Big series for Warner. If he goes sub 30 for the series there will be legit question about his spot in the team moving forward.
I actually think that SA is the team, along with India, that can expose the batting line up. They have four absolute gun quicks and another two or three who are almost as good backing them up. They have two decent spinners too. Unfortunately for SA, unlike India, they have absolutely nothing in their batting line up since de Kock retired. One or two of them will pull something from their butt from time to time but they have nothing even close to Khawaja, Labs and obviously Smith.
Head is a different animal on Australian pitches as well but he is cannon fodder on anything but a road. Warner is providing increasing evidence of being passed it too sadly, he is on borrowed time and has been since the last Ashes in England. Green seems a walking wicket at the moment and Carey is hit and miss. So being in Australia, you would imagine the gulf in batting class will be the difference but stranger things have happened.
Big series for Warner. If he goes sub 30 for the series there will be legit question about his spot in the team moving forward.
Who’s your next cab off the rank assuming Warner calls time after Sydney ?It's become interesting, lots to worry about and red flags against the WI. Third innings he should have cashed in- he's got seven 100's in the third innings.
He's not scoring from non- boundaries and rotating the strike. His strength has always been his hustle between the wickets. It's not there at the moment. So he isn't getting off strike and the pressure just mounts.
WI bowled straighter to him and he was cramped him up and he was falling away to the offside.
Selectors never ever want to see a senior player getting out the same way. It shows a flaw. Warner has chopped on four times in his career- now he has done it twice this summer- three times now at home with the last being 2011.
One 50 plus score in last 12 innings, no 100 for three years, averages 24 in India and 26 in England- with zero 100's.
Melbourne will be his 100th Test and I don't think they will drop him before Sydney but if he can't get a 100 in Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne then the chat needs to be had can we take him to India and England.
We will most likely chop and change with Harris getting the most opportunities, Renshaw probably 2nd in line.Who’s your next cab off the rank assuming Warner calls time after Sydney ?
We will most likely chop and change with Harris getting the most opportunities, Renshaw probably 2nd in line.
Who’s your next cab off the rank assuming Warner calls time after Sydney ?
To be fair, the team is already carrying a batsman with potential, and a keeper that hasn't scored a test hundred.If Warner is dropped then they should blood a young batter and stick with them for a couple of years. With Usman at the other end they can learn their trade and be given some leeway with regards to scoring runs. With the middle order being pretty much settled at the moment, the team carry a batter with potential
Pitch is looking like a green monster for day 1... not keen to bat first.
Two absolute world class bowling line ups, but we have the advantage when it comes to batting... if we have to bat first then that advantage can bring us back to SA's level.
I believe all of SA's bowlers are +140km/hr which the Aussie batters haven't really had to deal with for awhile... there's the odd bowler in each line up that can hit those speeds (Bumrah, Wood, etc.), but not an entire pace attack. It could be a shock to their system