Changes for the 3rd Test

[passmark]

Don't worry about Zimbabwe, that was a very low scoring game. Any bowler can do well in those conditions, which is why I rated Doolan's effort there. Right now I'd play Doolan, pluck Klinger out of County cricket as he looks like he can at least bat the long form of the game. He'd have to be better than Hughes, Khawaja, Cowan and Smith. Put Warner at 6, where he is capable of taking a game apart if he gets going. A punt but could change a game within a session if he got going. I'd play Fawad. Bird obviously in for Pattinson but I'd bring Cummins over from SA as a replacement bowler with a view of giving him a Test with this series done and dusted. Get our blokes ready for the return series.

Watson
Rogers
Klinger
Doolan
Clarke
Warner
Haddin
Siddle
Harris
Fawad
Bird

A little different to the side I had a few posts above. Hope that strengthens the batting a little. Something with a bit of backbone in the character

That's not bad Jim.

But I think you need a left arm seamer to for Fawad (or even agar) to aim for his footmarks against the English right hand batsman.

 

[bird_man]

I'd be tempted to bring in Ahmed just because England have always struggled against wrist spin although I still think Lyon has been treated a bit unfairly. While he has never starred he has always been pretty solid and is still at a pretty good age where he can keep improving. I would be happy to see either come in. Bird in for Pattinson is an obvious one. Wade has to come in for me, whether it's at Haddins expense or one of our under peforming batsmen.

 

[Bucking Beads]

But prior to last summer we had pretty flat wickets for about a decade.

One could also argue that having to bat on difficult batting conditions would actually improve batting techniques.

I think the decks have been favouring the fast bowlers for quite a few seasons at least.

 

[passmark]

I think the decks have been favouring the fast bowlers for quite a few seasons at least.

Really?

Last year they turned the Gabba into a road.

That left the WACA as the only pitch with any juice at all.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Really?

Last year they turned the Gabba into a road.

That left the WACA as the only pitch with any juice at all.

I was talking about Shield level.

 

[The_Reaper]

I think the decks have been favouring the fast bowlers for quite a few seasons at least.

Yeah. It's being noticeable over the last few years.

Nothing compared to how flat they were in the 2000s. I remember going to a match at the WACA where SA gave Deitz a bowl because it was that flat.

 

[matty p]

I'm not surprised by that. Disapponted but not surprised. If we have to get most of gthe runs from the bottom half of the order, Starc will probably score more than Bird.
It would be nice to get runs in the top half, and use the bowlers as bowlers, but that seems unlikely.

After Starc's batting performance in the first test, he better not be brought back on the basis of his batting.

Liked someone's suggestion of Bailey. He had a poor shield but he's shown he's got the temperament to bat at international level. Plus we could use it as an excuse to drop Haddin as we wouldn't need his "leadership" anymore.

Revised team:
Warner
Rogers
Khawaja
Bailey
Clarke
Hughes
Wade
Siddle
Harris
Bird
Lyon/Agar

Still wouldn't be opposed to Doolan either.

 

[Zach Package]

just on the whole pitch debate, Blundstone arena clearly had the most juice in it last year, yet you've got Ponting, Cosgrove (top 2 run scorers for the season), Doolan, and even Silk in limited opportunity making good runs on it.

I don't think playing on greentop is necessarily a bad thing for batsmen at all. good players rise above the conditions in any event.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Yeah. It's being noticeable over the last few years.

Nothing compared to how flat they were in the 2000s. I remember going to a match at the WACA where SA gave Deitz a bowl because it was that flat.

Has to be a happy medium between green tops and roads. We need to have all our Shield pitches to be different. We especially need the SCG back to what it once was. WACA is getting back to its better days and the Gabba doesn't change much.

 

[Selective Retention]

Boof isn't picking anyone from outside the 18 apparently.

Will be interesting when he gets to pick his own squad for the first time.

Geoff Lawson must have an account here, wants Katich recalled for the next test - likely occurrence.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Watson - needs to make the most of his starts. Already to many un coverted 20's and 30's this tour
Rogers - The Yang to Watson's Yin. IMO theese two could work really well as an opening pair. Especially if Wtason converts his starts
Khawaja - Did enough at Lords to deserve another shot. Peeved he got out to that pie chucker Root but his 50 was solid
Cowan/ Hughes - Hughes brings nothing to the table for me if his not scoring runs. Had one innings of note where Agar despite coming in far later in the order overtook Hughes's score with ease. Warner a no go zone at the moment. If he cant score runs against Zimbabwe he wont score anything against England. Dont think they will have the guts to drop Hughes but

Clarke - Stats show that 5 is where he makes the bulk of his runs and I tend to agree. 4 or above is too high for Clarke and not because he isn't good enough but we need his stability in the middle order
Smith/ Wade - Depending what the pitch is doing i wouldnt mind bringing Wade in as a specialist batsman
Haddin - Can't fault his batting in the series. His glovework still a concern but

Agar - Borderline selection with Lyon close behind. Suffered the second test blues and looked like being a threatening spinner who will run through opposition middle and tail order bats. Surely his a better spinner than Root???
Siddle - Lion hearted effort again at Lords. Can't fault endavour
Harris - I'm just glad he seems to be fit for 2 tests in a row. Touch wood he can stay fit because he is a vital part of the bowling attack and proved that with a 5 for in England's first dig
Bird - Replaces the departed Pattinson. Hopefully it's Bird and not Starc or an Australian A rep. Potenially a damagiung bowler in English conditions

12th: Cowan or Smith

Agar was injured early in the second match. His running in the field looked at times like he was wading through treacle. They should rest him, it's not worth screwing around with a kid, especially with the sick bay staff record of keeping our attack in one piece.

Bring in Lyon... and Bird but I guess it will be Starc.

 

[medusala]

Geoff Lawson must have an account here, wants Katich recalled for the next test - likely occurrence.

Hardly Robinson Crusoe there. A lot of our difficulties are self inflicted. From idiot selections, team conflict, injury management, too much T20 etc.

How Sutherland remains in a job is beyond me. Poor man's Vlad.

Wouldn't mind seeing Cummins in for the Oval test. Usually the quickest pitch over here.

 

[HBF]

Hardly Robinson Crusoe there. A lot of our difficulties are self inflicted. From idiot selections, team conflict, injury management, too much T20 etc.

How Sutherland remains in a job is beyond me. Poor man's Vlad.

Wouldn't mind seeing Cummins in for the Oval test. Usually the quickest pitch over here.

Wouldn't mind betting CA will hold him back for the Australian Summer.
Get his body cherry ripe for a long series ahead.

 

[The_Reaper]

Wouldn't mind betting CA will hold him back for the Australian Summer.
Get his body cherry ripe for a long series ahead.

Send him off to the Warriors to get used to the WACA.

Ambush them in Perth.

 

[passmark]

Send him off to the Warriors to get used to the WACA.

Ambush them in Perth.

Good bowlers ow well at the WACA. I reckon Bird would be just as dangerous as Cummins as would Anderson and Broad.

The only people we should get ready for the WACA are our batsman.

 

[The_Reaper]

Good bowlers ow well at the WACA. I reckon Bird would be just as dangerous as Cummins as would Anderson and Broad.

The only people we should get ready for the WACA are our batsman.

Send all the good batsmen from other states to the Warriors

 

[bluespooner]

Don't worry about Zimbabwe, that was a very low scoring game. Any bowler can do well in those conditions, which is why I rated Doolan's effort there. Right now I'd play Doolan, pluck Klinger out of County cricket as he looks like he can at least bat the long form of the game. He'd have to be better than Hughes, Khawaja, Cowan and Smith. Put Warner at 6, where he is capable of taking a game apart if he gets going. A punt but could change a game within a session if he got going. I'd play Fawad. Bird obviously in for Pattinson but I'd bring Cummins over from SA as a replacement bowler with a view of giving him a Test with this series done and dusted. Get our blokes ready for the return series.

Watson
Rogers
Klinger
Doolan
Clarke
Warner
Haddin
Siddle
Harris
Fawad
Bird

A little different to the side I had a few posts above. Hope that strengthens the batting a little. Something with a bit of backbone in the character

That's actually a side that would give Austalia a fighting chance. For that reason, it will never happen. Inverarity and the other selectors have much to answer for by sending to England the most incompetent touring squad I've seen.

How Hughes, Smith and Cowan could be selected in any touring party as specialist batsmen defies belief.

 

[Mateyman]

That's actually a side that would give Austalia a fighting chance. For that reason, it will never happen. Inverarity and the other selectors have much to answer for by sending to England the most incompetent touring squad I've seen.

How Hughes, Smith and Cowan could be selected in any touring party as specialist batsmen defies belief.

You want Klinger in the team ahead of Smith and Hughes

 

[Showbags]

If I was to pick anyone from outside the squad to come in to replace Pattinson it would be Chadd Sayers. He is the type of bowler who is a great "team bowler" and can bowl all day and build great pressure.

We seem to have forgotten this basic of Cricket as well. Hit the top of offstump all day. Bird, Butterworth, Copeland and Sayers are probably the best exponents of this theory right now in Australia. We seem to forget that our greatest ever attack had bowlers that knew how to build run scoring pressure on the opposition. McGrath didn't bowl an unplayable ball every ball to get his wickets, he would just build up so much pressure on the batsmen that they would get themselves out. This current England team has shown that they are definitely prone to playing poor shots, we just need to be putting the ball in the right areas and the results will come.

 

[passmark]

If I was to pick anyone from outside the squad to come in to replace Pattinson it would be Chadd Sayers. He is the type of bowler who is a great "team bowler" and can bowl all day and build great pressure.

We seem to have forgotten this basic of Cricket as well. Hit the top of offstump all day. Bird, Butterworth, Copeland and Sayers are probably the best exponents of this theory right now in Australia. We seem to forget that our greatest ever attack had bowlers that knew how to build run scoring pressure on the opposition. McGrath didn't bowl an unplayable ball every ball to get his wickets, he would just build up so much pressure on the batsmen that they would get themselves out. This current England team has shown that they are definitely prone to playing poor shots, we just need to be putting the ball in the right areas and the results will come.

Me likey this post!!

 

[bluespooner]

You want Klinger in the team ahead of Smith and Hughes

Correct.

You don't? Klinger has a technique that would enable him to survive, he can play long innings and has a nice array of attacking shots.

He would also have to be close to being the most prolific scorer in Shield cricket over the last four years. Do you really think he could be worse than two blokes that are selected as specialist batsmen and currently average about 30 each in test cricket.

 

[The_Reaper]

Correct.

You don't? Klinger has a technique that would enable him to survive, he can play long innings and has a nice array of attacking shots.

He would also have to be close to being the most prolific scorer in Shield cricket over the last four years. Do you really think he could be worse than two blokes that are selected as specialist batsmen and currently average about 30 each in test cricket.

Was horrible last summer and I think the summer before.

 

[bluespooner]

Was horrible last summer and I think the summer before.

36 and 92 in his last two bats for Gloucestershire last week. A top order batsmen putting in scores like that for Australia would go someway to providing our bowlers with a competitive score to bowl at.

 

[The_Reaper]

36 and 92 in his last two bats for Gloucestershire last week. A top order batsmen putting in scores like that for Australia would go someway to providing our bowlers with a competitive score to bowl at.

That is second division county right?

Doesn't mean much.

 

[bluespooner]

That is second division county right?

Doesn't mean much.

As opposed to the laughable technique on display by Hughes and Smith.

Maquerading as specialist batsmen nothing more.