Warne-Muralidaran Trophy (Australia in Sri Lanka) Aug-Sep 2011

[Doodlesweaver]

Yea unlikely we will get one now. Such a shame as the team has played so well. Hopefully they can get up for the next match and not leave with a drawn series.

Next ground is batsmen's heaven. Unless the Sri Lankans want to risk a loss, they'll serve up the usual road so they don't have to worry about going down by 2 matches.

 

[aussie1st]

I was reading on another forum that they usually smoke teams on that ground.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

I was reading on another forum that they usually smoke teams on that ground.

Not since Murali retired, but batting averages are off the board at that ground so they'll have that in their favour.

 

[War]

Copeland is more than handy with the bat, already has done well in this series so I don't think that is a big issue if Copeland is in the side.

Ye he can bat, but i don't he is equipped to be a # 8 consistently in test. A Copeland/Harris/Bollinger/Lyon lower half one a good day could get blown away quite quickly by a quality bowler in top-form.

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I disagree. Ponting is already one of the all-time greats. He's got nothing to prove to anyone, and let's face it, is facing the wrong side of 35. If he was in proven form, then yeah, stick with him. But he's not. He might be now that the captaincy is gone, but we still don't know. After the humiliating Ashes defeat, Aus have got to build for the future. They've got 3 very promising talents in Hughes, Marsh and Khawaja. Give them time to develop and skill experience in the international arena. Aus have got to look long-term, and this the correct time.

As you said, now that he is relieved of the captaincy he needs to be given the chance to prove whether he can score runs consistently before he is axed for the younger players.

A legendary player like him who is already one off the all-time greats, deserve that much.

And I still maintain Dravid should have retired sometime ago. Yeah, kudos to him for having a magnificent series, but let's face it, he had nothing to prove and is not gonna last long anyway.

Given how the next generation of IND batsmen such has Yuvraj, Raina, Sharma etc have struggled to take their opportunities during the last 4 years when Dravid has been out of form, then you really can't say Dravid should be retired some time ago. IND would have been in further mess without him quite clearly.

 

[angryangy]

A Copeland/Harris/Bollinger/Lyon lower half one a good day could get blown away quite quickly by a quality bowler in top-form.

I don't know that Johnson really prevents that. Certainly no more than Harris. He's more one for pushing an advantage.

 

[Papa_Smurf]

As you said, now that he is relieved of the captaincy he needs to be given the chance to prove whether he can score runs consistently before he is axed for the younger players.

A legendary player like him who is already one off the all-time greats, deserve that much.

Yes he does deserve a chance, but if a youngster like Marsh has performed at the No.3 spot, then why keep Ponting around? He's out of form, almost turning 37, and I highly doubt he'd be in the next Ashes. Isn't it better to give the youngsters more experience?

Given how the next generation of IND batsmen such has Yuvraj, Raina, Sharma etc have struggled to take their opportunities during the last 4 years when Dravid has been out of form, then you really can't say Dravid should be retired some time ago. IND would have been in further mess without him quite clearly.

True, but Dravid was horribly out of nick before the WI series. He's 38, and should have retired sometime ago. It would've given batsmen like Kohli, Pujara and Rahane more exposure to the Test arena. India need to weed out the 3 stalwarts. At this rate, they may all up going out around the same time. That is not what India needs.

 

[angryangy]

The BCCI's lack of strategy is more to blame there. When there's a gap, the selectors shy away from picking too many new players. They tend to pick from a second tier of almost senior players. They could have been rotating players around or enacted a gradual retirement policy to ensure their best players don't leave all at once. Any one player can only keep playing or stop. The selectors have far more options.

But let's not digress. That period has already been and gone for Australia. Recent decisions really reinforce Ponting's position more than anything, because it's a fairly young team needs that balance of senior players.

 

[CremerCurrans]

Sri Lanka v Australia, 3rd Test, Colombo: Ryan Harris in serious doubt for third Test | Cricket News | Sri Lanka v Australia | ESPN Cricinfo

Just when he's fit and firing again, he gets injured. Hopefully they just pick Beer, really don't want to see Siddle back in the side....

 

[aussie1st]

Looks like Harris will follow the Bond route. Don't particularly want Siddle and Johnson in the same side but that looks like what it will be. Siddle can be a younger version of Harris if he would pitch the ball up instead of banging it in short.

 

[ferg512]

Looks like Harris will follow the Bond route. Don't particularly want Siddle and Johnson in the same side but that looks like what it will be. Siddle can be a younger version of Harris if he would pitch the ball up instead of banging it in short.

Yeah, Siddle has shown how good he can be when he pitches it up like at the Gabba in the ashes. But he seems to be a bit in the Stuart Broad mould in that he can't understand that he needs to bowl fuller.

 

[Papa_Smurf]

Aww, no! Really liked watching Harris. He was exactly the spearhead that Aus needed.

Was watching some previous Cowdrey lectures the other day on youtube, and Imran Khan pointed out something interesting. He said that as fielding standards have risen, so have the no of injuries to fast bowlers.

 

[cricket_icon]

Australia goes on a shortish tour of South Africa in Oct and Nov - 2 T20Is, 3 ODIs and 2 Tests. All the young batsmen should prefer the bounce in SA compared to the spin of SL. Then we host NZ and India. So it's going to be a big few months. If Australia manage to win all those series, then that would set up a massive Ashes in 2013. Not sure whether we can, but I'd like to start out confidently

I think SA will be a could place to see how Usman develops against a very good new ball attack, also, isn't this the first time Hughes will be back in SA since his debut tour??
I think the NZ series will be routine but if a fully fit India, who want revenge for the beating they have received in England arrive, that could be a pretty special series.
I think Marsh, since he has performed better than Hughes recently, needs to be given a shot so get him in to open, bring Punter back in at 3 (can't believe some want him gone) and keep Usman at 6.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

I think SA will be a could place to see how Usman develops against a very good new ball attack, also, isn't this the first time Hughes will be back in SA since his debut tour??
I think the NZ series will be routine but if a fully fit India, who want revenge for the beating they have received in England arrive, that could be a pretty special series.
I think Marsh, since he has performed better than Hughes recently, needs to be given a shot so get him in to open, bring Punter back in at 3 (can't believe some want him gone) and keep Usman at 6.

We'll be really going well if we even draw with SA. They have a strong batting line-up and a decent spin bowler these days to go along with two very good seam bowlers. Not to mention that apart from Hussey none of the regular batsmen are in good nick at present. They'll have to pick that up by a mile.

 

[angryangy]

also, isn't this the first time Hughes will be back in SA since his debut tour??

the first time for the whole team since then

 

[aussie1st]

Australia 1 Shane Watson, 2 Phillip Hughes, 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Michael Hussey, 6 Shaun Marsh, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Trent Copeland, 11 Nathan Lyon.

Sri Lanka v Australia, 3rd Test, Colombo: Sri Lanka look to level series | Cricket News | Sri Lanka v Australia | ESPN Cricinfo

So form trumps incumbency. A bit unlucky for Khawaja as he should have been the one that moved up to 3 rather than Marsh but not to be and Marsh took his chance. Marsh is probably better suited to the number 6 spot anyway.