Yesterday, we asked you to name your preferred Australian XI for the upcoming Tests against Sri Lanka, and with the official squad to be announced later today, it’s time to reveal the side as picked by The Roar.
With 900 respondents, it’s clear plenty of Aussie fans want to have their say on the Test line-up following the 2-1 series loss to India in the Border-Gavaskar series.
The two matches against Sri Lanka are the only Tests between now and the Ashes in England, meaning it’s the last chance for the selectors to tinker with their red-ball line-up before heading to England.
Here’s the XI picked by you for those two Tests.
Openers: Marcus Harris and Joe Burns
Harris was an almost-unanimous selection at the top of the order, picking up over 90 per cent of the vote, while Burns (47%) just managed to pip Matthew Renshaw (44%) for the other opening position.
Harris was one of few brightish spots during the India series for Australia, making a couple of seventies and finishing with 258 runs at a tick under 37. Not exactly earth-shattering numbers, but easily the best of a bad bunch for the hosts.
Burns, meanwhile, had been one of the form players of the Sheffield Shield prior to the break for the Big Bash with 472 runs at 47 to his name – although he’s curiously failed to score a century as yet. He’s batted both at the top of the order and in the middle for Australia in his 14 Tests to date, but seems best suited to opening the batting.
(Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
Middle order: Usman Khawaja, Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head, Matthew Wade
Usman Khawaja was always going to make the middle order, and that was reflected in the left-hander receiving 87 per cent of the vote here, but a bigger surprise was just how many fans want to see Glenn Maxwell in the team. The Victorian all-rounder was selected in 64 per cent of sides, more than any middle-order batsman outside Khawaja.
Travis Head (63%) was another popular option after showing some promise against India, and Matthew Wade (35%) got the final spot in the top six ahead of the already-selected Burns (33%) and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis (31%).
Wade’s scored a competition-high 571 runs at 63 in the Shield season to date, and his and Burns’ inclusions are clear indicators there are cricket fans out there who want to see good first-class form rewarded by selectors.
You’ll all be shocked to hear neither of the Marsh brothers got a gig in this side. Shaun was only picked in 12 per cent of teams, while Mitch got seven. Votes, that is, not per cent.
(AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
Wicketkeeper: Tim Paine
No surprise here: Tim Paine has been a popular captain during his tenure and was favoured by 89 per cent of Roarers for this team, with Wade (8%) and Alex Carey (4%) the other options.
Since his recall for the Ashes last year, Paine’s batting has been solid, the skipper putting real value on his wicket, and he’s showed why he’s considered the best gloveman in Australia with some excellent work behind the stumps.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Bowlers: Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc
They might have been blunted by a dominant Indian batting unit in the past four Tests, but all of Australia’s much-hyped bowling attack have been picked in this XI.
Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon both made their way into 99 per cent of teams, and Josh Hazlewood (86%) was also a popular choice, but Mitchell Starc’s place in the side was far from certain. The left-armer finished with 50 per cent of the vote, but at one stage was behind Victorian Chris Tremain (28%). West Australian quick Jhye Richardson also picked up a good chunk of votes with 20 per cent.
Ultimately, though, this attack is almost certainly what will be picked in the official XI as well, and they’ll no doubt enjoy playing against a side which doesn’t feature Chesteshwar Pujara. A pink ball at the Gabba will be a nice bonus, too.
(Photo by Morgan Hancock/Action Plus via Getty Images)
The Roar’s Australian XI to face Sri Lanka
1. Marcus Harris
2. Joe Burns
3. Usman Khawaja
4. Travis Head
5. Matthew Wade
6. Glenn Maxwell
7. Tim Paine (wk, c)
8. Pat Cummins
9. Mitchell Starc
10. Nathan Lyon
11. Josh Hazlewood
Well, that’s the XI the fans want to see, but how close will it resemble the official squad? Keep it locked on The Roar today for all the news and reaction to the announcement of the Test squad to face Sri Lanka.
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
When your national team is performing worse than A team & your domestic cricket is dishing out mediocre players, you have to trial with national team against international quality. "you have left arguably the best spinner in the world out of your side" I guess you are talking about lyon. No body is crazy enough to leave lyon out of the team. Aussie team is heavily dependent on their bowling quartet for positive result that masks many flaws in other dept. I want to see what they do without bowling dept.
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
The theory is good on paper as long as you have the system to back it up. Are your shield cricket good enough to produce best 11?
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
LOL, you misunderstood. I didn't drop him. That would be crazy. I just want to see what others have got.
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
That applies when you have proper shield cricket, do you have that?
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
Yes, he wasn't actually my fav,but had to pick him to round up 3 bowlers. Personally i would like to see david moody . But people will say he is too raw.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
“Burns curiously failed to score a century as yet.” That shows the fallacy of looking too closely at some data, e.g. number of centuries, out of context. In five matches, Burns had scores of 96, 80 not out, 74, 64 and 49. The 96 was easily top score out of 271, and off only 118 balls, against a good bowling attack (Tremain, Siddle, Pattinson, Boland, Holland). It’s hard to do convert 80 not out into a ton if you’re only chasing 135. The only game he failed in both innings was the one vs Tasmania where Bird took 10/93 and nobody scored runs, so obviously fairly bowler-friendly. I worry about the mathematical facility of people who might think that 101 and, say, 49 is necessarily better than 96 and 80 not out. ——- Burns was presumably dropped for the UAE tour because they worried about him against spin. This proved misguided as we were undone as much by Abbas’s seamers. Same thinking went into India series and proved wrong again. Surely the selectors will realise that the priority for the Ashes will be ability to play seam and swing especially for openers? I don’t get the enthusiasm for Harris, who was far less qualified than Burns for the India series. He was hopeless against spin – presumably the criteria for picking him over Burns – and was very weak against the short ball. Maybe deserves another look, but not ahead of Burns.
boes
Roar Pro
If they are going to pick someone on potential then a 20yo with a phenomenal start to his career is the way to go. Not a 30 + yo with an average in the 30s....or a Marsh brother.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Hard for me to slag off the selectors now...
boes
Roar Pro
Looks like the selectors have chosen him too. Fairfax are reporting he will be named in the squad today.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Consistent reasonably good seasons? Will has been a superstar so far.
jameswm
Roar Guru
2/900 votes you mean Scott?
Big Red V
Guest
Blood young playes and you have Siddle....seriously???
Nick
Guest
Look at.number 10.
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
The problem is that there is currently no Shield form to choose from. The BBL season needs to be shortened so as we can have a genuine and continuous Shield season. The Domestic ODI season should also be joined up with the Shield season (played on Day 5 or 6 after the Shield match allowing necessary travel for squad additions etc).
Rob JM
Guest
Well this somehow got posted on the wrong article???
Rob JM
Guest
Selection is an analytical process that the vast majority of sportspeople are ill equipped to perform. Sporting types generally exibit either high motivation or high discipline. In cricket its generally only some bowlers who seem exibit analytical and strategic thinking. Steve Waugh is an obvious exception. McGrath is also another one who seems to be on the ball. People who rely on hunches are the worst, although they can make great captains.
sheek
Roar Guru
No offence meant, but is it possible for Jhye Richardson to change the spelling of Jhye before he gets selected for the Baggy Greens? What on earth were his parents thinking? I met an ambulance officer many years ago during an inter-service "meet & greet" whose first name was Carpet. Sure enough, someone asked him the origin of the name. Apparently, that was where he was conceived, according to his parents!
Dan Ced
Roar Rookie
I don't think Will should be picked ahead of Patterson, Lehmann, or Hughes who have some consistent runs behind them.
Lance Boil
Roar Rookie
This is great fun for us cricket lovers (well I am enjoying it!) but I hope the guys who do get drafted in for what may be the last two test matches of their careers ( if things go wrong) are ready to fire. It's a tough gig for them if you ask me. In the UAE and the Indian series I sensed the deft hand of the coach in the selections. Very hard for me to imagine Hohns and Chappell indulging in "perceived character traits" or feelings of a familial nature to one player or another over riding Shield stats or in the case of Burns , Maxwell and Renshaw actual test match stats.
AREH
Roar Guru
All of Burns, Maxwell and Wade in the top six of the fans XI; very interesting, all deserving of a recall. Having said that, if we ended up with one out of those three in the XI, I'd take it. Sadly.