Five changes Australia should make for the third Test

I'd believe Daniel. He knows about these things.

M Marsh has never been picked as an out and out bowler. He's been an all-rounder. Let's give him a Crack at the discipline he's showed plenty with in the National side. He could do no worse than Joe Mennie and Peter Siddle of late.

Outside of fast conditions he doesn't fare so well. That one series in the UAE aside. Interestingly he does average 90 in South Africa, from limited games. He's still about the best we have for any conditions despite his record in most places outside the two nations with the fastest decks. Still needs to temper his game in some circumstances and come to grips with when the ball is not coming on to the bat hard and fast.

The best attacking and experienced batsmen in your team generally bat 3-5. That is how the best TEST teams have always preformed at their best. Australia is so reliant on Warner and Smith getting a big score at present. They are both being exposed to the new ball against possibly the best all round test pace attack in the world. If Elgar and Cook can keep the Australian attack at bay for an hour Amla and Du Pleases come in and dictate. Imagine the confidence South Africa get when they remove Warner early and expose Smith also? It can be devastating mentally for the team batting, watching your best 2 batsmen removed in the first session of play and equal reassuring when they are still in the shed waiting to bat.

SA has variety and that is the key; Philander seams the ball, Morkel gets the height and so does Rabada and Steyn with his lethal swing

Maxwell's a limited over pedigree

One says six, one says five, hard to find which one to believe ?

Which one?

Warner Bancroft Khawaja Smith Hanscomb Patterson Nevill Starc Hazelwood Lyon Bird Left right left right right left ... invest in youth and optimise other side difficulties at a time like this: Long tail I agree, could be persuaded to replace Nevill with Wade for added oomph. Smith should remember he was originally selected as a wicket taker; work on it -- and show much more faith in a (slowed down) Lyon.

See Rod Marsh has resigned as Chairman of Selectors. Tomorrow we have three selectors rehearsal games (also known as Shieffield Shield) where 3rd Test aspirants can play themselves into, or out of selection.

Philander doesn't get the new rock for Saffas. I think it's about variety, and Sayers would work well in tandem with a Starc I reckon. You'd assume that because Mennie hasn't been sent back to shield, that they are happy with him in their lineup and will keep him for the Adelaide test, but Sayers should at least be in the squad.

Warner has a pretty good average after 56 tests for someone who is not a Test opener.

lot of talk for sayers here ...and fair enough ...but analyse things a little more closely Sayers despite his pedestrian pace allways gets the new rock and from his preferred end for south oz. Mennie allways makes do with the first change ..if you think mennie's pace dropped at bellerieve ...wait till you see sayers as change bowler in to the wind with an old ball . i suggest he might barely break 120 k . As good as sayers can be i watched a shield game a while back at the gabba ...where the deck flattened out ...and although he trundled long and hard all day ...qld flogged em and he didnt take a wicket and he looked like a park bowler . He wont be getting the new rock with the wind behind him in a test match ...i would think ?

Warner has won many games for the Aussies with his style of batting. Maxie has done so in limited overs for our country as well as saved Victoria in shield cricket.

In this day and age, a keeper must be able to bat and bat well. Has to average at least 30. At the moment, Nevill is the worst batsman of all keepers in the world among test nations other than Zimbabwe

Lehmann OUT

How many chances do you want to give Mitch Marsh? He failed dismally in his home ground test and has done little to justify selection...aside from being young.

He is most like Andrew symonds in what he brings to the test team. With bat, ball or in the field he would give you something good each match. Maxie is a batting all rounder so isn't being asked to take big hauls with the ball. Just the odd one or two here and there to break partnerships and the like. His bowling in odis is very solid. Maxie has said he thinks the long form is his best part of his game. Has done well in England in county cricket and saved the vics multiple times recently

You have actually pin pointed our whole problem with our current poor Test performances there Rissole ! So Bancroft failed when conditions weren't perfect ! How would he have done on Tassie this week ? Probably similarly. Basically, we have bastardised the game completely to a limited overs / 20/20 format focus, where the pitches need to be roads to allow for full TV hours of coverage and the promotion of big tonking extravaganzas ! So our batsmen rarely play on a wicket that seams, or spins and our weather offers little swing during the great "summer of cricket" . Our batsmen rarely bat out a day at the crease , but tonk away till they are all out. If Warner gets a ton, we make 300 plus, if he doesn't we struggle to 250. Either way we only bat out 3 sessions. So it is no wonder we are suddenly all at sea against spin anywhere on the subcontinent, or against the swinging ball anywhere in England, or even with minor seaming variations of Bellerive Oval under cloudy skies! So because all our stars only play on flat roads for Big Bash performances, our batsmen fail whenever their is a minor deviation to these conditions, our bowlers too cannot maximise the use of these conditions through lack of such practice , and our selectors can't even pick teams best suited to the varying conditions . It doesn't matter who they pick for the next batch of Test matches, we will still have the same problem until we provide some variety in our pitches and playing conditions so that our players can get some experience dealing with them ! And perhaps we might finally unearth another Allan Border or Steve Waugh who can grind out an innings when conditions are toughest. But until we get some guys with experience under tough conditions we are going nowhere. We will only succeed in tonker-thon showdowns with teams of like abilities. If it was me as selector, I would not have picked that last Test side, but with it being picked, I would retain the lot of them for the 3rd Test and give them another chance at gaining some experience now under some more different conditions ( eg under lights, pink ball, etc ) . What would a wholesale change of personnel really tell us ? If they fail in Adelaide, we are just more depressed, if they succeed, maybe its just that pink balls under lights rock !

We just don't need a 5th bowler in Adelaide! The test will last for a maximum of 4 days even if we play well. If Maxi is good enough to play as a bowler pick him and bat him at 7/8. Adelaide is a must for 6 batsman.