Australia v India

[1910]

Tour named tomorrow.

My squad.

Smith
Warner
Renshaw
Handscomb
Maxwell
Nevill
Starc
O'Keefe
Lyon
Hazlewood
Khawaja
Marsh
Marsh
Bird
Agar
Head

S.Marsh- averages 78 in Asia and is a good player of spin.
Head- Can bowl off spin if he has to. Thing that worries me is he is another leftie for Ashwin.
Maxwell- Has some experience in Asia- not a great record but he is hard to plan against. Sweeps well. Great fielder and can bowl off-spin.
Agar- bit of variety and good in the field.
Nevill- better keeper- poor keeping cost England big time.

When Australia won in 2004 it was Gillespie, Kaspa and McGrath who bowled tight and dried up the runs. Six of the top 10 wicket takers in Tests are quick bowlers. That's our strength.

 

[Sproj]

Can't disagree with any of those selections. Do you really think they'll drop Wade though?

Who'd be your XI?

I'd go:

Renshaw
Warner
Khawaja
Smith
Handscomb
Maxwell/Head
Nevill (It'll be Wade I reckon though)
Starc
SOK
Hazlewood
Lyon

 

[Unbreakable]

I agree with everything except for Nevill.

I know it's only T20, but he's been horrific behind the stumps in their last few games, countless missed opportunities and misfields with the gloves.

Not even mentioning the fact that he can't score a run to save his life.

I'd just give the gloves to Wade, he's not good, but he's currently the best we've got in terms of being an overall keeper / batsmen / motivator. Take a young keeper on tour as well, Whiteman or Harper.

 

[Sproj]

I'd go Whiteman.

 

[Bucking Beads]

It's gotta be Wade. Nevill is a marginally better keeper but Wade leaves him for dead in every other category.

 

[Browny]

I'd love to be optimistic but we will get get smashed 4-0. They'll doctor pitches to be square turners from day 1

 

[1910]

Can't disagree with any of those selections. Do you really think they'll drop Wade though?

Who'd be your XI?

I'd go:

Renshaw
Warner
Khawaja
Smith
Handscomb
Maxwell/Head
Nevill (It'll be Wade I reckon though)
Starc
SOK
Hazlewood
Lyon

Poor keeping cost England 600 runs in the series, you just can't go with the poorer keeper.

From my squad my 11 would be.

Smith
Warner
Renshaw
Handscomb
Maxwell
Nevill
Starc
O'Keefe
Lyon
Hazlewood
Khawaja

 

[1910]

I agree with everything except for Nevill.

I know it's only T20, but he's been horrific behind the stumps in their last few games, countless missed opportunities and misfields with the gloves.

Not even mentioning the fact that he can't score a run to save his life.

I'd just give the gloves to Wade, he's not good, but he's currently the best we've got in terms of being an overall keeper / batsmen / motivator. Take a young keeper on tour as well, Whiteman or Harper.

I don't think Wade is the best we have at all. Nevill also got 179* since he was dropped he's done exactly what they have asked of him.

Nevill had to bat six times with the score less than 100 in his 17 Tests. That can't be dismissed lightly. Even with low scores he still takes up balls he faced 456 balls in his last five Tests.

 

[Unbreakable]

I don't think Wade is the best we have at all. Nevill also got 179* since he was dropped he's done exactly what they have asked of him.

They asked him to make one score and fail in every other innings he's played since, whilst also dropping catches, missing run outs & stumpings and causing overthrows?

That's a pretty odd request from Cricket Australia.

As I said, Wade isn't very good, but there's nobody else asking any questions right now. The only 2 options are to ride Wade through India or to take a couple of young guys and just throw them to the wolves. Going back to the 31 year old Nevill would be a shortsighted mistake.

 

[1910]

They asked him to make one score and fail in every other innings he's played since, whilst also dropping catches, missing run outs & stumpings and causing overthrows?

That's a pretty odd request from Cricket Australia.

As I said, Wade isn't very good, but there's nobody else asking any questions right now. The only 2 options are to ride Wade through India or to take a couple of young guys and just throw them to the wolves. Going back to the 31 year old Nevill would be a shortsighted mistake.

Which Shield game did all that happen?

 

[Sproj]

To be fair, the best option is Hartley but I doubt the selectors would be that bold. That said, I have liked most of their recent selections since Hobart. The only one I've disagreed with is the same one everyone else has disagreed with since Hobart - Maddinson.

 

[Unbreakable]

Which Shield game did all that happen?

Implying that keeping to spin in T20's is any different to keeping to spin in Shield. Mistakes are mistakes.

If the last 3 weeks are anything to go by, I wouldn't be picking Nevill based on his safety with the gloves against spin.

 

[1910]

To be fair, the best option is Hartley but I doubt the selectors would be that bold. That said, I have liked most of their recent selections since Hobart. The only one I've disagreed with is the same one everyone else has disagreed with since Hobart - Maddinson.

Harts doesn't play BBL.

 

[1910]

Implying that keeping to spin in T20's is any different to keeping to spin in Shield. Mistakes are mistakes.

If the last 3 weeks are anything to go by, I wouldn't be picking Nevill based on his safety with the gloves against spin.

If mistakes in BBL cost you. Can't have Head in the Test team then.

Nevill kept very well to Lyon in Adelaide last round and his stumping was great work.

The round before he caught five on a seaming deck and scored 170.

He's done what is required to get back.

 

[Unbreakable]

Guess the selectors agree with me.

Squad for India: Steven Smith (capt), David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Pete Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Marsh, Ashton Agar, Steve O'Keefe, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Nathan Lyon

 

[Unbreakable]

Glad to see Swepson get a spot, this'll be great experience for him. I think the Maxwell over Head is justified as well, Maxwell has been playing far better recently, deserves a crack.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Stunned by the selection of Swepson. I didn't see it coming. In fact I doubt he gets a game over there. The rest of the squad looks as expected. Not really bullish about our chances over there though.

 

[Unbreakable]

Only scenario that I see Agar & Swepson getting a game is if the series is lost and we're playing a dead rubber, we'll probably play a team of kids for that game if it eventuates.