Test XI Selection Thread

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futureblackcap said:
Surely it'd be Burns even though Mitch Marsh hasn't done much of late..
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Mitch Marsh has not done anything full stop. Ok there has bee a few wickets but this is test cricket and he is meant to be the No 6, a batsman. This is the current weak link with this team. Burns has not lit up the world most certainly, but is having a much better season and deserves the extended chance
 
nairbe said:
Mitch Marsh has not done anything full stop. Ok there has bee a few wickets but this is test cricket and he is meant to be the No 6, a batsman. This is the current weak link with this team. Burns has not lit up the world most certainly, but is having a much better season and deserves the extended chance
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Bit harsh. His bowling was fantastic against us. Definitely better than a part-time bowler.

But the real question is, will he develop his batting better at Test level or first-class level? We have the same problem with Jimmy Neesham and Corey Anderson..
 
nairbe said:
Mitch Marsh has not done anything full stop. Ok there has bee a few wickets but this is test cricket and he is meant to be the No 6, a batsman. This is the current weak link with this team. Burns has not lit up the world most certainly, but is having a much better season and deserves the extended chance
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I have to say I disagree. Mitch Marsh is doing his job with the ball although is struggling with the bat so he is at least doing 50% of the job he is meant to do. A drop to number seven in the order would do him good in my opinion.

Burns on the other hand hasn't had a great last three tests and has a technique which needs some work. In my opinion I think he'll be the one to go for the Boxing Day test should Khawaja be deemed fit to play.
 
Ljp86 said:
I have to say I disagree. Mitch Marsh is doing his job with the ball although is struggling with the bat so he is at least doing 50% of the job he is meant to do. A drop to number seven in the order would do him good in my opinion.

Burns on the other hand hasn't had a great last three tests and has a technique which needs some work. In my opinion I think he'll be the one to go for the Boxing Day test should Khawaja be deemed fit to play.
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Given Khawaja will have the one T20 game at most,you'd hope they won't pass him as being being fit to play
 
futureblackcap said:
Bit harsh. His bowling was fantastic against us. Definitely better than a part-time bowler.

But the real question is, will he develop his batting better at Test level or first-class level? We have the same problem with Jimmy Neesham and Corey Anderson..
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Just before the ashes Mitch Marsh made 2 hundreds in warm up games whilst the rest of the batsmen struggled...he was in dynamite form. I also recall him making a really nice 87 in the UAE and at one point before that series he batting at 3 and tonking Dale Steyn around in a one day series in Zimbabwe (granted the pitches were roads). I have absolutely no doubt that he will turn out to be a quality allrounder that averages 37 - 40 with the bat and 28 - 30 with the ball. And who are the alternatives alrounders wise (accepting that we will never go with four frontline bowlers again). Henriques (always had potential, gets injured a lot, just has not taken that next step), Faulkner (not a good enough batsmen for 6 at this stage), Stonis (unconvinced by his robotic technique against a moving ball). Plus Marsh is bowling well at the moment. Stick with him. Drop Burns because his technique is no where near good enough, open with Khawaja, keep Marsh at 5 and we are laughing (I hope)
 
futureblackcap said:
Bit harsh. His bowling was fantastic against us. Definitely better than a part-time bowler.

But the real question is, will he develop his batting better at Test level or first-class level? We have the same problem with Jimmy Neesham and Corey Anderson..
Click to expand...
See this is the problem. Yep bowled ok but he is not batting in a bowlers position. 6 is a batsmen's spot and if you happen to be lucky you have an all rounder good enough. What is this crazy obsession with having an allrounder in the team just to have one when we don't have one good enough.
 
Foucault1989 said:
Just before the ashes Mitch Marsh made 2 hundreds in warm up games whilst the rest of the batsmen struggled...he was in dynamite form. I also recall him making a really nice 87 in the UAE and at one point before that series he batting at 3 and tonking Dale Steyn around in a one day series in Zimbabwe (granted the pitches were roads). I have absolutely no doubt that he will turn out to be a quality allrounder that averages 37 - 40 with the bat and 28 - 30 with the ball. And who are the alternatives alrounders wise (accepting that we will never go with four frontline bowlers again). Henriques (always had potential, gets injured a lot, just has not taken that next step), Faulkner (not a good enough batsmen for 6 at this stage), Stonis (unconvinced by his robotic technique against a moving ball). Plus Marsh is bowling well at the moment. Stick with him. Drop Burns because his technique is no where near good enough, open with Khawaja, keep Marsh at 5 and we are laughing (I hope)
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That would make him the greatest all-rounder of all time.
 
Steve Smith's dismissal in the first Test brought a tear to my eye. I think I was dismissed in the same manner on a over a dozen occasions in my extensive 'Park' career. You feel like an absolute goose as you walk off, whilst the spinner is just chirping away reminding you about your moral failings as a batsman.
 
CLOCKER said:
Steve Smith's dismissal in the first Test brought a tear to my eye. I think I was dismissed in the same manner on a over a dozen occasions in my extensive 'Park' career. You feel like an absolute goose as you walk off, whilst the spinner is just chirping away reminding you about your moral failings as a batsman.
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I reckon it has everything to do with not being able to read what type of delivery is being bowled to them by the bowler.
 
Australia look like they will struggle again. Warner struggles playing Test cricket on the subcontinent. Just doesn't have the patience or technique. Most of the Australians appear clueless and I suspect 20/20 has a lot do with it. I just wonder how long Test Cricket can last. Playing in empty stadiums.

England & India are the countries that hold the interest of the public.
Pakistan: Good team playing out of the UAE where they receive little support.
South Africa: Refuse to play the Boxing Day Test in Australia. they prefer to play in front of 2000 people who bring their own barbeques rather than in front of 60-75,000.
New Zealand: Only three hours away and yet we barely play them. Crazy,
Sri Lanka: Hopeless away from home and almost little local interest apart from ex pat Sri Lankans.
West Indies: Glorified park cricketers. Most District clubs would beat their Test team.
Bangladesh & Zimbabwe: Not upto it.
 
Not a bad summation there!!!



CLOCKER said:
Australia look like they will struggle again. Warner struggles playing Test cricket on the subcontinent. Just doesn't have the patience or technique. Most of the Australians appear clueless and I suspect 20/20 has a lot do with it. I just wonder how long Test Cricket can last. Playing in empty stadiums.

England & India are the countries that hold the interest of the public.
Pakistan: Good team playing out of the UAE where they receive little support.
South Africa: Refuse to play the Boxing Day Test in Australia. they prefer to play in front of 2000 people who bring their own barbeques rather than in front of 60-75,000.
New Zealand: Only three hours away and yet we barely play them. Crazy,
Sri Lanka: Hopeless away from home and almost little local interest apart from ex pat Sri Lankans.
West Indies: Glorified park cricketers. Most District clubs would beat their Test team.
Bangladesh & Zimbabwe: Not upto it.
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Burns is not alone. Khawaja was selected with the sub continent in mind, and he has looked terrible.Smith is a shadow of his earlier brilliant form. Opposition teams have worked him out. Voges has had his time in the sun and probably time to move on. Having said that, not sure who is going to replace or pressure the incumbents. O'keefe looked promising and will probably hold his spot in India. Any suggestions?
 
CLOCKER said:
Burns is not alone. Khawaja was selected with the sub continent in mind, and he has looked terrible.Smith is a shadow of his earlier brilliant form. Opposition teams have worked him out. Voges has had his time in the sun and probably time to move on. Having said that, not sure who is going to replace or pressure the incumbents. O'keefe looked promising and will probably hold his spot in India. Any suggestions?
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Australia made a big mistake bringing in jon holland somebody like adam zampa would have been great in these spinning conditions, he would spin the ball and would be a massive weapon on day 3 and 4 in a test match in Sri Lanka where the pitch really starts to crumble up
 
SriLanka said:
Australia made a big mistake bringing in jon holland somebody like adam zampa would have been great in these spinning conditions, he would spin the ball and would be a massive weapon on day 3 and 4 in a test match in Sri Lanka where the pitch really starts to crumble up
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Moot point considering the batsmen could not last longer than a day. The problem is their inability to play spin bowling. It's all good for the rocket scientists to send Australia A to India, but if none of them are in this team then pointless. How many coaches are on the payroll? How many know anything about facing genuine spin bowling. How about getting someone like Dean Jones involved? One of the best players of spin who coaches Islamabad United in the Pakistan 20/20 league.
 
In 4 completed Aus innings across the first 2 tests, Smith's 55 in the 2nd dig of the first test is both the highest Aus individual score, and only 1/2 century.

Garbage cricket.
 
CLOCKER said:
Burns is not alone. Khawaja was selected with the sub continent in mind, and he has looked terrible.Smith is a shadow of his earlier brilliant form. Opposition teams have worked him out. Voges has had his time in the sun and probably time to move on. Having said that, not sure who is going to replace or pressure the incumbents. O'keefe looked promising and will probably hold his spot in India. Any suggestions?
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Voges is averaging just under 80 with the bat, he certainly isn't the problem.

Burns is simply not good enough to open the innings, not sure why he's even near the side, his technique is poor. I'd much rather Cameron Bancroft in there who is an "old school" type opener. Chris Rogers was in the same mould as Bancroft and he and Warner worked well together. Khawaja and Warner have struggled and our best player of spin in Smith hasn't looked great either. His shot to get out in the first test when he was stumped was horrendous.

Shaun Marsh has played in Sri Lanka before and done well so he'd be worthy of a go considering the final test is a dead rubber.
 
Warner should not go to India. There I said it. Not up to playing Test cricket on the sub continent. No technique or patience. The lack of influence of our spinners is depressing. The next tour of India will go something like this. India wins the toss, and bat for 6.5 sessions and then bowl Ausralia out twice in two or so days.
 
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