Fourth Test team

[barrackers]

So Punter has suggested playing Labuschagne AND Mitch Marsh.

As Charlie Brown would say...

Is Ponting dropping Hazlewood or Starc? We don't have a strong enough number 7 to play both in the top 6.

 

[footyfan1978]

In all honesty, we have potentially the weakest top 6 we’ve ever seen, playing MMarsh and Labuschagne together would weaken it further.

Mid 80's batting line-ups would give it a run for money in terms of shitness. Also when World Series Cricket was on Test side must have been shit 40 summers ago when we played India in a Test series here.

 

[MALTSY]

People calling for Bancroft to come straight back in need to have a rest for a while. It ain't happening.

Agreed.

 

[saj_21]

My last thoughts, I hope lubaschagne does well I will never barrack against Australia. But if feels like the selectors are changing the goal posts when it comes to selection. Langer told the media we want 100s. Now burns and wade have made runs, albeit not many hundreds.

Fast forward 3 months and after batting issues we’ve picked a number 6 in m marsh on the basis he can bowl and now are likely to do the same with lubaschagne. So what is the criteri for selection; runs and 100s or some runs and if you can bowl a bit then you are in.

I’m sure if lubaschagne is given an extended run like m marsh then he will have good performances but let’s not have that as the standard for everyone going forward. Lubaschagne looked out of his depth in Pakistan, and came back to shield cricket to bat at 3, failed in that position and has been demoted to 4. That alone suggest he is out of form and his technique needs work.

 

[Poorman53]

Wade is not a batsman.

Henriques and Burns have been given opportunities and have not been good enough.

All the evidence points to the contrary. Wade deserves to be picked as a batsman. He said at the start of the domestic season he wants to give the gloves away, he knows he isn't getting picked as a keeper.

 

[Total Power]

Its so depressing reading this thread, we are looking at Marnus and Wade as what we have to offer. **** me

 

[Gavin Excell]

My last thoughts, I hope lubaschagne does well I will never barrack against Australia. But if feels like the selectors are changing the goal posts when it comes to selection. Langer told the media we want 100s. Now burns and wade have made runs, albeit not many hundreds.

Fast forward 3 months and after batting issues we’ve picked a number 6 in m marsh on the basis he can bowl and now are likely to do the same with lubaschagne. So what is the criteri for selection; runs and 100s or some runs and if you can bowl a bit then you are in.

I’m sure if lubaschagne is given an extended run like m marsh then he will have good performances but let’s not have that as the standard for everyone going forward. Lubaschagne looked out of his depth in Pakistan, and came back to shield cricket to bat at 3, failed in that position and has been demoted to 4. That alone suggest he is out of form and his technique needs work.

Langer is being exposed for the fraud he is.

 

[TigerCraig]

Also when World Series Cricket was on Test side must have been shit 40 summers ago when we played India in a Test series here.

First Test:
Hibbert
Cosier
Ogilvie
Sergeant
Simpson
Toohey

By the Fifth it was
Wood
Darling
Yallop
Toohey
Simpson
Cosier

Hughes and Dyson had been blooded along the way too

 

[Gough]

First Test:
Hibbert
Cosier
Ogilvie
Sergeant
Simpson
Toohey

By the Fifth it was
Wood
Darling
Yallop
Toohey
Simpson
Cosier

Hughes and Dyson had been blooded along the way too

AB made his debut that series too.

 

[toml]

I reckon Marnus Labuschagne is worth a go in the Sydney test match. Hear me out.

First of all, Labuschagne has shown to be plenty competent with his spin bowling in the UAE. On a more-spin friendly pitch at the SCG, he could become a very valuable commodity with the ball alongside his batting talent.
Secondly, half the reason why Finch and Handscomb have been selected throughout this series is because of the prospect of left handers facing Ashwin. Marnus Labuschagne is a right handed batsmen who bats 3 for his state, so if we drop Finch and Khawaja moves to opener, then we can break up the left handers at first drop.
Thirdly, Labuschagne faced off against the Australian bowling attack in a Shield game recently and did quite well, scoring 52 after coming out in the third over of the first innings. In his last 3 matches he has averaged 40.4, so he is in better form than his shield average this season suggests. Of course there are better options out there, but his right-handedness at no.3 with some handy legspin is an important aspect to consider.

Also, how are so many of you seriously suggesting Joe Burns as an opener. How is he any better than Finch?
Burns, like Finch, is much more suited to the middle order at Test level. Personally I think Joe Burns is past it in fc cricket, but so too is Finch. Burns hasn't even scored a century this season, so how is that any use to Australia?!? Even K Patterson has finally scored centuries this season.

The team, should look like this:
Harris (LHB)
Khawaja (LHB)
Labuschagne (RHB)
S Marsh (LHB)
Handscomb (RHB)
Head (LHB)
Paine (RHB)
Cummins
Starc
Lyon
Hazlewood

Just a reminder, I can admit that this is no where near the best team we can put out. But it is almost a certainty that S Marsh, Khawaja, Harris, and Head will be selected for the next test, so we have to deal with that. We also have to deal with the fact that Handscomb and Labushagne are very good players of spin, and plus the latter can help aid the left-right combinations whilst proving some very handy spin.

Burns averages 52 across his last 12 games and he hasn’t batted in the middle order in about 4 or 5yrs. Finch averages less than 20 opening in FC cricket and has half as many FC hundreds as Burns, 3 of Burns hundreds were against test bowling attacks. It’s not hard to work out how he is better than Finch, his test average is higher than Finch’s first class average. Burns has been in career best form the last season and a half. Laughable to suggest he is past it at first class level. You have no idea.

 

[bird_man]

That's an interesting point. Still it was a strange move to drop a player, given his versatility, after picking up 7 wickets in two Tests.

Not at all when you consider he was picked as a top 6 batsman but couldn't score runs.

 

[PT Bar None]

Given the only change to the squad is the addition of Marnus and if (still a significant if for me) he plays that still means one of Finch, MMarsh and Handscomb also plays.

I too would like to know more about this Burns dogging is Tasmania. It's the sort of thing I can imagine really annoying the coach:

"Righto fellas, fielding drills"
"Where's Joe?"
"Aw crap. I bet he's out in the carpack again"

 

[Kram]

I wonder how they would actually go if they used the BF method of simply picking the player with the best SS average every time.

 

[Doss]

AB made his debut that series too.

Nah, AB debuted against the Poms in 1978/79; the Indian series was 1977/78.

 

[philreich]

So Punter has suggested playing Labuschagne AND Mitch Marsh.

As Charlie Brown would say...

Does Marsh have compromising photos of the national selectors in his possession? How is he still in the squad, let alone have a chance of getting another game???

 

[toml]

An interesting name popping up on the highest run scorer markets on some betting agencies this morning, one Joe Burns. Do the bookies know something we don’t know?

 

[The Swans Blog]

Calling up part-time tweaker Lubaschagne, who doesn't bat that well, in place of any other number of far better bowling or batting options, makes me sick. How is it that Fawad Ahmed does not get a call up? Maxwell? Stoinis? Hell, Cameron White is more deserving of a call up and as much as I detest him, Matthew Wade.

Even Butters should be first in line to be recalled. But no, it's another fallacy desperate all-rounder pick who can't really bat.

**** me. It's as if they want this shit team to lose.

 

[The Swans Blog]

Does Marsh have compromising photos of the national selectors in his possession? How is he still in the squad, let alone have a chance of getting another game???

Langer loves Mitch and he's made no attempt to hide it.

 

[philreich]

Langer loves Mitch and he's made no attempt to hide it.

It's staggering. Does Langer seriously think Marsh will succeed in England, because if he does, he's dreaming.

 

[The Swans Blog]

Wade is not a batsman.

Henriques and Burns have been given opportunities and have not been good enough.

There's certainly enough evidence to suggest that he's quite weak on a seaming and swinging pitch. He has three centuries though, including a massive 170 against New Zealand on a pitch that's renowned for its movement off the seam. He lacks consistency and he was certainly very stiff to be dropped in the first place, outscoring Davie Davey Dave David Warna Warner in the first test vs Sri Lanka, while narrowly avoiding a king pair in the second test. Didn't do well at all in his recall for the second test vs South Africa, but neither did his team mates.

 

[The Swans Blog]

It's staggering. Does Langer seriously think Marsh will succeed in England, because if he does, he's dreaming.

Well, maybe. He made 48 runs and took 8 wickets in 3 tests, soo....

 

[TigerCraig]

AB made his debut that series too.

I think he came in the following season, against England - 2nd season of WSC

 

[Stopher]

It's staggering. Does Langer seriously think Marsh will succeed in England, because if he does, he's dreaming.

No wonder Vaughan is pushing so hard to get Marsh on the Ashes tour!

 

[Drunkcat]

First Test:
Hibbert
Cosier
Ogilvie
Sergeant
Simpson
Toohey

By the Fifth it was
Wood
Darling
Yallop
Toohey
Simpson
Cosier

Hughes and Dyson had been blooded along the way too

I loved them day's we had WSC plus Australia old Bobby made a comeback

 

[The Swans Blog]

No wonder Vaughan is pushing so hard to get Marsh on the Ashes tour!

Guaranteed win