Is Siddle set to play in the Boxing Day Test?

overall though pattinson record quite good with averages and good test average there in his two matches for australia to date under 20. He will be keen as mustard . Also better to play a guy who can figure in the summers to come. Siddle is getting long in the tooth , I've loved his work rate and some great efforts in england over the years , he also is a bit more susceptible to injury at his age , we can't have another oval break down

I think you repeated your comment twice there billy

Lyon is a great bowler but is suited more at certain grounds, arguably swepson might be a little more effective at mcg actually (which won’t happen but Id be curious to see him have a go there. – he’s up and down still but he bagged 7 there in one match in shield against victoria recently ) . Lyons been mediocre to poor at mcg , more recently (one wicket last year in two innings and carted by india whereas jadaeja did get wickets there , don’t think it gives lyon the bounce that he is so effective on at perth, gabba or with pink ball. Just going on performances. Id have gary in there 80 percent of the matches across the last year but there are times where he hasn’t been rotated (lords/headingly and MCG/SCG last year( and its been costly actually, its not really putting him down . If the mcg has more bounce unlike last two years and even a tad closer to the last shield game you’d play gary.

To be fair to Marsh he seems to understand that he doesn't deserve to be picked, i pity him really. But this lunacy in thinking he is the answer to the non existent question of Australia's next question must stop

I still have issues with Siddle, an honest but unspectacular bowler, being considered the next best in a country full of very good ( and much younger) quicks. I'm wondering if the thinking behind not having a batting substitute is the ability to get a guy into the team relatively quickly? I'm guessing in each State, they could flag a few guys, say Harris, Puckovski & Finch in Melbourne, to be available if needed. I've no idea if that's the case, but it's the only reasoning that makes sense to me, other than having a substitute batsman with the squad as you suggest.

Yep, and this is a classic beat up. All he said was that Siddle could come into the squad. While Pattinson and Neser would be 100 per cent sure of staying in. So hardly first cab off the rank. I would have thought the real question is if you are going to have such a big squad, why not a batting concussion substitute.

Felix, they did the same thing with Sayers a few years ago. Who knows what goes on in the minds of the selectors. Knowing them it could be Coulter- Nile, Richardson or Jackson Bird.

If he gets picked, I really want him to prove us wrong, because I want Australia to do well, meaning I want whoever is picked to do well. I do feel that Neser is probably the better option, but it's not cut and dry, and I think they'll go with Pattinson regardless. Too many people have been hanging for the day when Pattinson is finally fit again, that they just want to play him regardless of form or current quality.

I think obsessed for a very good reason :happy:

I think the country’s obsessed for a very good reason :happy:

Nope

Sure the only candidate is carey of the younger ones right now on his last two shield games but of course its better if he comes in as keeper if he can hold his form next summer, his run scoring looks leagues above paines right now . Head has the talent thats not in question but he’s got a low cricketing IQ it seems (at least since june making careless aggressive decisions when the game is often in balance or worse he needs to protect the team by staying in instead of slashing outside off in tricky conditions or getting trapped by tactics ) . The question is not really whether head is binned as a batsman its more team balance and if four seamers should be used I think. Last two years at mcg the answer to that question has been yes due to the flat decks – we didn’t get a win at either . Really depends on this pitch but if its run friendly head can be sacrificed as pattinson and neser combined could easily make his runs or prop up starc to go the biff and cummins can hold the fort on a benign wicket with bat too. just depends on this pitch. Langer has said as much 2 days ago

I agree that Head is frustrating the way he'll get to 50-60 then get out but he's still averaging over 40. Until someone obviously better than that comes along I'd stick with him at 6.

Richardson is very talented , he’s just reinjured himself I read but hopefully short term. Cummins and hazel wood can bowl long spells. cummins even better off the new ball when its worn in , he’s a menace in the second and third spells as the day goes on. We just need to be wary of hazel woods fitness probably could have rested him at oval and possibly second test against pakistan. He’s had long injury lay off before the ashes but both him and starc can get injuries . With richardson, patterson and neser as back up we are very lucky and if shrewd there are grounds that can really suit the later three bowlers and patto and neser also make runs and provide some batting depth., none of these guys are batting bunnies and actually patto batted well in the ashes when he played better than half of the batsman and neser is capable of doing the same

Hazelwood reached number 1 bowler in the world before his injury 18 months ago from recollection, averaged 21 in the ashes (and was lower than cummins before the oval test) , and then looked lethal again in the first few overs at perth. Both he and cummins were probably going to be more effective in the last two tests with red ball than starc potentially. Last year it was cummins who took a lot of the wickets at the mcg followed by hazel wood , starc and lyon trailed them on . Whats key is how these bowlers all compliment each other and have so much variation and hazel wood/cummins are more lethal at mcg/scg Id think with red ball than all our other bowlers. Pattinson may be influential at mcg given his average and record there too

He did it in India on some pretty dead pitches but still managed a good few wickets with surprise short balls. Versatile is Patty.

It's a bit of a mystery bag atm that pitch.

My flapometer definitely detects some flapping. The damn thing has been playing up lately though. .. Surely it has to be out of Nesser and Patto.

Didn't it pop out again a few weeks ago?

It probably won’t happen although langer said on 360 foxtel he is considering four quicks if its anything like last year he’s really thinking about it. I actually think it may be the way to go but if theres a lot of bounce or anything like the shield game last week they would want the extra bat (not that I trust head not to give his wicket away). Patterson, neser, cummins and starc make for a very deep batting line up if you think about it. They are ignorant not to go that way if its a flat deck like last year where we got beaten last year (after winning in perth I might add – lyon and starc were ineffective at mcg last year ) . Labs, smith, head and smith can all be filler if they really need relief for the quicks and to get through some overs. The country is obsessed with lyon, I was all for him in perth (two years in a row great figures) , adelaide DN (great DN figures ) and brisbane he gets bounce there which he often has liked. At Melb and sydney lyons averages are poor , last one wicket in two innings and got spanked. I think India are probably better than NZ but it really depends what pitch is served up at mcg and your guess is as good as mine right now.