Best test XI as of now?

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#26
First:
Cowan
Warner
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Paine
Siddle
Pattinson
Hilfenhaus
Lyon/ Harris (dependent on wicket)

Second:
Hughes
Klinger
Khawaja
S.Marsh
M.Marsh
S.Smith
Wade
Starc
Copeland
Cummins
Krezja/ Mckay (dependent on wicket)
 

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Noobz0r

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#27
First
Cowan
Warner
Khawaja
Watson
Clarke
Hussey
Paine (+)
Siddle
Pattinson
Hilfenhaus
Lyon / Harris

Second
Hughes
Klinger
S Marsh
Maddinson
M Marsh
Wade (+)
Cummins
Starc
Copeland
Beer / Coulter-Nile
 
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#28
First

Cowan
Warner
Ponting
Watson
Clarke
Hussey
Wade
Pattinson
Harris
Cummins
Siddle/Lyon (conditions dependent)


Second

Klinger
Hughes
Khawaja
S.Marsh
M.Marsh
Christian
Paine
O'Keefe
Cutting
Starc
Hilfenhaus
 

Slax

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#29
Actually quite amazing reading where virtually everybody has 9 of 11 the same.

Cowan
Warner
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Wade (too many questions on Paine ever being able to keep again)
Siddle
Pattison
Hilfenhaus
Lyon
---------
Harris - only for green tops & Perth.
 

nobbyiscool

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#30
wow. I can't believe so many people are prepare to back cummins when he broke down after one game. or how many people are prepared to back Harris long term.

for the next year or 2, pattinson and cummins are competing for/rotating through the same spot.

as good as he is, I don't pick Harris as a third quick until Watson is back and bowling, I just don't have faith in his fitness.

hilfenhaus is proving what he does when he has the support that he didn't have last season. him and siddle have to be safe as houses

I love the Cowan/Warner opening partnership, they could open for 5 years.

Cowan
Warner
Watson
ponting
Clarke
hussey (should retire soon though)
Paine/wade (comfortable with either)
siddle
hilf
Lyon
pattinson
depending on fitness and conditions: Harris, cummins
 

PumpyChowdown

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#31
Cowan
Warner
Ponting (eventually to be replaced by Khawaja)
Watson
Clarke (c)
Hussey (eventually to be replaced by S. Marsh or P. Hughes)
Wade (+)

Pattinson (rotated/rested with Cummins)
Siddle
Lyon (rotated with Harris depending on pitch)
Hilfenhaus
 

gbatman

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#32
1. Cowan
2. Warner
3. Watson
4. Ponting
5. Clarke
6. Hussey
7. Wade
8. Pattinson
9. Siddle
10. Hilfenhaus
11. Lyon

Selecting the bowlers is really really tough. When Watson is in and fit you don't have to play 4 quicks and nor should you because 4 quicks and the all rounder gives you 5 quicks and no spinner. Harris is a really good bowler, Cummings is an up and comer who can swing it both ways and bowl really quick and Starc is a handy left armer.

Squad
Harris
Cummings
Marsh
Khawaja
Pain
Starc

Watson is a good 3 as a 3 needs to be an opener and Watson has the skills to be an opener. Ponting is not picking it up early like he used to, he is not picking up the swing early at all and that's why he falls accross the line and gets in the wrong spot so he must bat at 4 or 5. Clarke is vulnerable to pace and bounce and often gets bowled through the gate. He is not a number 3. Cowan and Warner are right for the opening spot, Cowan is just a younger Katich. Haddin must go. Pain Nevill and Wade are better batsmen and better keepers than Haddin. Clarke must not be a selector, this is why Haddin is playing I think. All our quicks are a little bit different. Siddle swings, seams and bounces the odd one, bowls accurate and has a knack of getting out top batsmen, Hilfenhaus swings it when no one else can and can bowl accurate to a plan, has a good bouncer, Pattinson is a gun with his swing, pace and seam and ability to bowl a line, Cummings has really good pace, a clever brain, good slower ball, swings it both ways and is a real thinker and Harris has the ability to bowl really good cutters and get some swing with good pace but is often injured and because of this is more of a really good quality back up, Starc is left armed and can swing it away from the left handers but lacks a bit of pace and accuracy at this stage but is a good future prospect, would be good to see him turn out like Nathan Bracken.
 

Belnakor

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#33
the jury should still be out on siddle. Still goes for alot of runs, and while he does get breakthroughs, he could easily be targeted by the poms.
 

aussierulesrules

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#34
I think the reason he is going for a lot of runs is that he's constantly trying to pitch it up and either get a nick, when they drive through covers, or trying to bowl them. These deliveries are getting him a lot of wickets, but when they're slightly off they are able to drive him, or work him off their pads for runs through the on-side. I'm sure they can live with him going for those runs if he continues to get regular crucial wickets from those balls.
Considering he's only been bowling the fuller lengths for about 3 months, I also expect he'll get better and more consistent at it as the coming months and years go by.
 

Marlin01

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#35
My XI:

Warner
Cowan
Ponting
Watson
Clarke
Hussey
Paine / Haddin
Pattinson
Siddle
Harris
Hilfenhaus


I'm assuming the team is being picked for the next Ashes series in England.

I'm going to go for four quicks, because I think they are clearly the best 4 bowlers we have. I understand the need for variety in a bowling attack and I'd love to have Starc in there, but ATM, I rate him 5th or 6th best.

Lyon is unlucky to miss out as English conditions can suit offies, but I'm not picking a team for development purposes here and he doesn't have the array of deliveries required to hurt the English batting line-up IMO. Hussey and Clarke can be used to bump up the over rate, if need be.

Cummings hasn't done enough to justify best 11 yet, but if he gets fit and does very well on flat pitches against the Windies, he might demmand a late call up.

I believe Ponting is struggling very badly with his technique. The Indian bowlers have not learnt the lessons taught to them by the Kiwis and haven't haven't attacked his middle and off-stump often enough. He's still falling across as badly as ever, but poor bowling has enabled him to make some runs. I reluctantly pick him at 3, due to a lack of a better option, but have grave concerns about his ability against a ball moving in toward off stump.


Hussey is one of our two best batsmen technique-wise so must be retained for English conditions.

If I were the coach, I'd get the test squad together and head down to Tassie for an extended period of training with Duke balls on dampish pitches.
 

Thommo 42

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#36
Very hard to pick the bowlers, but its a good problem to have.

1. Warner
2. Cowan
3. Watson (VC)
4. Ponting
5. Clarke (C)
6. Hussey
7. Paine
8. Hauritz
9. Siddle
10. Pattinson
11. Hilfenhaus

I'd like to see the next change be Kawajah in at #6.

Obviously Harris, Cummins & Lyon are in the equation
 

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The Passenger

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#37
Batting:

1st XI as is, Watson in for Marsh.

2nd XI; Phil Hughes, Michael Klinger, Sean Marsh, Usman Khawaja, Joe Burns, Dan Christian

Outside: Steve Smith, Nic Maddinson, George Bailey, Chris Lynn, Peter Forrest

Bowling:

Siddle, Hilfenhaus, Pattinson, spinner: Lyon.

2nd's: Cummins, Harris, Faulkner, spinner: O'Keefe

Outside: Starc, Bollinger, Coulter-Nile, Hazlewood, Butterworth, Johnson spinner's: Hauritz, Boyce, Beer

Keepers

=1; Wade, Paine
=3; Haddin, Nevill
5; Hartley

it's looking a hell of a lot stronger than 12-24 months ago but still questoin marks in the batting. But there is plenty of 21-22 year old talent such as Lynn, Burns, Harris, Patterson, M Marsh, Maddinson, Triffitt (wk), Carters (wk)....
 

Alexwce

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#38
Batting right down 'til number 11

David Warner
Ed Cowan
Ricky Ponting
Shane Watson
Michael Clarke (c)
Michael Hussey
Tim Paine
Steven O'Keefe
Peter Siddle
Ryan Harris
James Pattinson

Around the team: Patrick Cummins, Ben Hillfenhaus, Shaun Marsh, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Nathan Coulter-nile, Matthew Wade

Unlucky: Nathan Hauritz - Really rate Ritz and was harshly treated by the former selection committee.
 

Thommo 42

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#39
I actually reckon someone like Hill, Lynn or Maddinson will be a bolter in the next 18 months. These 3 in particular have so much class and its only a matter of time imo.

They're just struggling to adjust to the changes in pitch preparation of the past 18 months at the minute
 

BarneyBent

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#40
I actually reckon someone like Hill, Lynn or Maddinson will be a bolter in the next 18 months. These 3 in particular have so much class and its only a matter of time imo.

They're just struggling to adjust to the changes in pitch preparation of the past 18 months at the minute
Can't really speak for the other two as I haven't seen enough of them (though I love the look of Lynn from what little I've seen), but Maddinson doesn't have the game yet. He's got some great shots, but he gets bogged down very easily and really seems to struggle for the quick singles/twos which keep the scoreboard ticking over. If he's not hitting boundaries, the runs dry up and he plays a stupid shot.

Given his age, it's not too concerning, and he'll hopefully work hard on this aspect of his game, but I can't see him being Test material in the next 18 months. I'd love to be proven wrong though!
 
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#41
I cant believe some people arn't picking hilfenhaus. He's always been one of our best test options because of the swing he gets. Only reason it took him so long to get back in was because of an injury lay off.
 
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#42
Warner
Cowan
Watson
Ponting Marsh
Clarke
Hussey Khawaja
Wade
O'Keefe
Pattinson
Harris Cummins/Siddle
Hilfenhaus

12th- Cummins/Siddle/Lyon


Players in italics to replace for retirement/injury.
I'd like to see O'Keefe get his chance. FC stats in batting and bowling are brilliant. I'm of the opinion that your spinner needs to be a decent batsman, capable of averaging over 15 (unless you have a bowling all-rounder).
 

IanG

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#44
Not taking short term injuries into account:

Warner
Cowan
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Khawaja/Hussey
Wade
Pattinson
Cummins
Lyon
Hilfenhaus
12th Siddle
 

Le Class

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#45
Warner
Cowan
Ponting > Khawaja (after retirement)
Watson
Clarke
Hussey > S. Smith (after retirement, don't hate)
Wade
Pattinson
Harris
Hilfenhaus/Siddle (Depending on form)
Hauritz/Lyon (Or Hilf/Sid/Cummins depending on pitch)

I still think Steve Smith has a lot to offer and it may well take another 5+ years for it to all start to come together..
 

The Convert

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#47
The team for now without injuries is a diffent one than for ashes. We cannot be looking to ashes with both Hussey and Ponting in the team. One at least has to be gone by then and we need to have given someone a few tests before then. Therefore despite form one of them has to finish up before the WI tour or it will be too late. We do not want to be blooding people against the poms because even though I reckon they are generally useless there cricket team is going Ok at the moment. Never ever give them an even break.
 
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#50
Muttiah Muralitharan
Stuart MacGill

These guys disagree with that notion.
I don't know much about Sri Lanka, but MacGill played most of his test cricket with Brett Lee (batting avg. 20) and/or Jason Gillespie (batting avg. 19) and/or Andy Bichel (batting avg. 17) in the team.

My point was that I think it's important for the number 8 batsman (often the spinner's spot) to average 15-20. Siddle looks ok with the bat, but I'm not sure about the others. Having a tail that can bat is obviously an idealistic benefit to a team, but in a situation where spinners are very similar in terms of FC bowling stats (O'Keefe and Lyon), I don't know why you wouldn't go for the player who is clearly a superior batsman.

Our dominant teams in the 1990s-2000s were served greatly by having:

7. Gilchrist
8. Warne
9. Lee
10. Gillespie

The partnerships that Gilchrist and Waugh put together with those guys sometimes increased our score by 150-200 runs.
 
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