Green in good spirits after shocking blow

The only way someone other than Green comes into the middle order is if he's still having concussion symptoms and gets ruled out. If there is any change in the middle order, then the only reason it would be anyone but Green coming in would be that he's still exhibiting concussion symptoms. Which I think is unlikely.

I wouldn’t really want to muck up the Lab/Smith 3/4 either, but I don’t know why you’d be worried about Smith at 3. He averages 67 at #3 and 74 at #4. So slightly better at 4, but that’s probably more related to having more of his time when he’s been at his absolute best batting at 4. So I wouldn’t be concerned with Smith at 3, but I do also see the wisdom in trying to minimise the disruption to the order by just putting one person, like Wade or Paine, up to open rather than sliding the whole order up by one. I would think that’s pretty tough on someone like Wade to suddenly expect him to open, but Ponting commented last night that “Wade would want to do it”. That he would love to be given that challenge. I don’t know if that’s the case, but I think Ponting actually knows Wade reasonably well, so I’d go with his thoughts on that over any I might have. As for the Taylor comparison, yes, things like that have happened, but there’s struggling and there’s struggling. Warner had a horrific Ashes, but everyone knew that getting back to familiar conditions, and with a chance to play some Shield games and find form, he’d probably be fine, and he was. But in Burns case he’s averaging worse than Warner was in England, against weaker attacks in better batting conditions than Warner faced or that Burns would face in the first test. Sure there’s a “chance” that first test is the innings where things suddenly click and he comes good, but he’s played 9 first class innings this season for an average of 6. That makes Warner’s Ashes look good. Even if he’d managed a couple of scrappy 20’s and 30’s in the Australia A games that might have been enough to give him a go, but I don’t see how they can.

Could be!

No sorry. You pick a specialist batsman. No way he's ahead of Green.

These lists were on The Roar a few months ago from a piece by Patrick Moran - Paine and #7 contemporaries: Averages: - Quniton de Kock 42.41 - Risbah Pant 39.06 - Tim Paine 34.24 - Colin de Grandhomme 34.17 - Sarfaraz Ahmed 34.09 - Hardik Pandya 29.77 - Jos Buttler 29.66 - Jonny Bairstow 29.45 But balls faced per dismissal, Paine is streets ahead: - Tim Paine 76.90 - Quinton de Kock 65.41 - Risbah Pant 57.50 - Johnny Bairstow 56.27 -Jos Buttler - 51.11 - Sarfraz Ahmed 50.91 - Colin deGrandhomme - 47.17 - Hardik Pandya 41.78 Marcus Harris for example is 46.06 balls faced, Wade 61.00 and Burns 67.58 Tim Paine has a great defence and has shown that when he decides not to go on the attack (notably some hooks and mistimed pulls), he is difficult to get out. His 61* off 220 to draw the 2nd Test v Pakistan in Dubai in 2018 was a great example of this, though he's had some other examples of match saving innings or setting up match winning totals by staying in partnerships. . Patrick's article covers these well: https://www.theroar.com.au/2020/06/27/tim-paines-batting-deserves-more-credit/ Whilst he would be facing the new ball straight up as an opener, coming in at #7 he does get the occasional exposure to the second new ball anyway.

My worry for Burns would be they play for two Tests and he fails (seems likely, sadly) then he probably has his card marked permanently as player too in and out of the team (even if he may have been harshly treated before) and not play Tests again. He needs to get away from the pressure of having to perform every few days and work on whatever it is that is the problem, get some Shield runs under his belt in the back half of the season and, if a spot is available for SAF (if series goes ahead in SAF or Perth) or later next year, take it.

Carey would be a good option to come into the middle order with everyone moving up a spot. He’s going to the Aussie keeper within a year or so anyway and he showed some good ability against the pink ball.

I agree, I’d rather ‘sacrifice’ Wade or Paine, or bring someone in from outside than muck up the Labs / Smith 3 and 4 combo.

I actually don’t mind the even further left field suggestion of moving Tim Paine up to take the shine off, then the rest of the order looks strong with Green at seven. That way, if Paine doesn’t come off we still have basically a full batting order to come.

Mark Taylor struggled for 12 months and then made 334. Its not likely but its possible. I think what worse is to move labuschagne and Smith around because you are too stubborn to use an opening batsman. England turned Joe Root from a 9 to a 7 and now we are going to follow that blueprint. I would prefer Burns to batting Smith at No 3

Assuming Green is fit then it should be 3. Labu 4. Smith 5. Head 6. Green There is simply no place for wade and no one in that 4 who should be compromised for Wade. So its a straight up who is a better opener Khawaja or Wade?

He was only his captain for one game and that's over now, so no reason he has to be overly nice. There are certainly supportive things you can say that don't amount to suggesting you are confident his form will magically turn around if he plays the first test.

Exactly.

Bring back SMarsh!!!

Carey- "Hope they don't pick me at 3" :happy:

Come on Chris - what do you expect Burns's A skipper to say? "Yeah, he's horribly out of form and would be a massive risk going into the first test"?

What's Khawaja done so good that he deserves to be brought in and what's Wade done so bad that he deserves to be dropped?

Might as well go into the test with 10 players at this point. To expect him to just suddenly turn everything around when he seems to just be getting worse. Whatever he's doing to try and get past his form slump, it's having the opposite effect now. Surely we can't just hope that he somehow miraculously comes good in the first test.

Carey has confidence in Burns to score runs in the first test? Based on what? 5 runs in 4 innings against India A? Combined total first class average for the year of 6? The fact that he scored some runs a year ago? I really don't get how someone can have "enough credits in the bank" when they last reached a half century in any form of cricket almost 12 months ago. Burns hardly did amazingly last summer, but considering the incredibly abhorrent form he's currently in, why would anyone think that suddenly playing test cricket would automatically make him bat better than he has all season?

Why is wade getting singled out? I've decided push everyone up one and open with Harris and Labu. Green is much more likely to get runs at 6 than anyone else (including Harris for that matter) is to get runs opening. And for sure Labu is more likely to get runs opening than any available opener.