Test XI Selection Thread

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futureblackcap said:
Calm down Clocker, don't become a sore loser ;)

Us kiwis didn't expect there was a chance in hell of us beating you guys in Tazzy but hey, we did. :D Chris Martin bowled, just like all our bowlers and all your bowlers (not Starc) they bowled brilliant lines and brilliant lengths. This made for a amazing test match so please stop being such a pessimist and give credit when credit is due. We were better on the day, leave it at that

On Australian cricket. We all know Hughes is going to get dropped. I feel Hussey should also get dropped so Watson opens with Warner and Marsh comes in for Hussey batting at 6. Please don't get all doom and gloom because you have discovered a few young Dale Steyn's in Cummins and Pattinson. Any team in the world would love having them and plus, you have Warner getting a century in probably the hardest batting conditions of the last 10 years. Your team is not doomed just because you had a shock loss
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FBC,
I have nothing but total admiration for the Kiwis. They have an ordinary team but they fought it out and deservedly won.
The fact that Bracewell did not get the man of the match is an absolute disgrace. Letting Australian viewers vote on the result, what do you expect. I hear they made a fortune with Vodaphone....money again...
 
Ljp86 said:
I thought it was fair. He's backed him 100% but has repeatedly failed, I don't much problem with telling him he needs to find some runs.

Hughes should have been out for a duck in the second innings anyway. He really needs to go back to Shield cricket and work on his game because it just isn't up to it at the moment.
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Fair enough that he needs some runs but tell him not the media when you have played poorly yourself and lost. Clarke may have some bat form and he has made a good start to his captaincy but in difficult times is where your character shows and that is what he has always lacked. I doubt they will do as Border suggested and drop one of the old guys, no they will hang Hughs and think the sacrifice has been made. Ponting needs a big innings in the next test or he must go.
 
Khawaja is beggining to look very over rated. Is clearly out of form and has only scored one 50 in 6 test matches. Hughes has scored may more than him in the last 6 test's. I think his technique is one that will survive in test cricket, but is lacking confidence. Ponting just made back to back good scores before failure, i think he deserves one more crack on boxing day. He will go if he fails again.
With Hussey, who will replace him? until someone at state level is ready he stays for mine, but is on notice.

IN: S.Watson, R.Harris
OUT: P.Hughes, M.Starc

Marsh wont be ready, i'd give him another week, and then drop whoever fails out of khawaja, ponting and hussey(hopefully not all 3)

It infuriates me how selectors give some players so many chances however some have just been axed after one bad test; hodge, krezja.
 
Marsh is out for boxing day so who will open. Watson is not a big score player so opening is not his spot. They need a more long term answer for the openers to give stability. Khawaja needs to go down the order to 5 or 6 to find his feet, being 1 is a big ask for the kid.
 
Not overly confident with Harris based on his comments in the Herald Sun. One more breakdown and it could be over.He is scared. Why are they picking him if he is clearly unfit even in his own mind? Absolutely crazy. Do the selectors actually know what is going on? Does not sound like it.
 
Sidvic said:
Khawaja is beggining to look very over rated. Is clearly out of form and has only scored one 50 in 6 test matches. Hughes has scored may more than him in the last 6 test's. I think his technique is one that will survive in test cricket, but is lacking confidence. Ponting just made back to back good scores before failure, i think he deserves one more crack on boxing day. He will go if he fails again.
With Hussey, who will replace him? until someone at state level is ready he stays for mine, but is on notice.

IN: S.Watson, R.Harris
OUT: P.Hughes, M.Starc

Marsh wont be ready, i'd give him another week, and then drop whoever fails out of khawaja, ponting and hussey(hopefully not all 3)

It infuriates me how selectors give some players so many chances however some have just been axed after one bad test; hodge, krezja.
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I reckon slide Khawaja down to 5. At the rate of our middle order collapses lately batting at 3 or 5 isn't much of a difference but oh well. Marsh won't be fit but Punter has to be dropped. It's getting ridiculous how he is dragging his great career on into a rapid decline and I'm afraid he will leave test cricket on a bad note. I would bring in Cowan to open with Warner and bat Watto at 3. Hussey's gotta go as well. His bowling is better then his batting at the minute plus he's 36 years old! Is there a better cricketer in the country than Dan Christian? Can bat & bowl and seeing Watto won't be doing much bowling this series he's a perfect all rounder to slide in at six and be that fourth seamer.

My 11:
Warner
Cowan
Watson
Clarke
Khawaja
Christian
Haddin
Harris
Siddle
Pattinson
Lyon
 
I'd like to see this to for something different, with an eye on the future...

Warner
Khawaja
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Christian
Wade
McDonald
Siddle
Pattinson
Lyon

Some will probably laugh at McDonald, but I like what he brings, big fan. Economical bowler and in great batting form. Adds a lot batting at 8.

Gives us a lot of bowling flexibility, with Pattinson and Siddle taking the new ball, and McDonald, Watson and Christian all capable medium pacers. Lyon provides the spin.

Give Ponting the summer, will make some scores and still by far our best slip fieldsman. I'd drop Hussey with a heavy heart, but one of the two has to go.

Wade replaces Haddin, easy swap I reckon.
 
picking Christian to bat at 6 is suicide in the test arena, sure he offers a bit with the ball, but hell he averages 25 in first class cricket, with only one century. He is more suited to limited overs, if we bat christian and haddin at 6 and 7, we are fu**ed. Hell mcdonald is a better option with the bat than christian. If Hussey goes(which he wont) Khawaja or Watson must move to number 6 to protect the long tail.

I keep changing my mind but this would be my full strength team.

option 1.
1. Warner
2. Marsh
3. Watson
4. Ponting
5. Clarke
6. Khawaja
7. Haddin

Khawaja when confidence returns could swap with Watson, Hussey stiff, but only 2 or He, ponting and Khawaja can make it. Maddinson or Callum Ferguson to replace ponting in long term after this summer.
 
In the end i recon there are enough forced changes that the selectors will not drop anyone except Hughs and even he may get a chance. I see rumour that Katich's name is being bandied about, Yea right.
 
My ideal line up would be:
Warner, Cowan, Marsh, Watson, Clarke, Hussey (only just), Wade, Siddle, Pattinson, Harris, Lyon

But with Harris and probably Watson unlikely to be fit, likely line up will be:
Warner, Cowan, Marsh, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, Haddin, Siddle, Pattinson, Hilfenhaus/Starc, Lyon with either Ponting or Hussey to be dropped for Christian if Clarke decides he needs a 5th bowler but I think they won't have the balls to drop either so instead will go in as listed.

Ponting, Hussey and Haddin really need to perform now with guys really starting to beat the door down, we no longer have an excuse to carry out of form players the wrong side of 35.

I really like the look of a top 7 like this - Warner, Cowan, Marsh, Watson, Clarke, Khawaja, Wade/Paine and with our young up and coming bowlers we all of a sudden look very competitive again.
 
Warner, Cowan, Marsh, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, Haddin, Siddle, Pattinson, Hilfenhaus/Starc, Lyon

it is a very fragile batting line up. We lose an opener quickly, Marsh has not played for a month or so, then you have Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, Haddin.Can see Australia getting roled cheaply given the right circumstances.
 
Hussey and Ponting are not the same equation. Ponting has dropped from number 3 to 4, where Hussey could no longer get the job done and Clarke was never able to. Hussey is batting WAAAAAAAY to low for someone riding on previous good deeds. 5 and 6 are a non-event compared to the task faced at the top end of the order.

Haddin is a different prospect again. No batsmen are beating the door down but one keeper is and another quality keeper/bat is only out of thought due to injury. Move him on, bring in Wade and make him fight to keep the spot from Paine when he is fit again.
 
Too much rides on the young and inexperienced at the top of the order. If Warner ans Cowan fire up great, but if they fail there is not much faith in what comes in the lower order. I would have been happy to have given Khwaja the benefit of the doubt and slipped him in at six with Watson to come back and replace Ponting at four. Lot's of young platers lot's of courage while they learn to win, great times in cricket, wins will be exciting and losses painful. So real emotion back to the game.
 
Five weeks ago or so Marsh was being carried to the toilet by his team mates so bad was his back injury. Now we are lead to believe he is fine.Remember when he came in at 10 against Sth Africa and could barely stand? Third time he has injured his back and if it happens again then it is surgery.Harris is a ball by ball proposition from his career ending.The Jury is still out on Warner and Cowan after all the excitement of getting a Test gig finds out that some lunatic has broken into his house.Thankfully his wife was out of the house. His mental state must not be the best.
Hussey, Ponting and Haddin are playing for their careers and when this happens players tend to play for themselves, but in Haddin's case he only ever plays for himself. Paine is out for the rest of the summer and I would not be surprised if we don't see him for a couple of years.I recall seeing a photograph of Healy's hands after his career ended. Very big price to pay and keepers are under valued for the work they have to do (except Haddin who is a dud). Hilfenhaus? I really thought he was finished playing Test cricket but obviously the brains trust think otherwise.Lacked penetration against the Poms. What ever happened to playing players who were 100% fit and had the preparation? Marsh and Harris should not have been selected.Haddin should be sent packing and bring in Wade or the QLD keeper. I'd even take that fat bloke Smith ahead of Haddin.Ponting or Hussey should have been dropped and Khawaja allowed another opportunity. He has a magnificent technique, but just needs time. To all have a safe and merry Xmas and a prosperous New year.
 
CLOCKER said:
Hey Lip,
Just for the record.
Matches 6
Runs scored 503
Batting average 55.88
Top score 203*
Be big enough to give credit where credit is due.He was a Vic who for some reason got on the wrong side of Ponting and had his career stamped never to play for Australia again.
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Don't rate him, sorry. He was an arrogant person who thought he was worthy of a spot. Unfortunately for him he'll always be remembered as a sook after his childish antics of a few seasons ago.

CLOCKER said:
When Haddin knuckles down? You are joking. A swinging ball and he plays the same shot twice and then throws his head back in shock when he goes out. The reason he plays these shots is because he is afraid. Easier to swing at everything then put your body behind the ball. Wade has proven he can knuckle down and will fight it out. His record for the Vics demonstrates this.
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When Haddin bats properly (which is rare) he is actually pretty reasonable. The problem is he doesn't do it often enough. If he were prepared to bat sensible and knuckle down we wouldn't be having this conversation.
 
Ljp86 said:
Don't rate him, sorry. He was an arrogant person who thought he was worthy of a spot. Unfortunately for him he'll always be remembered as a sook after his childish antics of a few seasons ago.
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Apart from the 203no at the WACA on a highway he generally didn't look up to it at the highest level. And considering the incredible batting depth we had at the time, unlucky but he was given chances and didn't take most of them.

Ponting obviously didn't mind him, we batted far to long in that match before declaring just so he could get the 200...
 
Interesting 11. Shame about Hewey and Dewey at 4 and 7 but you can't have everything. Keeping my fingers crossed for Shaun Marsh. If his back goes again that will be the end of him in international cricket for a while you'd think.
 
Hodge was extremely unlucky not to play more tests, lets not beat around the bush here. He averaged 55 over a decade of shield cricket. If he was from New South Wales he would have played alot more.
Those saying our unbelievable batting depth... well i recall Marcus North a couple of years ago getting picked, somehow ahead of Hodge he averaged 35 over 21 tests.... If Hodge had that patience from the selectors god knows what that man could have achieved.

Anyway with regards to the test team, thank god christian wasn't selected, i rate the man, but is not test quality, no way in hell is he a top 6 bat in this country and thats the way i look at it, the bowling would be considered a bonus, i would honestly rather steven smith than Dan Christian to be honest.

Thrilled for the Cowan decision, picking a bloke in form is always the right option. Is 28 now so would know his game back to front.

I think this is our best 11 available, Watson will come in for Ponting or Hussey. I see those two having a bat off in boxing day test as you feel Cowan will be given a couple of tests to prove his ability.

Hilfenhaus good inclusion, is a much better bowler than Starc at the moment, is only in for one test you would suspect with Harris to come back, Cummins the long term replacement.
 
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