Changes for 2nd Test

[W.C. Fry]

Some inspired selections were made for the first test. What ever Boof puts on the field is ok with me. In Boof we trust!

 

[evdo1706]

Can only see one change and that is of Cowan.

 

[Scotland]

Can we just move Agar to #3 and replace Cowan with Lyon?

 

[Belnakor]

How safe is watto? Pretty average game, no form to speak of

 

[PTizzle]

How safe is watto? Pretty average game, no form to speak of

Got two starts and bowled well. Can't see him coming out. Cowan almost certainly will and I don't think they'll make too many changes. Watto's form is reasonable I'd say going off the tour matches.

I want Starc to succeed but he needs to work on his consistency, he just looks unthreatening apart from his occasional brilliant balls. I don't call that x-factor, I call it erratic, and with Bird/Harris on the sidelines it's an easy call for mine. I always thought Starc should be given a go at Trent Bridge, but I don't think Lord's will be any better of a venue for him.

I really hope Patto is firing more in the next test too, didn't embarrass himself but wasn't up to the lofty standards we usually hold him at imo.

Bird or Harris is a very interesting one for me. I am relatively confident in Harris's current fitness (well, as much as you can be with Harris) and I would love to see him out there striking again. Then again Bird might lift as he seems like he'd be excellent in English conditions, and he's consistent and reliable (although he did seem a little off in the tour matches, but Siddle did too...).

Hughes at 6 is probably an experiment worth sticking with for a bit. I'd move Smith to 4 and Clarke back to 5 and give Khawaja a run at 3. You want a seasoned bat at 3 but we don't really have that luxury (unless we move Rogers, which I wouldn't agree with as I think Watto/Buck has potential). Hopefully Warner makes big runs on Friday onwards to put a bit of pressure on the blokes in the Ashes side.

can't wait all in all, 5 days felt too short for that one.

 

[frankrizzo]

The starc/patto new ball combo just didn't work, they had helpful conditions but mostly wasted it.

I think they will go for bird over starc.

 

[Zach Package]

Watson
Rogers
Warner
Clarke (VC)
Smith
Hughes
Haddin
Pattinson
Agar (C)
Siddle
Harris

I don't like it, but Warner has a fantastic eye, which should help him play the reverse swinging ball.

Would offer more than cowan, who's a grafter who has frequent brain fades, which can't happen, his concentration is his strength, yet he seems to lapse so often.

At least Warner has the ability to smack someone off their length

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Got two starts and bowled well. Can't see him coming out. Cowan almost certainly will and I don't think they'll make too many changes. Watto's form is reasonable I'd say going off the tour matches.

Hughes at 6 is probably an experiment worth sticking with for a bit. I'd move Smith to 4 and Clarke back to 5 and give Khawaja a run at 3. You want a seasoned bat at 3 but we don't really have that luxury (unless we move Rogers, which I wouldn't agree with as I think Watto/Buck has potential). Hopefully Warner makes big runs on Friday onwards to put a bit of pressure on the blokes in the Ashes side.

can't wait all in all, 5 days felt too short for that one.

Watto bowled beautifully which was shown by how much respect they showed him. His batting is pretty much what he's been doing for the past 2 years. They are not scared of him with bat in hand. They know he won't hurt them.

The starc/patto new ball combo just didn't work, they had helpful conditions but mostly wasted it.

I think they will go for bird over starc.

Starc doesn't handle pressure well yet. Pattinson bowled better overall but threw in a lot of junk at times too and got smacked about.

Hopefully they will have learned something about how much pressure there is in a Ashes match and how they have to control the nerves/excitement.

can't see cowan holding his place.

think usman will come in, but i'm with allan border. hughes will probably move to 3.

as for the bowlers will depend on the wicket. starc is just so hard to guage. he might come out, take 4 or 5 wickets and roll through them. or he might dish up rubbish.

pattinson, siddle and agar won't be going anywhere.

you could make cases for all of bird, harris and starc. i'm not really sure at this moment.

one other thing to note with starc, he came out for the fourth day looking very very very stiff. and that's not the first time that has happened to him. that can't happen regularly if you're going to be a good test match bowler.

Starc hasn't taken 4 or 5 top order wickets at any one time that I recall. What makes you think he will now? They were able to leave so much of his bowling. It really was MJ marque 2.

Even down to the 2 jammy wickets in 2 balls. Kind of creepy that.

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

With how shaky our batting is, we need to bat as deep as possible. For this reason, Bird misses out and Starc stays in.

No, you don't keep a bowler so that you can cover up for the deficiencies of the top 6. That's just daft. But I'd be surprised if they changed anybody from this match apart from maybe Cowan.

I'm tempted to leave Cowan, simply because I have no faith in Khawaja and think Cowan is a better player than he has showed this match.

Usually swing is more important than the pitch at Lord's so I'm tempted to leave Starc in, despite how unreliable he is. I just have this horrible feeling that Bird will look utterly incapable of taking wickets.

TBH I don't think there is a lot wrong with the XI we had in this match, in terms of picking our best side. We just need a few things to click.

I don't think there was either and if they think this was the best 11, they should stick with it for another game.

 

[djrossie16]

Watson
Rogers
Hughes
Clarke
Smith
Warner
Haddin

That's probably how i'd do the batting lineup

 

[KingNothing]

Out: Cowan
In: Katich

 

[Matt121]

Out: Cowan
In: Khawaja

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

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Cowan for Khawaja, although in saying this when was the last time Khawaja played out in the middle? Although very inconsistent I reckon we need to leave Starc in, he has that x-factor that our bowling needs.

NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

 

[nick1408]

Well, My initial pick would be Warner for Cowan and Bird for Starc. I feel Starc will be lucky because he is a left hander.

The comment before about picking someone not in the touring side made me look for Australians in County Cricket at the moment and who is in form with the bat. I came up with the following:

Jim Allenby (played for WA, 30 years old) - 10 matches, 71 with the bat, 2 tons, 4 50's, 22 wickets @ 31 with the ball
Steven Crook (played SA u-17's, 30 years old) - 8 matches, 57 with the bat, 4 50's, 31 wickets @ 21 with the ball
Sam Robson (played Australia u19's, 24 years old) - 9 matches at 61 with 2 tons , 4 50's

For those interested - http://stats.espncricinfo.com/count...tting.html?class=4;host=1;id=2013;type=season

 

[The Passenger]

Starc hasn't taken 4 or 5 top order wickets at any one time that I recall. What makes you think he will now?

not really a whole lot being honest. just more not prepared to completely write off as egg on face is a possibility.

i do think bird and harris are the better options.

 

[HBF]

I'd go with two changes. Khawaja for Cowan and Harris for Starc. And re-shuffle the batting order

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

 

[jhong]

I'd go with two changes. Khawaja for Cowan and Harris for Starc. And re-shuffle the batting order

1. Watson
2. Rogers
3. Hughes
4. Khawaja
5. Clarke
6. Smith
7. Haddin
8. Agar
9. Pattinson
10. Siddle
11. Pattinson[/quote]

not sure the poms would be happy with that

 

[Bucking Beads]

I think Cowan must go. I'd be happy to see the same bowling line up picked but I'd love to see Harris picked. He is just a superb bowler who keeps it tight and constantly threatens to take a wicket.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

I think Cowan must go. I'd be happy to see the same bowling line up picked but I'd love to see Harris picked. He is just a superb bowler who keeps it tight and constantly threatens to take a wicket.

That's the thing. When fit and in form Harris has pretty much the same wicket taking potential as Starc, except without the likelihood of leaking runs in a Finnesque manner that Starc possesses.

 

[HBF]

My bad. Harris at 11.

 

[Wickzki]

What do we think?

Cowan has to go, surely. Also not sure if Starc will make the cut. Agar will hold his place, fantastic debut.

The only change that needs to be made is the umpiring.

They get the umpiring right in this one and it's a 7-10 wicket victory and Cowan is considered to have "just a bad match.".

 

[Gray Day]

Out: Cowan, Starc - both of them are liabilities and shouldn't be near the Test side
In: Khawaja, Bird

 

[The_Reaper]

Have to go with this.

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

It's Lord's. Bird is the man in.

 

[Heisenberg_]

Bird has to come in for Starc, should have played the first Test as well.
Cowan also must go, not up to it and had more then enough chances, give Khawaja a go, not really confident in him though.
One more thing, get the tail end order right, Pattinson should never bat at 11, much better batsmen then Siddle and Starc, he has a better technique then most the top order.

 

[Tulip]

1. Watson
2. Rogers
3. Cowan
4. Smith
5. Clarke
6. Hughes
7. Haddin
8. Agar
9. Siddle
10. Pattinson
11. Bird

Call me crazy, but the dust has settled and I think Cowan has to have another go. In another era, he would be dropped, but we don't have the kind of depth required to do that. Clarke back to 5, mentally weak or whatever but he seems to bat best there. Do not want to move Hughes from 6, possibly the most fragile cricketer I've ever seen - needs stability. Found Starc's bowling too erratic, and when you have the kind of depth that we do you simply have to pay the price.

 

[bungwahl]

1. Watson
2. Rogers
3. Cowan
4. Smith
5. Clarke
6. Hughes
7. Haddin
8. Agar
9. Siddle
10. Pattinson
11. Bird

Call me crazy, but the dust has settled and I think Cowan has to have another go. In another era, he would be dropped, but we don't have the kind of depth required to do that. Clarke back to 5, mentally weak or whatever but he seems to bat best there. Do not want to move Hughes from 6, possibly the most fragile cricketer I've ever seen - needs stability. Found Starc's bowling too erratic, and when you have the kind of depth that we do you simply have to pay the price.

You're crazy.

I was a fan of Cowan - I enjoy a battler. But the manner in which he was dismissed in this test shows his head is not in the right place. Sure, we don't have a walk up replacement, but it's time to bring Khawaja in.

I'd love to see Harris/Bird play at Lord's. Seeing as we have a lack of genuine batsmen in waiting, let's just play 5-6 bowlers..