Australia Tour Of India 2012/13

[fros23]

spillsdrink.jpg.

Steve Smith @ # 5 in a test match?. That is not a long batting line-up, that is a short batting line-up that ends @ # 4.

No 7 "proper" bowling options exists in such a horrific line-up either. Its 3 proper bowlers in Pattinson, Johnson, Lyon. 1 trash spinner in Doherty. Two crap pits a pieces test players in Smith & Maxwell attempting to roll over their arms. And Henriques as bowler who can just block and end.

Sorry sir but this is a ridiculous team.

Based on the bones left in this squad, given that the selectors have obviously not taken the drastic option to fly over George Bailey & Chris Rogers to give the batting some semblance of solidity. The best AUS XI for the next test would be:

Warner
Cowan
Watson
Clarke
Khawaja
Wade
Henriques
Johnson
Siddle
Pattinson
Lyon

Makes no sense changing the opening partnership or moving Watson from # 3 at this stage. There is nothing better in the squad currently, so they have to war for the next two test with such a formation. Either they fail or come good. Simple.

If Clarke wants to come up the order, thats fine. But only middle-order change should be to pick Khawaja for Hughes. Hughes has looked out of place sadly. Khwaja is supposedly the next best young batsman in AUS - so just give him a chance. He will either sink or swin.

3 fast bowlers MUST PLAY. That is AUS only chance to get 20 wickets, it defies logic after Doherty's performance to contemplate playing him a 2-man spin attack. Lyon is the only spinner that should play, since he's the only somewhat decent one AUS have. He either gets better from his Chennai efforts or gets smashed in next two tests.

Johnson should get a chance over Starc. I reckon Starc would be able to step up from his 1st test efforts, but Johnson has some decent experience in such conditions & they might as well play him.

This is still very likely to lose both tests, but its would be the best available XI. Playing Doherty, Maxwell, Smith in the next two tests would be the epitome of foolishness.

your batting line up ends at 4 and starts at 4

 

[puddleduck]

Excellent example of a reading comprehension failure by Aalay...

Anyway, it's a bit rich that this series gets so much interest, no other minnows get anywhere near as much coverage.

Trollololol

 

[sifter132]

Australia tour of India 2012-13 : Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith will be considered - Mickey Arthur | Cricket News | India v Australia | ESPN Cricinfo

Wow, the logic defying statements from them continues. How can arthur claim this is best available batsmen available to Australia when they left George Bailey home??

Plus they have not considered further experience like Chris Rogers & shot down the chance of considering Brad Hodge when he hinted of a first-class comeback.

If Steve Smith seriously plays it will mean the selectors would have chosen all the idiot choices in Maxwell & Doherty for a test place. They are going a very good job of ensuring Australia suffers it first whitewash since that legendary S Africa team beat team 4-0 in 1969/70.

I think he means POTENTIALLY the best batsmen ie. looking 3 years down the track and wondering what his top 6 might look like if these guys round out their games. And I can see his point about not dropping strugglers like Hughes and letting them play through their struggles for experience. I would drop Hughes, but he makes a decent point. Tough to swallow for fans who want good performances though.

Bailey, Rogers, Hodge are all well into their 30s and you know exactly what they've got already. I personally don't find those 3 to be any kind of saviour. Bailey might do a decent job, but he's nowhere near a 'next 4 years middle order rock' kind of selection. The dude can't make runs for Tassie. He averages 39 for Tasmania, 25 this season and he's only ever had a 50+ average in ONE of his 9 Shield seasons. He's played a couple of solid knocks in ODIs (and 1 brilliant one) - that's about it. Rogers is about the 8th left handed opening option Australia has, is almost 36 and has made 3 100s, but with plenty of low scores this year. David Warner can do that job already...or Marcus North...Not to mention that the last time Rogers averaged over 50 in an Aussie summer was 2008/09 (49 in 09/10, 27 in 10/11, 41 in 11/12). He knows English conditions though and I guess I'd consider him if all our openers sucked/were injured during the Ashes. And Hodge is gone - forget him. Katich would be more likely to play.

Face it Aussie fans, there just aren't any good answers in the batting lineup at the moment. Someone needs to catch fire in the Shield and show something.

But I like your XI War - that's exactly the one. Hughes is a deer in the headlights and needs a break. Johnson deserves a crack as well.

 

[Aalay]

spillsdrink.jpg.

Steve Smith @ # 5 in a test match?. That is not a long batting line-up, that is a short batting line-up that ends @ # 4.

No 7 "proper" bowling options exists in such a horrific line-up either. Its 3 proper bowlers in Pattinson, Johnson, Lyon. 1 trash spinner in Doherty. Two crap pits a pieces test players in Smith & Maxwell attempting to roll over their arms. And Henriques as bowler who can just block and end.

Sorry sir but this is a ridiculous team.

Based on the bones left in this squad, given that the selectors have obviously not taken the drastic option to fly over George Bailey & Chris Rogers to give the batting some semblance of solidity. The best AUS XI for the next test would be:

Warner
Cowan
Watson
Clarke
Khawaja
Wade
Henriques
Johnson
Siddle
Pattinson
Lyon

Makes no sense changing the opening partnership or moving Watson from # 3 at this stage. There is nothing better in the squad currently, so they have to war for the next two test with such a formation. Either they fail or come good. Simple.

If Clarke wants to come up the order, thats fine. But only middle-order change should be to pick Khawaja for Hughes. Hughes has looked out of place sadly. Khwaja is supposedly the next best young batsman in AUS - so just give him a chance. He will either sink or swin.

3 fast bowlers MUST PLAY. That is AUS only chance to get 20 wickets, it defies logic after Doherty's performance to contemplate playing him a 2-man spin attack. Lyon is the only spinner that should play, since he's the only somewhat decent one AUS have. He either gets better from his Chennai efforts or gets smashed in next two tests.

Johnson should get a chance over Starc. I reckon Starc would be able to step up from his 1st test efforts, but Johnson has some decent experience in such conditions & they might as well play him.

This is still very likely to lose both tests, but its would be the best available XI. Playing Doherty, Maxwell, Smith in the next two tests would be the epitome of foolishness.

Hah mate If you are saying that the batting line-up that I have posted ends at 4, same goes with your line-up. One thing I mentioned in my last post is that I still feel that Warner is not 100% fit plus he is struggling as everybody else against spin so why not try someone else such as Smith? I think he has a good technique to play spin bowling. He is definitely not going to do any worse than Warner.

You have to change the opening partnership If Watson is averaging 40 as an opener and early 30's in middle order or 1 down.

TBH, all the Australian fast bowlers except Pattinson are lookinh absolutely clueless. Before the tour started, I thought Starc might challenge the Indian batsman but he was horrible in the first test. Siddle has been disappointing, too. The only one left is Mitchell Johnson who has to be in the line-up because he is your most experienced bowler in this condition. Maybe you are right by saying that Australia's best chance to get 20 Indian wickets is fast bowling but let me tell you that we will never give you a pitch like that where your fast bowlers get help. Also looking by how they have performed so far, you have to doubt that are they really going to pick 20 Indian wickets?

I don't know how Australia is going to drop Maxwell? Just because he picked more wickets than the lead spinner?

I can definitely be wrong with the batting order I have chosen for those players but to say that it is a horrible line-up does not make much sense. I am just choosing from the squad that Australia has chosen and according to their performance so far in the series. So it must be the players who are crap, not the squad.

Excellent example of a reading comprehension failure by Aalay...

Anyway, it's a bit rich that this series gets so much interest, no other minnows get anywhere near as much coverage.

Trollololol

Obviously Mr. Sanjay Manjrekar, I am definitely not as great as you are.

 

[War]

I think he means POTENTIALLY the best batsmen ie. looking 3 years down the track and wondering what his top 6 might look like if these guys round out their games.

Don't fall for that trick uncle Sifter. Before the 2nd test, its the same thing he said, they were considering Doherty & how he was among the best spinners available to AUS, then they picked him.

These clowns already have already shown their hands so prepare to test Smith in the 3rd test, god forbid.

Bailey, Rogers, Hodge are all well into their 30s and you know exactly what they've got already. I personally don't find those 3 to be any kind of saviour. Bailey might do a decent job, but he's nowhere near a 'next 4 years middle order rock' kind of selection. The dude can't make runs for Tassie. He averages 39 for Tasmania, 25 this season and he's only ever had a 50+ average in ONE of his 9 Shield seasons. He's played a couple of solid knocks in ODIs (and 1 brilliant one) - that's about it. Rogers is about the 8th left handed opening option Australia has, is almost 36 and has made 3 100s, but with plenty of low scores this year. David Warner can do that job already...or Marcus North...Not to mention that the last time Rogers averaged over 50 in an Aussie summer was 2008/09 (49 in 09/10, 27 in 10/11, 41 in 11/12). He knows English conditions though and I guess I'd consider him if all our openers sucked/were injured during the Ashes. And Hodge is gone - forget him. Katich would be more likely to play.

Face it Aussie fans, there just aren't any good answers in the batting lineup at the moment. Someone needs to catch fire in the Shield and show something.

Yea i 100% accept and acknowledge that the batting line-up has no good options especially with the youngsters. If all of S Marsh, Hughes, Ferguson, White, Cosgrove had stepped up as many thought they would have a few years ago - one would have no reason to think about older players like Hodge, Katich, D Hussey or Bailey.

However given the paucity of batting young batting talent, the only players in shield cricket that look anywhere close to test standard are those older players.

I much rather play those older players right now as a stop gap measure for 1 series, 2 series, 3 series, 6 months, a year, 2 years etc, than worry about "next 4 years solid middle-order options" cause AUS don't have that luxury at the moment.

On Bailey yea i know he hasn't made runs for Tassie in first-class cricket strangely. But internationally for in ODIs & T20 all year - he has been impressive. Look at how his game has transformed on the international stage in T20s. Some players step up in international limelight & Bailey looks like one of those. He isn't that old either, he is just 30. He surely can be a long-term middle order option for another 5 years.

Hodge of course is gone, but he is gone because the selectors never gave him a chance to come back. He was thinking about coming back, but when the victoria selectors consulted Inverarity & co, they said Hodge was unlikely to get a call up even if he made runs in the back end of the shield season.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

I'm actually with you on that War, sure, they are temporary measures, but given the players they are alternative options to do not seem to be benefitting from playing I don't see why they should be retained.

hughes may well be a good international player for australia, but he's not now, and given he's on the cusp of being dropped for the 3rd (or is it 4th) time in 3 years it's clearly not helping him playing with the squad right now. if anything it's now at the point where they're just repeatedly shattering his confidence.

 

[War]

Hah mate If you are saying that the batting line-up that I have posted ends at 4, same goes with your line-up. One thing I mentioned in my last post is that I still feel that Warner is not 100% fit plus he is struggling as everybody else against spin so why not try someone else such as Smith? I think he has a good technique to play spin bowling. He is definitely not going to do any worse than Warner.


You have to change the opening partnership If Watson is averaging 40 as an opener and early 30's in middle order or 1 down.

I can definitely be wrong with the batting order I have chosen for those players but to say that it is a horrible line-up does not make much sense. I am just choosing from the squad that Australia has chosen and according to their performance so far in the series. So it must be the players who are crap, not the squad.

The squad is obviously crap with Maxwell, Smith, Doherty being it. Essentially what has played in the series already is the only useful players.

One obviously difference is i have a Kahwaja @ # 5. An actual talented young AUS batsman. Whether he talented enough for Indian conditions right now is up for date.

Steve Smith is not international quality much less test quality. Batting him @ # 5, i'd wager HIGHLY that he would be the worst # 5 in AUS test history. Come on my friend i don't know how much you have seen of Smith, but this should not even be a serious discussion.

Warner half fit or slightly injured is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy better than Smith. As i said, Warner either will get better or continue to fail, their is nothing better on the bench. Hopefully this experience will teach him to play spin better, since he is all but set to be AUS long term opener for another few years unless someone else steps up.

Same goes for Watson. I accept & prefer Watson opening all day, but with no better options on the bench. He must either sink or swin in the next few tests. Some feel Watson should be doing for AUS as an all-rounder & middle-order batsman what Kallis does for S Africa. So in that sense he has 4 more innings to prove he can score runs in the middle & prove critics wrong.

, all the Australian fast bowlers except Pattinson are lookinh absolutely clueless. Before the tour started, I thought Starc might challenge the Indian batsman but he was horrible in the first test. Siddle has been disappointing, too. The only one left is Mitchell Johnson who has to be in the line-up because he is your most experienced bowler in this condition. Maybe you are right by saying that Australia's best chance to get 20 Indian wickets is fast bowling but let me tell you that we will never give you a pitch like that where your fast bowlers get help. Also looking by how they have performed so far, you have to doubt that are they really going to pick 20 Indian wickets?

I don't know how Australia is going to drop Maxwell? Just because he picked more wickets than the lead spinner?

I'm pretty sure when teams with fast bowling strength won series in India such as Windies 66/67, 74/75, 83/84 - ENG 76/77, 86/87, 2012/13, S Africa 2000 & AUS 2004 - Indians didn't produce seaming or bouncy decks to help them, - but those teams obviously still one. Only ENG last year won thanks to spin.

Not saying any trio of Pattinson/Siddle/Starc/Johnson are as good as those seam attacks of other teams who won series in India. But they have the ability & except for Pattinson they have not bowled to potential so far.

It was only during the AUS summer on some road 5th day wickets vs Sri Lanka & S Africa very similar to India conditions that Starc & Siddle were getting big reverse swing on those abrasive tracks.

If they can replicate that to compliment the good work Pattinson has done in this series to date- that is AUS only way to take 20 wickets. If that still fails no issue, since at least AUS would have lost with their best possible bowling attack. Picking two spinners & Maxwell they will struggle to take 10 wickets.

Maxwell took 4 fluke wickets. IND batsmen clearly were looking to blast him everywhere & after Pujara & Vijay got out. Him & AUS were very lucky IND didn't bat slightly better & didn't make a 600-650 score.

 

[Sedition]

I guess I should have made my post simple to avoid all the confusion.

My Aus XI for the third test:

1. Warner
2. Cowan
3. Khawaja
4. Watson
5. Clarke
6. Henriques or
7. Wade
8. Smith
9. Johnson wins fight to death
10. Pattinson
11. Lyon

 

[SaiSrini]

Rahul Dravid says the right thing about the 'Virender Sehwag' problem that now stares India at its face.
India Cricket News: India must take a call on Virender Sehwag's spot - Rahul Dravid | ESPN Cricinfo

With the selection happening tomorrow, many will be hoping that the selectors take a brave decision and drop Sehwag. With the South Africa tour coming up this year and with India not playing many tests after this series, trying out an opener in the last two tests becomes very crucial. Sehwag doesn't seem to be that opening option for South Africa after his failures in recent times, even in Indian conditions. Dravid who is a firm backer of Sehwag, has now come out questioning his place at the top of the order (and possibly in the side too).

Trying him out in the middle order now wont work. If he is picked in the squad, Dhoni will be forced to play him and make him open. And we have so many options for our middle order batting that a Sehwag isn't really a necessitty there. We have Tiwary, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, etc with backups like S Badrinath.

 

[midgetwars]

Foxsports had an article saying that Clarke is the only top 30 batsman in the world for Australia. That's really really bad.

While the bowlers are once again doing much better. 6 players in the top 30. Interestingly enough, 4 of those 6 bowlers didn't play.

----------

Also does anyone think that Hartley should be in?

Lyon would of gotten many more wickets is Wade actually did his proper job as a keeper.

 

[angryangy]

I don't mind Hartley, but at this point, destabilising moves like bringing in a completely new keeper are really the most short sighted moves of all. You've got people like Craddock talking about 7 players getting the axe. If you want to see England in the 90s, then that's the way to get it. And I suppose there's a lot of money in that for much of the mainstream sports media because they get to stick to the formula of moaning about everything and continue to bark for more players to be dropped.

 

[aussie1st]

You've got people like Craddock talking about 7 players getting the axe.

Has he listed his ideal lineup?

 

[Sedition]

Dude has no idea what he's talking about and makes his living trying to be controversial despite being wrong 95% of the time.

----------

"I could name ? seven players whose Test futures are really under the pump," Craddock said.

Warner, Cowan, Hughes, Watson, Henriques, Maxwell and Doherty.

"The other problem is the troops outside the team are not that good."

Awesome stuff Craddock

Robert Craddock says seven players in current Australia side are potentially playing for Test futures | News.com.au

 

[Fenil]

Sehwag is dropped from the Indian squad for the rest of the test matches. Good move I say. Gambhir too misses out.

Indian Squad: MS Dhoni (capt and wk), Murali Vijay, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Ajinkya Rahane, Ashok Dinda, Cheteshwar Pujara.

 

[Gaurav_7]

Now, I hope and hope and hope that Rahane plays!