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[Vic Nicholas]

Still fancy the Aussies to win one.

From what I have seen so far....not a snowflakes chance in Marble Bar.

A draw would be a food result with this demoralised crew.

[morgzy10]

Mmmm food result

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[Vic Nicholas]

It's precisely what we were discussing at our game on Saturday. If we kept the Aussiesin the field long enough, at least one bowler would give up the ghost. Having said that, a stress fracture is a nasty way to go out.

Considering how he has been bowling so much slower than normal from the start of the series, I would say it was something that started up in India.

He hasn't looked remotely himself this series.

[Manormanic]

Change his weight distribution in his stance
Work on his head movement towards the ball to help his front leg position
Work on shortening his front foot stride.

Actually I slightly disagree here - the best thing for a batsman like Watdson would be to move him away from lunging at the ball, even with perfect head balance.  I'd try instead to open his stance up just slightly so that he could play the ball slightly later and slightly closer to his body, whilst working as well on some drills to get him moving his foot inside the line of the ball.

[mad_abt_cricket]

I suspect that he is planting the front foot before the ball is pitched. Ideally front foot should land simultaneously as the ball is pitched and also slightly inside to the line of the ball and not across.

[smokem]

Considering how he has been bowling so much slower than normal from the start of the series, I would say it was something that started up in India.

He hasn't looked remotely himself this series.

Agreed. He should be consistently between high 80 to low 90mph.

[smokem]

Agar was fortunate - but his batting has covered up the bowling - which has worked to Eng's advantage.

I take it Clarke and Lyon aren't particularly close...

Agar is naturally a better bowler as his flight is better and has more variation. His bowling in the second test was not as good as the first test. If he bowled more deliveries in the low 50mph mark and he'll be even better. He has a very good top spinner and got rid of Cook with one in the 1st test.

Not sure if you've seen Lyon bowl? Flat, no flight, no variation and not a lot of turn. Lyon is pretty similar to Hauritz actually, only  more annoying... At any rate, Aussie batting is the weak point. So I can't see how it worked to Eng's advantage with Lyon not included, even if he was a better bowler (which he's not). And Lyon is not much good with the bat either... He definitely wouldn't be the leading Aussie run scorer like Agar is at the moment (which is pretty funny in itself)!

[Elsi]

Chadd Sayers has the potential to do well in English conditions, wouldn't mind seeing him having a go!

[tim2000s]

Agar is naturally a better bowler as his flight is better and has more variation. His bowling in the second test was not as good as the first test. If he bowled more deliveries in the low 50mph mark and he'll be even better. He has a very good top spinner and got rid of Cook with one in the 1st test.

Agar's problem isn't that he is a bad bowler, simply that he is inexperienced and hasn't yet had the time to get his rhythm fully sorted so that whenever he bowls he avoids the four balls each over. He also hasn't played a huge amount of cricket at a very high level. Bearing in mind that he's only 19, I reckon he's a future Aussie all rounder to watch. I just hope that by introducing him in this series, they haven't done it too early.

[smokem]

Agar's problem isn't that he is a bad bowler, simply that he is inexperienced and hasn't yet had the time to get his rhythm fully sorted so that whenever he bowls he avoids the four balls each over. He also hasn't played a huge amount of cricket at a very high level. Bearing in mind that he's only 19, I reckon he's a future Aussie all rounder to watch. I just hope that by introducing him in this series, they haven't done it too early.

A young Steve Waugh was thrown into the deep end at age 20 with fairly limited 1st class experience. He didn't score a test century until some 3.5 years later. If we are drawings parallels to the last time we lost 6 tests in a row (and Kim Hughes resigned as captain), then we may be heading towards a similar rebuilding phase. If that's the case we need some young, raw talent who we will stick with for a few years, and accept that we will lose a lot of games over the coming months (possibly years)...

[tim2000s]

If (and it's a very big if) you don't win any tests this series, will Clark go?

[smokem]

If (and it's a very big if) you don't win any tests this series, will Clark go?

The problem is, there aren't many others in the team that can be guaranteed a place in the team let alone captain the side. So I would say that Clarke stays as captain during the rebuilding phase, just like Border was.

[stevat]

I think Clarke is quality, fantastic bat, but he has said before he didn't want to play into his late thirties.

I hope he stays as long as his body will let him.

[Manormanic]

Clarke stays as captain for the basic reason that he is actually bloody good at it.

He has a crap side. He has some fairly annoying twerps to work with.  Both given. But he does more than anyone else would with them!

[petehosk]

Surely Clarke is there for the long term!!
I know he seems to struggle a little against England's bowlers, but there's no denying he's a top quality player!!
As I thought a while ago, ponting will be missed here. But Hussey is a huge hole to fill and is the middle filling that the Aussies needed to hold it together. But there is too much pressure for Clarke to handle by himself.

I still have a feeling that a couple of the Aussie batsmen will perform soon!