Changes for 2nd Test

[The Passenger]

agree with The Reaper those boys are massive talents, but haven't performed well enough to get into test squads just yet. you gotta remember when cowan got picked he had scored 4 centuries in about 2 months... not a prolonged run of form but he was scoring runs at the right time as there was opening at that point.

unfortunately for a guy like rogers when there was an opening around 2010ish he was barely scoring runs for the only time in his career, and given his age at that time they (probably the correct call) overlooked him... by the time the opening came that cowan took they probably figured rogers was too old anyway. somewhat ironic that nearly 2 years later they've deemed rogers not too old anymore and have given him his shot.

 

[bluespooner]

Better talent but not better performing.

The Australian test team is not a development squad.

Let Burns and Maddinson average over 40 (would prefer 45+) in a shield season first.

These are the averages according to cricinfo:

Ed Cowan tests 31, first class 39;

Usman Khawaja tests 39, first class 50;

Steve Smith tests 32, first class 42;

Joe Burns first class 41;

Nic Maddinson first class 39;

There isn't much difference between the first class averages of Cowan, Smith, Burns and Maddinson. The difference being that the latter two at least have techniques that are able in a controlled manner dominate an attack.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

It's like a young draftee in the AFL, your better giving opportunities to players that have the talent to make it e.g. Ashton Agar, then players you know are no where near the standard required to have sustained success.

That is what the shield and Australia A tours are for.

You could make that argument for ODI cricket where you build to win a world championship, so conceding a few meaningless dead rubber games may have value.

Test cricket is about winning every match you play. Play your best XI every time.

I don't think Joe Burns is that far away from test cricket.

Averages and runs are one thing, but you also have to look at the deck they are playing on. Averaging 35 on the Gabba wouldn't be a great deal to averaging 45 at Adelaide oval.

You would need to normalise the runs to correspond with the pitch they play on.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

These are the averages according to cricinfo:

Ed Cowan tests 31, first class 39;

Usman Khawaja tests 39, first class 50;

Steve Smith tests 32, first class 42;

Joe Burns first class 41;

Nic Maddinson first class 39;

There isn't much difference between the first class averages of Cowan, Smith, Burns and Maddinson. The difference being that the latter two at least have techniques that are able in a controlled manner dominate an attack.

In a 'controlled' manner? All the runs Maddinson made for Australian A were slogging innings.

 

[swansfan51]

Better talent but not better performing.

Guys like Ferguson, Doolan and Henriques were all better performed at Shield level last season. Katich is far better performed at test level. Klinger is better performed at County level. (Actually even Trent Copeland averaged more with the bat than Cowan at County level). The argument that Khawaja is the best we've got isn't supported by his recent form.

 

[The Passenger]

joe burns biggest problem at the moment is that he plays away from his body to much early on. nothing wrong with it later in the innings once your set, your eye is well in and your hitting the ball well. but at the top level, against guy with great outswing like anderson and steyn it's a deficiency that can be honed in on over and over again.

test cricket is tough business. if you rated a batsmen for how he plays all of his different shots, you're better off being a 7-8 out of 10 for all of them with no weakness, then being a 9 or 10 out of 10 for all of them except a couple of which you really struggle at. at state level those weaknesses won't get exposed. at test level they will.

*think i explained that ok.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

These are the averages according to cricinfo:

Ed Cowan tests 31, first class 39;

Usman Khawaja tests 39, first class 50;

Steve Smith tests 32, first class 42;

Joe Burns first class 41;

Nic Maddinson first class 39;

There isn't much difference between the first class averages of Cowan, Smith, Burns and Maddinson. The difference being that the latter two at least have techniques that are able in a controlled manner dominate an attack.

Ashton Agar FC 37.33

 

[The Falcon Strike]

joe burns biggest problem at the moment is that he plays away from his body to much early on. nothing wrong with it later in the innings once your set, your eye is well in and your hitting the ball well. but at the top level, against guy with great outswing like anderson and steyn it's a deficiency that can be honed in on over and over again.

test cricket is tough business. if you rated a batsmen for how he plays all of his different shots, you're better off being a 7-8 out of 10 for all of them with no weakness, then being a 9 or 10 out of 10 for all of them except a couple of which you really struggle at. at state level those weaknesses won't get exposed. at test level they will.

*think i explained that ok.

Yes and no.

It depends on where your weakness is.

All batsmen have weaknesses, some quite evident. Trott as an example isn't a huge run scorer on the off-side as a general rule.

However his defensive technique outside off is such that he isn't going to get out necessarily, just not score heavily.

 

[The Passenger]

true, but i would only call something a big weakness if they continually get out in that area.

the example was really just an illustrative of how test bowlers will target weaknesses (or perceived weaknesses) in batsmen with a much more relentless attitude than first class bowlers will. it's not really as cut and dry as taking the various facets of a batsmens game and rating them out of 10.

 

[Super Hans]

Happy with the changes. I would of brought Bird in over Harris but it was a 50/50 call IMO.

I like the way Boof goes about it.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Is there any confirmation from CA about the selection?

Or is it Malcolm Conn making an educated guess?

Still hoping Jackson Bird gets the nod

 

[Bucking Beads]

Happy with the rumoured changes. Happy with either Harris or Bird. Especially glad Cowan is dropped. Really keen for this one.

 

[amer]

No one picked up the agar decision so I would take this with a grain of salt until tonight.

Bird or Harris, genuine 50/50 call. Great to have this sort of depth at the minute.

 

[western royboy]

Is there any confirmation from CA about the selection?

Or is it Malcolm Conn making an educated guess?

Still hoping Jackson Bird gets the nod

Seems pretty legit, being reported from a number of sources.

 

[The_Reaper]

It also seems that CA went out of the way to keep the Agar selection quiet.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Seems pretty legit, being reported from a number of sources.

Agreed it does.

 

[frankrizzo]

It also seems that CA went out of the way to keep the Agar selection quiet.

That might have been due to his age, last thing you want a kid to be having to do in the 48 hours before his first test is getting grilled and analyzed by the media.

 

[HeavyPop]

Ryan Harris should have played game 1 IMO. Australia are 1-0 and if Harris breaks down at any point during this test, it's very likely that it will be a 2-0 lead to England, which is basically impossible to turn around. If was to play in game 1 and not last, 1-0 isn't impossible, like 2-0 is.

 

[The_Reaper]

If we thought it was likely that Harris was going to break down in his first test then we shouldn't have put him in the squad.

 

[AM]

Happy with the inclusion of Rhino. Not so sure about Khawaja, but we don't have many batting options.

 

[treefingers]

So what's the team?

 

[The_Reaper]

So what's the team?

Batting order subject to change

1. Watson
2. Rogers
3. Khawaja
4. Hughes
5. Clarke*
6. Smith
7. Haddin+
8. Agar
9. Siddle
10. Pattinson
11. Harris

 

[eth-dog]

So what's the team?

Watson, Roger, Khawaja, Clarke, Smith, Hughes, Haddin, Agar, Siddle, Pattinson, Harris

 

[bluespooner]

In a 'controlled' manner? All the runs Maddinson made for Australian A were slogging innings.

I made the comment 'controlled manner' because Steve Smith does not have a specialist batsman's technique and whilst, he might get lucky every so often, he will never be able to give you any consistency and presently, that is what is killing this Australian batting line-up.

 

[bluespooner]

Siddle, with the bat, looks every bit a number 11.