Aaron Finch and Mitchell Marsh are both set to be dumped from the Australian team for the Sydney Test against India, with Peter Handscomb and Marnus Labuschagne the expected replacements.
The Australian team trail 2-1 in the series after losing in Melbourne during the Boxing Day Test and have no chance of regaining the Border-Gavaskar trophy, but can still tie things up.
Finch has struggled throughout the series at the top of the order for Australia, scoring just 97 runs at 16.16 and after falling out of favour, it’s little surprise he won’t be lining up to face the first ball at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
His selection to open was a controversial one in the first place, given the besieged Victorian has normally lined up in the middle order at Sheffield Shield level for the Bushrangers.
Labuschagne is likely to bat at number six in his place, with Usman Khawaja the man promoted to the top of the order.
Should reports from the team’s final training session be true and Finch is replaced in the side, he is likely to be joined on the sidelines for the final Test of what has been an enthralling series by Mitchell Marsh.
Marsh came in for the Boxing Day Test, replacing Peter Handscomb in the middle order to provide Australia with more bowling options.
However, with the Sydney pitch likely to take spin, Labuschagne will fill that role. On top of that, the Australian camp rate Peter Handscomb a better player of spin and given India have dropped Ishant Sharma, it’s hardly a surprise to think this change will happen.
Still, Australia won’t make the final call on Handscomb and Marsh until they look at the pitch tomorrow morning.
It’s unclear at this stage whether Finch will be released to join the Melbourne Renegades in their BBL campaign tomorrow night, with the Melbourne side set to play the Adelaide Strikers in Geelong.
Marsh would be expected to be back in Perth colours against the Brisbane Heat on Saturday night.
Gary H
Roar Rookie
Im not betting with you.No idea who you are.Iv got my own little bet on and will be cheering him on from my lounge.
Gary H
Roar Rookie
Looks like Handscome is our last saving grace.I love all these experts that are so harsh on cricketers.Id say they all deserve our support.Not putting them down at every opportunity.Handscomb is a good player.Lets hope he can get 100 and help us get out of jail
Gary H
Roar Rookie
So Handscome is getting closer to that 50????
ForwardsWinMatches
Guest
At 4/300, I reckon another bowler and a half would be useful. Any of Handscomb, Marsh (x2) etc don’t add much anyway. With better batsmen picked and Cummins in at 7, you have to back them to score some runs.
BA Sports
Roar Guru
I would have agreed on Finch if he was just struggling with pacing an innings or surviving the new ball, but when you play the shot he played 4 balls in to a second innings, it is a shot he would have played batting any position and in any position it is unacceptable. So dropping becomes fair enough IMO.
sheek
Roar Guru
Mon, We'll just have to disagree. I accept my mate's reasoning. Maxwell is averaging 26 from 7 tests. Poor. He has taken 8 wickets at 41.5. Also poor. His 1st class batting average is better at 41. He averages one wicket per game but at an average of 44. Poor. There's nothing compelling about why Maxwell ought to be recalled.
Mon
Guest
That is such a weak and illogical reason for Maxwell’s snubbing. Your buddy is wrong and you are foolish to take that as gospel. If Maxwell is proving himself in the domestic red competition, the same competition that we here all champion, then what other proof does he need that he deserves a fair shot? ‘Temperament as a test cricketer’ is a lazy cop-out for reasons that frankly anyone else besides the selectors know.
sheek
Roar Guru
Bfc, What a load of rubbish. On the basis you disagree with Chappell et al, you think you know better. My walking buddy, & ex-schoolmate, has two sons on the periphery, desperately trying to break into 1st class cricket, one in Tassie & the other in SA. He is also one of the more astute observers of things sporting. I asked this morning his thoughts on the Australian team selections, & I specifically asked him about Maxwell. He replied that Maxwell didn't have the temperament for test cricket. He wasn't a test batsman, & while he could hold an end down, he wasn't a penetrative bowler. The only thing he could bring to test cricket was his brilliant fielding. So that answers the Maxwell question in my book. On Finch, he said he wasn't an opener & perhaps the selectors should have thought of dropping him down the order. Of course, as we now know, Finch is punted out of the team. Burns' omission is more difficult to understand, although Renshaw's omission less so. Burns is averaging just under 37 from 14 tests & Renshaw 33.5 from 11 tests. Neither have grabbed their previous opportunities with both hands. It's one thing for you guys to disagree with the selectors. But that doesn't make you any wiser & smarter. We will just have to hope the guys chosen for this final test will dig deep & level the series.
Omega10
Roar Rookie
The selection of Australian teams has been poor for some time but was papered over a bit by having some champion players available to cover the nonsensical decisions. Now we are left with a landscape where the players are serviceable rather than world-beaters so our selection surely has to be far more reliable and sensible. Trevor Hohns and Greg Chappell, no matter what you think of their performance as selectors, have been great servants of Australian cricket, in fact they have devoted their lives to it and I appreciate that and respect that. But clearly, they are both well past their used by dates as administrators of the modern Australian cricket team and need to be replaced. Chappell is one of the greatest players ever to walk onto a cricket field but he last played Test cricket nearly 40 years ago and Hohns isn't much better. It comes into sharper focus when you hear some of the new voices in the commentary box, incisive, knowledgeable ex-players who are far more recent participants in the international game. Surely a few of theses guys are prepared to put their hands up for a selection gig? There is clearly an agenda, or at least a theory about the type of player who should be selected and if you are not in that narrow little corridor then you need to be making a lot of runs to force your way in. Trouble is there is not as much first class cricket now to press your claims and it seems they want to sabotage someone like Maxwell by not giving him any sort of red ball cricket at all. It's all very strange. Hopefully there will be a new high performance manager soon who can blow this mess out and implement a much better strategy for selection than the current shambles allows. As always I will be hoping for the best for our national team today but I live in hope rather than anticipation.
George
Guest
So they're not inept and negligent? CA is a joke.Truth hurts huh? But got your cheerleading guru backing you I see.
David Holden
Roar Guru
Difficult to argue with the call to drop Finch and M.Marsh, but it feels like we are just shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic. It is a shame that no fringe players have really put their hand up with Smith and Warner out
Mitcher
Guest
So batting is our weakness and you send us in a batsman short. No.
Rob
Guest
They won't play Maxwell or Burns because it would make CA look stupid if they play well and Australia win. They certainly don't want Maxwell or Burns to succeed because Bancroft, Warner, Smith and Marsh boys positions would be in question.
jammel
Guest
I think likely XI (without MMarsh or Finch) is actually a slightly stronger XI than we had in Melbourne. I would certainly have dropped both MMarsh and Finch - but for other replacement top six bats! :) Strange with Labuschagne mooted to be batting #3 though....
ForwardsWinMatches
Guest
Trite to say but we must take 20 wickets to win the match. There are no obvious stand out batsman. I’m picking the following: 1. Harris 2. Khawaja 3. Ferguson 4. Maxwell 5. Head 6. Paine 7. Cummins 8. Starc 9. Lyon 10. Hazelwood 11. O’Keeffe.
satz
Roar Rookie
nooooo! we need them badly…please drop Lyon and Cummins. Thank you.
CricGuru
Guest
With you 100% on that. Some of the comments, particularly from Mark Waugh, show a lack of knowledge that isn't easy to hide from the public.
Cric Guru
Guest
I'm, not having a go at you, Vicboy, but what i have seen over the course of the 4th Test leads me to believe that things are not what they seem... and that the Team Heirarchy are activeliy planning our defeat, and that the players are active participants. Why else would Paine allow himself to be Pantsed?
CricGuru
Guest
Obviously a snipe - he is seriously nowhere near Warne or he'd be in all the papers.
Cric Guru
Guest
Handscobe currently 8.00 with SB for top 1st innings runscorer and $21.00 for mom. Happy to take you on. Say for $500.00 liability each bet. Both bets or none. Happy hunting.