First let us look at the England Test XI which is making the once strong India look so vulnerable.
In batting order: Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior (wk), Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann and Jimmy Anderson.
All are in form, the team working like a well-oiled machine.
On current form, how many Australians can replace players of this team? Australia has started the ODI leg of their Sri Lankan tour with a flourish; a seven wicket win with 71 balls in hand. And that too against the current World Cup runners up!
Man of the match Mitchell Johnson was at his best with a 6-31 spell. But how long will he wear the Dr Jekyll lab coat and when will he switch back to Mr Hyde’s horns?
Shane Watson started off in a frenzy of five fours and six sixes, belting 69 runs off 51 balls. Former captain Ricky Ponting and new skipper Michael Clarke scored 50s and added 101 for the third wicket.
This is the question. How many of the Australians will get into a combined Anglo-Australia XI?
Watson has done well in all forms of the game and deserves to be included.
But not as an opener as Strauss and Cook have performed consistently as a pair in 2010-11. I can see Watson come in later in the order to replace Morgan.
Who else in the batting line-up? Trott can make way for Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey or Ricky Ponting. But none of them have shown the spanking form of their yesteryears.
If only Simon Katich can be resurrected.
I cannot see Brad Haddin or Tim Paine replacing the in-form Prior behind the stumps. Nor any Aussie quickie can take over from the efficient and focussed English seamers Anderson, Broad and Bresnan.
I am talking of current form and not potential.
Swann has been a disappointment so far against India but he is still ahead of Australian rooky tweakers Xavier Doherty, Nathan Lyon and Michael Beer and the inconsistent Steven Smith.
So here is my combined 2011 Anglo-Australian team in batting order:
Strauss, Cook, Katich, Pietersen, Bell, Watson, Prior, Bresnan, Broad, Swann and Anderson.
Sadly for us here down under, only two Australians, Katich and Watson, make it to the combined XI. And more sadly, thanks to our selectors, Katich cannot make it even to an Australian squad!
The irony of it!
Chris B
Guest
To begin with - the likes of Beer, Doherty etc are not fit to polish Panesar's boots. We have some decent young pace talent, but none of them have the wickets on the board that Tremlett does, nor probably Finn also. Geez Galaxy, take the nationalist goggles off. We're rubbish ATM (but hopefully will improve soon....)
Johnno
Guest
They are and yes they would Galaxy, what would you no.
Frankie
Guest
Tell you what, Michael Clarke would not be good enough to play county cricket at the moment.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
All these and Eoin Morgan too! The unstoppable England.
fisher price
Guest
Nor is it in any way old. There's certainly no Punter or Hussey or Haddin hanging around.
fisher price
Guest
Make that 115 runs from 14 overs!
ChrisT
Guest
Hate is a strong word NS1815. No one should hate. Even when someones run off with your name and left you numbered like a convict ......ah ......
Cricket Burble
Guest
Totally agree. Trott is a dead cert.
Brian
Guest
I'd have Clarke agead of KP in India but not elsewhere. Ironically Watson would fit as a great No 6. The exact oppossite of 5 years ago when aside from KP the only Englishmen would have been Flintoff as Australia had no all-rounder
JohnB
Guest
Went close though - quite possibly would have done in 2001 but for losing over a day to the weather at Headingley, leading to a generous declaration and England successfully chasing a much lower target than they otherwise would have faced (and good luck to them, they did that very well).
Atawhai Drive
Guest
Johnno, you're a natural surrealist.
Colin N
Guest
But it was in Australia. The superb Australian sides never whitewashed England in England.
Galaxy Hop
Guest
Yeah, though England were white-washed in that series. As badly as Australia performed in the last Ashes, we still won a match and did we draw one too?
Galaxy Hop
Guest
No they're not and yes we would.
Colin N
Guest
Katich is a better batsman than Strauss, but the team needs a captain and you certainly wouldn't have Ponting in there at the moment, both for batting and captaincy!!
NS1815
Guest
I love Australian cricket, and I hate England. But Kersi,, you and the subsequent posters are exactly right.. This England team play like the Steve Waugh Australians and the Australians like Hussain's Englishmen. They have batrsmen prepared to stay in and bat for a day, they have bowlers prepared to bowl to plans and wait for impatiernt batsmen to play poor shots and they have a clever spinner who has variations and doesn't bowl a four ball or two every over. We have the opposite, think of Khawaja getting out in Sydney, Clarke and Hussey in Adelaide, Johnson and Siddle bowling in Sydney. Test cricket's hard and takes grit and determination for 3 sessions a day for 5 days. England have figured that out, we've forgotten it.
Bayman
Guest
Kersi, I reckon most have it about right - Watson for Morgan and that's about it. Johnson at his absolute best in both bowling and batting would get in but given his best is about three years apart and Tests are played (these days) about three weeks apart he's probably not quite there. Or even close! So just Watson - but not as an opener. A straight swap for Morgan.
Betty B
Guest
Hard to disagree with just Watson - though it's a while since Australia played a test so a tad unfair to pick such a team right now. Is Katich really discounted? I know his contract was not renewed, but does that discount him from the test squad?
ChrisT
Guest
Interesting isn't it. There's lots of chat about structures, funding, focus etc etc, even the odd foray into claims about national character and other such chest thumping. At the end of the day I wonder how much of it is just the happy coincidence of a generational thing - by happy chance you get your usual quota of a few standouts joined by more than normal to make a great team. Is the downside you've used the quota come the next generation and slump to mediocrity or worse? Also strikes me how sporting success often mirrors stock market behaviour ...but that's a whole new debate ...
ChrisT
Guest
Yep, sorry 'bout that