I would be more concerned if there was a clamour to include Doran - THAT would be reactionary.
I would be more concerned if there was a clamour to include Doran - THAT would be reactionary.
At the risk of ridicule, I’d actually have kept SMarsh in, and I’d have been tempted to pick Wade given the need for a middle order player. I don’t mind the Pucovski pick as a bolter, but given that, he’s got to be given a fair run.
In the squad they’ve picked I don’t see how you can pick Burns and Renshaw in the same team with Khawaja and Harris anyway. Especially if they going to play Labuschagne at 3 still. If they aren’t why did he bat there in the last test?!
They need to identify people they are giving a run in a particular position to, not just a 2 game audition for a drinks carrying holiday to England...
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Well there you go ...
https://www.news.com.au/sport/cricke...5e4978e88e75fb
Josh Lalor bowled well last night, so he should be added too.
Kurtis Patterson called into the Test Squad.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket...21-p50sl1.html
One quick comment (to sort-of support Coalesce's position) - Patterson's century in the second innings wasn't anywhere near as good the one in the first. There was no 'match' pressure whatsoever, and the bowling was pretty sub-standard. However, he did still score another 100, and his one in the first innings was a great knock, as he did come in early and with the team struggling at 2 -20 odd.
Will be interesting to see what the selectors do now. The team I named a page or so back might be closer to the mark than I thought. Just hope they give Richardson a run rather than Siddle - the ODI series reinforced what we know Siddle can do, and sadly it is not anywhere what he used to.
Last edited by Stuart; 21st January 2019 at 10:12 AM.
Good point! And Pope should replace Lyon.
Actually, in all seriousness, it was good to see Pope get a wicket with a normal leggie last night (and one that actually turned a bit). He really needs to develop a reliable leg-break and with a few years of experience, he could turn out to be real good-un.
The talk in the media is that Burns is going to open with Harris, with Marnus missing out. This makes no sense to me at all - if they picked him for the matches against India, why would they now drop him for Burns (who performed worse than him the 'trial' match)? If they are set on playing Burns, I would prefer them to stick with Marnus and not play either Patterson or Pucovski.
I've said this before, but players getting dropped and included for no discernible reason does nothing for confidence. The inclusion of Patterson (great current form) and Pucovski (potential) makes sense, but including Burns (looked woeful in the tour match) and dropping Marnus (who is showing signs of improvement) simply doesn't stack up.
Still, I'm not a national selector. Yet.
Last edited by Stuart; 21st January 2019 at 12:12 PM.
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They are better off blooding younger ones and batting them into form than preserving with oldies and trying to bat them into form
Australia Test side:*Marcus Harris, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Kurtis Patterson, Tim Paine (c/wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Lyon. Peter Siddle (12th man)*
Cummins & Head named vice captains.
Interesting side. Hopefully Burns can spend some time in the middle and find some red ball form. Look forward to seeing how Richardson goes. Kwaka is due a score sooner or later, the guy can bat.
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Agree with this - also glad to see that they went with Richardson rather than Siddle. The selectors have surprised me - in a positive way for a change.I’m not too adverse to their decision to leave Pucovski on the sidelines - he is still very young and has time on his side. Get him in and around the side, but lets not throw him to the wolves just yet. Head, Patterson and Marnus all have the chance to push for one of the Ashes spots.
It's shoot out after shoot out for Ashes spots isn't it, mainly batting of course. There's probably been a few go by the wayside and there's a half new batch lining up as well as some still in limbo or thereabouts. I recently watched a couple of Gilchrist's ridiculous innings just to remind me of the good old times.
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Interesting to hear on the television that Pucovski is seen to have missed out to Patterson - I reckon that he missed out to Burns. Come the Ashes, Warner (if fit) should come straight back in (on skill) to partner Harris and Burns goes back out (unless he catches fire and significantly outperforms Harris).
I do like that they have left Ussie at no. 3, which is where he should stay long term. Smith (if fit) should come straight back in at no. 4, with a shoot-out between now and then between Head, Patterson, Labuschagne and Pucsovski for the final two spots. Hopefully the selectors have abandoned the 'all-rounder at no. 6' experiment until we find someone who is genuinely worth their place in the side as a batsman who also bowls useful medium pace. I think that Hanscomb and Mitchell Marsh both need 12 months back in first-class cricket, and the door appears shut on Shaun Marsh (finally).
T Paine worst tosser of all time.
Labuschagne batted well, but I found his dismissal incredibly disappointing. It underlined one of the major things wrong with Australia's batsmen, and that is a lack of match awareness. With the Sri Lankan bowling on the ropes and both batsmen well set, but with the new ball and tea interval just a few overs away, the last thing you should do a lose a wicket. Both batsmen should have been talking to each other and focusing on getting through to tea. Instead, they have gifted Sri Lanka a wicket and put the new batsman under unnecessary pressure.
In this match, it may not matter. But against better bowling units, that is the type of dismissal that leads to collapses and bringing the opposition back from the dead.
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I know that this sounds probably a bit odd, but Patterson looked the best batsman of the ‘peripheral’ players. Head and Labuschagne both had the easiest conditions to bat in, but deserve credit for what they did. However, Patterson batted entirely in the hard night session and looked solid.
Dunno what we are doing still batting though - surely we declare and bowl under lights rather than batting on for a few fairly meaningless runs.
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