***Official*** Sri Lanka in Australia

[The Sean]

Haha, dire opening post.

Anyway, he's my prediction for the Gabba test side (as opposed to my preferred side).

Jaques
Hayden
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Symonds
Gilchrist
Lee
Johnson
Clark
MacGill

I'd love to see Watson in there ahead of Symonds, but he probably won't have much cricket under his belt, so I expect Symonds to make it. And given Hussey's success down the order in tests and Jaques' excellent tour of Pakistan, I doubt Hussey will open allowing for another batsman to slot in.

MacGill is a given as the spinner, and I think Johnson will get the nod as the third seamer. He was pretty close last year, and he's bowled well in South Africa. Assuming he has a decent tour of India and doesn't get injured, he'll start in the test series, with Hilfenhaus just missing out, and Tait not being considered due to a general lack of cricket. Any of those three could make it, but Johnson is the front runner again.

Agree with most of that, though I reckon if Tait is fit for the Gabba he'll be picked - even if there's a risk of being underprepared. I've been looking forward to seeing Mitch play Test cricket for a while now though, so I'd have no objections to him being in the side. And FWIW, I think they'll bat pup at 4 and Hussey at 5.

 

[pup11]

I read in an article somewhere that the prime reason Tait wasn't going to India was to prepare himself for the first test against Sri Lanka by playing some games for South Australia.
So i guess he would be in the XI for the first test then.

 

[JASON]

Murali set to miss England ODIs - and therefore Australian Tests would be his first game since injury in August.

I hope he is fully recovered in time for the Australian tour....

His injury was a shame since he could've helped SL immensely in 20/20 or even Lancashire win the county championship....( after they narrowly missed out to Sussex)

 

[iamdavid]

Haha, dire opening post.

Anyway, he's my prediction for the Gabba test side (as opposed to my preferred side).

Jaques
Hayden
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Symonds
Gilchrist
Lee
Johnson
Clark
MacGill

I'd love to see Watson in there ahead of Symonds, but he probably won't have much cricket under his belt, so I expect Symonds to make it. And given Hussey's success down the order in tests and Jaques' excellent tour of Pakistan, I doubt Hussey will open allowing for another batsman to slot in.

MacGill is a given as the spinner, and I think Johnson will get the nod as the third seamer. He was pretty close last year, and he's bowled well in South Africa. Assuming he has a decent tour of India and doesn't get injured, he'll start in the test series, with Hilfenhaus just missing out, and Tait not being considered due to a general lack of cricket. Any of those three could make it, but Johnson is the front runner again.

I agree on Tait, he may well be fit in time for the Gabba but I doubt he'll have had much if any game time and it'd be a huge risk chucking someone so young and unpredictable in like that, as good as his WC may have been.
T'will be interesting to see how Johnson goes.

I am still not completely sold on MacGill, I know about a month ago everyone thought he was there for sure and would have to do plenty wrong to play himself out of a test spot..Well so far it appears he's doing everything he can to miss out, by all reports his bowling was erratic and largely unthreatening in Pakistan against a young side in helpful conditions, and he got on the wrong side of the officials yet again.
It will still take alot for them not to pick him, Hogg being the only realistic spin alternative, but if MacGill is roobish for NSW early on and Hogg has a good India tour it will get very close imo.

 

[Laurrz]

i think Tait is much more ready than Johnson

it looks like Tait can cope with pressure ... Johnson probably needs another solid season... he hasnt really done that much in domestic its just that he has potential and thats what they are picking him for.. Tait has had lots of good seasons

that said, i am not completely confident in him... id personally choose Hilfy....

and how good is it that Jaques has struck hot form

 

[chaminda_00]

Bollinger for the 1st Test, please...(or wait is there a NSW game on). Nah pick Johnson, Tait, Hilf and Heal.

 

[howardj]

Hayden
Jaques
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Symonds
Gilchrist
Lee
Clark
Tait
MacGill

Tait just has to get through a couple of Pura Cup matches and he will be assured of selection. No way they're going to confuse him and prick his burgeoning bubble of post-World Cup confidence. Also, MacGill is a dead cert.

 

[Prince EWS]

Symonds it is then I guess.

I suppose Rob will find it easier to take this way?

I still wouldn't pick him. Although that probably doesn't surprise many.

 

[Richard]

Oh, I know you still wouldn't pick him, but I presume that you'll feel less annoyed in the inevitable event that he does get picked knowing Watson hasn't missed-out for him?

 

[Prince EWS]

Oh, I know you still wouldn't pick him, but I presume that you'll feel less annoyed in the inevitable event that he does get picked knowing Watson hasn't missed-out for him?

I'll probably feel more annoyed, actually. For had Watson been fit, Symonds just might have been left out.

 

[Richard]

Would you really not prefer to see Symonds have a wretched series here, and be never seen at Test level again, though? Rather than have his ghost hanging-around the team for the next 2 years because of the fact his last 2 Tests were productive ones?

 

[Prince EWS]

Would you really not prefer to see Symonds have a wretched series here, and be never seen at Test level again, though? Rather than have his ghost hanging-around the team for the next 2 years because of the fact his last 2 Tests were productive ones?

I'd much rather him fail and be forgotten in a series which is less of a risk, really. This series concerns me greatly; we can't afford passengers like Symonds.

 

[Richard]

If Sri Lanka at home is a great concern, I can't imagine what a forgotten series which is little risk is TBH.

(Unless it's Bangladesh, and obviously I'm not really bothered if someone fails against Bangladesh)

 

[Prince EWS]

If Sri Lanka at home is a great concern, I can't imagine what a forgotten series which is little risk is TBH.

(Unless it's Bangladesh, and obviously I'm not really bothered if someone fails against Bangladesh)

The timing of the series along with the retirements of a few key players and the emergence of Malinga is what has me worried. Australia will be selecting quite a few unproven players against a Sri Lankan team which IMO has the potential to be quite good away from home, so I don't think Symonds can be carried just to let him fail.

 

[The Sean]

If Sri Lanka at home is a great concern, I can't imagine what a forgotten series which is little risk is TBH.

(Unless it's Bangladesh, and obviously I'm not really bothered if someone fails against Bangladesh)

I'm concerned about this series - Sri Lanka have a bowling line-up the equal of just about anyone right now while Australia will be blooding a number of unproven or relatively unproven players and without any Test cricket even for our experienced blokes for the better part of a year. I reckon this series will be hard work, which is another reason I wish we weren't wasting our time with seven meaningless ODIs in India beforehand having already wasted enough valuable time (not to mention incurring injuries to key players) in South Africa with the Twenty20.

 

[Prince EWS]

I'm concerned about this series - Sri Lanka have a bowling line-up the equal of just about anyone right now while Australia will be blooding a number of unproven or relatively unproven players and without any Test cricket even for our experienced blokes for the better part of a year. I reckon this series will be hard work, which is another reason I wish we weren't wasting our time with seven meaningless ODIs in India beforehand having already wasted enough valuable time (not to mention incurring injuries to key players) in South Africa with the Twenty20.

I completely agree with all of that.

 

[Richard]

Absolutely agree 100% on both series.

Rarely would it have been so beneficial to get a nice, uncluttered start to the home season for Australia.

 

[chaminda_00]

If Australia didn't go to India or played an under strength side in South Africa you guys would be worried about the lack of match fitness of key players. Six months without any cricket is worse then having two back to back series. Two FC matches isn't enough cricket in the lead up to a Test Series.

 

[Richard]

There'd be earlier-season Grade games, though, wouldn't there?

 

[chaminda_00]

There'd be earlier-season Grade games, though, wouldn't there?

Only one match that doesn't clash with State matches.