Two Test batting spots are up for grabs in today’s fourth round of the Sheffield Shield with a huge group of batsmen in contention to play the first Test against India.
Matt Renshaw, Joe Burns and Marnus Labuschagne will today battle Australia’s full-strength Test attack as they compete for spots in the Test lineup.
Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon have been named in the New South Wales squad to play Queensland in the fourth round of the Sheffield Shield in Canberra.
Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch are locks for the first Test after excelling in the UAE, while my gut tells me Shaun Marsh and Mitch Marsh are almost certain to join them in the top six against India.
That leaves two Test batting spots being fought for between the likes of Labuschagne, Renshaw, Burns, Travis Head, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris and Jake Lehmann.
In fact, the field is so wide open that a massive score in this round of the Shield could well earn a shock Test debut for a host of other batsmen. But it seems the aforementioned group are the frontrunners.
This round of the Shield is particularly crucial for Test contenders because once it is finished the Australian selectors may well decide on their squad for the first Test against India starting on December 6.
The following round of the Shield doesn’t wrap up until five days before the first Test and the selectors typically announce their squad more than a week beforehand.
Renshaw, Burns and Labuschagne have the advantage, or disadvantage depending on the way you view it, of facing Australia’s first choice Test attack over the next four days.
Matt Renshaw at the crease for Australia. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Runs against that quartet of gun NSW bowlers will surely be weighted more heavily by the Australian selectors. Cameron Bancroft clinched his Test debut last summer by shining against those same four bowlers in the Shield, with a double of 76no and 86 against NSW.
Labuschagne is an incumbent in the Test team having made his debut against Pakistan in the UAE. While he was a surprise weapon with the ball, Labuschagne laboured with the bat and is in a form trough having made just 172 runs at 17 from his last six first-class matches.
It would be a big risk for Australia to pick another out of form batsman to play India given the Marsh brothers have both struggled horrendously in Tests of late.
The brothers together have averaged just 15 with the bat across seven Tests since the Ashes but look set to be saved by Mitch’s vice-captain status and Shaun’s recent runs in ODIs and the Shield.
Unless Labuschagne bats supremely against NSW, the Australian selectors should be looking elsewhere.
Renshaw and Burns are the two best credentialed batsmen outside of the Test team. The former has hammered six first-class tons this year alone and at just 22 years old is one of the world’s elite young first-class cricketers.
Burns, meanwhile, has a fine Test record, with three tons from 14 matches and an average of 37. The 29-year-old has also been in top form in the Shield, with 941 runs at 52 since the start of last summer.
Burns has been treated very poorly by the Australian selectors, dropped four times already in his brief Test career.
I was saying Booo-Urns. (AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)
Ideally, form permitting, Australia would open with Renshaw and Labuschagne against India, with Khawaja and Finch sliding down the order to three and four respectively.
That still could occur if the Queensland openers flourish against Australia’s Test attack in the new few days.
There’s also the possibility Harris could open against India if he dominates in this round of the Shield.
The 26-year-old Victorian recently made 250* against NSW and has piled up 1,862 runs at 48 over the past three Shield seasons.
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The other scenario is that Khawaja and Finch could remain as Test openers, with the selectors instead considering changes to their middle order.
Head played one very impressive knock in his debut Test series in the UAE, a fighting 72 to help Australia to a rousing draw in the first Test. But I doubt his spot is safe, particularly if he doesn’t make runs against Western Australia this round.
Handscomb and Lehmann seem to be the two batsmen pushing hardest for a Test middle order berth. Lehmann appeared to be firmly in contention for an Ashes debut last summer before his form nosedived in the latter two-thirds of the Shield season.
He’s started this Shield season very strongly with 298 runs at 74.
Handscomb, meanwhile, owns a good Test record of 829 runs at 44, and has been solid in the Shield so far this summer with 200 runs at 50. He must be close to a Test recall.
Whether he earns one likely depends on this round of the Shield, which will be the most significant of the summer to date.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
At one point last season I remember flicking between some different shield games and they varied from having commentary, graphics for scores and several cameras in one, to having basically a single camera and no sound in another. Massive variation. There are a couple that do it really well, but clearly one or two don't care to spend too much time or money getting a decent stream going.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Pretty much. It will mean he won't have played a single first class match all season when the first test selection is made and he's one of the players in the situation of needing to put some first class runs on the board to push his case, and he's just not getting the chance to.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
It's a tough one. When players fail at test level, the call is to go back to first class level and score some runs, find some form. They've done that. But even doing that there needs to be a point where they have to start converting that to the next level up. Mitch, especially, even scoring lots of runs in the Shield, needs to start doing a lot better at test level very quickly. There have been much better first class players over the years who've struggled to make the step up and in the end had their papers marked at test level. He needs to start consistently scoring runs in tests or he could be the next in that line.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I think the selectors will probably stick with 5 of the top 6 from the UAE tests. The only one out will be Labushagne. The Marsh's will both be picked, Khawaja's only issue is fitness, and all reports are he will make it for the first test, and Finch didn't have any big innings, but also didn't have any failures in the UAE and finished the series with an average of 45 or so. So he's in. The selectors clearly like Head. He had one decent innings in the UAE, and has had one decent innings returning to the Shield, so I suspect he will be in. That leaves one spot for either Renshaw or Burns. No space for both. So as such, I'd suspect they'll go for Renshaw and he will open with Khawaja, with Finch dropping into the middle order.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Yeah, I reckon for Maxwell to have had any chance of playing this test series he would have needed to come out and score at least 2-3 hundreds in the Sheffield Shield rounds to start the season. The fact the T20i's and ODI's mean he hasn't got a chance to play in a single Shield match mean that he's absolutely no chance.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Also, Maxwell being in the ODI and T20 squads mean he hasn't had a chance to play a single Shield match this season (he's not the only one, but probably of the potential contenders he's the one hurt most by it). His only real chance of playing in the tests was to score some serious Shield runs to start the season, but the schedules mean he doesn't get to play any of those games, so he doesn't get the chance to impress.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
That's pretty much what I would think though probably switch S.Marsh and Finch in the order.
AREH
Roar Guru
As I see it's really only one place in the six up for grabs still. Because I'd almost go as far to say five are locked in Finch, Khawaja, Head and Marsh x2. So either someone comes in to open alongside Finch (shudders at the idea of Finch opening beyond the UAE) like Harris, Renshaw or Doolan, or the inclusion is a middle order player such as Wade or Handscomb with Khawaja opening. I would be very surprised if Labuschagne was retained
dan ced
Guest
Khawaja Finch Smersh Head Cooper Neser Paine Starc Cummins/Hazelwood Tremain Lyon Not sure if I'd replace Cummins or Hazelwood with Tremain, but I'd like to give him a go. Neser ahead of Mitch Marsh, should provide better value with the ball and score more runs. Cooper in for Labushagne as a like for like.. but better!
dan ced
Guest
I think you should look at their past few seasons rather than career average when discussing form. I've run out of excuses to leave Smersh out. We need his experience and occasional runs. I still don't trust Mitch though, I had high hopes for his bowling making up for the questionable batting but it hasn't happened yet. I was keen for Ferg to get runs and get noticed again because he plays proper cricket shots, and can grind out runs well, but he had a shocker. Cooper (with an excellent start to the shield season) looks a more likely prospect than Ferg at the moment. If Maxwell was played higher up the order in shorter forms and could craft an innings maybe he'd have a chance in the test lineup, but he has just been throwing his wicket away trying to go big at innings end, and so has Stoinis.
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
You mind with what or not is none of my concern. I am asking stats,you are giving philosophy that to contradictory to each other. You don't worry about me and truth, you are galaxy apart from truth mate. If stats aren't truth,then i am not sure what is truth in your dictionary.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
I don't mind a comeback...you seem to have trouble with it. I'm not sure you and the truth have been introduced yet.
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
I am mocking certain players? Or you are defending some certain players by any means? So does putting SS average results into mocking players? Stop responding? Why? Because your feelings are getting hurt? You accuse me of making nasty comments,i expect you to put that comment here with a "". As for as nasty comments are concerned ,you should give up the bad habit of mocking other's name is a disrespecting way,don't you think so? You can't answer a single cricketing question,all you are doing here is jumping around. What "insult" to other posters? Stats are insulting? Care to put here? I think it is you should know you can not get away with accusing others with some imaginary BS. You will be the one in the receiving end. Till now,i have not received a single cricketing comment from you. All of your comments are " Carrier average doesn't matter" "You are insulting" "You can't be expected to be taken seriously" Now go ahead,tell that telling truth is also insulting. :-D
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
Very fair comment sir. I completely agree. My only concern is that you are picking a player in national team whose average is boosted by one innings without giving up long run in shield and see if he can perform consistently.( As predicted,he failed to match that 150 in following innings). I think both should be given longer run in shield and then people can decide.
Kop Shamsu
Guest
Mitch's batting? I think you wanted to say shaun's batting? Yes i saw what worrall was doing, how does that make that baked road not so flat pitch?
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
Honest and fair? Don't you think what you are trying to do is putting MM in team by any means? In that three innings his average was boosted by 151 in that first,followed by 1 & 44. If you have to be fair don't you think you should also take Pakistan's score into consideration too? You are the one who asked how many games in that "entire series " yet here you are giving example of 3 innings. You wonder why i choose just last two innings? Because in that FC he only batted in 1 innings,didn't bat in 2nd(or did not get chance to bat). In this full FC he averaged 22.5!! Why i am saying this?Because after getting picked on the basis of that 150 he made in practice match,he averaged 6 in TEST MATCHES IN UAE. And you are being fair.right mate? :-D
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
You'll find I have championed, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Harris in recent times. None have startling averages but they do have very pertinent recent results. I wouldn't have thought you would go on the parochial favourites route. I simply defend the players I know best against unreasonable hate.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Like that one. If you are annoyed, don't respond. You will always get it back if you are nasty I don't need to stop whinning (is that winning or whining?). It doesn't annoy me. From what you write, I'd say you have no interest in talking about cricket. Your interest seems to be in mocking certain players and insulting other posters. If you don't like being characterized that way, change.
TheCunningLinguistic
Roar Rookie
Hmmm, they just saved WA, but ok....
TheCunningLinguistic
Roar Rookie
I think Shaun and (probably) Mitch are locked-in now, Chris. A lot of the ‘possibles’ and ‘contenders’ failed this round, so, rightly or wrongly, I think it’s likely to be: Khawaja Renshaw (has been somewhat inconsistent, but probably deserves chance) Finch S. Marsh Head M. Marsh