Team for the 1st test Australia vs Sri lanka (Hobart)

PTizzle

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#76
Hmm. I'm going to suggest something different to see if it can generate discussion.

Ed Cowan
David Warner
Mike Hussey
Michael Clarke (c)
Shane Watson
Usman Khawaja/Phil Hughes
Matthew Wade (+)
Peter Siddle
Mitchell Starc
Ben Hilfenhaus
Nathan Lyon
This was almost exactly the team I was thinking and I hope they go for it. Maybe swap Hilf if he isn't fit or they want somebody else new (I would stick with him though). I'd have Watto at 4 and Clarke at 5 still, I don't want to move Clarke, but Watto isn't working at 3 and if Huss can stay in for a bit and make some runs at 3 it definitely opens it up a bit.

I could see Clarke working at 4 against Sri Lanka though as their spinners are more scary than their pace options.
 

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Howard Littlejohn

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#77
In days gone by, with the current form of the side, it would of been simple.

Clarke would be promoted to 3, Hussey 4, Drop Watson to 5, bring the new batsmen in at 6 to give him some experience until we're ready to gauge at what number he should be playing at.

Clarke's inability to bat consistently anywhere other than 5 is partly the problem here, there's very few times in the past where Australia has brought in a "specialist #3", to bat at #3 straight away.

Usually it's a natural progression..........
This is true. When we haven't had a #3 to promote or less often bring in, its generally been a case of dropping an opener down to #3. David Boon comes to mind as one who successfully made that transition, many others have done the joib for a short time or been unsuccessful (they usually ween't great openers either). Cowan is the one who I believe is most likely to able to make the transition mentally, and to adapt his game to the situation at hand at a given time - actual ability is the question with him, but that is true whether opening or at three.
Of course, that opinion about being able to make the transition is from observations made from the outside, and appearances can be deceptive without actually knoing the men in question.
 
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#78
My XI:

Ed Cowan - Did enough this series to release a bit of pressure, has a great temperament and can attack well when needed as well.
Phil Hughes - In great form, making big scores and is better than Pleb Warner. We do not, I repeat, do not have to take the good with the bad with regards to Warner.
Usman Khawaja - Great technique, can make big scores and is the best #3 in the country. Stop screwing him CA.
Michael Clarke - Has made an absolute ton of runs at #5 but it's time for him to step up and take a bigger responsibility and to help us stop collapsing.
Shane Watson - Arguably our second best bowler when fit. Needs to drop down the order so we can increase his bowling workload. Would move him to #6 post-Hussey.
Mike Hussey - Short term, anyway. Not sure if I like him soaking up matches in the lead up to back to back Ashes series. Either needs to go soon or prepare for a lot of criticism.
Matthew Wade - The best short term option we have. Paine is better but isn't in any sort of form so that's the way it is.
Mitchell Starc - Didn't bowl great in the second innings but his first innings balls to Petersen and Kallis were jaw-droppingly good. Taking 6-fer and making 68* means it's pretty hard to drop him, regardless of how awful his wickets were.
Peter Siddle - Walk up starter. Has the heart of a lion and has proven he can get the job done.
Ben Hilfenhaus - My my people just off fast. Last year he couldn't do a thing wrong, 2 matches into this season against some of the best batsman in the world and everyone cuts him? Please.
Nathan Lyon/ Ben Cutting - Horses for courses really. Personally Lyon would have only played at Adelaide Oval for mine, right now we have too many quality seamers to not back them in on pitches such as the GABBA and the WACA.
 

Ill Chicken

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#84
Errr, no he didn't. He actually earnt his selection on form. It didnt work but he certainly wasnt gifted it.

Starc/Pattinson/Cummins were gifted Test caps. Johnson was gifted this Test cap far more than Hastings. Are you sure you have this the right way around?

Agree with the poster above that suggests we should go back to handing out spots on look and feel, because we have selected blokes based on form lately and it hasnt worked at all, they have looked out of their depth (Hastings, Quiney, Cowan). If our stocks are that bad then we need the 80's way, pick some blokes with potential and stick with them.
Clearly gifted a test cap. There are 6 other blokes all around the same mark this season and Hasting gets a call up into the test squad based on? Johnson was gifted a test recall but at least there was method to their madness of Johnson being good at the WACA.
 
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#85
I'd like to see either Cutting or Faulkner get a go. Faulkner has been in real good form and could replace Johnson or Starc. Siddle comes straight back in and I don't feel like Hilfenhaus has done anything to command his spot back.
 

Ill Chicken

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#86
What do you think the fall out will be if all the players that are available for T20's this week play and then go to Hobart and lose to the Sri Lankians? Or players do an injury or two?
 

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Phone

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#87
Clearly gifted a test cap. There are 6 other blokes all around the same mark this season and Hasting gets a call up into the test squad based on? Johnson was gifted a test recall but at least there was method to their madness of Johnson being good at the WACA.
Well based on shield stats.

The problem is, that's about their first bowling selection based totally on stats since I dunno know copeland? and look how much they loved that selection! it made no sense based on what they've been doing over the past year or two. But I wouldn't say Hastings got gifted. He benefited from a sudden shift in policy. He got lucky. As opposed to Ben Cutting last year. This was fairly similar to Starc v Cutting last year. (the big difference between Starc/Cutting and Hazlewood/Hastings is that Pattinson/Starc/Cutting all played in the aus a game. this time only hastings did. we decided to keep bird and hazlewood 'up our selves', something that seemed stupid then, and has hardly aged well)
 

DaRick

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#88
Clearly gifted a test cap. There are 6 other blokes all around the same mark this season and Hasting gets a call up into the test squad based on? Johnson was gifted a test recall but at least there was method to their madness of Johnson being good at the WACA.
Well apparently Hastings was selected to bowl into the wind.

It didn't work because he wasn't nearly threatening enough, but at least one could understand the reasoning behind it.

Hastings seems to be another one of those who can deliver the goods at FC level, but struggles to lift their game for Test matches.
 
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#89
lol at people jumping on the Phil Hughes bandwagon again. Short memories itt. The moment he comes up against any kind of decent bowling we will be back to playing with 10 men.
 

dajesmac

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#90
lol at people jumping on the Phil Hughes bandwagon again. Short memories itt. The moment he comes up against any kind of decent bowling we will be back to playing with 10 men.
Hughes had an outstanding summer in England and has been in good SS form. He is also very capable of batting at three which he has done several times in the past 6 months - mainly for Worcestershire.
 

Hellgood

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#91
lol at people jumping on the Phil Hughes bandwagon again. Short memories itt. The moment he comes up against any kind of decent bowling we will be back to playing with 10 men.
Last time Hughes was unbelieveably picked in the middle of an Ashes series with a first class average of 12. That was a disgusting decision by the selectors, but he has gone over to England, found some very good form, came back for the Australian domestic summer and is the leading run scorer. Out of all the candidates in a very slim field, he's the one who deserves it the most at the moment.
 

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#92
Warner - can't understand why people want him sent down the order
Cowan - still have question about him but willing to give another go, definitely running out of chances
Hughes - is scoring runs and has taken on board comments about why he was dropped and lost his contract. Age on his side and could also replace Cowan if he continues to struggle
Hussey - we're not making the most of him at 6
Clarke - regardless of the calls plays his best cricket at 5 so leave him there
Watson - not that I want him in the team at all but they will pick him.
Wade -
Starc - did enough in Perth to get another go
Siddle -
Lyon -
Hilfenhaus - home pitch and conditions in Hobart will suit a lot more than Adelaide.
---
Bird - 12th man
 

Jeremy Jordan

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#94
Clarke should be batting at 3. Its where your best batsmen bats as he can setup the innings for a team. Where Clarke is at the moment, he is two recognised batsmen and a wicketkeeper away from batting with the tail. He isn’t playing well because of the position he bats, its because he is seeing them like a beachball.
 

TennisPlayerAndy

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#95
Hughes is not a test #3. If he is to play, they should drop either Warner or Cowan.

Give Quiney the Sri Lankan series and if he fails, goodbye Rob.
 
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#98
This was almost exactly the team I was thinking and I hope they go for it. Maybe swap Hilf if he isn't fit or they want somebody else new (I would stick with him though). I'd have Watto at 4 and Clarke at 5 still, I don't want to move Clarke, but Watto isn't working at 3 and if Huss can stay in for a bit and make some runs at 3 it definitely opens it up a bit.

I could see Clarke working at 4 against Sri Lanka though as their spinners are more scary than their pace options.
Yep I agree with this. Hussey to 3, Clarke at 4/5, Watson at 5/4 (preferably 5 imo) and the new batsman at 6 (and then we can assess if he would be able to move up the order once Huss retires). As others have said, introducing a new/inexperienced batsman at 3 probably wouldn't help fix the top order stability issues. I don't see how Clarke's batting would be affected by moving up one position to 4 and I reckon Huss would easily be able to cope with batting at 3. He's probably our best leaver of the ball and we all know about his ability to rotate the strike and score quickly if need be. Watson at 5 would be beneficial to his bowling and hopefully alleviate some of the pressure he's been under coming in at 1 for stuff all.
 
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#99
Hmm. I'm going to suggest something different to see if it can generate discussion.

Ed Cowan
David Warner
Mike Hussey
Michael Clarke (c)
Shane Watson
Usman Khawaja/Phil Hughes
Matthew Wade (+)
Peter Siddle
Mitchell Starc
Ben Hilfenhaus
Nathan Lyon

Why don't we use Hussey's current position of 6 to bring in players and get them some easier runs to build up their confidence? Then, once Hussey retires, they can move up to 3 knowing they are worthy of being in the Test side and can use this confidence instead of being thrown in there straight off?
This!
 

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Cowan
Warner
Hughes
Khawaja/Watson
Clarke
Hussey
Wade
Siddle
Johno
Starc
Lyon

Watson's batting doesnt warrant a spot in the side. Should be replaced by Khawaja but not if his attitude is as bad as reported by the SMH.
 
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