Australia vs India Discussion

[1910]

Yeah that doesn't sound great. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets advice from doctors to retire if it keeps happening at a regular rate.

For me it would be a massive duty of care failure to expose him to Test cricket, he's been playing two years and had to have two breaks one for concussion which is an on-going issue and one for mental health.

Two big 100's are great but he needs to get through a Shield season and be healthy and happy.

 

[Battler]

I didn't exaggerate anything- 100's and 200's are their job. Big 100's should be an expectation. India had all their top 6 score Domestic 300 bar two in this Test. How is setting our bar at 60 is good enough working out?

Pucovski a 20 year old with seven concussions in seven Shield games and who has played one game back from retirement in October is in your side for Sydney?

Wade a failed keeper batting at six and no bowling support for guys that have bowled for three days in Melbourne.

Patterson just scored his first 100 for two years a few weeks ago. Going to bat at the most important position in a Test side. Another guy that sets the bar at 50- 14 of them in that time for New South Wales.

Burns I love but I have touched on how he is struggling for 100's in the last 12 months. You can't compare Burns' Test average to Finch's SS average opening.

I would say they would do worse than what we currently have in the side. Way too many question marks and I don't mind some sort of selection risk but I also like 1000 run years.

His side has bowling support in the form of Maxwell and Wade. Have them bowl outside off with a 7-2 offside field and they'd do the same job as Marsh: zero wickets with an economical RR, alternatively pick SOK or another spinner. Wade's only being talked up because he's scoring well as a batsman in the Shield. Selecting him shows the general public that the Australian domestic scene still means something and gives hope to the blokes busting their asses in the SS that if they score well they are a chance instead of watching Mitch Marsh or some other spud get another undeserved opportunity.

EDIT: Agree that Pucovski is too green. He is our best prospect coming through if he's managed well. I'd consider Starc being 'rested' for Jhyne Richardson/ SOK, he's been crap statistically this year (averaging something like 35 with the ball).

 

[1910]

Marnus added to squad.

 

[Unbreakable]

Let's just keep adding guys who are out of form, it's bound to work eventually.

 

[Battler]

Thoroughly deserves it with his 33 FC batting average. /s

 

[Browny]

Thoroughly deserves it with his 33 FC batting average. /s

Which is around where most are averaging

 

[1910]

Thoroughly deserves it with his 33 FC batting average. /s

His last 78 chasing 414 to win was terrific. Small consolation.

To be fair he's being picked as the second spinner if they need him and he bowled well in the UAE and bowled well again at times this season, Peirson has gone to him a lot for a part time bowler. He's averaged 13 overs a game.

But probably again have the same issue I have with Short, is his bowling really enough to be second spinner in this side?

 

[Alec]

How many of the current players could have played in that golden era of the early 2000s? I don't even think any of the current bowlers could have made it.

 

[1910]

How many of the current players could have played in that golden era of the early 2000s? I don't even think any of the current bowlers could have made it.

Lyon is now our second best ever spinner and best ever off-spinner and is in the top 25 of Test bowlers. Warne loved bowling with May he would have loved Lyon.

I love a finger and wrist spinner together.

Starc and Hazlewood could have filled that Lee role behind McGrath. Cummins is super accurate and would have suited McGrath. McGrath's average was 21 and Cummins is 23. Long way to go for McGrath's longevity but they're very similar.

 

[Browny]

Why is Stoinis not being mentioned as an all rounder option?

 

[mitch222]

The big bash is finally coming to head with regards to our test team. How is anyone supposed to get some quality time at the crease without shield cricket during the test summer? Instead we are picking people who make a score in 20/20 without realising the match has 450 overs instead over 5 days

 

[mitch222]

How many of the current players could have played in that golden era of the early 2000s? I don't even think any of the current bowlers could have made it.

Smith and Warner only. Maybe Lyon as a second spinner and possibly Cummins if he continues his good form

 

[Alec]

Yeah, I guess Cummins or Lyon might have been close, just thinking of the 4th bowler to go alongside Warne, McGrath and Gillespie. I guess neither Lee or Bichel were particularly outstanding in the Test arena either.

Smith would be there for sure, but he's not in the current side. I dunno about Warner.

 

[Foordy]

How many of the current players could have played in that golden era of the early 2000s? I don't even think any of the current bowlers could have made it.

IMO, Smith and Maybe Cummins (Lyon if it is a spinning track like the SCG)

1. Matt Hayden
2. Justin Langer
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Steve Waugh
5. Steve Smith
6. Michael Clarke
7. Adam Gilchrist
8. Shane Warne
9. Pat Cummins (Nathan Lyon)
10. Jason Gillespie
11. Glenn McGrath

(* didn't include Mark Waugh as he retired in 2002)

 

[Sproj]

Don’t forget Mitchell Johnson. He’d probably be ahead of Cummins as well at this stage.

 

[Foordy]

Don’t forget Mitchell Johnson. He’d probably be ahead of Cummins as well at this stage.

he didn't debut until 2005, wasn't really a fixture until the late 2000's

the team i posted was based on which of our current players could get into the early 2000's test team, which is why i omitted Johnson

 

[Sproj]

he didn't debut until 2005, wasn't really a fixture until the late 2000's

the team i posted was based on which of our current players could get into the early 2000's test team, which is why i omitted Johnson

Fair enough. In that case, Cummins would definitely be the third seamer, the fact he does what he does at first change puts him well ahead of Lee and Bichel who we’re good but not great.

 

[Sproj]

1. Langer (You could argue Warner based on ability but then you factor in Warner’s idiocy and just don’t think he and Warne would have survived on tours together)
2. Hayden (No brainer)
3. Ponting (Khawaja doesn’t even come close)
4. Smith (He’d be close to an all-time Aussie XI already)
5. Clarke (Even the other options from the era would be picked before any of the current options in Hussey, Hussey, Siddons, Lehmann, Bevan, etc)
6. Waugh (That’s a captain you’d get behind and you know he isn’t going to back down to a Kohli type personality)
7. Gilchrist (Greatest keeper-batsman ever, this is no slight on Paine)
8. Cummins (If Johnson was an option, it’d be harder to call but Cummins is better than Lee or Bichel)
9. Warne (This is again no slight on Lyon, he’s up against the best spin bowler of all-time)
10. Gillespie (Starc is good but The Flying Mullet was phenomenal even though arguably in McGrath’s shadow, let’s look back at this after Starc’s career is done)
11. McGrath (Again no slight on Hazlewood, McGrath is an all-time great)

So the current bowlers and keeper aren’t horrible in comparison but they are mostly up against legends.

The batting on the other hand, well without Smith, you’d pick Australia B or C batting line ups from the early 2000s over this bunch of pretenders.