Roar Rookie
Joined February 2013
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No bigger fan of the Aussie cricket team in the world than me !!
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The Australian team is on the verge of a series loss to India. Quite a rocky start to Justin Langer’s coaching tenure – batting collapses galore and bowlers not living up to their billings.
The squad for Australia’s first Test against India this summer has been selected and comprises mostly tried-and-tested names and just two newcomers.
Ahead of the Test series against India, talk surrounds the makeup of the batting unit, particularly after Australia’s recent collapses.
The new cricket season is upon us, with the Aussies already flying out to the Middle East for the Test series against Pakistan in early October.
Australia – the dominating force in cricket world from about 1995 to almost 2008. Then the retirement of the greats and the transition – which we must say has wobbled and rocked and has shown lows like series whitewashes and highs like the 2015 world cup win.
In the good old days, there was once a ODI series involving Australia, England and Australia A.
Among all the doom and gloom of the Ashes humiliation, the Australia A side gave some very good performances in their subcontinent sojourn.
The first Test has come and gone. The Poms were brilliant in all aspects in conditions in which they specialise and against an almost unrecognisable Aussie side.
For the last three to four years, we have been hearing how bare the Australian batting cupboard is. It seems there are no able replacements or young batsman coming through.
For the last four to five years, Australia has seen a heap of fast bowlers crop up. Even if someone is injured, like Ryan Harris at the moment, there are so many able replacements to choose from.
The Ashes are done after Australia, with their whirlwind batting, explosive bowling and ton of aggression, blew away the poor Poms. Though the series has still two Tests to go, you cannot but help think about the South Africa tour.
All the shuffling and tinkering of the batting order during the Ashes has, finally, at least led to one thing.
The Sheffield Shield, in the 1990s and early 2000s, was the best domestic cricket competition in the world.
From the moment that Punter and Huss stepped out of the national setup, the most significant issue the Australian team is battling with is the lack of depth of batting talent.
Would make only 1 change to that 11 Chris (which I feel will come as it is by the 3rd Test)
Warner
Harris
Burns
Smith
Head
Patterson
Paine
Cummins
Starc
Lyon
Hazlewood / Richardson
Think the 4 to 8 in Smith , Head , Patterson , Paine and Cummins look much much better than the teams of recent past to absorb the shocks of early wickets and rebuild the innings
Four frantic rounds to book your ticket to England
Is there a chance to change the squad now ? If Renshaw is going to bat middle order we might as well play a proper middle-order batter in Patterson
Patterson ton versus Sri Lanka upstages Test rivals
My ideal batting group though
Warner
Harris
Burns
Smith
Patterson
Head
Labuschagne
Pick them and give them 10 tests
VOTE: Pick your Australian XI to play Sri Lanka
Look at the batting pool
Warner , Khawaja, Harris , Head , SMarsh , Renshaw
Smith , Burns , Labuschagne , Handscomb , Maxwell
First 6 lefties , next 5 righties .. if you have to pick 8 batsmen( there is no all-rounder currently in Australia) – i would leave out Marsh and Renshaw 🙁 from the lefties and Handscomb from righties
VOTE: Pick your Australian XI to play Sri Lanka
James i think Head has also done reasonably ok given the circumstances. Marnus has looked ok in all his innings so far (except his first).One big score -100+ by any of these newcomers would have set this team on its way .. too bad that so many starts were wasted collectively
Aussie team battling internal enemies
Can be given benefit of doubt since he is only in his first season. Though his appointment as such typifies the selections and decisions of the Sutherland era. Scary when one and only one person is considered for the job overlooking others completely
Aussie team battling internal enemies
I predict that in a couple of years Khawaja would be the new Shaun Marsh – someone we will be wondering how he is keeping his spot inspite of non-performance !!! lol
Khawaja has failed Australia when they needed him most
Said this already here – https://www.theroar.com.au/2018/11/29/why-australia-needs-some-new-selectors/
Right from the end of the domination era to now , the selectors have been in bad form. Right from Hohns to Hilditch to Inverarity to Hohns again – if we can solve this 1 puzzle the team will start performing much better
Another Test selection embarrassment after Australia's Melbourne meltdown
#Flintoff05 still haunts these selectors !!
If Finch’s finger is not right , i would say go for Geoff Marsh to open with Harris. lol
Marsh in, Handscomb out of Boxing Day Test
Tremain should be the next cab in the bowling ranks surely. What speeds is he bowling this season any idea ?
It is also time for Jhye Richardson , Matthew Kelly , Gabe Bell and Biy Stanlake to feature regularly in and around the squad. Else again we will be left in a situation like there was nobody to replace McGrath , Gillespie , Lee and Warne
Where is Doggett btw ?
Mitchell Starc must be dropped for the second Test against India
Finch
Harris
Head
Khawaja
SMarsh
Handscomb
Cummins
Paine
Starc
Lyon
Haz
Batting order for me for Adelaide
India face unprecedented pressure in Australia
Anyways with the current selection of the current selectors :
Harris
Finch
Head
Khawaja
SMarsh
Handscomb
Cummins
Paine
Starc
Lyon
Hoff
will be my batting order for Adelaide
When does Chapell’s contract end ? Read somewhere Hohns is in till Feb 2020
Why Australia needs some new selectors
The overhaul will be complete with selectors and Graham Hick being given a farewell !!!
Why Australia needs some new selectors
Agree with you PJ .. pick and stick for reasonable amount of time
Why Australia needs some new selectors
The selection of Mitch Marsh shows that the ghost of Flintoff2005 still haunts the selectors.
Why Australia needs some new selectors
You have to only see the selections of Pat Cummins , Michael Clarke , Ricky Ponting to see that sometimes bold selections do work. If Puckovski was still playing and had added another 2 100s to his double ton , would the current selectors had picked him for the summer test series ? I doubt.
They are making a mess of Renshaw at the moment – had a superb second half last year and county season this year. But the selectors’ focus on his scores in the Shield matches this year has put undue pressure on him
Why Australia needs some new selectors
Agree with Clarke .. once you lose your basic characteristics you are dead
This team management seems more intent on a PR mission rather than winning.
Clarke: Australia needs to return to aggressive cricket
Good sporting pitches in Rounds 1-3 in the shield and green carpets in the crucial rounds 4 and 5 !! What a contrast
Good knocks by Patterson and Handscomb .. nothing else at all. Looking forward now to the remaining 3 innings of all 3 matches
Just thinking what happens if MMarsh or Head get less than 20 runs in the respective matches and Handscomb and Harris get big scores in second innings.. will MMarsh/Head be then dropped and both the Vics accomodated ?
Finch is struggling to be a three-format cricketer
The biggest puzzle is Lynn – we all know his talent. But at the moment seems like he can win you maybe 1 game out of 15. Is it worth the time to keep him in the side for that. He is not a great fielder , does not bowl and is not too keen on singles – are the other factors to consider
India expose Australia's pace obsession once more
He has a bag of variatons – too bad he does not have the brains to quickly judge what to bowl to which batsman
India expose Australia's pace obsession once more
Yes he bats 4 for the Redbacks anyways Tom .. and also has a reasonable record at the top of the order in ODI cricket
How Marcus Harris made himself a Test cricketer
The 5,6,7 train of Head , MMarsh , Paine scares me .. even though Head and Paine batted as if their life depended on it and earned a fantastic draw in UAE .. they cant be relied for a rescue from 4/65 like situations .
Maybe need to shuffle and not be rigid in the batting order – Harris , Finch , Head , Khawaja SMarsh , Handscomb , Paine looks much more solid to me
How Marcus Harris made himself a Test cricketer
Exactly my point as well .. we lose an attacking and quality option in that case. Then it would seem that we would need to change strategies and have someone like Agar just block up an end – not expecting wickets. Another way could be to play 4 quicks if there is no able replacement
What about Australia's Test bowling backups?
Personally think that Stanlake , Richardson , Gabe Bell , Maty Kelly and Brendan Doggett are the future and should be nurtured and groomed
What about Australia's Test bowling backups?
If Smith and Warner are back , Harris Burns Patterson and Head should be the other 4 batsmen
Unfortunately Khawaja misses out but thats the correct decision imo currently
Renshaw and Patterson playing for Ashes spots in Sheffield Shield