Remove this Banner Ad

Ongoing Test match XI speculation thread.

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Marsh isn't a long-term selection, purely a one-test stop gap until Warner gets back as he would be a better option that Khawaja, Burns & Harris in my eyes.

Rather just pick Burns least he’s done it at test level before
 
Rather just pick Burns least he’s done it at test level before
Look I'm in the boat of keeping Burns as well. I think we play Marsh if Green doesn't play due to concussion as Wade drops back to 6 and Marsh opens but if Green is fit, back Burns in and roll the dice with opening Wade. At least how I see it. Opening Wade could potentially solve our middle order dilemma and opening dilemma when Warner comes back because if it works, we have 2 solid openers and Green can slot straight into 6 without pushing one of Head and Wade out, both of which are currently deserving of their middle order positions.
 
Look I'm in the boat of keeping Burns as well. I think we play Marsh if Green doesn't play due to concussion as Wade drops back to 6 and Marsh opens but if Green is fit, back Burns in and roll the dice with opening Wade. At least how I see it. Opening Wade could potentially solve our middle order dilemma and opening dilemma when Warner comes back because if it works, we have 2 solid openers and Green can slot straight into 6 without pushing one of Head and Wade out, both of which are currently deserving of their middle order positions.

I’d keep Wade at 5 if Green is out and have Burns/Harris opening. No more Marsh he’s 37.
 

Log in to remove this Banner Ad

It's not taking out their best performance - it's adding context.

A hard fought 65 on a 5th day pitch against bowling is worth more than 150 on a road against a pop gun attack.

Statistics will show differently

The best players get rated on what they do in WCs and against the best opposition. It's what makes Smith's record so phenomenal - he's done it against India and England.
Well, speaking of day five runs, I've previously posted this about his debut in the UAE:

Comes in at 3-87, having lost both the Marsh brothers for ducks, still 374 runs behind, and with 18 overs to go on the fourth day. Next man in is also on debut, and the number seven hasn't hit a FC ton in about ten years.

We're a ******* rabble at this stage, mind you, with captain and vice-captain both still suspended. If he gets out cheaply, we lose, probably don't even make it to stumps on day four. But he bats for more than three hours, scoring 72 runs himself (second highest scorer), and we save the game.

Saving that test should go down as one of the great Australian performances of the decade, and while Khawaja is rightly man of the match, it doesn't happen without Travis Head. On debut.

And his 160 vs Sri Lanka is a better knock than he is given credit for - remember he came to the crease in the ninth over and with the score at 3/28 - if he goes cheaply too then we're probably bowled out by tea.

Go back to last year's Ashes, and he showed some grit in the first two tests.

1st test: Comes to the crease on day one at 3/35 and is the only non-Smith batter that gets past 15, and then adds a 50 in the second innings as we grind England down and take a 1-0 lead.

2nd test: Yep, fails in the 1st dig but in the second, when we have about 50 overs to bat out on day five, he comes to the crease at 3/47 and scores a mature 42* as we hang on to 6/154 and save the game.

3rd test: Duck in the first. Poor. 2nd dig: Comes in at 3/52 and gets 25. Needed more, not going to argue. But we lose because of dumb captaincy and dumb bowling.

4th test: 19 and 12, again should have done better, but we win and you don't change a winning side, do you?

Nekminnit: Mitchell ****ing Marsh comes in to the side, gets out to what Cricinfo's commentary describes as a "sucker dismissal" - to Joe Root, of all people, and we lose the match. Maybe we lose that game anyway, but maybe some of the Head determination would have helped a lot.
 
Marsh is in form and a better batsmen than Harris. Plus would know he is a stop gap and is more experienced with a very strong pink ball knock to his name against England in Adelaide.

Do you honestly and I mean honestly trust Langer to drop him after 1 test because I sure as anything don’t!
 
Who would come in for Smith if he was ruled out? Does Moises get a second gig? or does Head and Wade move to 4 and 5 respectively, green at 6 and then Harris and Burns open? A lot of weight on Labs shoulders if so
 
Who would come in for Smith if he was ruled out? Does Moises get a second gig? or does Head and Wade move to 4 and 5 respectively, green at 6 and then Harris and Burns open? A lot of weight on Labs shoulders if so

Am I the only one on BF pushing for Glen Maxwell to be given another go at Test Cricket especially if Smith out.How can Burns get a game with what he has done with the bat in the shield and the Australia A games this season.
 
Am I the only one on BF pushing for Glen Maxwell to be given another go at Test Cricket especially if Smith out.How can Burns get a game with what he has done with the bat in the shield and the Australia A games this season.

No chance on earth of Maxwell playing. Not that he was a chance anyway
 
Am I the only one on BF pushing for Glen Maxwell to be given another go at Test Cricket especially if Smith out.How can Burns get a game with what he has done with the bat in the shield and the Australia A games this season.
There was a time he should've been playing which was around 2018 but I think it has passed him now. Not ruled out however as if he averages 50+ in the backend of the Shield Season, he should start to come into the minds of selectors again because he does bring something unique plus a gun in the field.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Am I the only one on BF pushing for Glen Maxwell to be given another go at Test Cricket especially if Smith out.How can Burns get a game with what he has done with the bat in the shield and the Australia A games this season.

Is there a quarantine period for anyone coming in to the squad to Adelaide from the BBL hub in Canberra or Hobart if they need it now?


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
Simply put there are more than a dozen better options

Well name them.

Last test 2017,all games in Asia 8 innings 259 runs off 456 balls Av 37.0 SR 56.8 and non selection in the test team back in Australia 2017/18 and never again.Lets not forget he is one of the best fieldsman in the world and a handy part time spin bowler.And people suggest Burns should be in the test team,lol.A absolute joke and people like you judge him on how he gets in the T20/1 day crap and do you mind batting wise he usually has the score on the board when out.As for non exposure to the longer version of the game that being shield and 3 4 day A grade games, no chance to push his chances to play test cricket ever again.Personally I find the non selection or even in the A side a disgrace and perhaps they think T20/1 Day cricket is more important then Test Cricket.I might be old fashioned but as far as I am concerned Test cricket is the No.1 code of cricket.
 
Well name them.

Last test 2017,all games in Asia 8 innings 259 runs off 456 balls Av 37.0 SR 56.8 and non selection in the test team back in Australia 2017/18 and never again.Lets not forget he is one of the best fieldsman in the world and a handy part time spin bowler.And people suggest Burns should be in the test team,lol.A absolute joke and people like you judge him on how he gets in the T20/1 day crap and do you mind batting wise he usually has the score on the board when out.As for non exposure to the longer version of the game that being shield and 3 4 day A grade games, no chance to push his chances to play test cricket ever again.Personally I find the non selection or even in the A side a disgrace and perhaps they think T20/1 Day cricket is more important then Test Cricket.I might be old fashioned but as far as I am concerned Test cricket is the No.1 code of cricket.

The 8 bats that are in the squad right now are ahead, plus Warner and Pucovski, that's 10 without even trying and they'd be all ahead. At worst it's 9 if you don't include Henriques. That is a LOT of batsmen ahead. They just are ahead. Who cares about his party pie spin, it's not better than Head's rubbish which is no more than an over before the new ball trash. Everyone in the side isn't a bad fielder anyway. I get it you love Maxwell, but he's a short form cricketer, he'd be the last bloke I'd want coming in at 3 for 50 or 4 for 80.
 

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

The 8 bats that are in the squad right now are ahead, plus Warner and Pucovski, that's 10 without even trying and they'd be all ahead. At worst it's 9 if you don't include Henriques. That is a LOT of batsmen ahead. They just are ahead. Who cares about his party pie spin, it's not better than Head's rubbish which is no more than an over before the new ball trash. Everyone in the side isn't a bad fielder anyway. I get it you love Maxwell, but he's a short form cricketer, he'd be the last bloke I'd want coming in at 3 for 50 or 4 for 80.

So how can you judge Maxwell on the longer version of the game seeing he has not had the opportunity to play it since October 2019.

A few more stats since Maxwell played Test Cricket in Asia in 2017 and the only Shield games/A games Maxi has played since. Shield 17/18 8 games Av 50.50 18/19 2 games Av 42.00 and 19/20 2 games Av 33.67.
 
Last edited:
So how can you judge Maxwell on the longer version of the game seeing he has not had the opportunity to play it since October 2019.

A few more stats since Maxwell played Test Cricket in Asia in 2017 and the only Shield games/A games Maxi has played since. Shield 17/18 8 games Av 50.50 18/19 2 games Av 42.00 and 19/20 2 games Av 33.67.

Bad luck, wasn't making the most of it when he was in the side. I have severe reservations on wanting him coming in under pressure and that is a key thing when picking a batting lineup. I'd rather Wade or for that matter Head in those conditions. Both will average the same but those two will score tough runs.
 
But it’s the most recent and current form and it’s better than Heads. Everyone keeps saying Head is a lock at 5, the position he was dropped from during the Ashes?

Australia has struggled for so long outside their home roads and yet people quickly forget the nuggets performances overseas that helped retain the Ashes because it wasn’t pretty.

Fact is Wade has done nothing wrong, nothing to deserve getting dropped yet the answer to Australia’s selection dilemma is put him in a position he’s never batted before, a position that will t be available on the 2nd test effectively ending his career. Yet promoting the no3 to open, a position he has batted at before is not even an option.

It defies all logic.

Like to be a fly on the wall near the selection table as I'm struggling to understand that the selectors/Langer are seriously considering Matthew Wade as a test opening batsmen...?
Moreover, Wade is quite a headstrong character so I find it hard believe he would surrender his middle order spot and be a willing participant in this proposed opening experiment given it will be a caretakers role for one, perhaps two tests...?
 
Last edited:
Like to be a fly on the wall near the selection table as I'm struggling to understand that the selectors/Langer are seriously considering Matthew Wade as a test opening batsmen...?
Moreover, Wade is quite a headstrong character so I find it hard believe he would surrender his middle order spot and be a willing participant in this proposed opening experiment given it will be a caretakers role for one, perhaps two tests...?

Well he can always get dropped if that's what he wants. By opening gives him a chance not as if apart from Warner any option is a certainty, whereas 3 out of the 4 middle order position are and that doesn't include the all rounder in Green.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Ongoing Test match XI speculation thread.

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Back
Top