Second Test- Australia v India at the 'Gabba

[Ari Gold]

Starc should be our number three, bats better than Watson and arguably doesn't bowl any worse.

Lolz!

Would be funnier if it wasn't so true.

 

[Ari Gold]

With Mitch Marsh presumably unable to bowl next test does that mean we stick with him as a batsman only or not?

He's shown a lot of promise so I would keep him but if he can't go then the next man would be who? Cowan? Burns? Doolan?

 

[Sproj]

Would love to see Burns in but it should be Ferguson.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Would love to see Burns in but it should be Ferguson.

Yeah it should be the guy who can't average over 40 in first class cricket despite playing 50% of his games at the Adelaide Oval.

 

[Sproj]

Mate that would make complete sense until you see he has averaged well over 40 the last three years and lost a lot of time to a knee reco. Back in our golden years he wouldn't even be close bt he is the best of a bad bunch at present.

 

[Ari Gold]

Yeah it should be the guy who can't average over 40 in first class cricket despite playing 50% of his games at the Adelaide Oval.

We love guys who can't average over 40 in first class cricket. That's why we have Shaun Marsh!

With Haddin going so poorly though I think we really need a strong batsman there, and not look to replace Marsh with some sort of weird all rounder type like Maxwell or Henriques.

At this point, I think I'd almost go with Ed Cowan. And I fucking hate Cowan. Or just give David Hussey a game. I know he's old, but he's proven in English conditions.

 

[Bucking Beads]

I'd prefer Burns. Time to pick a Queenslander.

 

[jarro65]

I'd prefer Burns. Time to pick a Queenslander.

They could do a lot worse.

 

[1910]

Mate that would make complete sense until you see he has averaged well over 40 the last three years and lost a lot of time to a knee reco. Back in our golden years he wouldn't even be close bt he is the best of a bad bunch at present.

2013/2014- 56.50- 7 games
2012/2013- 39.93- 9 games
2011/2012- 32.40- 8 games

Also over the three years before this year 3 100's. One a year!

2014/2015- 382 runs at 54.42 and two hundreds from five games.

Cowan is averaging 65
Voges 100
Burns 54

All from five games too.

 

[1910]

We love guys who can't average over 40 in first class cricket. That's why we have Shaun Marsh!

With Haddin going so poorly though I think we really need a strong batsman there, and not look to replace Marsh with some sort of weird all rounder type like Maxwell or Henriques.

At this point, I think I'd almost go with Ed Cowan. And I ****ing hate Cowan. Or just give David Hussey a game. I know he's old, but he's proven in English conditions.

Cowan has completely changed his batting. It's working too- he's looking to score more and not surviving. I watched him not too long ago and was impressed.

4 hundreds from 5 games this year.

 

[Broncoman]

I'd prefer Burns. Time to pick a Queenslander.

Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson say hi. I know they play for other styles but they are Queensland born and bred.

 

[1910]

THERE are not many times when a table of five cricket scribes falls silent over lunch, but it happened at the Gabba on Friday.Someone asked a provocative question no-one could answer.
“So if Mitchell Marsh’s hamstring rules him out of the third Test, who is Australia’s new number six batsman?’’
Eyebrows narrowed. Heads were lowered. Shoulders shrugged. Vegetables were pushed aimlessly around plates.


Silence ensued for several seconds before the discussion trickled on and intensified later in the afternoon when Steve Smith required treatment for a sore leg muscle.
Eventually there was not one batsman’s named floated but nine or 10 of them.
Names flew like confetti but that’s the issue. There is no standout Australian batting reserve now, simply an array of options.
The death of Phillip Hughes and the severe knee injury to Usman Khawaja has changed Australia’s batting landscape.
Suddenly there is no pecking order, no heartbreak kids.


There are some reasonable options but no batsman in the country could miss out on Test selection and say, with any sort of conviction, “I can’t believe it … what do I have to do?’’
If Marsh cannot play in Melbourne, Australia’s selectors have an intriguing choice on their hands in which they must choose between youth, experience, an investment or a short-term hit.
The field, as open as a Melbourne Cup on a bog track, includes the following players:
ADAM VOGES (Western Australia): With three centuries and a Sheffield Shield average of 50 he is in career-best form. But he is also 35 and never played a Test. Time may have beaten him but he does have a calm temperament and an excellent one-day record.

JOE BURNS (Queensland): With 439 Shield runs at 54 this season and an average in the low-40s, solid for a Brisbane-based batsman, he is building a worthy case. Will be spoken about.

CALLUM FERGUSON (South Australia): Has decent Shield statistics this season (382 runs at 54). Seems to be blossoming but the statistical shadow over his career is that he has played first-class cricket for a decade an averages 38.5 at the batting heaven of the Adelaide Oval where true Test batsmen should be averaging 50. Worth thought though.

GEORGE BAILEY (Tasmania): He looked gone for good after failing in last year’s Ashes series and has averaged just 30 this year. Needs to do more.

ED COWAN (Tasmania): With four Sheffield Shield centuries this season he is a man on fire but is more top than middle order. When he was dropped after averaging 31 in his 18 Tests it was thought his Test career was over.

JAMES FAULKNER (Tasmania): Fine all-rounder who would never let you down but it is difficult to chose a player in your top six who has never scored a first-class century in his 45-match career. He’s tough though.

ALEX DOOLAN (Tasmania): After being dropped from the Test team recently he needed to do more than average 16 in his opening matches of the season. Not this time.

NIC MADDINSON (NSW): Very promising but probably too soon.

DAN CHRISTIAN (Victoria): In imposing form in the Sheffield Shield and at age 31 is certainly not a spent force but seen as more of a short form player.

MOISES HENRIQUES (NSW): Played just one Shield match this season due to injury. Not now.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/australia-v-india-2014-who-should-replace-mitch-marsh-if-hes-injured-for-next-test/story-fn67xawe-1227162533104

Was going to write a detailed insight on who should be considered and why based on the Shield I've watched this year- but Crash has done it already today.

 

[1910]

My thought yesterday was that Johnson normally feeds off his batting so this could mean danger for India:

In games where he has got 50- 22 wickets at 18.

 

[Socnorb]

Where your yap now vot vot. Hahaha.

 

[Ari Gold]

Cowan always bored the **** out of me, even at test level. But for mine he's probably the best option. Send him in at #3 and drop Watson down to 6 because number 3's shouldn't have 4 test tons in 101 innings.

That said though, on form Watson at 6 and Haddin at 7 makes us incredibly weak in the middle order. Particularly when you consider Shaun Marsh is at 5 and really just as shit as Watson.

Also, Warner got hit and I didn't like the way he was looking at his thumb. Not inconceivable that he's out too?

 

[Porthoz]

Good win, but India made it hard... hopefully Warner's thumb isn't broken.

 

[Broncoman]

Another good victory and another quality test match. India have really let chances slip in this series, they had a good chance to win in Adelaide and had us in trouble here just yesterday. Good to see Rogers regain some form and congrats to Josh Hazelwood for a fine debut.

 

[Sproj]

Sarsb has got to go.