Ricky Ponting is suffering from PMT which for the uninitiated is Post McGrath Tension. Throw in Hauritz as a replacement for Warne and it becomes a full blown migraine.
In 1993 Border instructed Warne to bowl pies in the lead up matches. He then unleashed the legspinner on an unsuspecting opponent. The bemused look on Mike Gattings face said it all. The rest is history.
I do not believe Ponting has asked Hauritz to do the same.
English batsmen have been fed a diet of offspinners since Laker. They have had, over the years, off spinners ranging from Titmus to Emburey and now Swann.
The selection of Hauritz was ill conceived and Bryce McGain would have been a better option. McGain was dumped after one bad Test foray. He had just come back from a shoulder operation and in hindsight was rushed back.
Unless the Cardiff pitch is turning square I would not contemplate playing Hauritz. And after contemplating briefly I would still not play him.
Marcus North can impersonate Hauritz and also improve on him. Michael Clarke and Katich will have to start earning some of the guaranteed $1.5 million promised to Australia’s elite cricketers.
Siddle continues to excel at every opportunity and has already been “locked” in to partner Mitchell Johnson.
Brett Lee’s profligacy with no balls should ensure his omission from the starting XI. The Australians bowled 37 no balls in this practice match. They have become proficient in this art form. Lee bowled 14 and Hilfenhaus 11.
Even Hauritz bowled 8 no balls. Inexcusable for a spinner. Siddle and Clark rectified this in the second innings but not the other three.
Lee had a caught behind denied because of a no ball. So the importance of staying behind the line cannot be overstated.
Siddle and Johnson can both bowl in the 150 plus range and the English batsmen will be wearing extra protection. Johnson will have the same effect on the English that Warne had in 1993. In partnership with Siddle this looks the most potent new ball attack since the halcyon days of Lillee and Thommo. I smell the blood of an Englishman!
The last bowling spot appears to be between Lee and Hilfenhaus and I expect a four man pace attack with the option of using Clarke, North and Katich.
The Australian batting looks steady and Philip Hughes was assured in the second dig.
This is finally Ponting’s team and his leadership qualities will be tested.
He has established his credentials as a batsman and is one of the Modern Greats. How he leads this side will determine his standing in the hierarchy of Australian captains.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Viscount. I just think Siddle is a country lad untouched by the "bling" that surrounds someone like a Michael Clark. If MC would go back to being a simple lad playing on instinct he would surprise himself. He has innate talent and is blessed with "feel" He should forget the colour coordinated gloves and bat and concentrate on the next ball. His innings of 150 odd in Bangalore was the best debut innings I have seen since Greg Chappell. He has to go back to that. Pietersen and MC are similar. In Pietersen's case his ego is gbigger than his undoubted talent. He should be easy meat for Clark and Johnson.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Ok .Katzilla,lets take your supposition to its logical conclusion. Punter is foxing. So he doesn't play Hauritz against England Lions. The Poms think Hauritz is out of the reckoning. Come Cardiff and Ponting picks Hauritz. He better have been foxing because if hauritz bowls the same pies England will want him bowling from both ends. On the other hand if hauritz can actually bowl and do the job I will applaud the tactical nous of Australia's think tank. Somehow I dont think Hauritz is anywhere approximating the serial texter.
Viscount Crouchback
Guest
Ah, I bow to your greater knowledge, Vinay! I look forward to watching Siddle. He looks to be full of heart and pluck, and such bowlers are always a treat to watch. Yes, I like Clark. I know that form tends to be paramount in the minds of selectors nowadays, but I think they'd be silly not to pay attention to the traditional difficulties English batsmen have endured against that type of bowler. Collingwood is a pretty useless batsman in my opinion. He has a certain resilience, true, but I don't believe his technique is up to scratch. My own view of the English batting accords with Shane Warne's - they could easily find themselves 150 all out if Pietersen doesn't fire.
katzilla
Roar Guru
'I do not believe Ponting has asked Hauritz to do the same. ' Lol, maybe he has? His campain of 'Fool the Brits' may have been a longer protracted one? We wont know until Hauritz bowls Pieterson around his legs.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Viscount- I watched Siddle for five days and on the fourth day on a dead pitch he made things happen when Bollinger and Johnson struggled. The SCG pitch is now low and slow. It has changed over the last 30 years and the carry of the 1970's has gone. Is it just an old lady now? They did dig it up three years ago but like all facelifts it ultimately sags. I agree Colingwood tends to slap the ball rather than play it and will be found wanting against Johnson. Stuart Clark needs a long bowl in Worcester but I believe he is a quality and thinking bowler.
Viscount Crouchback
Guest
I don't think the English batsmen will be worried by pace. It has never especially troubled them in the past. It's bowlers who can reverse swing the ball or bowl a nagging line with steepling bounce just back of a length (e.g. McGrath/Clark) who tend to expose them. Collingwood's technique, for instance, just begs to be examined by someone like Clark. Johnson will worry the English because he's such a wonderful swinger of the ball, but I'm not convinced that Siddle has enough in his armoury. Bowling hard won't be enough on relatively placid English pitches.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Thanks,RK, This Ashes is getting a lot of media time in India and Australia is still the team that everyone wants to knock off. Both India and South Africa are close but I think they only have a window of 18 months to knock Australia off. After that India will lose Dravid and Tendulkar and South africa will lose Kallis. In the meantime Australia.s bench of bowlers looks good . Australia does need a couple of young batsmen to step up and Callum Ferguson looks a likely lad.
Rickety Knees
Guest
Great post Vinay
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Kersi-That is an amazing record. Has any other country got anything close to this at Lord's. ?
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Hi Vinay, The last time Australia lost to England at Lord's was way back in 1934. That is 75 years without getting beaten at Lord's. Will Ponting's men maintain the rage and the sequence?
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Kersi England are giving themselves every chance by not playing the first test at Lords. Australia have not lost at Lords since 1989. Or maybe even longer. Do you know that last time the Aussies lost at Lords? Australia has to come out firing against the England Lions at Worcester. Nothing less than an emphatic victory will do. This match could go a long way in determining Lee's test career.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Vinay, You have summed it up very well. I loved your reference of PMT as post-McGrath tension. Also you have recreated another fairy tale in "I smell the blood of an Englishman!" Early days to predict the result of the Ashes, even for Nostradamus. My prediction? 2-2 with one draw.