Test The Ashes Fourth Test December 26-30 1000hrs @ The MCG

[Cleavy]

https://www.news.com.au/sport/cricket/the-ashes-202526-usman-khawaja-cameron-green-and-jhye-richardson-among-selection-news/news-story/30dce2aac9f72991a249f9fcd9ef6816

media/coach drip feeding seems to indicate Khawaja will play.

 

[magpie_marty]

Great article from Greg Chappell.
In an era of T20 fireworks and instant gratification, these players risk unravelling 148 years of Ashes tapestry. They inherit a legacy of sacrifice, yet treat it as disposable. Without reverence for the past, how can they inspire the future?

 

[Bedi]

Greg Chappell caling out batsmen for lacking mental toughness in adversity

We embarrassed ourselves to no end, so fair enough, but is it an issue that runs deeper than what we saw this test? Seems like it's a conversation we're only having now. Not last test, or earlier this series or the ones before that.

Clearly the pitch had a big say in the outcome of this one.

Don't get me wrong, our batting has been fragile for many a year now (a decade even), but not because we're crumbling under adversity through playing overly attacking shots like Khawaja's brain fade. But rather just because our batsman are simply a bit crap. Without our bowlers we would've lost a hell of lot more matches – esp the amount of times they've saved our arses with the bat

 

[PhatBoy]

That situation was weather related though.

From memory, the first three (?) days of the Test were washed out, so the ACB and MCC met and didn't see the point of playing 1-2 days of meaningless Test cricket - so they scheduled an ODI on day 5 instead.

And, they added in a Test to the schedule as a replacement - meaning a 6 Test series became a 7 Test series (with the 3rd Test in Melbourne included as abandoned). Probably the only 7 Test series in history.

Initially I think that the abandoned Melbourne Test was counted as an official Test in the players' records (because there had been a coin toss) but I am pretty sure it isn't included these days.

It was but the principle (giving the public a product) was the same

 

[grumbleguts]

Incidentally, regarding hastily organized exhibition matches.

When the World XI toured here in 71-72, they got mauled in Perth. The game was over early on day 3, the World XI losing 5-62 to go down by an innings. (That was the famous Lillee 8-29 match).

So what did the teams do when the match finished early on day 3? They played a 25 over per side game (8 ball overs then) - on the same day (they didn't even wait for a different day).

World XI 8-244 defeated Australia 7-230. Different times.

There was also a ODI between Australia and Windies where Australia were bundled out for bugger all. Windies chased it down in few overs, so they organised a 25 over game immediately and played it on the same day to give the crowd something to witness. Incidentally Australia won the second game.

 

[MarcMaverick]

Matt Page is the scapegoat here. Clearly the batsmen egos must be protected.

 

[Westend]

https://www.news.com.au/sport/cricket/the-ashes-202526-usman-khawaja-cameron-green-and-jhye-richardson-among-selection-news/news-story/30dce2aac9f72991a249f9fcd9ef6816

media/coach drip feeding seems to indicate Khawaja will play.

Yeah judging by that presser usman will not be forced green dropped for webbie and Murphy for jhye

 

[sherb]

There was also a ODI between Australia and Windies where Australia were bundled out for bugger all. Windies chased it down in few overs, so they organised a 25 over game immediately and played it on the same day to give the crowd something to witness. Incidentally Australia won the second game.

I can't recall that one - any idea roughly what year it was?

 

[Cleavy]

Atkinson is ruled out for the Poms

 

[western royboy]

Getting more frustrated today.
Making a pitch,saying it was like last year's when it was 3 mils of grass longer and designing it for the last days of a test beggars belief.
The presser was covered over with political glad wrap.

Have to be better than that.

It’s not the sole factor obviously, but when it costs your employer and its main customer somewhere on the vicinity of $25M because you decided to “experiment” in days gone past you would just hand in your resignation and move on.

But we now seem to live in an era of zero accountability, where it’s just “play on”

 

[Cleavy]

now we're getting the yearly "it always rains in Sydney, the new years forecast is bad" articles to move the test, but CA and the NSW government signed a deal last year to keep it until 2030, so it's going nowhere.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Something in the back of my head reminded me about this game re: the pitch and low 1st innings scores and a deck flattening out on a good wicket, and how the curation team is probably just a bit unlucky that batters don't know how to value their wickets for setting up a good deck:

Australia A Men v India A Men, Australia A v India A - Men | cricket.com.au

Live cricket coverage, live streaming, cricket highlights, live scores, breaking news, video, analysis and expert opinion.

www.cricket.com.au

Look through the video for how the pitch flattened out across the four days.

Much like this test, the first 20 wickets fell for around 300 runs, its just that the players on each team at least tried to bat some time to make use of improving conditions, so that the 20 wickets fell only shortly before tea on day 2. By then, the pitch had flattened out enough that Murphy and O'Neill could put on a partnership as tailenders, India were able to score 300+ in the 3rd innings and Australia were able to chase down 220 only 3 wickets down.

I'm not sure enough posters here are pointing out how the pitch was already beginning to flatten out for the Poms in their innings (which made the fact that they lost their six wickets and could have lost more even more ridiculous, it's arguable that if they had batted into day 3 350 was a par score for those conditions if batting 100 overs at 3.5 an over)

 

[Hamingja]

Yeah judging by that presser usman will not be forced green dropped for webbie and Murphy for jhye

They released Webster & Inglis to play big bash. I would say very unlikely any changes to the batting line up.

Murphy might come in for Jhye or Neser and that will be it I reckon.

They should be forcing the retirement on Khawaja. He has been a good enough servant over the long haul to get a farewell game in a dead rubber but that should be the end of it.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

They released Webster & Inglis to play big bash. I would say very unlikely any changes to the batting line up.

Murphy might come in for Jhye or Neser and that will be it I reckon.

They should be forcing the retirement on Khawaja. He has been a good enough servant over the long haul to get a farewell game in a dead rubber but that should be the end of it.

Whether or not Khawaja should have his retirement "forced upon" I suppose is up to him if he wants to go back to the shield post-BBL (while other players are off in the T20 world cup) and continue to score runs. He's going to be in the same Queensland team as Labuschagne, what do we do then if Labuschagne failed to score any runs and Uzzie is peeling off centuries?

 

[Hamingja]

what do we do then if Labuschagne failed to score any runs and Uzzie is peeling off centuries?

Don't pick either of them

 

[stax on the mull]

Exactly 31 years since Shane Warne's hat trick at the MCG. Pity there's no cricket there today!!!!

Putting aside wanting the Aussies to win (which they did), I think Darren Gough's hat trick at the SCG against Australia in 1999 - Day 1 Jan 2nd was the best Ashes hat trick. Clean bowled and knocking the stumps over with the 2nd and 3rd deliveries.

 

[kenneje]

1. Head
2. Kellaway
3. Labuschagne
4. Smith (c)
5. Khawaja/Webster/Inglis/Green
6. Connolly
7. Carey
8. Starc
9. Richardson
10. Boland
11. Murphy

... could be fun?

 

[Black Diamond]

Connolly is a hard pass.

 

[philreich]

Putting aside wanting the Aussies to win (which they did), I think Darren Gough's hat trick at the SCG against Australia in 1999 - Day 1 Jan 2nd was the best Ashes hat trick. Clean bowled and knocking the stumps over with the 2nd and 3rd deliveries.

I didn't begrudge him getting it either - it was outstanding bowling.

 

[grumbleguts]

NSW is an honorary England in this.

 

[grumbleguts]

I didn't begrudge him getting it either - it was outstanding bowling.

Goughy was one of the few English players you could stomach.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Incidentally, regarding hastily organized exhibition matches.

When the World XI toured here in 71-72, they got mauled in Perth. The game was over early on day 3, the World XI losing 5-62 to go down by an innings. (That was the famous Lillee 8-29 match).

Lillee took his 8/29 (last 6 wickets for 0), then picked up Engineer before lunch. 9 wickets in a session. He then went home sick, so we had to wait until the next day for him to finish off the job I wish we had the equipment to accurately measure speed in those days, Lillee was f-ing quick.

 

[MarcMaverick]

Goughy was one of the few English players you could stomach.

He was lionhearted

 

[Black Diamond]

Putting aside wanting the Aussies to win (which they did), I think Darren Gough's hat trick at the SCG against Australia in 1999 - Day 1 Jan 2nd was the best Ashes hat trick. Clean bowled and knocking the stumps over with the 2nd and 3rd deliveries.

Man for man that team had no business competing in that series.

Yet they played properly and were 2-1 down into the fifth, where they also gave us a huge scare.

 

[Tugga27]

They released Webster & Inglis to play big bash. I would say very unlikely any changes to the batting line up.

Murphy might come in for Jhye or Neser and that will be it I reckon.

They should be forcing the retirement on Khawaja. He has been a good enough servant over the long haul to get a farewell game in a dead rubber but that should be the end of it.

I would be surprised if Webster doesn't play for green.
Makes sense to give him a game now.

Can't see a way where Richardson plays instead of Neser.
He will be out for Murphy.