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[awp]

OK, so Aussies, lets also not kid ourself, a very significant reason for the wins was that 1 batsman contributed and stayed with Haddin in the first innings of each test.  I still cant believe that the exact same damn thing happened 5 tests in a row, its quite ridiculous really.

I am a fan and believer from the beginning in Warners batting (my 1 real talent is reading peoples ability strengths and weaknesses, made me a fortune.....) BUT there wasn't a lot of 1st innings runs in the 500 odd for the series.  Watto.....1st innings? Captain? none were really big first innings men.  frankly, I think first innings runs should be indexed when it comes to averages......anyway.

SA will NOT let us get to 350 from 5 for stuff all..........

time for some guys to step up in the first innings.......

Also, who at 6?  I think Bailey is an outstanding young man....but ive never liked his batting.  So.....#6? thoughts anyone?

I am completely biased in that I still believe S Marsh is the second best batsman in the country.....full stop.  but how can he, or anyone else, get picked when the BBL3 is in full swing with no Sheffield shield fixtures prior to departure to SA?

should we take a punt? basically conduct rolling trials in the test arena? 

do you know what - personally I'm leaning to batting marsh at 5 and smith at 6 IF marsh shows decent odi form.....he's still be better than bailey.....

OR

take a punt.........MAXWELL.......yes seriously.  I think hes a freak with the ability to transcend short form cricket....

[iand123]

Was wondering exactly the same with Bailey, probably the only aussie batsmen to not come out of this series with his place 100% nailed down

[awp]

Nick Maddinson looks a fine talent from limited watching of him could he be brought in.

youre dead right, he is, most certainly.  As is Doolan.

I actually think that the 'bring in a 3 and move watto to 6' is the change the aussie selectors would make as opposed to a straight dump bailey and bring in a 6.

I guess it depends on who's around. 

Ian Chappell is a pain.....a god awful pain....BUT....hes knows his stuff.  re selection he did say aust picked the wrong team for the 5th test 'pick THE best team to win this match, with an eye to the next match/future.

there's no real power strikers (which I think is needed at 6) with test match techniques (apologies to Cameron white) but there is a few young guys who could bat 3, doolan, maddinison, s marsh..... I think only the latter could also bat 6

it will be interesting to see what happens.  the SA tour will tell us whether we were good......or can be genuinely excellent.

[cricketbadger]

take a punt.........MAXWELL.......yes seriously.  I think hes a freak with the ability to transcend short form cricket....

someone who refers to himself as the 'Big Show' should never be taken seriously within the Test arena, and I have it on good authority that he is a bell end

[ammo]

If anyone comes in i think it would be Hughes had a strong domestic season

[awp]

someone who refers to himself as the 'Big Show' should never be taken seriously within the Test arena, and I have it on good authority that he is a bell end

hahaha bell end..........

you don't like 'the big show'? c'mon........stars have to have that cringe quality......its why I like KP!

[smilley792]

am pretty sure Maxwell doesn't like the "bigshow" tag. well that's what ponting said on bbl the other day.

he would add a spin option and is a great fielder.


with doolan combining for final test squad. does that mean marsh,Hughes and kawaja have blown it for good??

nick maddinson got done by tait in the bbl with short balls. he looked like he couldn't cope. what would he do with stern and morkel bowling short at him?


no calls for finch at 6?

[Over Gully]

The XI that played in the Ashes will be on the plane to Sth Africa. I will be interested to see who else makes the touring party. I'd say no to Marsh, as talented as he is he's been poor in the Shield for a good 2 years. I know they selected Bailey off the back of ODI form but he hasn't been setting the world on fire in those formats either. If Shield form is anything to go by, Phil Hughes and Marcus North (was averaging over 90) have to be considered, but with Doolan making the squad for Sydney he looks to be to be the next specialist bat in line, even though he has averaged only 39 in the Shield this summer and a career FC average of around 37 aren't anywhere near the numbers of Hughes and North, but he's an attractive player, technically correct, and should do a solid job if picked.

If Bailey fails he won't see out the series and it's most likely career over. Doolan is a top-order player, so again you have an issue of where he bats. Do you put him at three and shift Watson to six? That could work, because even though Watto is a poor starter against spin, Tahir is pretty ordinary and shouldn't pose a serious threat, I dare say they will target him Swann-style and force Smith to bowl his pacemen more. Kallis also retiring robs him of that reliable 4th seam/stock bowler/partnership breaking option. Otherwise who else is there, if Doolan is the reserve bat, the only other option is to play Faulkner, with adds to the bowling depth but means you probably move Haddin up to six and Faulkner 7. That would be a bold move given Australia still has a suspect top six. If we are looking at a squad of 15, mine would be:

Clarke (c)
Warner
Rogers
Watson
Smith
Bailey
Haddin
Johnson
Harris
Siddle
Lyon
Doolan (seems groomed to be the next in line)
Pattinson (back from injury, not a bad reserve paceman)
Wade (Reserve WK. Heard whispers Nevill from NSW might be a smoky)
Faulkner (All-round option, especially if Watson breaks down)

PS: Finch? T20 God but can't buy a Shield run. He averaged 12 last year for Victoria!

[awp]

If anyone comes in i think it would be Hughes had a strong domestic season

extremely strong season.........batting at Adelaide

hes an incredible kid - gets dropped, works, improves, performs, gets picked........and round we go again..

there may be some justice in him playing in SA where he burst onto the scene and destroyed their attack.

Justin langer said at breaky a few months ago that hughes test record is miles better than his at the same age....

i

[Manormanic]

Its a difficult balancing act for the Australian selectors I think - how much they pick their best available squad as of today to try and win the series, and how much they take into account the ageing profile of their team and look to manage the transition process better than, say, England have managed it recently.

For me, there is no doubt that they will retain ten of their test side in their squad - Bailey is the only one whose place is under serious threat (because whilst I note that Chris Rodgers tended to score heavily in the second dig but not int he first, he still scored heavily, which is something that Australia have struggled to do post Punter).  That leaves, probably, six spaces in the touring party - two batsmen and two seamers plus a speculative pick.

Should Bailey survive?  My call would be no - his first innings scores were 3,53,7,0,1 in the Ashes, which is probably enough evidence that he is just not quite good enough. 

So two batsmen - I'd go for Maddinson (because Rodgers can't have that long left at the top of the order) and Marsh (who did well when he first came in to the side and could bat anywhere in the order).  WHoever plays, I think Smith would be the best bet at six, possibly with Watson moving down to five.

As for the bowlers, Pattinson is more or less a certainty, with one of Bollinger and Coulter-Nile my guess, though on the South AFrican wickets you can bet they would love to have Bird available to them.

And the wild card?  I wonder whether they might take a leg spinner of questionable nationality (no, not Adil Rashid...)

[Manormanic]

Of course all of this presupposes that the rumours of HAddin's departure are untrue...

[Nickauger]

You wait, Johnson will be dropped after the first test! Will go 1-200 and lose all form again. After all, his average is hugely inflated after taking 37 wickets against England in the Ashes! He's not a below 30's average bowler!

[procricket]

I going to name a player I have never seen but used to be on lavers books

Is Chris Lynn anywhere close .

[Buzz]

I think this is a pretty good guess at what the squad will look like, taken from above - but I agree Hughes has been shoddily treated (although I remain pretty unimpressed with him technically)

Clarke (c)
Warner
Rogers
Watson
Smith
Bailey
Haddin
Johnson
Harris
Siddle
Lyon
Doolan (seems groomed to be the next in line)
Pattinson (back from injury, not a bad reserve paceman)
Wade (Reserve WK.)
Faulkner (All-round option, especially if Watson breaks down)

my challenge is that the starting line up have quite a few years on the clock - this has been mentioned by Vic on other threads - but are all of Rodgers, Harris, Watson, Clarke, Haddin and Johnson likely to make it to the 2015 ashes series?

[awp]

you're spot on.

its the best Australian team that can be put on the park.  not necessarily a team being rebuilt.....everyones 30+ except smith

its a team for 2 years, not generational supremacy.......but i'll take it

please no wade.....he's in bairstows class as a gloveman, gime pain any day (so to speak)