Dec 3-7: 2nd Test: Australia v England at the Adelaide Oval

[pcfan123]

Mitchell Johnson has a lot of catching up to do if he is going to be the next Wasim Akram

 

[ferg512]

Harris is a really good bowler but remember he has only played 2 tests and that is against NZ and we were pretty weak then, but then again he would surely do better than Johnson. I do think everyone is being a little harsh on the rest of that Aussie attack. They shouldn't look to make too many changes, I would say either Bollinger or Harris in for Johnson but leave the rest. I wouldn't drop North, if he was going to be dropped it would have been ages ago. I mean they have stuck through worse from him so I doubt they would drop him now.

 

[ChefMan21]

Mitchell Johnson has a lot of catching up to do if he is going to be the next Wasim Akram

First he has to become a Shield quality bowler.

 

[JonDogg]

Drop Johnson for Harris or Bollinger (preferably Harris). Keep the rest of the bowlers in (Hilfi, Siddle, Doherty). And I would say drop North but his spin bowling can be valuable, and this Adelaide pitch can give him one more chance to make some runs, even though I would like to see Ferguson in the team just because he's South Australian.

 

[dancingmongoose]

Katich
Hughes
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Watson
Haddin
Smith
Hilfenhaus
Harris
Siddle

Matchwinner

 

[Biggy]

Katich
Hughes
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Watson
Haddin
Smith
Hilfenhaus
Harris
Siddle

Matchwinner

Smith as our first choice spinner, at Adelaide. Genius.

 

[6ry4nj]

It's such a shame that so much stigma is attached to being dropped. It leads to all sorts of players becoming fixtures in international teams far too easily. Off the top of my head, my examples would be Siddle, Finn, and Trott, but this applies much the same to other countries which I'm less familiar with. Johnny-come-latelys to the team (and others!) should be able to take it as read that they are there while their form holds. They are not God's gift and they only got in the team by a couple of tenths on their averages.

If it gets to the stage that someone else is playing better than them, selectors should not hesitate to drop them. And the player - even allowing for massive egos and vital competitive spirit sometimes overshadowing the "greater good" - needn't take this as a personal affront or a sign from the Almighty to give up the ghost. Instead, they should make their usual effort to give their all and play their best, confident that they have not been consigned to the outer darkness, and will again be selected (if and) when they are the best man for the job.

At the same time, this would save us from the bagging a player has to endure before/during being dropped. North and Johnson may not deserve to be in the Australian team right at the moment, but they're not past it and the situation could be very different in just a game or two.

 

[Themer]

Finn, and Trott

Bit odd to quote those two after their performances in the last test although I do agree with your overall point of people being retained due to the aforementioned stigma of being dropped.

 

[War]

Yes but by bringing in a spinner who probably isn't going to blow away teams but can keep things tight and pick up the odd wicket would be like adding a valve that could allow the pacers a break from stopping the leak if they don't manage to plug the hole quick enough.

If England continue to play Doherty as well as i always expected as the 1st test showed. I dont even think AUS will get that out of him.

What i fear & expect will happen is more of the 2nd innings performance in which he was tight (not Warne/Murali tight either since our batsman could change gear againts him without much risk given he doesn't turn the ball) & not very penetrative in terms of wickets. Plus of course he gets a last day turner he wont do anything.

So basically you are still trying to use water from the burst pipe with this. Got to go the alternative.

4 (or five if we count Watson as well) will work if they have all the tools available for them to stop the leak quickly but if their spanner is missing or isn't as good as they wanted (a flat pitch) they could tire themselves out due to over the top yanking of various bolts with the spanner. Therefore having the valve will allow them to work for a longer period of time and fully fix the problem rather than working themselves into the ground.

Watson role as 4th seamer has to be evaluated. It has happened a few times this year already (in NZ, both tests in India, 2nd innings @ Brisbane), where oldy & disturbingly Ponting hasn't been able to get maximum overs out him due to him probably stiffingly up in the field or injured during the course of a test. Which given the inconsistently of the 3 main quicks or general uselessness of the spinner chosen, that devalues AUS/Ponting ability to have a full fledged 4-man pace attack/5-man all-round attack over the course of a test & that not good at all.

Seconly i certainly do believe an attack of Bollinger/Hilfenahaus/Harris/Johnson or Siddle can stop runs leaking quickly more often than not.

Hilfenahaus & Harris are the donkey work bowlers who Ponting can depend on the bowl to 7-2 or 6-3 fields or just in general keep it tight for a few overs & of course can get people out. Which is much better than having a dud spinner who may be tight, but not get people out.

Fast bowlers are fit people in modern day times too. I see no reason how they would break down just like that. What happened in the 2nd innings @ Brisbane wont happen to a 4-man AUS pace attack very often or probably ever again in their test careers, that was just one of those days in cricket 9which is why as the old adage goes its a game of "glorious uncertainties", so they dont have to worry abt that happening to them often, which would certainly cause them to break down . What happened in 1st innings or so is what the AUS 4-man pace attack can do to teams more often than not in international cricket.

 

[barmyarmy]

NEW Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough will be doing his level best to provide a fair pitch - with result potential - in Adelaide following the first-Test fizzer in Brisbane.

Adelaide curator to prepare a pitch he hopes will produce a result | Adelaide Now

Probably better news for England than Australia but I have my doubts about how much you can change a pitch two days before a test.

 

[Themer]

Other than leaving a load of grass on it (which doesn't make as much difference as people seem to think in my opnion) there's pretty much nothing he could do.

 

[Sureshot]

Adelaide curator to prepare a pitch he hopes will produce a result | Adelaide Now

Probably better news for England than Australia but I have my doubts about how much you can change a pitch two days before a test.

We could get Shahid Afridi to do a special on Strictly Come Pitch-Dancing?

(which doesn't make as much difference as people seem to think in my opnion)

Depends in what condition the grass is. Live grass on the pitch can stay live in England due to our weather conditions, throw in the heat of other countries and it's unlikely. Live grass definitely has an impact.

 

[Themer]

I think sometimes its effects can be overrated though, some commentators go crazy even if there's a smidge of green in the pitch.

 

[Sureshot]

Didn't we get bowled out for 260 on the day when the grass was still alive? In part responsible imo.

If we'd have bowled...

 

[Themer]

Didn't we get bowled out for 260 on the day when the grass was still alive? In part responsible imo.

Complete coincidence