dontcloseyoureyes
BARNES OUT
Seeing as though the headline on cricinfo for the last 2 or 3 days has been "Tait Raring to Go After Self-imposed Break" I doubt it.
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***Official Australia in India***
- Thread starter pup11
- Start date
GIMH
Norwood's on Fire
Well, I want to say that this squad doesn't exactly put the ****s up you if you aren't Australian. But I'm not naive enough to write the Aussies off, ever again, even if they picked eleven Luke Wrights they'd probably still kick arse.
That being said, it certainly is interesting to read guys like Smitteh and Nath (who I believe watch a lot of domestic cricket) saying this and that about various selections. Noone seems too happy with this squad. I don't know much about a few of the players, and I'm not going to make judgements about them based on FC stats, but this should be an interesting series.
That being said, it certainly is interesting to read guys like Smitteh and Nath (who I believe watch a lot of domestic cricket) saying this and that about various selections. Noone seems too happy with this squad. I don't know much about a few of the players, and I'm not going to make judgements about them based on FC stats, but this should be an interesting series.
howardj
International Coach
People who are saying it's a poorly selected squad...in my view the only unlucky player is Noffers. Other than that, there is nobody who is genuinely unlucky. This squad is what you get when Gods like Warne, McGrath etc retire, and talented folks like Symonds are unavailable. Put simply, it's the best we have.
Jakester1288
International Regular
It is more hope. I, and many other Cricket loving fans (mainly Australian) have been calling for Johnson's head for a while now, with Noffke or Bollinger to replace him. This is the best option for Australian Cricket at the moment, and until Johnson gets some time (between 1 and 2 seasons) in the Sheffield Shield for WA, I don't think he is ready. Bollinger, despite being the same age, is way more mature, and better at pitching the ball on a length, consistently.
Mister Wright
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Won't be in any rush to sign up to Foxtel to see India swoop 4-0.
Jakester1288
International Regular
Funny you mention that. I am going to get a job at the end of this month if possible, for 2 reasons. Money and Austar/Foxtel. I want to watch some of this series, but if I don't get the job, I will just watch it on live streams on the net. Pumped for the series!
Top_Cat
Request Your Custom Title Now!
Yep, spot.
SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
That's true, but the only reason you could justify Siddle over Noffke is by age. And then you come to the selection of Krezja who is a bits-and-pieces bowler at best and is no better than Casson, Cullen and Heal (and he's older too).
It's a real shame they'll stick with Johnson because he's not a patch on Noffke or Bollinger in the longer game.
Nate
You'll Never Walk Alone
Haha, not a chance. Nice try though.
Jakester1288
International Regular
Pace is they key
National selection panel chairman Andrew Hilditch believes Australia's pace attack could hold the key to beating India in the upcoming four-test series.
Experienced campaigners Brett Lee and Stuart Clark will again lead the charge while Mitchell Johnson, Doug Bollinger and Peter Siddle will also be pushing for selection after being named in the national squad on Friday. Shane Watson will also feature in the bowling line-up.
Their contribution will be particularly important considering the inexperienced spinners the Aussies will be taking to the sub-continent.
Hilditch is hopeful the fast bowlers can make an impact.
"We think we are very well placed in the pace attack," Hilditch said.
"We won last time because of our quick bowlers and we think it will be the same this time."
"It's a very strong squad that has been added to by Bolllinger and particularly Siddle who is only 23. We think he will do very well in those conditions and is ideally suited."
Only time will tell whether Australia's new-look line-up will have what it takes to beat the Indians on their home soil. But win, lose or draw, it'll highlight the depth of Australian cricket now that most of the stars of the game have retired.
"This is an icon Test series and will really gauge how we are going," Hilditch said.
The upcoming tour has opened up opportunities for a number of cricketers but Beau Casson and Dan Cullen are two players that would be feeling on the outer after being overlooked.
Hilditch said Cullen should feel optimistic that the selectors are keen to player finger spinners (not just leg-spinners) but added Casson was 'very unlucky'.
"We were happy with the way he went in the West Indies. He took his opportunity, got three wickets and played in a winning side. As a concept he has to be unlucky not to be there," Hilditch said.
"As Beau has been told it is a selection for India - we wanted a leg-spinner and wanted a right-arm finger spinner which unfortunately meant Beau wasn't there."
Hilditch said it would've been preferable to take a more experienced team to India but added the subcontinent was no longer a daunting destination.
"As far as playing in India, conditions have improved a lot, the grounds, the playing surface is excellent, the crowds are great," Hilditch said.
"So the one thing that has changed is the players love going there - it's a great place to play cricket."
"This is really up there for the players."
___________________________________________________________
A few comments on this article.
Firstly, this is bull**** about how the pace attack may get them through. They will get low bounce, and not much pace. The only pace bowler who will really pull through this is Clark, pitching it short of a length (on a length will bounce to short) consistently and getting the odd edge.
Secondly, spinners will have a greater affect than pace bowlers, and leaving out Casson for this tour was not the greatest of decisions, and in my opinion he should have went rather than Krezja. I feel he has a future as a part of the Australian Cricket team, and with some experience, he will become a big part of it in the future. And with spinning pitches, he will play more of a role. How often do you come across a left arm chinaman?
I think Cricket Australia's selectors have made some mistakes in the picking of this side, and some of Andrew Hilditch's comments have come out wrong to me, or have been altered by the press to make it sound worse than it actually it.
National selection panel chairman Andrew Hilditch believes Australia's pace attack could hold the key to beating India in the upcoming four-test series.
Experienced campaigners Brett Lee and Stuart Clark will again lead the charge while Mitchell Johnson, Doug Bollinger and Peter Siddle will also be pushing for selection after being named in the national squad on Friday. Shane Watson will also feature in the bowling line-up.
Their contribution will be particularly important considering the inexperienced spinners the Aussies will be taking to the sub-continent.
Hilditch is hopeful the fast bowlers can make an impact.
"We think we are very well placed in the pace attack," Hilditch said.
"We won last time because of our quick bowlers and we think it will be the same this time."
"It's a very strong squad that has been added to by Bolllinger and particularly Siddle who is only 23. We think he will do very well in those conditions and is ideally suited."
Only time will tell whether Australia's new-look line-up will have what it takes to beat the Indians on their home soil. But win, lose or draw, it'll highlight the depth of Australian cricket now that most of the stars of the game have retired.
"This is an icon Test series and will really gauge how we are going," Hilditch said.
The upcoming tour has opened up opportunities for a number of cricketers but Beau Casson and Dan Cullen are two players that would be feeling on the outer after being overlooked.
Hilditch said Cullen should feel optimistic that the selectors are keen to player finger spinners (not just leg-spinners) but added Casson was 'very unlucky'.
"We were happy with the way he went in the West Indies. He took his opportunity, got three wickets and played in a winning side. As a concept he has to be unlucky not to be there," Hilditch said.
"As Beau has been told it is a selection for India - we wanted a leg-spinner and wanted a right-arm finger spinner which unfortunately meant Beau wasn't there."
Hilditch said it would've been preferable to take a more experienced team to India but added the subcontinent was no longer a daunting destination.
"As far as playing in India, conditions have improved a lot, the grounds, the playing surface is excellent, the crowds are great," Hilditch said.
"So the one thing that has changed is the players love going there - it's a great place to play cricket."
"This is really up there for the players."
___________________________________________________________
A few comments on this article.
Firstly, this is bull**** about how the pace attack may get them through. They will get low bounce, and not much pace. The only pace bowler who will really pull through this is Clark, pitching it short of a length (on a length will bounce to short) consistently and getting the odd edge.
Secondly, spinners will have a greater affect than pace bowlers, and leaving out Casson for this tour was not the greatest of decisions, and in my opinion he should have went rather than Krezja. I feel he has a future as a part of the Australian Cricket team, and with some experience, he will become a big part of it in the future. And with spinning pitches, he will play more of a role. How often do you come across a left arm chinaman?
I think Cricket Australia's selectors have made some mistakes in the picking of this side, and some of Andrew Hilditch's comments have come out wrong to me, or have been altered by the press to make it sound worse than it actually it.
FaaipDeOiad
Hall of Fame Member
Actually, I think it's a reasonable argument. Australia have never had tremendous success in India on the back of their spin bowlers. Sri Lanka, yeah, but even there the pace attack has had a big hand in the past. In India our spinners have generally been pretty ineffective aside from one or two innings in any given series.
It'll be a nice boost if McGain bowls well but for Australia to win in India the key batsmen will have to adjust to the conditions quickly and play well, and at least one or two of the quicks will have to bowl well despite the conditions. Last time around Australia won because of Gillespie and McGrath as much as anything else.
It'll be a nice boost if McGain bowls well but for Australia to win in India the key batsmen will have to adjust to the conditions quickly and play well, and at least one or two of the quicks will have to bowl well despite the conditions. Last time around Australia won because of Gillespie and McGrath as much as anything else.
Jakester1288
International Regular
I am getting more pumped by the day! This series will be great!
Well, to be fair, India are the best players of spin in the world. They have arguably the best player of spin, Sachin Tendulkar, in their side, and are all brought up facing spin, on dustbowl's of pitches. It's what you expect these days.
This time, rather than Gillespie and McGrath, we need Lee and Clark to stand up. I will give Johnson one more series to prove his worth, and if he is ready yet. I really hope, for his and Australia's sake, he can snatch this opportunity, but if he can't, we always have Bollinger there in the background, lurking around, waiting for his opportunity.
pup11
International Coach
Selecting likes of Siddle and Krejza is a joke in my book, they may very well not play a single game in this series, but if McGain and Johnson get mauled (chances of which are really high) then Aussies don't have much to fall back upon (except for Bollinger), Krejza FC record is pathetic and to pick him ahead of Casson just because he is a finger-spinner is ridiculous, Siddle might be talented and everything, but there is no viable reason for him being picked ahead of Noffke who had a seriously good season last year.
I also can't understand what this anti-Casson air around here is all about, ok the guy had a terrible first season when he moved to NSW, he was hit by a few injuries but he did decently during the last season, had a decent test in West Indies, but he still he got ignored for this tour, its not as if there are loads of other better spinners around in Australian cricket atm, therefore Casson seems to be the best bet in the long run.
pup11
International Coach
sanga1337
U19 Captain
Agreed while Casson definitely isn't great I think apart from McGain he is Australias best option at the moment. Better then Krezja anyway. I don't understand why the Australian selectors picked him for the West Indies when they aren't even going to pick him in the squad for India. Makes no sense to give him a one off test.
pup11
International Coach
From the looks of it the Aussie selectors need a vacation.
Salamuddin
International Debutant
yeah I'd agree with that. It doesn't really matter who our spinners. Our pacemen must fire to take 20 wickets.
McGain didn't overly cause the India A side too many problems and I'd be extremely surprised if India at home were troubled by him.
Jakester1288
International Regular
I agree with your points about Casson. He is pretty much the best spinning option Australia have at the moment, McGain excluded. McGain was not needed, I would rather blood a new player, or give Hauritz or Casson experience and lose than play McGain just to win. In the long run, he does nothing. He only serves a purpose for a short period of time - around 2 years at best. And as for us ignoring Casson because he is a wrist spinner, GAGF selectors, you have NFI.
And with Siddle, he is a good bowler in my opinion, he has good pace, and seems to be a genuine bowler. I have no problems with him being selected to tour, and get a feel of the squad. I would just prefer Casson/Hauritz over Krejza, that's all.
I hope Brett Lee bounces the **** out of him on this tour, cause I hate him. I hope our batsmen cart him all over the park, I just wish Andrew Symonds was here to face him!
pup11
International Coach
SJS
Hall of Fame Member
My Take on The Australian squad
My initial reaction on seeing the fifteen member Australian side the other day was something like . . .
Lets have a look at the squad.
Only six of them have toured India before, and only four (Ponting, Michael Clarke, Hayden and Katich) have played a Test match here. Important to note that all four are primarily batsmen though Clarke had a dream bowling turn at Wankhede in the last game.
It was clear in November 2004, as the last series between these two teams in India drew to a close, that we were seeing the end of a great Australian side, one of the mightiest of all time. One knew that the mighty bowling duo of McGrath and Warne would not come again and that Langer, Lehmann and Martyn were nearing the end of their careers. What remained to be seen was how Australia built their side in the four years before they came back. Frankly they haven’t done too badly.
Phil Jaques and Mike Hussey are here to replace Langer and Martyn. Not bad. The presence of a batsman like Hussey in the middle order makes up for the breaking of the top duo of Hayden and Langer. In any case not too uneven on balance. Lehmann hasn’t been replaced as the Aussies come this time with one man less than the sixteen who made the class of 2004. That leads me to my first worry – not from the playing eleven but from the bench strength.
Here are the two sides from a playing XI perspective. For the current side I have assumed the role of squad selector for want of assistance from the tour management.
Man for man it is not the same side and most glaringly, McGain is not Shane Warne, but overall, the squad is a very decent one and must be expected to give a very good account of itself. The problem lies in those sitting outside.
In the batting department, Australia had a frontline batsman sitting outside in Lehmann. In addition they had Brad Hodge and Watson. This time there is no Lehman (or a replacement for him and while Watson is there, whether Krejza is a Brad Hodge, is unknown. Last time around Ponting could play in only one Test. Australia called upon Lehmann who wasn’t great but his 70 at Nagpur was a useful innings in a big Aussie win. Perhaps, Australia feels Watson is now mature enough to handle the job if required. We shall see. This is assuming that Haddin will do as well as Gilchrist did last time - a century in the first Test win and an average in the low thirties.
The bowling is more critical. With McGrath, Gillespie, Kasprowicz and Warne (Clarke and Lehmann in support), Australia had a very strong attack in the playing squad with at least one man, Brett Lee, to call upon if need be and another, Watson, for dire emergency.
This time we already have a weakness in the spin (McGain for Warne) and the bench has Watson, Bollinger, Siddle and Krejza. A lot of untried stuff here. It would be interesting to see if Australia plays Bollinger. He is supposed to be quick – the Brett Lee of 2004? I would love to see him bowl. McGain is another I would love to see bowl here. He is lucky he is coming at a time when the Indian middle order is struggling. Savaging an untried (not young) bowler in his first series may not be on their priorities. Sachin might though. Lets see.
If I were an Australian selector, I would have brought in another batsman –either as a sixteenth member or to replace one of the bowlers – Krejza or Siddle.
On balance, I would say, barring injuries, Australia are in good shape and considering the poor form of late of the Indian batsmen, the contest might still be a tight one. It need not have been so. With an Indian line up firing at full strength one would have thought it was a terrific opportunity to win the series. On the other hand, with Indian batting, apparently at its lowest ebb in recent times, Australia could have looked to one of their most decisive wins in India but for so many being wet behind the years.
It is sad that we have on hand a close, even exciting series. between two sides that are struggling to look as good as their predecessors.
My initial reaction on seeing the fifteen member Australian side the other day was something like . . .
- What ? No McGrath, No Warne, not even a Gillespie or a Kasprowicz !
- What ? No Langer, no Martyn, no Lehmann or even Hodge!
- It gets worse both behind and in front of the stumps – no Gilchrist !!
- This is the weakest side Australia has ever sent to India and now is our chance to really rub their number one tag into the ground.
On a closer examination, however, I found that weakest or not, its not as bad as it looks. Oh yes there are some areas of concern and they will move to the category of “grave concern” if there were to be injuries or fitness issues along the way.- What ? No Langer, no Martyn, no Lehmann or even Hodge!
- It gets worse both behind and in front of the stumps – no Gilchrist !!
- This is the weakest side Australia has ever sent to India and now is our chance to really rub their number one tag into the ground.
Lets have a look at the squad.
- Batsmen: Hayden, Jacques, Ponting, Michael Clarke, Hussey and Katich.
- Bowlers: Brett Lee, Stuart Clarke, Johnson, Bollinger (left-arm fast), Siddle (right-arm fast medium) and McGain (leg spin)
- All rounders (of sorts): Watson and Krejza (off spin)
- Keeper-batsman: Haddin
Only six of them have toured India before, and only four (Ponting, Michael Clarke, Hayden and Katich) have played a Test match here. Important to note that all four are primarily batsmen though Clarke had a dream bowling turn at Wankhede in the last game.
It was clear in November 2004, as the last series between these two teams in India drew to a close, that we were seeing the end of a great Australian side, one of the mightiest of all time. One knew that the mighty bowling duo of McGrath and Warne would not come again and that Langer, Lehmann and Martyn were nearing the end of their careers. What remained to be seen was how Australia built their side in the four years before they came back. Frankly they haven’t done too badly.
Phil Jaques and Mike Hussey are here to replace Langer and Martyn. Not bad. The presence of a batsman like Hussey in the middle order makes up for the breaking of the top duo of Hayden and Langer. In any case not too uneven on balance. Lehmann hasn’t been replaced as the Aussies come this time with one man less than the sixteen who made the class of 2004. That leads me to my first worry – not from the playing eleven but from the bench strength.
Here are the two sides from a playing XI perspective. For the current side I have assumed the role of squad selector for want of assistance from the tour management.
Code:
[B]
Playing INDIA INDIA
Squad 2004-05 2008-09[/B]
1 Hayden Hayden
2 Langer Jaques
3 Ponting Ponting
4 Katich Katich
5 Martyn Hussey
6 Clarke Clarke
7 Gilchrist Haddin
8 McGrath Brett Lee
9 Gillespie Clark
10 Kasprowicz Johnson
11 Warne McGainMan for man it is not the same side and most glaringly, McGain is not Shane Warne, but overall, the squad is a very decent one and must be expected to give a very good account of itself. The problem lies in those sitting outside.
In the batting department, Australia had a frontline batsman sitting outside in Lehmann. In addition they had Brad Hodge and Watson. This time there is no Lehman (or a replacement for him and while Watson is there, whether Krejza is a Brad Hodge, is unknown. Last time around Ponting could play in only one Test. Australia called upon Lehmann who wasn’t great but his 70 at Nagpur was a useful innings in a big Aussie win. Perhaps, Australia feels Watson is now mature enough to handle the job if required. We shall see. This is assuming that Haddin will do as well as Gilchrist did last time - a century in the first Test win and an average in the low thirties.
The bowling is more critical. With McGrath, Gillespie, Kasprowicz and Warne (Clarke and Lehmann in support), Australia had a very strong attack in the playing squad with at least one man, Brett Lee, to call upon if need be and another, Watson, for dire emergency.
This time we already have a weakness in the spin (McGain for Warne) and the bench has Watson, Bollinger, Siddle and Krejza. A lot of untried stuff here. It would be interesting to see if Australia plays Bollinger. He is supposed to be quick – the Brett Lee of 2004? I would love to see him bowl. McGain is another I would love to see bowl here. He is lucky he is coming at a time when the Indian middle order is struggling. Savaging an untried (not young) bowler in his first series may not be on their priorities. Sachin might though. Lets see.
If I were an Australian selector, I would have brought in another batsman –either as a sixteenth member or to replace one of the bowlers – Krejza or Siddle.
On balance, I would say, barring injuries, Australia are in good shape and considering the poor form of late of the Indian batsmen, the contest might still be a tight one. It need not have been so. With an Indian line up firing at full strength one would have thought it was a terrific opportunity to win the series. On the other hand, with Indian batting, apparently at its lowest ebb in recent times, Australia could have looked to one of their most decisive wins in India but for so many being wet behind the years.
It is sad that we have on hand a close, even exciting series. between two sides that are struggling to look as good as their predecessors.
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