Once another trivial schedule-clogging Twenty20 international is out of the way, attention will fully turn to Australia’s Test series in India.
It’s a four-game series to decide whether Michael Clarke’s developing side are the real deal or one who are merely threatening to be.
Talk of the upcoming Ashes can wait – it isn’t until July after all – and while there is next to no chance of that happening in the media on this side of the world, let’s concentrate on the present.
The obvious question has to be whether Australia can win in India.
Take a look at the state of the respective teams and the answer should be, why not?
The hosts will certainly start the tussle as favourites, and quite rightly so given their general dominance on home soil, but the Australians should take great heart from England’s victory there before the turn of the year.
While Clarke will lead a side into battle who are still having significant teething problems, MS Dhoni’s outfit are more in danger of losing their teeth rather than sharpening them.
Aging batsmen, impotent seamers and spinners who aren’t all they’re cracked up to be do not make for an all-conquering set-up and have created plenty of vulnerable areas that can be exploited.
England were successful because they played a traditional, grafting, old fashioned Test match style of cricket that was dictated by the surfaces that were being used.
Runs made by lengthy occupation of the crease, two spinners working in tandem and seamers being used in short, effective bursts pays dividends in the sub-continent regardless of whether they are alien conditions or not.
It took a good drubbing in the first Test for the penny to drop but with the amount of analysis done these days, the Australian hierarchy should be well aware of this fact.
And although there are plenty of variables that cannot be legislated for, a couple of simple factors are non-negotiable.
One of those is playing two spinners. The seamers available are of a high-quality but Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie they are not. I wouldn’t be expecting miracles from Xavier Doherty and Glenn Maxwell, but they’ve been picked for a reason and one of them has to be selected as such.
Another is playing six specialist batsmen. Runs have to be scored in large enough volumes if the bowlers are to have anything to work with and if they’re chasing the game then they’re in trouble.
Run of the mill all-rounders – Maxwell and Moises Henriques – with first-class records that are nothing to write home about will, as a rule, not decide the outcome of Test matches and the urge to try and fill two spaces with one untried and untested newcomer would be a short-term plan with less chance of success.
A four-man attack can work and while it would be hard toil for those involved, that is what they’re paid to be there to do.
With regards to the batting order, Matthew Wade could well be a number six, although I’m still to be convinced, but not yet he isn’t and too long a tail is asking for trouble.
Planning for Trent Bridge in July is a tricky thing to do in India but six batsmen and Wade at seven is the best option in both series. That should mean Usman Khawaja gets a gig but while I think Shane Watson should open, he could well surface in the middle somewhere leaving David Warner and Ed Cowan to go in first.
This may be overly simplifying the whole equation and rarely is everything as black and white as observers would have it, but the evidence has already been planted and imitation isn’t always an unwise route to go down.
India are no longer the force they were, not by a long shot, and they are ripe for the taking.
That means an intriguing contest is in the offing and while the Pom in me wouldn’t mind seeing the Aussies getting a good hiding, I’ve got a sneaky feeling that an upset just might be on the cards.
Daz
Guest
Interesting discussion guys. I think you should pick the in form fast bowlers no matter where you are playing. Siddle and Bird and either Johnson or Starc. Khawaja or Smith 6th batsmen although I think Bailey may have been better option. Gritty and smart cricketer. Quiney got rough deal at start of season even though there was probably better options. I think they didn't want a young batsmen getting worked over by SA quicks. Crazy thinking, you have to pick best side all the time.
sandal
Guest
He certainly wont be picked for his bowling, he sent down 4 overs against the Indian Board Presidents XI last night, at the miserly economy rate of 8.5 per over. According to math, thats 4 overs for 34 runs. Henriques and Lyon seemed to go OK though, and Bird bowled 10 overs for 10 runs. I'm very interested to see the team for the next tour match.
Joshua James
Roar Rookie
Sanjay, your view on Khawaja is surprising.So far, i ve not seen him playing confidently against Spin,having watched him on numerous occasions. No doubt he is a great in the making and i am sure he will adjust his technique to play spin better, but at the moment he is still average against Spin. Believe me, Steve Smith will surely play spin better.Also,they could have chosen Tim Paine as a reserve keeper and batsmen! remember he played pretty well in India, back in 2010! George Bailey would'nt fare poorer either! And for all criticism against Max, he has the ability to turn games quickly! I do agree that his first class record is horrible, but he is one set of players who improve with oppertunities...
Swampy
Guest
Don't be shocked if smith is picked, based on some sensational fielding in the warm-ups the day before. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download it now [http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/the-roar/id327174726?mt=8].
Roger
Guest
I agree with Sanjay, crikey you don't replace mr.cricekt with no show maxwell, Khawaja offers the best replacement so do the logical move and stop trying to find excuses not to give this young man a descent go.
Sanjay
Guest
Apparently Khawaja and Cowan looked the best of all the batsmen. Khawaa might surprise a few people on this tour. He's quick on his feet and I a much better player of spin then the other younger batsman. He's also played in India quite a bit. Wouldn't be surprised to see him in the test team,. Horses for courses. He might be a good bet for Indian conditions. That's probably why he was chosen in the team, something nobody seems to have commented on in the media. Not sure stacking the team with bowlers and allrounders is great in terms of the game, but they are just trying to give everyone a run. Only one guy can bowl at a time, so it doesn't really help much in terms of winning, I wouldn't think.
Roger
Guest
Yes James i agree, Khawaja, Warner and Clarke can bowl and Khawaja will be very handy with the team. I wouldn't pick no show Maxwell but may go for Henriques if he does well in the warm up games. My lineup would be the same as you.
sandal
Guest
@jamesb - that is the most logical, fair and dare I say it, obvious First XI I've seen all summer. So therefore I'm not going to hold my breath on the selectors seeing things the same way...
Red Kev
Guest
No Sanjay, we SHOULD replace Mike Hussey with a strong batsmen but Inverarity and Arthur will not.
Disco
Roar Guru
Doherty is rubbish.
Disco
Roar Guru
Yes, I agree with that.
Sanjay
Guest
You guys are way off the mark. We just lost Mike Hussey, we need to replace him with a strong batsman so the lineup should look like this:Cowan Warner Watson Hughes Khawaja Clarke Cowan Wade Doherty Lyon Siddle Pattinson And if you take anyone out to get one more allrounder in then it should be Cowan.
Sanjay
Guest
Brendon Clarke never said that Watson will not open, he said that his ODI form won't be taken into account which means Watto must earn that spot through the second warm up game. My gut feel is that he will get a big one in the second game and end up opening with Khawaja at 4 or 6.
Sanjay
Guest
Maxwell's 0 was the best we have seen, it had X factor in it.
Saucepan
Guest
Agreed. Unfortunately his back might not be up for it...
Felix
Guest
I'm a fan of that lineup actually, you have picked a better team than the selectors did all summer. Alas it'll probably look more like: Cowan Warner Hughes Maxwell Clarke Wade Henriques Doherty Lyon Siddle Pattinson Twelfthie will be some southern 2nd grade cricketer who has made 100 against the under 10's and picked up 5 scalps bowling unplayable finger spin on a root-covered back yard with a taped up tennis ball.
Disco
Roar Guru
Signs of improvement, that's for sure.
Disco
Roar Guru
Arthur had visualisations of Kallis. (Sigh)
Disco
Roar Guru
Indeed. It'd be a bit like England picking Luke Wright as a Test allrounder... actually, he's had far more first-class and international experience than Maxwell.
Disco
Roar Guru
Getting hammered doesn't seem to bother the brains trust. I mean, the Perth Test mauling seems to have been written out of their appraisal of the home summer.