Second Test- Australia v Pakistan MCG

[1910]

Out of the 'Gabba Test- Our bowlers are cooked. Starc and Hazlewood need some support. They're missing Siddle badly or a Siddle type bowler.

When you have your blue ribbon fast bowler 10 km down on pace because he is shattered you need to change something.

The only two options are Smith bowls more to fill in 10 overs. Or the number 6 has to be an all rounder.

It being a night game probably saved more fatigue and maybe even a loss in this Test.

Going to have to improve because Pakistan clearly have fight and can get runs, they just struggle to put it together.

 

[Sproj]

All round options realistically:

1. Marsh
2. Head
3. Cartwright
4. Henriques
5. Agar
6. Christian
7. Faulkner
8. Hastings (He is out injured anyway)
9. Wildermuth

Of these, only really Head, Marsh, Maxwell, Cartwright, Henriques could be considered batting all rounders and Marsh is a stretch in that category.

Henriques is not a look to the future, Maxwell is horribly out of form.

That really loves Cartwright and Head (though the selectors will no doubt go with Marsh).

I seriously rate Cartwright and would throw him in there in a perfect world but Head in my opinion will be a necessity in India, so if the selectors are planning ahead we'll, he will get the nod.

 

[1910]

He's no chance but Turner has impressed me this season. You can't go with two spinners on a drop in pitch but more than 400 runs for a team that is terrible and he's got two hundreds and bowls nice off-spin.

 

[Sproj]

Yeah he's one I forgot. Though that said, I want to see him do it for another season yet or at least continue the rest of this one in the same vein he's started it.

 

[Sproj]

Great bat pad catch by Maddinson. Bird getting it to move in the overcast conditions.

 

[1910]

Fastest Australian to 100 wickets.

Turner 17
B.Johnson 22
Lilliee 22
Thomson 22
McKenzie 23
Johnson 23
Gillespie 23
Hazlewood 25 (on 98)
Lindwall 25
McDermott 27
Lee 27

Hazlewood needs two more.

 

[Sproj]

This test has been so disappointing due to rain, so here is my best Aussie XII:

1. Hayden
2. Warner
3. Bradman
4. Smith
5. Border (c)
6. Ponting
7. Gilchrist
8. Miller
9. Warne
10. Lillee
11. McGrath

12. S.Waugh

Like it?

 

[tommy]

Bit of spot fixing going on?

 

[Broncoman]

Fun idea

Here's my go

1: Justin Langer
2: Matthew Hayden
3: Don Bradman
4: Ricky Ponting
5: Allan Border (captain)
6: Richie Benaud
7: Adam Gilchrist
8: Shane Warne
9: Dennis Lillee
10: Alan Davidson
11: Glen McGrath

 

[gordjw]

Great turnaround from Warner and Khawaja yesterday afternoon.
The test could have been much more advanced, despite the rain, if not for the slow Pakistani run rate.

I hope we just bat for the rest of the time remaining. They wanted to wreck our quicks with too much bowling, well, turnabout is fair fucking play.

There's supposed to be thunderstorms this afternoon, but clear tomorrow. So there's enough time to get them close to 200 overs bowled.

 

[Big Pete]

Another strong boxing day test performance from the skipper.

2014 vs India - 192 & 14
2015 vs West Indies - 134* & 70*
2016 vs Pakistan - 100*

Shame about the weather.

 

[1910]

Another strong boxing day test performance from the skipper.

2014 vs India - 192 & 14
2015 vs West Indies - 134* & 70*
2016 vs Pakistan - 100*

Shame about the weather.

Third 1000 run year in a row too. Only Hayden has done more with five in a row. 2001-2005

2014- 1146
2015- 1474
2016- 1014

Most 1000 run years

Hayden and Ponting- 5
Clarke- 4
Smith, Border, Taylor- 3
Warner and Katich- 2
Bradman, Langer, Martyn, Simpson, Lawry, Boon, Blewett, Jones, Hill, Slater, M.Waugh, Voges, and Hughes- 1

 

[1910]

At the G average

Bradman- 128.53 from 17 innings
Smith- 114.60 from 8 innings

 

[Sproj]

If Cummins and Pattinson are both fit and firing next season come Ashes time, although harsh on Bird, those two guys are just freaks. Given both of them plus Starc can more than hold the bat and our number six hasn't Ben working, would it be worth going something like:

1. Warner
2. Renshaw / SMarsh
3. Khawaja
4. Smith (c)
5. Handscomb
6. Wade / Nevill / Whiteman
7. Starc
8. Cummins
9. Pattinson
10. Hazlewood
11. Lyon

Just throwing it out there, that is one scary bowling line up. Thoughts?

 

[ningnangnong]

Lol damn, Pakistan.

 

[Unbreakable]

How the **** did we win that

 

[Big Pete]

Remarkable day's play.

Great signs from the Australians. They showed up with the right attitude, made the most of their opportunities and really rattled Pakistan who saved their worst for last.

Considering it wasn't that long ago the Australians were in a similar position, the turn-around has to be celebrated and really this makeover has to be considered a success.

 

[Unbreakable]

If Cummins and Pattinson are both fit and firing next season come Ashes time, although harsh on Bird, those two guys are just freaks. Given both of them plus Starc can more than hold the bat and our number six hasn't Ben working, would it be worth going something like:

1. Warner
2. Renshaw / SMarsh
3. Khawaja
4. Smith (c)
5. Handscomb
6. Wade / Nevill / Whiteman
7. Starc
8. Cummins
9. Pattinson
10. Hazlewood
11. Lyon

Just throwing it out there, that is one scary bowling line up. Thoughts?

Nowhere near enough batting, we're basically in to the tail at 6 with that line-up.

This would be the squad I take for India.

1. Warner
2. Renshaw
3. Khawaja
4. Smith (c)
5. Handscomb
6. Head
7. Nevill
8. Starc
9. Cummins
10. Hazlewood
11. Lyon

12. Bird
13. Maddinson
14. Cartwright
15. Agar