*Official* Third Test at the WACA

[Spark]

Wouldn't have picked Smith, though.

 

[BoyBrumby]

It might be an idea, but not a very good one.

Did we learn nothing from Cameron White's inclusion in the Australian team.

You pick 4 specialist bowlers, including one specialist spinner. That man has to be one of Hauritz or O'Keefe.

Judging by playing Steve Smith as the nominal specialist more than once, I'm gonna go ahead and say "no".

This series is like some bizarro world were England actually have a decent team and the Aussies are beset with problems of form, fitness, selection, captaincy & fraternal squabbling.

Keep expecting to wake up.

 

[M0rphin3]

Wouldn't have picked Smith, though.

Any better batsmen in the squad?

 

[Prince EWS]

I tell you what...

I'm a massive Clarke fanboy as everyone knows, but if he doesn't score second dig his place will seriously come into question - although we have to drop North first

Nah no way. He's been so immense since his recall that dropping him after a bit of a rough trot would be insane, particularly given we're playing him injured and out of position, that we have Marcus North in the team and that our other options are thin.

 

[Prince EWS]

Didn't think I'd ever say this, but if Australia are looking to pull the trigger and take 20 wickets at any cost, the best option is Jason Krejza.

 

[morgieb]

Nah no way. He's been so immense since his recall that dropping him after a bit of a rough trot would be insane, particularly given we're playing him injured and out of position, that we have Marcus North in the team and that our other options are thin.

Agreed. Need to move him down the order (iirc only 3 batsman have better records @ #5) before we start talking about dropping him. Besides, North and Katich are higher up in the dropping pool. Yes with Katich I'm using the howardj theory to an extent.

 

[Tom 1972]

Horses for courses?????

If we assume that we're 1 down leading in to Perth and Katich & Clarke unfit. irrespective of how many runs we need to make, we must take 20 wickets for under 700.

North fails again and is dropped. Doherty's darts are pointless at the WACA (and D.Hussey can bowl 'em just as well).

How about this? We go on the attack... Plus only 2 left-handers against Swann but alas 9 right handers against Anderson but you can leave on length at the WACA.

Hughes
Watson
Ponting
Hussey (M)
Hussey (D)
Haddin
McDonald
Johnson
Harris
Siddle
Tait (injury permitting)

Just tell Tait that he has to bowl three 4 over spells per day and he has to pitch the ball up.
Ronnie is in cracking form with the bat and is an economical line/length bowler giving us six seamers.

Try and blast the pommy b@$tards out with pure speed. We need some x-factor, not just 128 kmph pies.

Watson & McDonald can each bowl 15 overs wobbling the ball around into the fremantle doctor and let the others loose downwind.

Of course it will never happen - too creative for our selectors.

 

[Prince EWS]

Horses for courses?????

If we assume that we're 1 down leading in to Perth and Katich & Clarke unfit. irrespective of how many runs we need to make, we must take 20 wickets for under 700.

North fails again and is dropped. Doherty's darts are pointless at the WACA (and D.Hussey can bowl 'em just as well).

How about this? We go on the attack... Plus only 2 left-handers against Swann but alas 9 right handers against Anderson but you can leave on length at the WACA.

Hughes
Watson
Ponting
Hussey (M)
Hussey (D)
Haddin
McDonald
Johnson
Harris
Siddle
Tait

Just tell Tait that he has to bowl three 4 over spells per day and he has to pitch the ball up.
Ronnie is in cracking form with the bat and is an economical line/length bowler.

McDonald's injured. Broke his hand. Probably won't be back in time. I believe Tait is also injured (not to mention the fact that he has no interest in playing Test cricket regardless of how much or how little he has to bowl).

 

[Tom 1972]

McDonald's injured. Broke his hand. Probably won't be back in time. I believe Tait is also injured (not to mention the fact that he has no interest in playing Test cricket regardless of how much or how little he has to bowl).

Dang it.

Straws.


Clutching at them.

 

[BoyBrumby]

If we're throwing Hail Marys around, Nannes, maybe?

 

[morgieb]

If we're throwing Hail Marys around, Nannes, maybe?

Pulled the plug on FC cricket, sadly.

 

[robelinda]

Was talking to my inside source again last night, apparently its a choice between Dussey and Marsh for Perth, with Khwaja firmly in the mix too. Unless North scores 50+ of course.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Was talking to my inside source again last night, apparently its a choice between Dussey and Marsh for Perth, with Khwaja firmly in the mix too. Unless North scores 50+ of course.

So basically they haven't got a clue then.

 

[Ausage]

McDonald's injured. Broke his hand. Probably won't be back in time. I believe Tait is also injured (not to mention the fact that he has no interest in playing Test cricket regardless of how much or how little he has to bowl).

Bah, came here to post that I would drop Doherty for McDonald. It just seems to me that playing a spinner is pointless unless he has the ability to really pull out a wicket taking delivery (ie Krejza). If you're picking a guy who's best attribute is that he's difficult to get away you might as well pick McDonald who's at least consistently accurate and very tough to get away. Strongly improves our batting too, and is pretty good in the field IIRC.

But yeah, injured

 

[Andre]

Reckon S Clark is a smokey to come back into contention for one of the last few Tests - we need a seam bowler capable of building pressure which at the moment we don't have, plus he's played at the level before and has bowled very well this summer.

Very curious to see what they do with the no. 6 spot - can see Haddin batting there with S Smith at 7 as a potential scenario.

 

[outbreak]

I want to see Dussey come in for North and win us the ashes.

 

[robelinda]

So basically they haven't got a clue then.

I know, its a sad and sometimes angry state.

 

[Prince EWS]

Reckon S Clark is a smokey to come back into contention for one of the last few Tests - we need a seam bowler capable of building pressure which at the moment we don't have, plus he's played at the level before and has bowled very well this summer.

I've long maintained we have several bowlers of a similar standard who could all do a job which means we don't need to put up with prolonged periods of underperformance, poor form, lack of match fitness etc - but there is a risk of taking that sort of thinking too far and just bringing in a whole host of players for one Test and axing them immediately. The fact that it's Adelaide and that our batsmen gave the bowlers nothing to work with should give this pace attack some latitude, IMO. Bollinger's been a bit loose admittedly but he did look the most threatening when we still had a chance of getting England out for something that would've been competitive (got Strauss out and then had a catch dropped) but Harris has actually been pretty good and Siddle's been okay if not outstanding after his awesome Brisbane spell.

I still rate Clark, Johnson and Hilfenhaus. I also rate Copeland and Cameron. But if we're going to drop Bollinger after unjustly leaving him out of the first Test, then making him bowl on one of the flattest pitches in the world after his batsmen set him nothing, I think it'd just be panic setting in.

Something that fans and journos are going to have to get used to is the fact that Australia not playing well doesn't necessarily mean the best team wasn't selected. We don't have a god-given right to be consistently the best team in the world. North and Doherty should be under pressure (to say the least) but the team should be the same for Perth aside from possibly those two barring injury.

 

[outbreak]

I honestly think with the Australian side at the moment, if we had a tour with one of the lower ranked sides right after these ashes we'd have a tough time to win against them, expect us to drop further down the test ladder in the next couple years aswell.

 

[morgieb]

Was talking to my inside source again last night, apparently its a choice between Dussey and Marsh for Perth, with Khwaja firmly in the mix too. Unless North scores 50+ of course.

Will probably happen imo.