CRICKET First Test- Australia v South Africa

[1910]

Australia squad for first Test v SA: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Michael Neser, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

 

[BooKhaki]

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.

 

[Sproj]

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.

Yep and given his struggles against right arm pace around the wicket, he is up against the wrong team to get an easy opportunity.

 

[Bull Shark]

Not for a minute am I defending or excusing the actions of those Australian players involved in ‘sandpaper gate’ but I hope we smash South Africa like guitars in this series.. This latest revelation from Faf Du Plessis’ book today has just added another log on that fire..

 

[BroncosFever]

I would be very confident of us beating South Africa anywhere in the world, so with that, a 1-1 series isn't the worst result. When I say anywhere, I obviously am referring to the WTC final which is to be played in England.

India can still mathematically make the WTC final if they were to sweep us in India (which is a real possibility), what India need is for us to win all of these games so South Africa don't get points.

 

[Sproj]

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.

 

[BroncosFever]

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.

India is the team I worry about.

They don't have any freakish superstar bowler but they've got bowlers who can bowl well enough, it's their batting which scares me. Rohit Sharma, Pujara, KL Rahul, Kohli and then you got players like Rishabh Pant who has done well in Test Cricket particularly. You could set them 450 to chase down in 4 sessions and they'd have a red hot go. They're the kind of team who could be comprehensively outplayed for 3 and a half days but then put on a batting masterclass and win the game.

 

[1910]

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.

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.

 

[Bull Shark]

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.

Who’s your next cab off the rank assuming Warner calls time after Sydney ?

 

[BooKhaki]

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.

 

[Sproj]

We will most likely chop and change with Harris getting the most opportunities, Renshaw probably 2nd in line.

Yep this is the case, Harris is already part of the squad so he is wrongly next in line. Renshaw I think is most likely the one who will come good. I think we need to put a line through Pucovski.

 

[1910]

Who’s your next cab off the rank assuming Warner calls time after Sydney ?

Renshaw at the moment. Runs against South Africa, getting Shield runs for the first time in four years.

But he needs to keep it going when the Shield starts again, if he comes back and sucks it won't read like a good season.

He has better control over an innings now and doesn't get bogged down. If he plays tests again that's important.

Uzzie is aging too so two spots might be open soon.

Ward impresses me too and Hunt.

Hunt captain South Australia for the last two games last season and they won a game for first time in two years and he got 109- SS player of the year with 600 runs from 8 games and only player to get three 100's in the season. 107 for Australia A in Sri Lanka in June.

Called in to field and be around the Test team in Hobart too.

He had a great year. Only Green, Marsh and Head have scored more than him since he made his debut and two of those are playing Test cricket now.

SA seems to be dragging him down a bit this year.

 

[Unbreakable]

I'd have Renshaw as next man up as well. Have to wonder if the selectors may give Bancroft another run. Hard to fault his form this season.

100, 135 & 164* in Shield so far this season.

 

[Sproj]

I guess Hunt has fallen down the pecking order and it is hard to argue.

 

[mitch222]

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

 

[BooKhaki]

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

To be fair, the team is already carrying a batsman with potential, and a keeper that hasn't scored a test hundred.

 

[BroncsFan]

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

 

[Sproj]

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

Yep and Nortje regularly hits 150+ on top of the others being mid-high 140s. This is the best pace bowling attack in the world, it will be a challenge for all of them and having Warner as a walking wicket is not a good sign at the top. Labs and Smith will have to have an epic series once again, luckily they often do.