Australia v India, 3rd Test at the MCG Dec 26-30

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Chaisa

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Enjoyed the graphic about the bowling lengths of the respective sides.

Our bowling plans are embarrassing. I'm in no way surprised that India have bowled better than us on this pitch. It's fairly slow and doesn't have a lot of bounce - so what do we do? Bowl short over and over and over and over.

I actually reckon if one of our quicks had to miss and Siddle came in we'd be better placed. Not as quick as the other 3 and doesn't do a lot in the air or off the deck but at least knows how to bowl a consistent full length without being driven down the ground or clipped to fine leg. FFS Mitch Marsh looked better than Hazlewood and Starc.
Ehhh look at the last few Tests he's played in non-seamer friendly conditions. I'd think he'd be cannon fodder here.

Hazlewood is potentially a real problem though. His line is generally fine but he hasn't really remembered the ideal length to bowl...which he had a couple of summers ago. At least with Starc you know what you will get.
 

Richard Pryor

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Pitch still crap but India bowling to the conditions better and working the batsmen out. Having a plan and going with it.

Problem with Australian Cricket is ever since that tampering cluster **** they are still distracted. What happened? Who should we ban? Who is the scapegoat? Can we still sledge? Where is the line? Meanwhile technique for the actual cricket has gone to hell.

Even with all the PR from Bancroft and Smith we're still not getting the real story. After coming up with a botched strategy to handle it and heavy handed penalties they've locked in.
I also think the attitude of "We'd be doing better with Smith out here" has set into the side, as such everyone is batting like it doesn't really count.
 

Sasquatch

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No.

Find the best six batsmen, Paine and the bowlers we have (sans Marsh) and play a traditional 11. We do not have a Kallis, Flintoff or any decent all rounder in this country and we should stop trying to shoehorn an all rounder into the eleven.
Moises is a specialist batsman. He doesn't bowl anymore and if he does its rare. He has scored a century this shield season and runs.

Ashes squad

Warner
Burns
Hughes
Smith
Patterson
Henriques
Paine
Cummins
Lyon
Hazlewood
Copeland/Pattinson/Starc.

Even if Warner doesn't come back all three of Patterson, Hughes and Henriques on shield form need to come in.
 

Doss

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This is the first time I've seen Aussie team where none of the batsmen are good enough to make the NZ team.

I thought I'd never see the day.
Imagine how much the Kiwis would love to play us right now? Imagine these flakey types trying to contend with Boult and Southee on a raging Christchurch green top? I actually got a bit of a maniacal laugh going just thinking about it.
 

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to1994

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I honestly think we're at West Indies levels aside from Warner, Smith and Khawaja in the top 6.

We need to identify players with solid techniques, have it going on up there mentally and accept that they'll need to learn the game on the job at the highest level. The Shield clearly isn't providing that and killing any momentum for the Big Bash certainly doesn't help. Let's face it, we can pick on Head and Marsh but suggesting Joe Burns or Maxwell as vastly superior options is kidding ourselves.

I really don't know who to pick but there is absolutely no reason for Aaron Finch to play another Test. He is going to be a liability in England and there's not a chance he's a better option then Harris or even Bancroft. He has to go more so for the future of the side then his output so far.
 

Coasters7

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Is it worth throwing Pucovski a debut in Sydney? Can't be any worse than the rest of these clowns. Give him the exposure with little to no pressure (This series is done)
I’d chuck Sangha and Renshaw straight in too. I reckon you you’d at the very least get the 20 runs that most of the top order have scored but with the advantage of having 15 years in front of them rather than playing guys who have peaked and are still putting up these scores. Cummins to 7 and Pattinson in would be worth a shout too.. you wouldn’t be losing too much in terms of runs.
 

Tugga27

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I'm still yet to understand why I'm meant to understand why Justim Langer is the messiah.

Hasn't been dealt the best hands, sure, but I haven't understood this since well before he was coaching Australia. Serious question: has he actually done anything other than coach Perth Scorchers to BBL titles?

I guess we also know (i.e. it's been forced down our throats) that he has a personality.
I don't think anybody's said he's the messiah.

Bottom line is that we've lost 2 of the best batsmen in the world.
We're playing the number 1 ranked side in the world.

We're just not good enough.
Blaming the coach who has been there for 5 minutes is a nonsense.
 
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