Australia's Tour Of India - 2008

[Mr.Cricket]

My team for the first match:

Hayden
Jacques
Punter
Hussey
Clarke
Symo
Haddin
Lee
Johnson
Clark
Mcgain

Only 3 players in that team have played a test match in India(players in bold). All of the players have played some sort of cricket in India(ODI, T20 or Aus A) so its not a major problem. But test cricket is a whole different ball game so we are really up against it this time. Our bowling attack yet to bowl a single ball in a test match there (except Clarke) , geez we really need Lee to do something special.

But we will still win

 

[smssia0112]

Symonds isn't playing, that's a given.

I think we need to drop Johnson and Casson, bring in McGain and Bollinger (or even Siddle, difficult time to debut but could be worth the risk), and as for Symonds it's probably between Katich and Dave Hussey (Watson would be a massive mistake).

 

[Mr.Cricket]

Symonds isn't playing, that's a given.

I think we need to drop Johnson and Casson, bring in McGain and Bollinger (or even Siddle, difficult time to debut but could be worth the risk), and as for Symonds it's probably between Katich and Dave Hussey (Watson would be a massive mistake).

Yeah Mcgain MUST play , Casson will get carted all over the place if hes playing. I guess they would go with Katich if Symonds is out. Hes in career best form , did well in India last time and had a pretty good time in windies as well.

But Dave is more similar to Symonds. I mean hes aggressive , good player of spin , gun fielder and can bowl useful offies just like Symo. Watson will give us that extra bowling option and he has pretty good technique but I don't like his chances against Indian spinners.

Would love to see Dave in there but I am sure selectors will go with Katich.

 

[aussie1st]

Definitely agree with bringing in McGain, I would have Bollinger over Siddle for now.
Katich is a shoe in for Symonds spot as he bearly deserves to get dropped as opener. Also don't know if we can class Symonds as a good player of spin, everytime I see him against spinners he looks for dodgy especially against Vettori.

 

[Inbox24]

This should be the team (the best possible, not the most likely):

Jaques
Hayden
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Katich
Haddin
Lee
Clark
Bollinger
McGain

Definitely Katich in due to past success and current form, India is not the place to try some new debutant (as good as Hussey's record looks in tests). Watson is a definite no-no as his batting is unstable at the moment and his bowling would be cannon fodder. It's actually a blessing in disguise that Symonds is unavailable for selection.

Johnson needs to spend some time at domestic level but unfortunately will be a shoe-in. Bollinger needs to get picked and put some pressure on him. The only real conundrum is the spinner's position. The question is: should we just pick a spinner for the sake, or is McGain actually good enough to warrant a position over another quick?

 

[India2011]

I don't know much about the Australian Domestic circuit, but from what I've seen of Brett Geeves, he's a very good bowler with a great action and I think that he will be more successful than Jhonson on Indian wickets. If I were Australia, I'd take him.

As for India, I definitely think Sreesanth should be in the 15, or even the XI.

here's my XI for India:

1) Gambhir
2) Sehwag
3) Dravid
4) Sachin
5) Ganguly
6) Laxman
7) Dhoni
8) Harbhajan
9) Kumble
10) Zaheer/Sreesanth
11) Ishant

 

[aussie1st]

Johnson needs to spend some time at domestic level but unfortunately will be a shoe-in. Bollinger needs to get picked and put some pressure on him. The only real conundrum is the spinner's position. The question is: should we just pick a spinner for the sake, or is McGain actually good enough to warrant a position over another quick?

He definitely has the accuracy and good variation in length. Best of the spinners in FC last season so definitely worth a crack. Also grabbed a 3 fer against India A.

 

[.::Stevo::.]

http://www.cricketnirvana.com/interviews/international/2008/August/interviews-20080831-8.html

Interview with Damien Fleming on the upcoming series. I agree with him on most points, including that the Border Gavaskar is far superior to the Ashes. He has a good understand on both sides.

From a cricket quality point of view - as of late, yes
Or, from a fans point of view - hell no

 

[mattfb]

This should be the team (the best possible, not the most likely):

Jaques
Hayden
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Katich
Haddin
Lee
Clark
Bollinger
McGain

Definitely Katich in due to past success and current form, India is not the place to try some new debutant (as good as Hussey's record looks in tests). Watson is a definite no-no as his batting is unstable at the moment and his bowling would be cannon fodder. It's actually a blessing in disguise that Symonds is unavailable for selection.

Johnson needs to spend some time at domestic level but unfortunately will be a shoe-in. Bollinger needs to get picked and put some pressure on him. The only real conundrum is the spinner's position. The question is: should we just pick a spinner for the sake, or is McGain actually good enough to warrant a position over another quick?

Katich definately deserves a spot but to be fair he isn't a number 6. He had a top domestic season at 3 and a top WI series at opener. David Hussey also deserves a chance and the middle order is more his spot. As biased as I am to NSW players, ecspecially Katich I think David Hussey might get the nod.

No doubt about Johnson, doesn't deserve a spot over players like Bollinger and Siddle who had fantastic domestic seasons. Casson isn't ready for international cricket, maybe in a year or 2 now Cullen seems to be out of the picture.

BTW Hussey or Clarke at 4? Both players are better at 5 imo.

 

[aussie1st]

Clarke definitely likes 5 more than Hussey. Hussey can bat anywhere really and him switching from 5 to 4 definitely change him too much like it does Clarke.

 

[Inbox24]

4 would expose Clarke too much, while with Katich where else could we fit him? Surely not above Hussey or Clarke and opening is taken (unless we bat Jaques at 6 lol).

 

[mattfb]

4 would expose Clarke too much, while with Katich where else could we fit him? Surely not above Hussey or Clarke and opening is taken (unless we bat Jaques at 6 lol).

Theres no room for Katich unfortanetly

 

[aussie1st]

Not much choice but to put him at 6 and hope he doesn't do an Ashes again. TBH he should be fine in that position given hes a good player of spin and if hes facing the 2nd new ball he can handle that too. If he could get out his bowling then we have 2 very handy part timers.

 

[SaiSrini]

From a cricket quality point of view - as of late, yes
Or, from a fans point of view - hell no

India were never thrashed 5-0 by the Aussies nor vice versa (I know it wont happen but just for the sake of comparing!) in recent times. The quality of the cricket has always been very high and has been gripping as compared to the Ashes (which was good in 2001 but was back to normal after that with Australia decimating england 5-0).

Fans point of view - its all the opinion of a collection of individuals.

saisrini80 added 3 Minutes and 42 Seconds later...

I don't know much about the Australian Domestic circuit, but from what I've seen of Brett Geeves, he's a very good bowler with a great action and I think that he will be more successful than Jhonson on Indian wickets. If I were Australia, I'd take him.

As for India, I definitely think Sreesanth should be in the 15, or even the XI.

here's my XI for India:

1) Gambhir 2) Sehwag 3) Dravid 4) Sachin 5) Ganguly 6) Laxman 7) Dhoni 8) Harbhajan 9) Kumble 10) Zaheer/Sreesanth 11) Ishant

IMPOSSIBLE! Zaheer is a certainty and so is Ishant Sharma if HE IS FIT! Sreesanth can only play if India decide to play only one spinner or if we decide to play 5 bowlers. I dont think rotation will be employed against Australia because we need the best to encounter the best.

It seems Mohammed Kaif is in stellar form and has been scoring really well in domestic circuit (he has also been selected for the ROI side for the Irani trophy, where we will field a virtual test side that will play Australia). Kaif or Badrinath should really give one of the seniors a very hard time during this series. Kaif was a success last time when Australia came to India and won the 'Final Frontier'.

 

[SciD]

Just hope Ponting keeps his average intact while playing in India.

scion_sid added 1 Minutes and 30 Seconds later...

Or, from a fans point of view - hell no

Had Roy been coming to India it would have been from fans point of view too.