*Official* West Indies In Australia

[Oscillatingmind]

Key difference is that Clark after the Oval test & matches afterwards its clear he has lost a yard of pace that made him so good between SA 05 to WI 08. So he had to be dropped.

Hussey earned to right to at least start this series based on his Oval hundred & ODI batting. But yes Huss is in trouble atm, as aformentioned i reckon he will be given until the end of the summer to prove himself at least tbf.

Its sad, cause what hussey done, everyone wants him to play on and sort it out, but you feel he just aint going to make it, give him the season, Hughes is only like 21 anyway.

 

[social]

*insert embittered Victorian rant re NSW here*

Doubt it - he's undoubtedly the best candidate

The problem for Oz is that our selectors/team hierarchy HATE to be proven wrong

They dont seem to care whether we've lost no. 1 ranking, 3/4 test series, the Ashes, ETC - the attitude is "**** you, we know best"

Reality is that:

a.Ponting's time as captain is probably up;

b. Watson is not amongst the top 4 openers in Oz;

c. Hussey is not the best candidate at 4;

d. North is not the best candidate at 6; and

e. Bollinger is one of the best 2 pacemen (if not the best).

The above does not suggest that we need wholesale changes - a reshuffle, new captain and 1/2 changes will do the job

Naturally, that wont happen

 

[Uppercut]

Doubt it - he's undoubtedly the best candidate

The problem for Oz is that our selectors/team hierarchy HATE to be proven wrong

They dont seem to care whether we've lost no. 1 ranking, 3/4 test series, the Ashes, ETC - the attitude is "**** you, we know best"

Reality is that:

a.Ponting's time as captain is probably up;

b. Watson is not amongst the top 4 openers in Oz;

c. Hussey is not the best candidate at 4;

d. North is not the best candidate at 6; and

e. Bollinger is one of the best 2 pacemen (if not the best).

The above does not suggest that we need wholesale changes - a reshuffle, new captain and 1/2 changes will do the job

Naturally, that wont happen

The thought of how good the other candidates must be is mildly scary.

 

[Prince EWS]

The thought of how good the other candidates must be is mildly scary.

Haha yeah, I'm not even sure who social wants to replace him with tbh. People suggesting North should be dropped generally do so because they think Watson should be at six with Hughes, Jaques or Rogers opening, but social wants Hussey dropped as well. Maybe he wants Katich to bat four with Watson at six - that's the only combination I can imagine that'd make someone want to see North *and* Hussey dropped now that Hodge has retired.

Regardless of all that, North's hit three tons in his first nine Tests and averages 45, so he shouldn't be dropped anyway. Which I'm pretty sure was your point.

 

[Uppercut]

Yeah, it's a combination of the widespread bias against players not involved in ODIs (or, in the case of Hilfy, players that are crap at ODIs) and the bias against older players. As I said last time social brought this up, the fact that everyone isn't a little bit in awe of how good the start to North's test career has been makes him one of cricket's most underrated players.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Wow, reading back through this, laugh at people who think that chasing down runs of a fifth day pitch is comparable to a one day game, let alone a Twenty20.

 

[Ikki]

I don't think Clarke should move up to four - he looks so settled at five. Don't see the imperative to bat him higher.

Will solidify the order. When we lose Ponting we are regularly losing Hussey right after and that does us no favours in terms of confidence and mentality. It gives the bowling side a lot of imperative as well. Having an in-form Clarke just after Ponting makes sure we don't lose our whole innings in one spell and it'll also make it easier for Hussey to pad up.

 

[social]

Haha yeah, I'm not even sure who social wants to replace him with tbh. People suggesting North should be dropped generally do so because they think Watson should be at six with Hughes, Jaques or Rogers opening, but social wants Hussey dropped as well. Maybe he wants Katich to bat four with Watson at six - that's the only combination I can imagine that'd make someone want to see North *and* Hussey dropped now that Hodge has retired.

Regardless of all that, North's hit three tons in his first nine Tests and averages 45, so he shouldn't be dropped anyway. Which I'm pretty sure was your point.

Sorry but no

Hussey should bat 6 - very good player who plays well with the late order AND someone (unlike others) I've never advocated dropping. Unfortunately, he isnt scoring the runs to bat at 4 and that makes us vulnerable

Watto is potentially an excellent player who should bat 5 ONLY because we need a 4 who regularly tons up i.e. Clarke. Watto is obviously not an opener but is scoring a few runs because he's pretty good

North is a reasonable player but not fit to tie someone like Brad Hodge;s boots - if it's good enough to drop Hodge after 200 against SA then why the loyalty to North?

Pick specialists like Rogers/Jaques and let the rest take care of themselves

 

[social]

Will solidify the order. When we lose Ponting we are regularly losing Hussey right after and that does us no favours in terms of confidence and mentality. It gives the bowling side a lot of imperative as well. Having an in-form Clarke just after Ponting makes sure we don't lose our whole innings in one spell and it'll also make it easier for Hussey to pad up.

Bingo

 

[Oscillatingmind]

Sorry but no

Hussey should bat 6 - very good player who plays well with the late order AND someone (unlike others) I've never advocated dropping. Unfortunately, he isnt scoring the runs to bat at 4 and that makes us vulnerable

Watto is potentially an excellent player who should bat 5 ONLY because we need a 4 who regularly tons up i.e. Clarke. Watto is obviously not an opener but is scoring a few runs because he's pretty good

North is a reasonable player but not fit to tie someone like Brad Hodge;s boots - if it's good enough to drop Hodge after 200 against SA then why the loyalty to North?

Pick specialists like Rogers/Jaques and let the rest take care of themselves

Agree with most of this, but I don't think any Aussies think Hodge should have never had a chance after that 200. North deserves his spot, regardless until he fails for a period, probably a lot shorter then Huss has been aloud.

I think the old switcheroo is logical, gives us strength, I don't really adhere to the idea that Clarke is set at 5 I think its mostly superstitious fear.

 

[aussie]

Think Clarke should stay @ 5 tbh. It a bit like when S Waugh was scoring all his runs there, Waugh was probably good enough to move up to # 4. But like Waugh, Clarke has made number his own of late, so if Hussey is to get dropped, i rather someone else come in @ 4.

 

[Pratters]

Will LOL at the Aussies who were thinking Australia had more than a fair chance at a win today before the start of play. It was an unrealistic target and wouldn't be achieved except in the rarest of cases. Burgey had it right when he thought West Indies might win. Well done West Indies any way for shutting up the ****s who wrote them off after the first test.

 

[silentstriker]

My 250/5 was off by 30 runs .

 

[Ikki]

Will LOL at the Aussies who were thinking Australia had more than a fair chance at a win today before the start of play. It was an unrealistic target and wouldn't be achieved except in the rarest of cases. Burgey had it right when he thought West Indies might win. Well done West Indies any way for shutting up the ****s who wrote them off after the first test.

If Gayle had declared at around 300 or were bowled out for around that; there was a decent opportunity for victory there. Even at 330 it wasn't impossible.

 

[tooextracool]

Sorry but no

Hussey should bat 6 - very good player who plays well with the late order AND someone (unlike others) I've never advocated dropping. Unfortunately, he isnt scoring the runs to bat at 4 and that makes us vulnerable

Watto is potentially an excellent player who should bat 5 ONLY because we need a 4 who regularly tons up i.e. Clarke. Watto is obviously not an opener but is scoring a few runs because he's pretty good

North is a reasonable player but not fit to tie someone like Brad Hodge;s boots - if it's good enough to drop Hodge after 200 against SA then why the loyalty to North?

Pick specialists like Rogers/Jaques and let the rest take care of themselves

Agree with most of that. Personally, I don't really rate North because his technique is very poor and him getting out driving the ball is something that is likely to be repeated several more times in what will undoubtedly be a short career.

Clarke, given his batting form, really needs to move up ahead of Hussey. I am a big fan of Hussey despite some of his recent performances. There is a place for Watson in this side, hs bowling definitely adds some value, although I would bat him at 6 instead of 5 and pick Hughes to open.

 

[tooextracool]

e. Bollinger is one of the best 2 pacemen (if not the best).

Bollinger >>>>>Johnson and I can tell you that after one test.

 

[Pratters]

If Gayle had declared at around 300 or were bowled out for around that; there was a decent opportunity for victory there. Even at 330 it wasn't impossible.

I don't think Gayle would have declared with a lead of 300. 330 would be near impossible and would be made highly against the odds.

 

[Matt79]

The solution to that is to drop the player who isn't performing, not to shuffle around our best current batman to accomodate our current worst.

For me, for Perth, I'd go:
Hughes
Katich
Ponting
Watson
Clarke
North
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Hilfenhaus
Bolinger

If Hilfy isn't fit and Siddle is, Siddle stays. If both are unfit, come on down McKay.

 

[stephen]

The solution to that is to drop the player who isn't performing, not to shuffle around our best current batman to accomodate our current worst.

For me, for Perth, I'd go:
Hughes
Katich
Ponting
Watson
Clarke
North
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Hilfenhaus
Bolinger

If Hilfy isn't fit and Siddle is, Siddle stays. If both are unfit, come on down McKay.

To be honest I'd rather see Katich drop down to 4. Seems better equipped to bat there anyway.

 

[Matt79]

He's more convincing as an opener than Watson IMO.