Australia v India

[Sproj]

I also think the selectors want S.Marsh in there as he has just about been the best Aussie player on turning tracks.

So how does he fit into the side given they will want an all rounder as well?

I absolutely love the Swepson pick whether he plays or not.

 

[Unbreakable]

Best XI - (Non-Spinning pitch)

1. Warner
2. Renshaw
3. Khawaja
4. Smith (c)
5. Handscomb
6. M.Marsh
7. Wade
8. Starc
9. Hazlewood
10. Bird
11. Lyon

Best XI - (Spinning pitch)

1. Warner
2. Renshaw
3. Khawaja
4. Smith (c)
5. Handscomb
6. S.Marsh
7. Wade
8. Starc
9. O'Keefe
10. Hazlewood
11. Lyon

Best XI - (Dead Rubber)

1. Warner
2. Renshaw
3. Khawaja
4. Smith (c)
5. Handscomb
6. Maxwell
7. Wade
8. Agar
9. Starc
10. Hazlewood
11. Swepson

 

[Bucking Beads]

I also think the selectors want S.Marsh in there as he has just about been the best Aussie player on turning tracks.

So how does he fit into the side given they will want an all rounder as well?

I absolutely love the Swepson pick whether he plays or not.

I'm actually thinking playing Marsh as opener and letting Renshaw just gain experience by being over there is the best option. Renshaw is very raw with little experience while Marsh is proven to be a pretty good batsmen on the spinning tracks of the sub continent.

 

[Broncoman]

Being talked up by Warnie gets you places

 

[Unbreakable]

Being talked up by Warnie gets you places

Being the only spinner in Australia who's not afraid to toss it up and take pace off the ball gets you places as well. Every other spinner I watch these days just dart it in there at 95 km/h and try not to get hit for boundaries, occasionally picking up wickets due to frustrating the batsmen. Swepson actually bowls wicket taking deliveries. He may go for a few more runs because of it, but that's what we need in India, wicket takers.

 

[1910]

Swepson is a huge gamble and really nothing indicates it will work; why do we need a wrist spinner if one isn't good enough. Warne in India 34 wickets at 43.

Yet Swepson should get 30 wickets in four Tests.

We haven't had a successful wrist spinner since Benuad in India- 52 wickets at 18. If Swepson isn't going to play wouldn't he be better served here playing Shield cricket? Of which he has only managed 10 games in two years. He could have stayed here had a really good second half to the season and been ready if needed for the Ashes.

I don't agree with the keeper and I don't agree with Swepson.

 

[1910]

Being the only spinner in Australia who's not afraid to toss it up and take pace off the ball gets you places as well. Every other spinner I watch these days just dart it in there at 95 km/h and try not to get hit for boundaries, occasionally picking up wickets due to frustrating the batsmen. Swepson actually bowls wicket taking deliveries. He may go for a few more runs because of it, but that's what we need in India, wicket takers.

Holland 27 wickets at 18
Agar 16 wickets at 27
O'Keefe 11 wickets at 19
Swepson 10 wickets at 43

How is he the wicket taker you claim? Three guys ahead of him taking more wickets and less expensive.

 

[Sproj]

Well the selections have been made. Who would you guys choose in your XIs?

 

[Bucking Beads]

Warner
Marsh
Khawaja
Smith
Handscomb
Marsh
Wade
Starc
O'Keefe
Hazlewood
Lyon

 

[Unbreakable]

Holland 27 wickets at 18
Agar 16 wickets at 27
O'Keefe 11 wickets at 19
Swepson 10 wickets at 43

How is he the wicket taker you claim? Three guys ahead of him taking more wickets and less expensive.

I said hes not afraid to bowl wicket taking deliveries and that it costs him by leaking more runs, you just backed that statement up for me with those stats.

What are their strike rates like this season?

 

[1910]

I said hes not afraid to bowl wicket taking deliveries and that it costs him by leaking more runs, you just backed that statement up for me with those stats.

What are their strike rates like this season?

He clearly doesn't bowl wicket taking deliveries that's the ridiculous nature of your comment.

Not afraid? We can see that- maybe he should start being afraid of 10 wickets in a season while Holland is getting three times as many wickets as him this season and the other two spinners going to India take more wickets too.

Holland strike rate 41
Swepson strike rate 59!

Holland has 49 wickets at 18 in his last nine Shield games including a great Shield Final- Swepson 27 in his career. Holland is bowling Victoria to wins and is their go to bowler.

Be pro giving Swepson a go but don't dress it up as he is the only one or he's a pioneer. He's a unproven kid and they wanted a wrist spinner so he's been gifted a spot. Hope it works out and he takes 300 Test wickets but it's nothing more than a gut feeling shot in the dark at the moment.

 

[Unbreakable]

He clearly doesn't bowl wicket taking deliveries that's the ridiculous nature of your comment.

Not afraid? We can see that- maybe he should start being afraid of 10 wickets in a season while Holland is getting three times as many wickets as him this season and the other two spinners going to India take more wickets too.

Holland strike rate 41
Swepson strike rate 59!

Holland has 49 wickets at 18 in his last nine Shield games including a great Shield Final- Swepson 27 in his career. Holland is bowling Victoria to wins and is their go to bowler.

Be pro giving Swepson a go but don't dress it up as he is the only one or he's a pioneer. He's a unproven kid and they wanted a wrist spinner so he's been gifted a spot. Hope it works out and he takes 300 Test wickets but it's nothing more than a gut feeling shot in the dark at the moment.

When I say "Cherry" you say "Picking".

Prime cherry picking form once again 1910, you're one of a kind.

Swepson career First Class strike rate - 48.6
Holland career First Class strike rate - 66.7

You also keep mentioning this "wickets in a season" statistic, despite it being the most unreliable stat you could possibly use. The only way that stat would be relevant is if every single bowler bowled the exact same amount of overs, against the exact same batting line-ups in the exact same conditions.

Holland - 184.5 overs bowled - 27 wickets
Agar - 143.0 overs bowled - 16 wickets
O'Keefe - 107.0 overs bowled - 11 wickets
Swepson - 98.5 overs bowled - 10 wickets

That's incredible, it's almost as if the players who have bowled more overs have got more wickets to their name, that's gotta be a coincidence, surely!

 

[1910]

When I say "Cherry" you say "Picking".

Prime cherry picking form once again 1910, you're one of a kind.

Swepson career First Class strike rate - 48.6
Holland career First Class strike rate - 66.7

You also keep mentioning this "wickets in a season" statistic, despite it being the most unreliable stat you could possibly use. The only way that stat would be relevant is if every single bowler bowled the exact same amount of overs, against the exact same batting line-ups in the exact same conditions.

Holland - 184.5 overs bowled - 27 wickets
Agar - 143.0 overs bowled - 16 wickets
O'Keefe - 107.0 overs bowled - 11 wickets
Swepson - 98.5 overs bowled - 10 wickets

That's incredible, it's almost as if the players who have bowled more overs have got more wickets to their name, that's gotta be a coincidence, surely!

Yes of course how outrageous to use current season to gauge form for a tour this year- that's crazy! Not sure what I was thinking.

I say for the Ashes we don't use current form we follow your idea and disregard the current year- let's pick the team based on form in 1978. Well done. Lillie is still fit isn't he?

I know you didn't know Swepson until the BBL this year so I'll fit you in- He's only played 10 games for Queensland so the four this year is a pretty fair indication of his form. It's 40% of his career.

Wickets in a season is unreliable- well shut down the sport then. We can't talk about having a good season we can't talk about runs scored this year they must all be unreliable. No point using any SS season to pick the Test side- Voges got 1200 runs and got in the side- well not everyone got to face as many balls as him or face the same bowlers.

Your stat tells a story for sure- how often your captain goes to you and gets results- what does that tell you?

This is just your latest media driven phase- BBL inspired. You have changed your bromance/favourite player/next captain/best spinner ever 45 times this summer.

 

[Unbreakable]

Yes of course how outrageous to use current season to gauge form for a tour this year- that's crazy! Not sure what I was thinking.

I say for the Ashes we don't use current form we follow your idea and disregard the current year- let's pick the team based on form in 1978. Well done. Lillie is still fit isn't he?

I know you didn't know Swepson until the BBL this year so I'll fit you in- He's only played 10 games for Queensland so the four this year is a pretty fair indication of his form. It's 40% of his career.

Wickets in a season is unreliable- well shut down the sport then. We can't talk about having a good season we can't talk about runs scored this year they must all be unreliable. No point using any SS season to pick the Test side- Voges got 1200 runs and got in the side- well not everyone got to face as many balls as him or face the same bowlers.

Your stat tells a story for sure- how often your captain goes to you and gets results- what does that tell you?

This is just your latest media driven phase- BBL inspired. You have changed your bromance/favourite player/next captain/best spinner ever 45 times this summer.

So all in all you've been pretty much incorrect about everything this Summer right? I dunno how you think your opinion is greater than everyone elses, you're rarely on the money, the only times you say anything correct is when something is posted on social media and you claim it as inside knowledge.

"Maddinson deserved to be selected, they'll give him the whole Summer to prove himself" - Wrong, dropped.
"Nevill will go to India, he did exactly what the selectors asked of him" - Wrong, not selected.

I also find it hilarious that you included Travis Head in your projected squad for India after vehemently denying he had any right to be in consideration for a Test spot 2 weeks ago when I said I would've picked him over Maddinson.. What changed your mind buddy? Did I persuade you?

I also love the fact that you think every single person I mention is my new favourite player, are people not allowed to discuss players that have been selected in the Test squads? People were asking why Swepson was selected, I gave an opinion what I believed to be the selectors reasoning.. that must mean I think he's the best spinner since Shane Warne, right?.. You're so dumb lol.

 

[1910]

Few interesting things to come.

None of the Test venues in the four Tests have hosted Tests before. So it's a huge unknown quantity as to what they're like and what they will do. That's an interesting risk by India.

Batting

England averaged 310 as a score and lost 4-0. They scored 477 and lost by an innings! You have to bat time in India as well. 150 plus overs which is what India do so well. England didn't do it well at all. India also set up first innings lead very strongly. India averaged 155 run lead on the first innings since 2012.

We have so little experience in India and that experience we do have is not great. Warner averages 24 and Smith 40.

Renshaw and Khawaja haven't played there; although Khawaja's Sri Lanka record is a terrible 19.

Renshaw is going all Hayden and had a spinning track made up at AB.

Handscomb played an A series 18 months ago and came home with 91, 0 and 0.
Wade was out of the side for 4 years after the last India tour and scoring 113 in six goes.

Handscomb plays off his back foot and is a great player of spin. I still claim the best player of spin in the SS. It's surprising he had limited success there.

Martyn was sensational in 2004 playing off his back foot. He showed every batsmen how to score in India.

We aren't great at batting for long periods of time. That's what makes the number 6 position so interesting. I thought they would take Head on the tour- while I am not completely sure he's ready for a Test match I would have thought he was at least ready to tour and in our top 16. The only reason I can think that he isn't included and Maxwell is- Head is another leftie for Ashwin and they went with Maxwell. I would have thought it was worth the risk but not wanting another left handed batsmen is reasonable.

We will more than likely have at least four lefties in the side- Ashwin got 18/28 wickets against England being lefties.

Keeper batting wise- Haddin was our last keeper to score 100 in 13/14 Ashes. Since then our keepers are averaging tick over 20. I know Wade has a Test 100 but I thought Nevill would get the nod on superior keeping and his batting is better although the figures don't show that. He was burdened with a score less than 100 six times in 17 Tests.

That average of 20 has to be doubled.

The interesting spots are going to be opening- where do you put Marsh and then what do you want the number 6 to be. They can go Marsh and the batting suffers or go Maxwell if you want another spinner or go Marsh with no bowling and batting tighter.

Agar, M.Marsh or Maxwell or Marsh are the options and you could even go with two to strengthen the batting.

Our number 6 this summer- Marsh, Fergurson, Maddinson and Cartwright- 94 runs and 2/116 wickets. That needs rectifying. You need big scores in India and your six and keeper out from the start won't help.

Maxwell's weakness is he plays inside the line to hit over cover- which works a treat in one day games but won't over there- Jadja will find his pad or stumps.

Australian need Smith and Warner to have 400 run series and average 100 like Hayden did in 2001. England had five get over 300 and lost 4-0.

The 2013 debacle saw Clarke and Cowan the only ones to top 200 runs. You need big scores in India.

Bowling.

Our strength is our pace/seam. When we won in 2004 it was Kasper bowling the up hill terrible stuff and Gillespie and McGrath doing great close line that dried runs up.

Laxman, Dravid and Tendulkar scored three 50's in 18 innings. Not one Indian scored 200 runs apart from Sehwag.

Starc, Hazlewood and Bird have to fill those rolls. If they can get amongst it then that will allow our rookie spinners to be bowling at unset batsmen.

Six of the top 10 bowlers from other countries to do well in India are all quick. McKenzie, Gillespie, McGrath, and Davidson all had excellent records there. All of them averaged less than 22 and picked up more than 30 wickets.

Our spinners. O'Keefe and Lyon are our front two. Lyon is still the country's best spinner by a mile and O'Keefe has strong control and accuracy.

Agar- has bounce and like Kumble comes from a different angle. I watched Agar get out Kohli once in a A game!

Swepson- has a great flipper but is as green as the 'Gabba. He does have great point of difference in that he's a wrist spinner but I didn't think that would be enough. Cracker has his finger prints all over this selection.

Warne and Qadir had very average records in India- England's Rashid took 23 wickets in five Tests but went for nearly 4 an over. Rashid was experienced though and had played a lot of first class cricket. Swepson has 10 games for Queensland. Swepson did take four wickets for Australia A last year against India.

Our bowlers bowl too slow and overspin. Our spinners need to bowl quickly and under cut the ball.

England played two spinners and four seamers for some of the Tests and it didn't work because they just didn't keep any pressure on at all.

Their batting is phenomenal- they score big scores and bat for long periods of time.

Ashwin and Jadeja are their bowlers that keep me awake at night.

Jadeja will bowl flat and fast looking for that front pad and he finds it.

Ashwin is the best spinner in the world, no risk or doubt.

The last time we played in 2013- 53 wickets between the two in four Tests, just recently against England 54 in five Tests. Ashwin has deception and when he bowls that carrom ball out of the front that goes the other way- you have to read it from his hand. I am not too sure we will be able to.

The thing I like about the squad is that they have given the captain options. But that can also be a weakness. We have picked a lot of sort of players- bits and pieces. He sort of bowls off-spin, he can sort of bat at 6. How often do these type of players do well in India?

England took two Ansari and Batty- Ansari scored 36 and took 3/163 and Batty 0/65.

That's the risk we have taken.

 

[Unbreakable]

Good write up, agree with pretty much everything you said. Did you say that Renshaw has had a spinning pitch made up at Allan Border Oval to practice on? At least he's dedicated, really hope he at least averages 30-40 in the series, that'll be huge for his development & confidence.

I think our best "defensive" lineup would be -

1. Warner
2. Renshaw
3. Khawaja
4. Smith (c)
5. Handscomb
6. S.Marsh
7. Wade
8. Agar
9. Starc
10. Hazlewood
11. Lyon

Having batting all the way down to 9 would be huge, especially with 3 of the best players of spin in Australia in the middle order, but the problem with this lineup is we may really struggle to get them out for under 500.

If we wanted to try and be aggressive with our lineup and try to get 20 wickets, it'd be more like this -

1. Warner
2. Renshaw
3. Khawaja
4. Smith (c)
5. Handscomb
6. Maxwell
7. Wade
8. O'Keefe
9. Starc
10. Hazlewood
11. Lyon

Batting is very questionable with that squad however.

 

[Sproj]

The reality is, this team is going to struggle. Everyone struggles in India, so it will be no surprise that these guys will either.

I actually don't think England's idea of so many all rounders was so bad. The problem is, they didn't have greats in those positions and that's what you need against this current Indian side.

Their batting line up is supremely daunting. Their top six are freaks who all bat long and hard. Then they have Ashwin and Jadeja at 7/8 or 8/9 who are both genuine all-rounders who could play as batsmen in their own right. Even their number 10 and 11 are usually quite handy with the bat. Their batting will allow them to chase almost any score.

On top of that, Ashwin and Jadeja can bowl long and well. Get through them, you have a chance as they drop away somewhat but that is easier said than done. The key is to make them bowl long from the very first test to drain them for tests three and four.

The side I'd go with for the first test is controversial but here it is:

1. Warner
2. Renshaw
3. Khawaja
4. Smith (c)
5. Maxwell
6. S.Marsh
7. Handscomb (wk)
8. Starc
9. SOK
10. Hazlewood
11. Lyon

 

[Unbreakable]

As much as I hope Handscomb eventually takes over the gloves and becomes our own version of Sangakarra, he isn't ready for it yet, especially not in India.