Second Test- Australia v South Africa

[1910]

You also forgot about his century on debut in a final.

No, 42 and 9 on debut in the '93 Shield Final.

9 is pretty good out of a total of 75!

 

[Unbreakable]

Warner, Smith, Hazlewood & Starc are the only players safe for the next test according to Boof.

I think Khawaja should be safe as well, I wouldn't be against 4 or 5 new faces for the next test, we've got nothing to lose, series is already lost.

 

[Sproj]

I'd be interested in going this just to see what happens:

1. Patterson
2. Warner
3. Khawaja
4. Smith
5. Lehmann
6. Cartwright
7. Wade
8. Agar
9. Starc
10. Sayers
11. Hazlewood

 

[Battler]

I'd be going: Warner, Marsh (Bancroft if injured), Khawaja, Smith, Patterson/ Lehmann, Patterson/ Lehmann/ Maxwell, Handscombe/ Whiteman/ Nevill, SOK, Starc, Hazle, Sayers. Agar will be ready to go in a year or two, and Swepson is another real talent (although I reckon it will take him a bit longer to develop as a leggie).

 

[Sproj]

I'm not against most of that either. I've always secretly wanted to see Maxwell as an opener just quietly. Agar has actually been very good so far this season, I think he could be a hidden weapon heading to India soon. I'd be taking all of Maxwell, Agar and SOK so why not give two or three a shot now?

 

[Unbreakable]

Not bad [MENTION=8423]Sproj[/MENTION] - I'd have something similar

1. Warner
2. Handscomb
3. Khawaja
4. Smith (c)
5. Patterson
6. Lehmann
7. M.Marsh (Purely due to lack of good pace bowling all-rounders)
8. Agar
9. Starc
10. Bird
11. Hazlewood

 

[Sproj]

That side also has a lot of upside but I'm just not sure you can put your keeper at opener in test cricket. ODI sure, but I think it requires too much over five days continuously.

 

[Unbreakable]

He bats consistently at opener or 3 at Shield level, don't see any difference.

 

[Sproj]

He bats consistently at opener or 3 at Shield level, don't see any difference.

Yes but when he does, Wade is the keeper.

 

[Sproj]

I do want to add though, I am not against Handscomb's inclusion at all, in fact the only reason I went with Wade was for a bit of experience around all the new boys. I also rate Handscomb.

 

[gordjw]

You guys who watch Shield cricket, how do the pitches we see in test matches compare to the ones used at state level?

 

[Browny]

So apparently only Warner, Smith, Starc and Hazlewood are gaurenteed their spots. FFS Khwaja scores a 97 and 60 odd on recall

 

[Sproj]

Yeah I think Khawaja was just forgotten in the heat of the moment. Even so, we are looking for:

1.
2. Warner
3. Khawaja
4. Smith
5.
6.
7.
8. Starc
9.
10. Hazlewood
11.

This is also very interesting from the ABC website:

'ABC Grandstand's statistical guru Ric Finlay ran the numbers on quick losses of four wickets or more, dating back to 2013.In its last three Tests, Australia lost 10-83 here at Hobart, 10-86 in Perth, and 10-83 again at Colombo. The match before that, it was 9-52 at Galle, then 6-22 at Pallekele. Five Test defeats in a row.
Cast our minds back further and there's the procession of 10-56 at Trent Bridge in last year's Ashes, or Port Elizabeth in 2014 when all 10 went down in the space of 90 runs.
In the 2013 Ashes, Australia lost all 10 for 86 on the way to being pumped at Lord's, then 10-115 in Durham to give up a run chase that was well in hand and concede the Ashes. The Oval that year saw a run of 6-51, the second innings at Lord's 5-28, and the series opener at Trent Bridge involved 5-9.
In the 2015 edition, 5-25 went down at Cardiff as England wrapped up an initial win. The first innings at Edgbaston fell apart with 7-59, then 5-49 in the second. The second innings at Trent Bridge wasn't much better than the infamous first, with an early burst of 5-29 before a final 4-23 gave up the Ashes again.

India in 2013 saw Hyderabad's 7-23 and Delhi's 5-30. There was Pakistan's 6-38 in Abu Dhabi in 2014, then 4-5 in Dubai. The 2014 Sydney Test against England involved 5-37, while New Zealand in 2015 took 4-26 at the Gabba and 4-8 in Perth.

 

[1910]

Not bad @Sproj - I'd have something similar

1. Warner
2. Handscomb
3. Khawaja
4. Smith (c)
5. Patterson
6. Lehmann
7. M.Marsh (Purely due to lack of good pace bowling all-rounders)
8. Agar
9. Starc
10. Bird
11. Hazlewood

Bit hard to expect a guy who bats at four and three sometimes for his state to keep and open under lights in his first Test.

 

[1910]

He bats consistently at opener or 3 at Shield level, don't see any difference.

Last year he was four every game bar one when Stonis was out and he batted three then and he doesn't keep.

 

[1910]

You guys who watch Shield cricket, how do the pitches we see in test matches compare to the ones used at state level?

They're the same. Sometimes at the 'Gabba and Hobart they will have some more grass on them for the Shield.

 

[1910]

We have been dismissed now for fewer than 100 runs seven times since 2013. Compared to 12 times in the 25 years before that.

 

[1910]

Changes are going to be made and they have to be. What they need to do is pick on two things. Fighting players, players that maybe don't have the runs or record but they see a bit of old school not getting me out.

Another thing is they need to sit down and think about who is going to be in the team in two years, who is the long term players. Then stick with them, even if we lose in Adelaide even if we lose to Pakistan they have to give them a Steve Waugh type stay.

We are 12 months away from the Ashes- we need this settle and give them time.

It's the trade off of picking young guys, you need to let them settle, if you pick them we lose in Adelaide and then you drop them you just become the New South Wales Origin team- pick who you want and then have some faith.