In a month’s time, on December 4, the Australian cricket team kicks of its home summer against the visiting Indians.
As always, there is much debate about who should and should not be selected for day one at the Gabba.
Prior to thumping the English last summer the questions and statements were gushing from journalists and armchair critics.
‘Get rid of Haddin’. He’s been our saviour in the first innings how many times? You forget? Every single Test.
‘Is Warner good enough for Test cricket?’ It appears so – leading Australia run scorer in the past three series (523 in the Ashes, 543 against South Africa and 239 against Pakistan).
‘Blood somebody new for Rogers’. The Ying to Warner’s Yang last home season with 463 runs in the Ashes series.
‘Harris is not going to last the series’. Yes, he is, and he will take 22 wickets bowling until his knee became unscrewed to help win the thrilling series in South Africa.
‘I wish we had Graeme Swann.’ No, we don’t – Nathan Lyon with 19 wickets.
But my favourite has to be, ‘What the hell is Mitch Johnson doing in the XI?’ Being the star of the 5-0 drubbing of our nemesis with 37 hostile wickets and nearly 200 handy runs (including the Ashes tide changing partnership with Haddin in Brisbane).
There were some that stated Australia would lose 5-0 and of course history shows that the Australian phoenix rose from the previous Ashes series to destroy their arch enemies (apologies for the terrible pun). We enter this December once again with questions we want answered, players we want to see axed.
Positives to be gained from the Pakistan series were few and far between, although things are not all doom and gloom by any stretch.
Let us start at the top to get us in the right mindset for the Indian Summer.
David Warner just keeps on keeping on. This is not at all a reference to his Abu Dhabi stint behind the stumps. The guy changes momentum of games, breaking bowlers’ rhythm and setting a more than a sound platform for the middle order.
There is a murmur that he is hit and miss. Restating, Australia’s leading runscorer in the past three series. If you compare his career statisitics with Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer and Mark Taylor – Hayden converted his Test innings into 50s or 100s 32 per cent of the time, Taylor 31 per cent and Langer 29 per cent. David Warner is at 36 per cent.
Steve Smith seems to go from strength to strength, and was probably the best player of spin in the UAE. His maturity in building an innings was a shining example as teammates fell around him. His dogged resilience was a welcome reminder to the other batsmen that Test cricket takes application.
There does seem to be a push for him to move up the order, yet it’s my belief he is better suited to five, playing a Michael Hussey type role that will be defined by the match situation.
Mitch Marsh showed that he is a real talent. An extended opportunity awaits in the home summer with pitches that will not only be easier to bat on but will also suit his bowling. With praise from Michael Clarke for his cricketing brain and obvious genetic toughness, Marsh has the ability to be a mainstay for Australian cricket in all forms of the game.
Mitchell Johnson just keeps on being awesome. In tough conditions for the quicks, Johnson produced some seriously quick spells which had all the Pakistanis on the hop at times. Once again producing some handy runs (I still don’t believe the stumping was out), he is set to be a thorn in the Indian summer.
These four players in form will form the nucleus of a successful campaign once the first ball is bowled in Brisbane. Certainly there is the possibility to some changes from the Abu Dhabi Test side, and I envisage a few.
Australia XI
David Warner, Chris Rogers, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke, Steve Smith, Mitch Marsh, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon.
So, all you naysayers, the boys are back – get behind them, they will once again do us proud.
Will W QOS
Roar Pro
Thanks Don - this year it seems all the articles are a bit doom and gloom at times - don't even start me with the Wallabies! We finally have some depth out there and I think Darren Lehmann and the new selection panel will not be easily led by the press or general public. Bring on India!
Armchair Expert
Guest
If Starc has a couple of good shield games without injury, test selection will take care of itself.
Don Freo
Guest
Will W QOS...at last an article that doesn't panic because we lost 2 tests. (Apologies, Ronan, you've been pretty balanced). Anything that affirms Oz success is great by me. Even when we struggle, rather than bemoan the end of cricket as a sport, we should always be excited by the players we have who will bring the new light of excitement. ...apparently this comment is awaiting moderation. It must be too friendly.
Tom from Perth
Roar Rookie
Harris also sounded pretty disappointed with his efforts in the FL. We'll have a better idea after he gets a go in the Shield.
Tom from Perth
Roar Rookie
Absolutely. A lot of pundits are picking Siddle to play in front of Starc, and I can't understand it. Would you drop Haddin?
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Yep the time has come for Starc to be given a decent run in the side. After the 4 Tests against India, Australia has 2 Tests in the West Indies which will be on slow wickets and 5 Tests in England, where they will also surely prepare pretty lifeless decks. As Jason Gillespie stated here on The Roar last week, Starc is very good with the old ball and such pacemen are crucial on slow decks. Starc should not be dropped during the Indian series unless he has a shocker of a Test at some point.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
I'm unsure on whether Australia should play Harris in the first Test or not. He played in a Futures League match the other day and took 3-61 after previously having one extremely brief bowling outing in a Brisbane grade match. What is the need to rush him back? Australia have so many good pace bowling options and against India on the ultra quick and bouncy Gabba deck the likes of NCN and Hazlewood would be a massive challenge for the Indian batsmen. Sayers deserves a look in but Lehmann's pace-priority approach will see him overlooked I'd guess. NCN and Hazlewood are neck and neck as bowlers, but at the moment I'd go with NCN because he's a far better batsmen and an absolute jet in the field.
Craig Watson
Guest
No Sam Robson. Must say the Aussie - born right hander has quickly lost favor. Pom selectors are much like ours. One or two mild failures and out you go. The Poms could also poach Sam's kid brother Angus..
Tom from Perth
Roar Rookie
How can you justify dropping Starc and keeping Siddle? Starc bowled as well as Johnson in the second Test, and much better than Siddle. Also, I think Haddin's time has come.
Craig Watson
Guest
Ryno is back bowling again Jammel. If fit by the Indian series he is a must. Time has come for some new bowling blood. Give Coulter-Nile or Josh Hazlewood their test debuts now rather than wait. Rod should hold Sayers back until the next ashes tour to England. The South Australian swingman should prosper on English wickets, a la Terry Alderman.
jammel
Guest
Yep, but as I've said before on here, England are re-building. Indeed they've already done a fair bit of re-building I think. It's not going to be easy unless Johnson and Harris are both firing at 110% They'll be fielding an XI along the following lines I think by the time the Ashes comes around: Cook Hales Ballance Bell Root Ali Buttler Stokes Broad Anderson Finn [Main doubts revolve around #2 and #8. Finn's looking like he's on the way back. Buttler's great. Ali as a spinner allows them to play four quicks. It's not a bad XI. Particularly strong at #3-#5.]
jammel
Guest
So you'd be going with something like the following XI Bob Sims? Warner Hughes Smith Clarke Ferguson MMarsh Paine Johnson Starc Lyon Hazlewood Interesting ideas. I like the inclusions of Hughes and Paine. Prefer Smith at #4 or #5 myself, and don't rate Ferguson as highly as you do clearly. But at least you're going for specialists like Hughes/Ferguson/Hazlewood. Sounds ok. Personally, I'd go with the following - assuming Harris Pattinson Bird, etc. are injured. I'd wait and see if Watto can finish a few longer-form games before bringing him back in. Rogers Warner Hughes Smith Clarke MMarsh Haddin Johnson Starc Sayers Lyon Sayers is in the process of earning a go - hopefully this will continue in the next Shield match. Haddin's on his last legs - needs to be keeping at 100% this summer (and show appetite to keep on fighting with the bat). Would love to find room for Khawaja but not right now. Time for Clarke to move to #5 and Smith to #4. NCN's close though.
Alistair
Guest
Haha I remember this time last year, reading about how we would be doomed if we picked Mitchell Johnson for the Ashes.
Monday's Expert
Guest
True, it's easy to forget the team was largely being written off this time last year - especially by our northern hemisphere visitors, how I miss their chortling...
Bob Sims
Guest
Good, interesting article. Agree Australian cricket is still strong. However, Smith to #3, Watson, Haddin, Siddle, Rogers and NCN out, with Paine,Hughes, Starc, Hazlewood and either Ferguson or Maxwell in. Time to start preparing for the next Ashes encounter now. Aaah, how we all love to be amateur selectors. Ranks right up there with predicting the next election result.
ak
Roar Guru
Wishful thinking man. Leonardo DiCaprio's inception.