CRICKET Australia v India Summer

[Big Del]

He's a FAR better pure bat option than Marsh and a lot younger. He has averaged 50 the last 12 months compared to the next best Aussie bat - Carey - at 33. He's plenty good enough compared to every other bat in the side.

I think you are optomistic .
He is very inconsistent . Highest score of 42 vs England . His recent average is boosted by one big not out score in NZ . Most of his runs other wise are starts but not going on with it . That could be OK at #6 when he bowls . At #4 he needs good runs more often .

Travis Head averaged under 40 for the longest time in FC as well before being picked in the Test side. It then took him time to find his feet and a style that worked for him.

McSweeney has come in on the back of two good Shield seasons, something similar to Head (probably did it a couple of seasons longer). McSweeney was a good choice but opening is not the same as batting in the middle order, this needs to be taken in to consideration. Not every batsman can do a Khawaja AND Khawaja was much more experienced when he took on test opening full time.

Head was stifled by the old school hard man coach .
Now he is free to play his game he has won World test champs , world cup and a test in Oz .
So there is that angle too .

 

[Sproj]

I think you are optomistic .
He is very inconsistent . Highest score of 42 vs England . His recent average is boosted by one big not out score in NZ . Most of his runs other wise are starts but not going on with it . That could be OK at #6 when he bowls . At #4 he needs good runs more often .


Head was stifled by the old school hard man coach .
Now he is free to play his game he has won World test champs , world cup and a test in Oz .
So there is that angle too .

Yeah that's fair, he has certainly improved under the softly, softly approach, considerably in fact. So that is credit to McDonald. Carey also seems to have benefitted.

At the same time, Smith and Labushagne have gone considerably backwards. How much do we attribute all of this to respective coaches is a good question.

 

[1910]

Now do Marnus .
He had similar figures in Shield but was in the top few in ICC test rankings at one time .
Shame to see him back to his Shield tactics of waving the bat outside off and nicking . He shelved that early on in his test career .

What's happening to Marnus' average now? He averaged 56 in in 22, 34 in 24 and 26 in 24.

If you are relying on players doubling their Shield average, you're going to be disappointed nearly every time.

 

[Big Del]

What's happening to Marnus' average now? He averaged 56 in in 22, 34 in 24 and 26 in 24.

If you are relying on players doubling their Shield average, you're going to be disappointed nearly every time.

It was good while it lasted .
He had plenty of good fortune in his early days .

Then again Green has a great shield average . But has looked lost at times in tests . The power of the mind is a fascinating thing .
I think the way Marnus got his start coming in for his hero may have helped him go to a higher level early that couldn`t be sustained .

 

[Sproj]

Ollie Pope averaged well over 50 before playing tests - he is struggling to average 35.

Gill averaged over 60 before playing tests - he is struggling to average 35.

Labushagne averaged 32 I think and for the first 40 tests of his career - he averaged 60.

Green averaged around 50 in Shield but 35ish in tests.

Rahul averaged about 50 in FC, averages 35 in tests.

Harry Brook averaged around 40 in FC, he averages 60 at almost a run a ball in tests.

Although early, Bethell averaged around 28 in FC and currently averages 52 in tests.

Kamindu Mendis averaged about 60 in FC and until the last test, averaged 90 in tests.

The point is, there is no sure fire way to pick who is going to be a fun in tests and who isn't.