Changes for 4th Test vs India.

[Santana]

What are the problems as you see them and what are your solutions to them?

Don't worry Eric, it's all just cyclical man. We are all just going to sit on our hands and hope it magically gets better by itself.

 

[sherb]

Don't worry Eric, it's all just cyclical man. We are all just going to sit on our hands and hope it magically gets better by itself.

That's not going to help things.

Carrying on like a bunch of hysterical little schoolgirls is a far more effective way of sorting out our current issues.

 

[The_Reaper]

We were at our best from 1995 to 2007
John Howard was PM from 2006 to 2007

Coincidence?

 

[sherb]

We were at our best from 1995 to 2007
John Howard was PM from 2006 to 2007

Coincidence?

You're out by a decade there.

 

[damochandler]

You're out by a decade there.

i think costello gave up telling him what to do. so i think he's right

 

[Outshined]

Here's a good start:
http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cric...isses-opportunity-to-lead-20130318-2g9vk.html

You didn't actually swallow that trash? Wow.

So it seems currently the changes will be...
OUT
Aus XI

IN
QLD XI
+ Boof

We could even throw in AB to bowl some left arm tweakers. Or the king of spin himself Nathan Hauritz (he might even be an improvement on the current setup).

 

[liam_13]

As much as I dislike him being in our test team, Haddin should captain.

Watson to stay in Australia (if he hasn't left). Spend some time with your new family FFS, I can understand making the most of your career but why would you put a meaningless test (meaningless because the series is shot, 3-0 down) in a foreign country over your newborn kid?
Nothing against Watson, just surprises me with sportspeople in general.

So, Clark (injured), Watson (family reasons), leaves Haddin/Cowan/Warner as the 3 general consensus opinions. I would go with Haddin but instruct Cowan and Warner to make sure they show positive leadership out there, basically be co-captains (but they don't get field decisions and media roles etc)

Out:
Henriques
Doherty
Starc
Clark

In:
Pattinson
Khawaja
Johnson
Wade

Leaves something like:
Warner
Cowan
Khawaja
Hughes
Wade
Smith
Haddin
Johnson
Siddle
Pattinson
Lyon

Hopefully Lyon takes more responsibility, Smith/Warner to act as 3-4 overs an innings to use as partnership breakers.

Maybe leave Patto out and keep Doherty in if we want a second spinner, can't see the point if the spinner isn't bringing quality though.

Just a rough idea.

 

[King Elvis]

That's not going to help things.

Carrying on like a bunch of hysterical little schoolgirls is a far more effective way of sorting out our current issues.

Burying heads in the sand for the last few years has hardly been a success.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Burying heads in the sand for the last few years has hardly been a success.

But who is burying their heads in the sand? I really believe the selectors are trying their hardest to choose the best team they can.

In the domestic threads someone put out the four day Shield team of the year from last year. Needless to say this year's team is going to have hardly any of the same batsmen.

The selectors can't pick players who don't exist and they can't invent them.

 

[Wicked Lester]

If I read correctly, the fourth test wicket is likely to resemble rolled mud and suit spin even more so than the first two tests.

Pattinson for Starc is a no brainer.
Khawaja for Henriques (the obsession with all rounders needs to end. If the four main bowlers aren't up to the job, I don't know how adding a fifth mediocre bowler will help)
Watson for Clarke.
Wade for Haddin (if Wade is fit, he plays - the selectors made the change, now they need to stick with it).

Retaining Haddin and having him captain would leave even more people shaking their heads in bewilderment.

Watson to captain. Some of the hysteria about Watson's suitability to be in the team is now over the top. And, ironically, some of the descriptions of his selfishness and persona by people who wouldn't know hiim from a bar of soap could have been applied to Clarke a year or two back. I listened to SEN last night and heard David Schwarz opine that "if Watson throws the ball to Siddle he's likely to tell him to get nicked". Another commentator then somewhat more innocently asked "do we know whether Watto is unpopular with the other players?". "No idea" was the response.

So, why make the comment.

And that's it. We have no idea. For all we know there may be broad, but hidden, sympathy for Watson within the team. If the Hussey rumour is true, Watson stood with Siddle and Lyon in the Hussey camp. But again, we don't really know. Someone has to captain. Watson is vice captain, the team's next most senior player and according to Pup and Arthur (this week) he's an important part of the side and a fine teammate.

Let's see how the team performs under him.

 

[sherb]

Burying heads in the sand for the last few years has hardly been a success.

Who's been doing that?

 

[The Passenger]

the big question is, would the tasmanian team/supporters rather have doherty in india or in hobart this weekend?

 

[big_sav]

my team would be:
Cowan
Warner
Hughes
Khawaja/Clarke
Smith
Wade
Maxwell
Johnson
Patterson
Siddle
Lyon

If clarke plays, khawaja dosent otherwise thats how id line up. henriques has been very average since the first test and hasnt taken enough wickets. smith deserves another chance as does maxwell. he fought back well in the test he played. johnson can have a shot due to bird and starc at home and doherty should never play a test match again

 

[Eric Blair]

You didn't actually swallow that trash? Wow.

quote]

As opposed to the blind sycophancy of the rest of the media, which is little more than the PR wing of CA??

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Given what is available, I simply can not picked a balanced eleven.

Warner
Cowan
Hughes (like many batsmen on this tour, he now has one good innings)
Clarke (if fit)
Khawaja
Smith (cringing as I type that)
Wade (really, what is the point)
Pattinson
Johnson (this silly? ffs)
Siddle
Lyon

If Clarke is unfit, Khawaja, Smith and Wade move up a spot and Henriques to #7. Watson, on form, simply can not be picked.

I really had hoped there would be one or two players who stood this series and demanded opportunities for the next few months at least. I almost expected there would be somebody.
After the first Test, it looked like maybe Henriques (who I never would have had in the squad); since then not so much. Smith (a laughable pick for the squad in my opinion) looked OK in the third; maybe his time wil finally come (but I still don't think it is yet).

Instead, Hughes has gone backwards again, Watson has been hopeless as well as in trouble, the spinners not all dangerous and the quicks unable to adapt.
Wade hasn't been as bad with gloves as he was in Australia, despite trickier conditions. Still miles off being a Test quality keeper, but at times has out-performed an often diabolical Dhoni.

The selection threads for the Ashes, and Australia A tour (held while the champions trophy is on) may make for interesting reading. Finding reasons to pick more than a few plyers will be very tough. Almost every selection will be easily argued against, very few argued for with any conviction.

 

[Hellgood]

To be honest I thought Maxwell looked better than Lyon has, so I wouldn't be too disappointed to see him get another go.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Maxwell should play as the 2nd spinner. He's young, still learning his craft and has at least shown an ability to flight and spin the ball occaisionally. Playing Doherty is pointless since we know he's no good as a first class bowler and is unlikely to improve.

But if he plays Maxwell has to play as a bowler. He's nowhere near good enough to be a top 7 batsman and unless he scores a pile of runs at shield level he shouldn't be considered a batsman. Bit part players are no use at test level. Either he plays as a bowler or a batsman and he's not good enough as a batsman. He's the 2nd best spinner on the tour though and should in the future be looking to compete for the #1 spin spot rather than claim a spot at 6 or 7 that should be for a player who can bat and potentially make big runs.

Same for Henriques. Either he's in our top 6 batsmen and hence plays there with the bowling only being a small part add on, or he's one of our top 4 bowlers and bats at 8. The only good all-rounders at test level are those who earn their spot on either batting or bowling with the other only being looked on as a useful addition. Henriques doesn't do that.

 

[Tassieboy]

the big question is, would the tasmanian team/supporters rather have doherty in india or in hobart this weekend?

Does it need to be said

I don't think consistent team changes really helps at all.

 

[Caesar]

Everyone saying Henriques should be out. God I love this forum, memory of a goldfish.

Doubt the team will change other than the forced ones for injury. Watson for Clarke, Wade for Haddin, Pattinson for Starc.

If Clarke plays, then things get interesting. The two most likely candidates to make way for Watson are Smith and Hughes, both of whom made runs last match.

Neither Maxwell or Khawaja isn't going to come in at the expense of one of the batsmen who has made runs this tour. They could swap Maxwell for Doherty, but I doubt they will be interested in playing two offies.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

But if he plays Maxwell has to play as a bowler. He's nowhere near good enough to be a top 7 batsman and unless he scores a pile of runs at shield level he shouldn't be considered a batsman. Bit part players are no use at test level. Either he plays as a bowler or a batsman and he's not good enough as a batsman. He's the 2nd best spinner on the tour though and should in the future be looking to compete for the #1 spin spot rather than claim a spot at 6 or 7 that should be for a player who can bat and potentially make big runs.

I don't see the point in playing Maxwell and Lyon in the same team if Maxwell isn't showing anything with the bat. I don't think either are Test-level off spinners.

 

[The Passenger]

Neither Maxwell or Khawaja isn't going to come in at the expense of one of the batsmen who has made runs this tour. They could swap Maxwell for Doherty, but I doubt they will be interested in playing two offies.

aside from clarke, no one has "made runs" on this tour. making a score doesn't secure you for very long. and they've not exactly been big scores. just decent scores.

moises ave is already down to 31. lets say smith and hughes score 20 runs in the next test, smith ave for the series comes down to about 30, and hughes for his last 3 innings drops to about 30. obviously both will play the next test given their scores in the most recent test, but just showing how 1 half century doesn't really secure you're spot for very long.

 

[Caesar]

aside from clarke, no one has "made runs" on this tour. making a score doesn't secure you for very long. and they've not exactly been big scores. just decent scores.

People on this forum seem to think that people need to make some arbitrary number of runs to stay in the Test team. It's a fallacy. All you need to do is be a better option than the guy who is trying to replace you.

Khawaja has a poor Test record, it's his first trip to India and he failed in the tour match.
Maxwell also is on his first trip to India, failed in the tour match with both bat and ball, and failed with the bat in his Test.

Why would they replace any of the top 7 batsmen in the team, when all of them have shown at least the ability to make runs on this tour?

 

[The Passenger]

when all of them have shown at least the ability to make runs on this tour?

not to make consistent scores. not one aside from clarke has.

 

[BarneyBent]

aside from clarke, no one has "made runs" on this tour. making a score doesn't secure you for very long. and they've not exactly been big scores. just decent scores.

moises ave is already down to 31. lets say smith and hughes score 20 runs in the next test, smith ave for the series comes down to about 30, and hughes for his last 3 innings drops to about 30. obviously both will play the next test given their scores in the most recent test, but just showing how 1 half century doesn't really secure you're spot for very long.

On the other hand, our potential replacements are Khawaja, who has never played in India before, failed in the tour match, has a tendency to get bogged down, and is already acknowledged to be very weak against spin, and Maxwell, who is talented but a slogger, failed with the bat in the one Test he's played, and also failed in the tour matches.

I wouldn't be opposed to playing Maxwell as a spinner ahead of Doherty, but neither of them have a greater claim to a top 7 spot ahead of any of the other batsmen.

 

[damochandler]

why don't they keep the top 7 the same for this test. only make a change if someone is injured.