Australia v Sri Lanka; 2nd Test @ Manuka Oval Feb 1-5.

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Jimthegreat

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It's an improvement on dropping a simple catch and enough to stitch his place on the Ashes Tour. Alot of starts this summer and finally 100.

Wonder if he'll open in England with maybe Patterson at no.3.
 

Damon_3388

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I will say this about Head, he's only ever been dismissed in single figures once so far and it was his first innings of test cricket.

If he somehow manages to come out of England unscathed, we will have a legit gun middle order player who's only 25 years old.
Doing it despite not having a good-but-not-great Shield record, too - 63 matches, 116 innings, 36.08 average (7 hundreds, 25 fifties, 12 ducks) - and never really having a monster (800+ runs total, or 50+ average) season.
 

Richard Pryor

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Does one innings against Sri Lanka at Manuka magically make you in form again? Not sure myself.
Yeah, not convinced Khawaja is 'back' so to speak, but to be fair he's been under tremendous pressure having to replace Smith as the bloke carrying the side, and in his personal life with his brothers situation.

A ton doesn't mean he's in form, but it can't hurt, and hopefully it rebuilds his confidence and he can turn it into a run of form.
 

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Pykie

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Doing it despite not having a good-but-not great Shield record, too - 63 matches, 116 innings, 36.08 average (7 hundreds, 25 fifties, 12 ducks) - and never really having a monster (800+ runs total, or 50+ average) season.
Good thing for him.

Good test numbers = better FC record.
 

Aussie_boy

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So you haven't been watching? His innings just got better and better.

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Yeah so what, well done on him for making a hundred but it was against one of the worst bowling attacks in test cricket on a road. Feel like it is going to paper over the cracks a little bit.
 

to1994

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Does one innings against Sri Lanka at Manuka magically make you in form again? Not sure myself.
It's enough for us to back him given he's shown his class in the past including overseas on our last tour away. Would much rather that then replacing him with any of Burns, Patterson, Labuschagne etc. at 3 at Edgbaston.
 

Joffaboy

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Not sure scoring 100 against this attack is considered getting back into form.
Of course it is. Time in the middle, feet started to move, timing came back, concentration was good, one poor shot .
Yes the attack is ordinary, does that mean Haydens 380 against the Zimmers meant nothing?
You can only score against who you are playing.


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Adelaide Hawk

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Not sure scoring 100 against this attack is considered getting back into form.
It does in a way. His feet were moving much better as the innings progressed, and he wasn't reaching for balls he should be letting go. Would be very good for his confidence.
 

Gough

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Yeah so what, well done on him for making a hundred but it was against one of the worst bowling attacks in test cricket on a road. Feel like it is going to paper over the cracks a little bit.
There's a mental side to things as well and having four batsmen hit tons, two of them for the first side must do a lot for them upstairs regardless of opposition. Be nice to see them take this form into the Shield and carry on there now.
 

to1994

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Yeah so what, well done on him for making a hundred but it was against one of the worst bowling attacks in test cricket on a road. Feel like it is going to paper over the cracks a little bit.
Mate, playing people like Burns and Labuschagne is the real meaning of papering over the cracks. Usman has had a tough summer but he's shown in the past that he belongs at Test level. None of Burns, Lab, Patterson have shown they can do anything against decent opponents.

I feel like people just love the idea of new players sometimes and want to see anyone with a reasonable record thrown out because it's not as exciting.
 

Pykie

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Yeah so what, well done on him for making a hundred but it was against one of the worst bowling attacks in test cricket on a road. Feel like it is going to paper over the cracks a little bit.
Won't matter when he retires and people certainly don't factor it for every other players test records.

I mean, Tendulkar has 5 test hundreds against Bangladesh, a Bangaldesh team that would get beaten by an innings to their current team.
 
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