger.

 

[Westend]

Agar will get the first shot because the selectors have had a shocker, there picked a off spinner extremely similar to Lyon and a extremely out of form Leggie.

Kuhnemann should have been the spinner picked.

His time will come needs to play more first class cricket and improve his batting and fielding which Agar has over him plus ash record in the subcontinent

Plus he really hasn't set the world on fire with his bowling whereas a young murphy has taken wickets in the short time he has played FC cricket

 

[The 747]

His time will come needs to play more first class cricket and improve his batting and fielding which Agar has over him plus ash record in the subcontinent

Plus he really hasn't set the world on fire with his bowling whereas a young murphy has taken wickets in the short time he has played FC cricket

What about his actual bowling which is clearly better than Agar.

 

[Westend]

What about his actual bowling which is clearly better than Agar.

No its not its relatively the same with Agar its Agar batting and fielding is why he has been selected plus his test record in bangledesh.

If Kuhnemann was taking wickets like Murphy has ..then yes I would agree with you ...but at this stage he is not

His time will come

 

[The 747]

No its not its relatively the same with Agar its Agar batting and fielding is why he has been selected plus his test record in bangledesh.

If Kuhnemann was taking wickets like Murphy has been then yes I would agree with you ...but at this stage he is not

His time will come

You are deadset blind when it comes to this. You keep trying to make two Tests v Bangladesh mean something which it does not.

Agar averages 42.20 at first class level, Kuhnemann averages 34.25. This is not "relatively the same".

FYI with the bat Agar averages 28.38 at first class level, Kuhnemann averages 24.75. This is close to being "relatively the same".

 

[HODGEYROAD]

So with Starc being ruled out of the 1st test, it'll have to be Cummins and Hazelwood as the two quicks for Nagpur.

 

[Westend]

You are deadset blind when it comes to this. You keep trying to make two Tests v Bangladesh mean something which it does not.

Agar averages 42.20 at first class level, Kuhnemann averages 34.25. This is not "relatively the same".

FYI with the bat Agar averages 28.38 at first class level, Kuhnemann averages 24.75. This is close to being "relatively the same".

It does and I cannot see how you can't see it does and just discount it. The selectors see it.....Its the reason why he has been picked. Bangladesh conditions are similar to Indian conditions and he did okay in that series.

Yes Agar averages 42 at first class playing on a bouncy perth deck is not favourable for spinners so yeah Kuhnemann has a better average. Kuhnemann has only played 12 FC games ...I can't remember what Ash averaged after his first 12 games but I bet it was relatively the same. And its not like Kuhnemann is taking bags of wickets in the shield......if he was yes I would agree with you get him in the team...but he is not. That's why murphy was picked because he was taking wickets......also if we where to pick two younger spinners with no exp against the indian bats they could be smashed and there development curtailed....selectors taking a cautious approach and test experience is worth something.

Kuhnemann has played only 12 FC games and averages 24 with 7 not outs batting at 9/10 with a high score of 24no .Agar has played over 60 odd FC games and averages 28 so Ash has maintained that average over a period of time...so Ash has it over him there...plus he averages 32 at test level with the bat 98 on debut and 40 odd not out in bangledesh some serious contributions.

I understand the frustration from everyone in regards to Agar with his bowling average but the selectors see a role for him to play in India where slow left arm orthodox go well....would I pick Ash for england?...F88k no but I believe at this moment he his the best option for India and brings more to the team with his bowling/batting and fielding than Kuhnemann provides at this stage

and don't discount Agar fielding which is top rate..probably in the best three fielders in the country.....looks at Zamps F**king hopeless in the field Kuhnemann is a good fielder but not at the level of Agar.

If Agar goes badly this series don't worry he will be given the flick and will only be a white ball cricketer.

Kuhnemann I like get more games into him and will be a good option going forward...as I said before his time will come.

 

[Westend]

So with Starc being ruled out of the 1st test, it'll have to be Cummins and Hazelwood as the two quicks for Nagpur.

Yup