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Ongoing Test match XI speculation thread.

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I just can't justify promoting Lab. How many shithouses have we been through since Ponting looking for a decent number 3? I don't even think 3 is his best spot - I think Lab is probably one of the favourites for next captain, at which point I think he and Smith need to switch spots - but for now he's exactly what we need, where we need him.

I know he never really locked it down at Shield level with big scores; I know anything that Mark Waugh says about selection should generally be disregarded... but I just keep coming back to Paine as a stop gap until Warner is back.
 
The Falcon Strike said:
It suggests they already have their opening pair sorted for the squad and need a middle order replacement in case Green doesn't get up
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The only reason they would bring in Henriques is if Wade is opening. If Green didn't get up then Wade would just stay in at number 6
 

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eddiesmith said:
People desperate to ensure Labuschagne doesn’t join a long list of no3s who successfully made the step up to opening.

No, it’s far better to bring up your no5 who’s never opened in first class cricket because they want him to fail
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Ha - probably going to be dropped soon anyway
 
Belnakor said:
JL refusing to say who is opening, definitely Wade or Paine opening.
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I should’ve asked when I saw him at a cafe in town today! On that, is Pat Howard still with the Aussie team? I’m pretty certain he was having coffee with Langer, but thought he had left Aussie cricket.
 
Green will debut as long as he is fit according to Langer. Neither will Marnus be moving from 3.

This suggests that they'll open with Wade.
 
i think its gotta be burns/wade or harris/wade at the top if green is fit and plays .

either way it probably ends pucovski getting a baggy green this summer as warner will walk straight back in.

by wade playing a stop gap role he is on a hiding to nothing - he may open for the remainder of the summer with warner and do a reasonable job but still not get a gig on the SA tour or he could be dropped as soon as warner comes back, effectively ending his test career at his age etc.

i guess this all depends on how green goes (as they will want him long term) and if head doesn't lose favor with the selectors etc.
 
cricketnut14 said:
by wade playing a stop gap role he is on a hiding to nothing - he may open for the remainder of the summer with warner and do a reasonable job but still not get a gig on the SA tour or he could be dropped as soon as warner comes back, effectively ending his test career at his age etc.
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Its a good point because if Green performs he is effectively taking Wade's spot.

I would disagree on the hiding to nothing though. If Wade does a half decent job as opener and out performs Harris/Burns this test, and goes ok during the series he could actually sew the spot up for the next tour. Especially if its in Australia.
 
Belnakor said:
Its a good point because if Green performs he is effectively taking Wade's spot.

I would disagree on the hiding to nothing though. If Wade does a half decent job as opener and out performs Harris/Burns this test, and goes ok during the series he could actually sew the spot up for the next tour. Especially if its in Australia.
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Well it's not as if we are missing much, Wade averages 34 since his recall...it's hardly great! Moving Wade is sensible as it keeps ever other position the same.
 

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Should have been SMarsh and/or Khawaja into the squad. Both are solid enough for a game or two and have plenty of experience opening. Could deal with Wade for just one test though as it keeps the rest of the batting order solid and is a straight swap for Warner
 
Coasters7 said:
Should have been SMarsh and/or Khawaja into the squad. Both are solid enough for a game or two and have plenty of experience opening. Could deal with Wade for just one test though as it keeps the rest of the batting order solid and is a straight swap for Warner
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Just what we need ANOTHER Marsh chance? What's he trying to break Jonny Farnham's record or never going away? Khawaja hasn't got enough Shield runs, he's got 1 or 2 scores in oner 12 months! Wade opening is fine for a test or two, bats 3 for Tassie and lets be honest when you have scrubs like Silk and Doolan on a green top in Tassie you might as well be opening!
 
LukeParkerno1 said:
Typical during that period of trying to find the next Flintoff! Makes you appreciate Shane Watson really who on here was maligned like no one before. Marsh was beyond horrible at least the other one performed on occasions.
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There were those 2 tests on roads that Marsh did actually perform in. Plus the one in South Africa after that where he played really well.

3 out of 55 innings isn't a great strike rate though
 

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hawkman said:
There were those 2 tests on roads that Marsh did actually perform in. Plus the one in South Africa after that where he played really well.

3 out of 55 innings isn't a great strike rate though
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That is true. The one thing I'll say he was under bowled. Think I said it about 4 years ago or something, but I'd have less an issue of Marsh playing as a bowling A/R batting at 7 or 8, because that was his ability with the bat. Was never ever going to be a top 6 bat!
 
LukeParkerno1 said:
That is true. The one thing I'll say he was under bowled. Think I said it about 4 years ago or something, but I'd have less an issue of Marsh playing as a bowling A/R batting at 7 or 8, because that was his ability with the bat. Was never ever going to be a top 6 bat!
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If we had a keeper who was good enough to bat at 6 he would have been ok in the team at 7, probably slightly inferior to a test standard number 7 but his bowling could have made up for that
 
hawkman said:
If we had a keeper who was good enough to bat at 6 he would have been ok in the team at 7, probably slightly inferior to a test standard number 7 but his bowling could have made up for that
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Or he could have played as a 3rd quick and there were games we could have done that especially with Cummins and Pattinson missing chunks of games, and for that matter Starc missed a bunch of tests with a foot. He really should have been told, I don't care about your batting, you are there to get 2-4 wickets a test. That should have been his role. Instead we tried to turn him into a number 6 when he wasn't. So whilst I can't stand the bloke and hated him being picked over and over again, I just wish he was picked in the position that could have made him succeed.
 
LukeParkerno1 said:
Well it's not as if we are missing much, Wade averages 34 since his recall...it's hardly great! Moving Wade is sensible as it keeps ever other position the same.
Click to expand...

Averaging 50 since he moved up to no5 which means Head will now be promoted to his least preferred position.

Lot of pressure on Green to come in now and average over 50 or the team is worse off
 
eddiesmith said:
Averaging 50 since he moved up to no5 which means Head will now be promoted to his least preferred position.

Lot of pressure on Green to come in now and average over 50 or the team is worse off
Click to expand...

Why can't Green bat 5? I'd bat him at 5 myself. I agree with you on Head and I'm far from sold on him.
 
eddiesmith said:
Averaging 50 since he moved up to no5 which means Head will now be promoted to his least preferred position.

Lot of pressure on Green to come in now and average over 50 or the team is worse off
Click to expand...
I would play Green at 5
 

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