Best test XI as of now?

1990crow

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Thread starter #1
If you had to select a side now with the entire squad to choose from (no injuries), what side would you select?

Cowan
Warner
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Wade

Siddle
Cummins
Pattinson
Hilfenhaus
Lyon

For the bowlers, five doesn't go into four and I think it would come down to conditions. If it was flat like Adelaide or we're playing in the sub-continent then Lyon gets picked.
 

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Carbine Chaos

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#2
David Warner
Ed Cowan
Ricky Ponting
Shane Watson
Michael Clarke (c)
Mike Hussey
Tim Paine (+)
Peter Siddle
James Pattinson
Ryan Harris
Patrick Cummins
12th - Steve O'Keefe/Nathan Lyon/Ben Hilfenhaus
 

Blue and Gold Blood

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#5
Cowan
Warner
Clarke
Khawaja
Watson
Hussey
Paine
Siddle
Pattinson
Harris
Lyon/Hilfenhaus
If not for Clarkes 300+, Ponting would be the leading run scorer for Australia. Dont see how you could drop him.

Id go:
Warner
Watson
Cowan
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Paine
Siddle
Pattison
Hilfenhous
Lyon/Harris
 

Carbine Chaos

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#6
Cowan
Warner
Clarke
Khawaja
Watson
Hussey
Paine
Siddle
Pattinson
Harris
Lyon/Hilfenhaus
I understand the argument with people wanting Clarke to take more responsibility and move up to 3 but the fact is he plays his best cricket at 5.

I don't think we should change that around...if it ain't broke, why fix it?
 

Carbine Chaos

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#7
^^I like that team, thorne!
Ideally Marsh and Khawaja will pile up the runs for their states and take the number 3 spot from Ponting when he retires.

I think that is the big spot that we will have trouble filling for the next half decade.
 

Fastback

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#9
David Warner
Ed Cowan
Ricky Ponting
Shane Watson
Michael Clarke (c)
Mike Hussey
Tim Paine (+)
Peter Siddle
James Pattinson
Ryan Harris
Patrick Cummins
12th - Steve O'Keefe/Nathan Lyon/Ben Hilfenhaus
Great side, def best bowling attack...looks quite ominous actually.
 

CHIEF SMACKAHOE

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#11
If not for Clarkes 300+, Ponting would be the leading run scorer for Australia. Dont see how you could drop him.
not so much dropping him as much as giving him the tap on the shoulder and telling him it's time. 4-0 victory at home while in decent form. he has a chance to go out on a high now.
 

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mattymac

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#12
Warner
Cowan
Khawaja
Hussey
Clarke
Watson
Paine
Pattinson
Cummins
Hilfenhaus
Lyon

Have to say that this team would be aimed at the back to back Ashes and the battle for world number 1 that will likely go with it. Marsh can't seem to handle the pressure, especially at home. Possibly a bit unfair given the shithouse shield schedule ruining his chance at comeback innings, but he is also an injury risk. For mine he is not sufficiently better than Khawaja to offset the injury risk and associated opportunity cost of investing in him rather than Khawaja. Khawaja made starts at least and just needs that break out innings. He is definitely the future whereas Marsh was more of a pleasant surprise in Sri Lanka. Ponting out for Watson. He's been decent this series but his last innings showed his problems are still there despite cashing in against a poor indian attack which is struggling with alien conditions. Glad he made runs at home this summer, now he can retire on good terms. Siddle unlucky, same with Harris but seriously how good is Hilfy now?! Gets middle over wickets which he never used to do. I feel he brings variety to the attack and will be devastating in this kind of form in english conditions, while pattinson can pretty much do what Siddle can do. Harris sacrificed because with so many blokes now in form his injury proneness will likely be a cause of instability and opportunity cost.
 

CHIEF SMACKAHOE

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#13
I don't think we should change that around...if it ain't broke, why fix it?
it is broken. our middle order is the most fragile in the world. having clarke so far down the order isn't helping. needs to bat higher and take some responsibility. a little consistency wouldn't hurt either. it's no good making a big score if you don't make any more runs for another 2-3 tests
 

Blue and Gold Blood

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#14
not so much dropping him as much as giving him the tap on the shoulder and telling him it's time. 4-0 victory at home while in decent form. he has a chance to go out on a high now.
fair enough. But with that in mind, Hussey should get the tap on the shoulder too. We probably dont want either of them involved in the next ashes series.
 

CHIEF SMACKAHOE

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#15
fair enough. But with that in mind, Hussey should get the tap on the shoulder too. We probably dont want either of them involved in the next ashes series.
hussey has been making runs though. runs in the ashes, MOTS in sri lanka and now a good series here. we need him in the lower order imo
 
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#18
Cowan
Warner
Ponting
Watson
Clarke
Hussey
Paine
Siddle
Pattinson
Hilfenhaus
Lyon /Harris (dependent on pitch)

Although Cummins showed promise I still dont think he is ahead of this bowling lineup. Hes played one game and everybody is harping on about him yet he didnt even deserve to be picked in the first place considering he was picked on big bash form and was picked over pattinson. Besides, the first two tests we saw how well the Siddle, Hilfenhaus Pattinson combination did so you have to leave them all in.
 
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#19
I dont think Cummins is ready for the workload. He's the sort you'd take on tour as a good option but he shouldnt be playing every test at this point.

Cowen
Warner
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Wade (Nev close, dont reckon Paine will get back)
Siddle
Patto
Hilf/Lyon/Harris occupying the bottom two positions, depending on conditions and on the fitness of both Hilf and Harris

Khawaja next batsmen in line, O'Keefe next spinner, Cummins and I guess Starc around the squad and keep a keen eye on the likes of NCN, Cutting, Faulkner and, if he can ever be fit for a sustained period of time, Hazlewood. Lynn probably the other batsmen who shouldnt be far off, and Shaun Marsh will be around as well
 

smasha

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#21
If you had to select a side now with the entire squad to choose from (no injuries), what side would you select?

Cowan
Warner
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Wade

Siddle
Cummins
Pattinson
Hilfenhaus
Lyon

For the bowlers, five doesn't go into four and I think it would come down to conditions. If it was flat like Adelaide or we're playing in the sub-continent then Lyon gets picked.
I agree with you OP.

That would be a deadly lineup.
 

Wallaby

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#22
Border hardly ever batted above No 4. 4/5/6 - even spread. 36 times (out of 255) innings at No 3.

Steve Waugh played a few at No 3 very early on (and failed) - he made his career as No 5/6 - mostly 5.

Greg Chappell batted No 3 in only 38 of his 150+ innings in his career.

Tendulkar has batted No 3 exactly 0 times in his test career. He did open once (after they had a first innings lead of 250 and scored fast for a declaration).

I don't see a great need for Clarke to move up.
 

PykeDream

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#24
I think it would be good to see each posters' First XI and 'Second XI', disregarding injuries.

First:
Cowan
Warner
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Wade
Siddle
Hilfenhaus
Pattinson
Lyon

Second:
Hughes
Forrest
Khawaja
Marsh
Maddinson
Christian
Paine
Coulter Nile
Hazelwood
Cummins
Beer
 

BLUES9898

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#25
Warner
Cowan
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Paine
Siddle
Pattison
Hillfenhaus
Lyon

12th man: starc/cummins/harris
 
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