Changes for 2nd Test

[LicoriceAllsorts]

By the sound of Boof, Cowan will maintain his spot for the second test

 

[footymissionary]

Isn't Warner is off to South Africa. Can't see him coming in if that is the case.

Starc is in the side because he is a left armer and can swing the ball. The fact that most of his left arm deliveries land well short of a length doesn't seem to come into the equation for some reason.

We need to open with two guys that know how to use the new ball well. Pitch it up, look for conventional swing, hit the seam. With what we have available on tour I would probably open with Harris/Bird (Tasmanian quicks perform in English conditions. If Hilfenhaus is fit he should be in the touring party even if he's carrying drinks) and Siddle then attack with Pattinson once the ball starts to reverse a bit. Watson is ideal for giving us 20 overs an innings of containment bowling, if his body is up to it.

He will give you 20 overs of bowling and then open the batting with a runner

 

[BG32]

I think tim Bresnan should come into the lineup to replace Steve Finn.

 

[The Speaker]

I wish Boof would tell Clarke to man-up and assume the first drop role. He's our most talented batter and should lead from the front.

 

[frankrizzo]

Clarke isn't comfortable at four, what makes you think he will be any better at three? 'The best batsman bats at 3' is a bit of a fallacy. Where did Steve Waugh, Allan Border, Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara make the majority of their runs?

Sounds like chappelli speak, your best bat must be at three lead from the front blah blah blah.

It's easy when you have a great team(like ian did) to follow the mantra that all out aggression all the time is the only way but when times are tough you actually have to make difficult decisions.

Border batted at 5(any nobody can or will question this mans courage or commitment) in an inexperienced and struggling team and he thrived in that spot, clarke can and should do the same.

 

[HBF]

By the sound of Boof, Cowan will maintain his spot for the second test

If that's the case, then Hughes goes to 3, Cowan to 4 and Pup goes to 5.
Would still prefer to see Khawaja at 4 though.

 

[PUNTROADHAMMER]

Clarke isn't comfortable at four, what makes you think he will be any better at three? 'The best batsman bats at 3' is a bit of a fallacy. Where did Steve Waugh, Allan Border, Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara make the majority of their runs?

There's been a huge issue at #3 for probably two years. Within this current squad the Captain should put his hand up to address this problem as he is the only truly elite batsman.
Captains lead, so lets see him do just that.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

Coward should not play. Its time

 

[Caesar]

I am not sure how having our one decent batsman fail more regularly by batting at three serves the interests of 'leadership'.

Our top 6 is comprised of 4 openers and 2 lower middle order batsmen. You want to put one of the lower middle order bats at 3, and one of the openers in the lower middle order.

Not real logical.

 

[Super Hans]

Stop moving Hughes around. He needs to be given one position and stick with it for a period of time. Shifting him around every second match won't help him play well.

 

[Super Hans]

I wish Boof would tell Clarke to man-up and assume the first drop role. He's our most talented batter and should lead from the front.

The myth that your best batsman should always bat at three is exactly that, a myth.

Kallis
Lara
Tendulkar
Chanderpaul
Waugh
Border
Inzamam

 

[Sealz]

Coward should not play. Its time

While I agree he has just about run his race the man has applied himself well and generally occupied the crease for long periods. His failure to convert those starts is what has hurt him at Test level. Was one of our best on the dismal tour of India.

Word play on his name was a s**t call.

 

[AM]

The myth that your best batsman should always bat at three is exactly that, a myth.

Kallis
Lara
Tendulkar
Chanderpaul
Waugh
Border
Inzamam

Where did I say always. All those you mentioned were part of strong teams with a strong top order. We don't have a strong top order. In fact it's a top order that keeps failing. Clarke is the only A grader we have and needs to assume a leadership role by moving up the list.

 

[Super Hans]

Where did I say always. All those you mentioned were part of strong teams with a strong top order. We don't have a strong top order. In fact it's a top order that keeps failing. Clarke is the only A grader we have and needs to assume a leadership role by moving up the list.

Border and Waugh didn't play in strong teams their whole careers. Lara didn't. Chanderpaul certainly hasn't.

You bat where you bat best. Clarke averages 12.50 at number three, 63.95 at number five. It's best for the team to bat him where he does the most damage.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

The myth that your best batsman should always bat at three is exactly that, a myth.

Kallis
Lara
Tendulkar
Chanderpaul
Waugh
Border
Inzamam

The best batsmen bat in the top order, that is 1-4

Waugh couldn't cope with batting 3, which is why he sits behind the likes of ponting, Lara et al

Batting higher in the order gives you more chance to direct the course of the match.

It is much harder, which is why only the very best can flourish there

 

[The Speaker]

The best batsmen bat in the top order, that is 1-4

Waugh couldn't cope with batting 3, which is why he sits behind the likes of ponting, Lara et al

Batting higher in the order gives you more chance to direct the course of the match.

It is much harder, which is why only the very best can flourish there

I'm happy to say Clarke isn't the very best if it means he can return to five.

 

[Super Hans]

The best batsmen bat in the top order, that is 1-4

Waugh couldn't cope with batting 3, which is why he sits behind the likes of ponting, Lara et al

Batting higher in the order gives you more chance to direct the course of the match.

It is much harder, which is why only the very best can flourish there

What's better for the team, Clarke batting at three and scoring 1-20, or Clarke batting at five and scoring 50-150?

 

[King Elvis]

What's to say he won't make the same runs, batting up the order?

 

[Super Hans]

What's to say he won't make the same runs, batting up the order?

He has tried batting at three, it just doesn't work. He averages twelve runs there. He's also our best player of spin so it's good having him at four or five for when Swann (or any spinner) will be bowling.

 

[Outshined]

Leave Hughes at 6. I like Starc, but Bird offers more at this stage, especially on English wickets.

Khawaja for Cowan, Bird for Starc. That team has a decent chance.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

What's to say he won't make the same runs, batting up the order?

He hasn't so far.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

If that's the case, then Hughes goes to 3, Cowan to 4 and Pup goes to 5.
Would still prefer to see Khawaja at 4 though.

Exactly what I think in both cases

 

[VirgilHilts]

I just can't see the Aussies winning a Test unless or until the top six improves. You got as close as you did because of your 10th wicket partnerships but, let's face it, that's not going to happen every game - if indeed it ever happens again. It's only happened to that degree once in the entire history of Test cricket.

England's bowling attack will be stronger at Lord's: even if the under-performing Finn plays, he'll be much happier on his home ground. If they play Bresnan instead the batting will be stronger too.

I look at your squad and I wonder who can be brought in to beef up the top order: basically, with Warner elsewhere, it's Khawaja. Hypothetically, if he and Cowan were both in prime form who is better? If they both bat their average, there's not much in it. But we know Cowan is in a bad run and Khawaja hasn't played a Test for 18 months. You stick with Cowan, you're basically hoping he'll shape up; you pick Khawaja, you're basically hoping he'll hit the ground running.

A better idea might be to pick neither and go with James Faulkner. He seems to me just as likely as either of those two to get 30-50 runs, maybe even more so. And of course he can bowl too, which means you could drop Mitchell Starc and play Ryan Harris. I know playing Harris and Pattinson in the same XI is risky but with Watson and Faulkner in the side you'd have more than enough back up. Besides, Harris is a bloody good bowler.

Might seem odd to pick an all-rounder when your top order is the weakest area but I just don't reckon there's a batter in the squad who you can rely on to come in and get a big score. So I think your best bet is to go with your very best bowling attack and try to make it another low-scoring game.

 

[QPower]

We got our selection very wrong at Trent Bridge - Starc and Cowan should have never played and it was obvious before the game.

Starc averages 34 with the ball and Cowan 30 with the bat.

 

[JasRulz63]

If that's the case, then Hughes goes to 3, Cowan to 4 and Pup goes to 5.
Would still prefer to see Khawaja at 4 though.

I still prefer Hughes at 6, one of the reasons being that he will probably have Smith and Haddin batting with him, which takes the pressure a bit off him to score off Swann. I can imagine a Cowan and Hughes partnership being tied down, especially against Swann.