Best test XI as of now?

Thommo 42

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#51
Pattinson can bat, he was #3 for Haileybury first XI afaik, and scores reasonable runs at grade level.

His performances with the bat at test level have also been superb so far.
 

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#53
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.
Mine would be about the same, although I would have to squeeze Harris in for one of Hilfenhaus, Pattinson, or Cummins. For Adelaide, I might leave Hilfy out and put Harris in.
 

eth-dog

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#55
First XI:

Warner
Cowan
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Wade
Siddle
Pattinson
Hilfenhaus
Lyon

Second XI:

Hughes
Maddinson
Marsh
Lynn
Khawaja
Nevill
O'Keefe
Maxwell
Faulkner
Starc
Cummins
 

Bunk Moreland

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#56
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?
Cos it is broke… number 3 is a very important spot that is even more significant given we have 2 young, inexperienced openers. We need someone reliable there and we can’t find anyone.

He’s only ever played at 5 (or 4) so of course he’s played his best cricket there.

Worth a shot I reckon, it’s out most important position atm and if Usman Khawaja or Shaun Marsh has done enough to earn of shot at it, Michael Clarke has.
 

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#58
If everyone was fit:

Warner - Two recent centuries in important tests
Cowan - Looks solid, great foil for Warner
Watson - Consistent scorer and handy bowler
Clarke - Captain
Ponting - Will be in the side until he retires/is retired
Hussey - Will be in the side until he retires/is retired
Paine - Isn't Brad Haddin
Cummins - Matchwinning quick #1
Pattinson - Matchwinning quick #2
Lyon - Best performed spinner, we can't justify trying another one
Hilfenhaus - Most consistent quick at present
Harris (12th) - Bowling superbly, but not getting the wickets

With what is available today:

Warner
Cowan
Marsh
Clarke
Ponting
Hussey
Wade
Siddle
Lyon
Hilfenhaus
Harris
Siddle (12th)

I'm not in the 'Marsh >>> Khawaja' camp but I don't see in any value in chopping and changing between the two a few tests at a time. Persist with one then let the other have his chance when Ponting/Hussey finish up.
 

Underarm

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#59
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).
Absolute Rubbish, undervalues what good spin can do to teams. Its good to have at least 1 or 2 bowlers with 15+ ave, regardless of whether they are spinners or not. at the moment Siddle, Hilfy and Patto_man can all score with the bat. the fact that Lyon isnt that good with the bat is therefore Irrelevant.
 

Blue and Gold Blood

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#61
lol not one person has Haddin in the 11. Funny thing is if you had to bet on whether he will be our keeper in the next test series, the smart money (given Australian selectors history) is that Haddin will still be in the team.
 

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Blue and Gold Blood

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#63
yeah i dont know why wicket keepers get to decide when they leave the game. Even Gilchrist had to be in unbelievable form and wait until he was 29 before Healy would Fck off.
 

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#64
lol not one person has Haddin in the 11.
A month ago no one would have Hilfenhaus in their XI, a year ago Siddle wouldn't be in everyone's XI. I'm not saying they're wrong to not include Haddin, but people just basically pick whoever is playing well now and maybe 1 or 2 or are injured but were in great form perviously.

A new player comes in and does well, they're in everyone's XI instantly.
 

Outshined

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#65
Fully fit XI
Warner
Cowan
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Paine
Pattinson
Siddle
Harris/Hilf (it's a raffle between the two, really).
Lyon

Currently...
Warner
Cowan
Khawaja
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Wade
Siddle
Hilfenhaus
Harris
Lyon

I'm more a fan of Khawaja than Marsh, simply for the upside. There's potentially a spot for them both when (if) Ponting and Hussey go.
 

Thommo 42

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#66
haddin will probably be in the team for another 3 years yet. god i hate our selection panel
really?

this selection panel have been doing a great job. Plucked out Hilfy from the scrapheap, debuted Pattinson/Starc, backed in a player in form with Cowan and resisted the pressure on Punter/Huss safe in the knowledge that the replacements aren't going to do any better.

Their next big call is Haddin, and I think he'll go. Probably would already be gone if Paine was fit. Do remember that Haddin built up some serious brownie points with his outstanding Ashes series, so its no surprise he's been given time to get it right again.
 
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#67
I'm a big fan of Inverarity and whoever else is the current selection panel. Seem to be getting the balance right now.

I for one would have dropped Ponting before India, but he has shown how valuable he still is to this side. His slip fielding has been important too. Hussey has shown he has some time left. Both are gun fields-men. No one in shield is really demanding their place anyway.

Johnson's injury has been a massive help though. We now have four bowlers capable of maintaining pressure, which is going a long way to shutting India down.

Haddin is probably the one problem. I could handle him having a poor series with the bat, but his keeping has been very poor in this series. Let him play Adelaide, then tell him to retire. It's the right time to do this, while Ponting and Hussey are still around. Get Wade in, and let him settle before the Ashes.
 

BarneyBent

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#68
Regarding Haddin and his continued selection, has anybody considered that maybe he is extremely well-liked amongst his peers? Not just the selectors, but his fellow players as well? He is vice-captain, after all. It would explain why the selectors are reluctant to drop him; dropping a well-liked player who is really good for the group can cause more problems than it solves in the short-term, so they may be wanting to give him every chance to find some form to avoid that. And make no mistake, an in-form Brad Haddin is not a bad thing to have. It's just not very common, especially lately.
 

Thommo 42

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#69
Johnson's injury has been a massive help though. We now have four bowlers capable of maintaining pressure, which is going a long way to shutting India down.
It's been a massive help. As we are left to wonder whether they would have been brave enough to make the call on him, in the end it was made for them.

He bowled beautifully in Sri Lanka without luck and then stunk it up in SA, but batted bloody well in the 2nd test scoring a match total of about 90 unbeaten runs - so he would have been borderline, but I like to think Invers would have dropped him
 

The Passenger

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#70
Regarding Haddin and his continued selection, has anybody considered that maybe he is extremely well-liked amongst his peers? Not just the selectors, but his fellow players as well? He is vice-captain, after all. It would explain why the selectors are reluctant to drop him; dropping a well-liked player who is really good for the group can cause more problems than it solves in the short-term, so they may be wanting to give him every chance to find some form to avoid that. And make no mistake, an in-form Brad Haddin is not a bad thing to have. It's just not very common, especially lately.
cricket is a funny sport in that personalities seem to play a part in selection.

you do spend a lot of time sitting around with your team mate. if you've got one sitting around talking shite and just generally being annoying as ****, well that's the last thing you want in your head as you're waiting to bat.

football isn't like that because you are active the entire time you're playing.

not that it should be anything other than a very minor factor in selections, but it is something to note.

i dare suggest though that krazy krejza suffered just as much from this as he did from his inability to bowl the same ball consecutively...

and even though a lot of people think had's is a ********, he is a really good guy. just has a serious case of white line fever. his hands out display after taking that catch in sydney was just asking for trouble.
 
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#71
Warner
Cowan
Watson
Khawaja
Clarke*
Hussey
Wade+
Harris
Krezja
Pattinson
Hilfenhaus

Siddle/Cummins dreadfully unlucky, although with Harris on the way out, they'll more than likely feature in my best XI sooner rather than later.

If we play a spinner, I wouldn't mind seeing Krezja have another go, if we're intent on playing an off-spinner. Especially while our fast bowling stocks are so potent at the moment; allows us to play an attacking spinner.
 

IanG

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#73
Warner

If we play a spinner, I wouldn't mind seeing Krezja have another go, if we're intent on playing an off-spinner. Especially while our fast bowling stocks are so potent at the moment; allows us to play an attacking spinner.
Lyon is an attacking spinner.


really?

this selection panel have been doing a great job. Plucked out Hilfy from the scrapheap, debuted Pattinson/Starc, backed in a player in form with Cowan and resisted the pressure on Punter/Huss safe in the knowledge that the replacements aren't going to do any better.
Marsh ring a bell, his selection was appalling and their lack of ruthlessness re Haddin is poor.
 

Underarm

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#74
Lyon is an attacking spinner.



Marsh ring a bell, his selection was appalling and their lack of ruthlessness re Haddin is poor.
Marsh was the in form batsmen in Sri lanka before he was picked. Made centuries in the tour game, then scored big in his first 2 tests. got injured and scored a century in his T20D innings. you would be mad not to put him in the side on those figures. dissapointing since then, but his selection was never a stupid move.
 

Thommo 42

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#75
Marsh ring a bell, his selection was appalling and their lack of ruthlessness re Haddin is poor.

I'm not a fan of Marsh at all, but with Kawajah struggling to take his chances, Marsh having performed well at Test Level and Watson injured - he was always going to get a go..

Then again, everyone is as bad as any selector in this thread, all being ageist.

There is a bloke running around who is 34, has scored 41 first class centuries and has a first class average of 54 and hasn't rated a mention a single time in this thread. He's never even worn the baggy green!
 
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