Meant to be your big hitter? With Ponting in such poor form I'd argue that he's your best ODI batsman and should be at 3. White's struggling because he's coming in with the run-rate low and not long enough to correct it. I say put him at three and let him build an innings, because he looks the only player in your team capable of scoring centuries at the moment.
Well White had a shocker regardless of situation. He hardly hit anything in the middle of the bat until the last couple of overs - when he changed bats
But full credit to him for slogging it out and sticking around - you could tell he was extremely frustrated by his lack of form.
Yes, he's done well when opening, but it doesn't suit him, his strengths suit the middle overs. Why? Because he plays spin better than pace. And works gaps better than hitting boundaries.
The problems I see is the opening partner for the aggressive guy not rotating the strike. Marsh had this problem and now Paine seems to have the same one. It just kills the momentum of the guy at the other end and hence we hardly ever see those flying starts from us anymore. And the middle overs where we just nudge it around at 3-4 an over. Those tactics work well when you have Gilchrist and Hayden getting you off to flyers and then Symonds to keep it going but we don't have either now although White could do the Symonds role but they seem to be 1 in every 5.
Amen brother. The question is who would partner Watson best? I've just slammed M.Clarke's suitability to open above, but at least he's good at picking singles. Brad Haddin when he comes back is more a basher, not a strike rotator - fair enough, but I think we could use him lower down when we already have one basher up top in Watson and especially since Haddin can tonk spinners well. Deep down, I contend the best man to open is
R.T.Ponting. Can pick up singles, especially early when he's playing himself it and can pierces gaps regularly for boundaries if Watson isn't firing. It would be like Tendulkar being elevated to open. Gives him the whole innings to play and gets the bowlers first up when they haven't just celebrated a wicket.
My personal preference list for Watson's partner:
a) Ponting - doubt he'll ever move, but I'd love a Watson/Ponting/Clarke top 3.
b) Simon Katich - I think he'd be a great foil for Watto, just like in Test cricket. But...he'll never sniff the ODI team again I'm afraid...
c) Hopes/Warner - Someone who is going to go very hard at the ball and will let Watson be a little more reserved
d) Haddin/Paine
e) Marsh/Hughes/some other 'proper' opener
f) M.Clarke - could do the job, but I think it's a waste
I know one guy that won't be happy with it
I hope this doesn't mean we play Smith at 8 for the ODI series or the Test one for that matter although I know it'll be a given for Test if Hauritz isn't fit.
Well unfortunately it's Hauritz and Harris who were injured - 2 of our better batting bowlers. I doubt they want a tail of McKay, Bollinger, Tait and Hazlewood with Smith the spinner at #7, so I think Hopes and Smith are going to be 7 & 8 for sure.
But anyway, we are cooked in this series :crying...once Bollinger's bowled his 10 overs, it's really a bunch of hacks for the other 40. Can't see Aussies getting anywhere near winning this series. It would have to take some freaky spin from Smith, some freaky pace from Tait, or about 7 stupid hole out shots to Watson/Hopes/McKay to get any wickets...
