*Official* Third Test at the WACA

[Tom 1972]

Will be absolutely devastated if we **** around this morning and lose the test. Not only the Ashes, but it means the boxing day and new years test will be meaningless.

Not necessarily.

After we lose at Perth, for Melbourne I'd:

1) give Punter the heave ho from the captaincy and bat him at #5
2) get Hussey to open with Hughes
3) bat Watson @ #3
4) bring in White and bat him #6. Encourage him to bowl 4-8 overs. He's also among the best slip fielders in the country and is the most successful Skipper in domestic cricket.
5) drop Clarke, on form, send him back to Shield cricket and bring in Khawaja (spelling) at #4
6) Appoint Haddin or Hussey as captain (and clearly for just a 12-18 month period) and White as vice captain
7) Drop Steve Smith - he's simply not ready
8) Bring back Hauritz - pains me to say it, but he's the best we've got.

so the top 7 is:
Hussey
Hughes
Watson
Khawaja
Ponting
White
Haddin (Paine & Wade are waiting in the wings)

then:
Johnson
Hauritz
Harris
Siddle/Hilfy/Bollinger

Tell them all that we're sticking with this side for 10+ Tests. That should give Hughes and Khawaja some confidence.
If Clarke kills it in Shield cricket and Ponting doesn't recapture his form, then they can be a straight swap. If Ponting won't eat some humble pie, then we can bring Dave Hussey in.

 

[Jarquis]

Opening with Hussey is a bad idea imo.

 

[GotSpin]

Aside from all the changes you want, the tests will be meaningless in terms of overall series context. It'll be a great anti-climax and ruin the potential to break some test attendance records.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Wouldn't open with Hussey, not the form he is in. If he was still patchy you could argue that he would be worth a go but he is the only good thing about the top 6 at present.

 

[Son Of Coco]

We're not talking about a new kid on the block here

The guy has got the same strengths and weaknesses that he's had for years and literally every coach and player in test cricket should know where to bowl to him

It's irrelevant as to whether he is showing greater levels of discipline - bowl the right areas for long enough and you'll not only dry up his scoring but he'll get out

Yeah, exactly. I don't think there's any covering up of the fact the Australian bowlers have largely bowled a steaming pile of **** to every batsman in this series...not just Cook.

Pietersen didn't really have to bother coming down the track in Adelaide, he was getting fed enough rubbish to keep him in the runs without taking too many risks for the most part.

When a bloke who struggles with an off-stump line is getting fed 2-3 balls an over he can work off middle/leg onto the leg-side for easy runs then there's some serious problems.

 

[Son Of Coco]

I find it quite funny that whenever a promising batsman gets his technique well and truly unpicked it's usually the same genius plan: pitch it consistently on a good length just outside off-stump and you'll dry up their scoring and sooner or later get them out. Result? 563 Test wickets @ 21.64

It's amazingly simple. Yet, we'll come up with a plan to bowl on Trott's pads and have him caught at mid-wicket. Been working a dream so far...

 

[Furball]

As to whether he's a world class bowler like Steyn or whoever, well I'm still not convinced. But he's turned into a better bowler than anyone we currently have playing.

Ignore Steyn, as he's by far the number 1 bowler in the world. Can you name me a better seam bowler in the world right now than James Anderson?

 

[Tom 1972]

Opening with Hussey is a bad idea imo.

OK. Leave Watson opening.

Who do you bat at #3? Ponting is an ATG but a liability @ #3 right now. Is that throwing Khawaja to the wolves @ #3? He is a top order batter but still...

 

[vicleggie]

Was really impressed with Tremlett today. Everyone knew this was going to be a deck he should thrive on, but of course that brings its own pressures with it. Will have had an early boost by being given the new ball, and he avoided the trap of bowling too short and enjoying watching it fly through to Prior at head height.

He got straight down to business by digging it in against Hughes, forcing him back, highlighting his particular weaknesses, then he produced an accurate knockout blow breaching Hughes' flimsy defence and giving England the ideal start.

It must be said his removal of Clarke was as much down to sloppy batting as it was good bowling. He pounded in hitting the back of a length and Clarke wafted aimlessly away from his body. His mind was cloudied and that was due not only to his poor form of late, but to the pace and bounce Tremlett was getting out of the pitch.

The comparison between the two big men, Tremlett and Finn, is interesting. Tremlett hits the deck hard, uses the most of his ample height, and on today's evidence, gives the batsmen few freebies so they can release the pressure. Finn, of course is still developing. seems to lack real intent, and has a lot of work to do especially on his consistency in line and length.

Steve Smith was a walking wicket for Tremlett in this mood. A rather hesitant prod forward ended his first innings back in the side.

Tremlett has looked good in Test cricket so far, despite the three-year break between appearances, let's hope he can avoid injuries for a while and go on and produce more performances such as this and have a similar effect as Morne Morkel is having with SA.

Utterly superb bowling from Tremlett. I must admit i was sceptical of how good he really was before the test (ie warnie and the rest saying he has the potential to be one of the best), but he looked so penetrative and threatening. Almost Mcgrath type lengh and accuracy, and doing a fair bit with the ball. He would walk into any side in world cricket if he bowls with similar fire consistently. Probably not as quick as morne but definately can play the same role- saw Morne bang it in and scare the ____ out of the Indians yesterday, Tremlett could do that too.

Finn reminds me of ishant sharma a bit. Tall, can bang it in, but more skiddy and has a happy knack of taking wickets. Like Sharma in Aus in 08, the fact that hes 21 is so surpirisng as he has talent and skill beyond his years. Anderson, Broad, Tremlett, Finn - Christ, a very talented attack.

 

[GotSpin]

Ignore Steyn, as he's by far the number 1 bowler in the world. Can you name me a better seam bowler in the world right now than James Anderson?

Zaheer Khan

 

[vicleggie]

if broad down the road could be a genuine bowling allrounder ie batting 7 with prior at 6

anderson
tremlett
broad
finn
swann

is just scary.

 

[Son Of Coco]

If I may query - if the pitch is turning, is there anyone for Aus to turn to aside from Smith? When was the last time Clarke or Muss had any success with the ball?

M.Hussey doesn't bowl spin. And Clarke's back will keep him from bowling I'd imagine.

 

[Julian87]

I never said Haddin was a bad player who would struggle with (read : incapable of) batting in Australia. I didn't think he was capable of an innings like the century he produced. I thought he was a decent enough keeper batsmen but was nowhere near as good as some (particularly Benchy and Julian) mad out. I still feel Prior is better, but if Haddin bats as he has in this series for a prolonged period of time then I might be forced to reconsider.

You'll be forced to reconsider if Prior doesn't pull some technique out of his ass as well. Deadset the only batsman in the series that has seriously struggled against the X man.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Ignore Steyn, as he's by far the number 1 bowler in the world. Can you name me a better seam bowler in the world right now than James Anderson?

Jimmy Anderson.

G-S says Zaheer, not a lot to choose between them and have had very similar careers in that their stats don't tell you how effective they are right now with the ball.

 

[vicleggie]

Zaheer Khan

I'd pay that. While Anderson has good backup to keep it tight and chime in, Zaheer has to do it all himself against the better teams. Been getting countless 5 wicket hauls in the last couple of years. A truly skilled bowler, i'd rate him higher than Anderson

 

[Son Of Coco]

Think that's extremely naive and not giving any credit to Cook's improved game. Yes I agree Australia have not been patient enough, or don't have the necessary skills, to land the ball in a threatening area over a long period of time. That goes for any bowling attack where a batsman scores a ruck of runs.

It is not irrelevant that he is showing greater levels of discipline at all!If he was less disciplined he wouldn't have got anywhere near as many runs as he has so far this series. Cook is well aware where his off stump is, a bowler can get pretty tired of running up and seeing him leave the ball well just outside off. At the moment Cook is in terrific form so the error for margin is much smaller than when he was playing here last summer, if they overpitch Cook now has the confidence and technique to drive the ball through the offside, his defence looks much more solid.

I'm not suggesting he has no weaknesses, but it really isn't as simple as stick it on and around off stump and he'll get himself out. Credit to the batsman seriously lacking here I feel.

This is all true, but that's where patience comes into it. If he wants to leave it around off-stump all day then make him do so...thinking "well, he's not hitting anything around off-stump, might as get worked off his legs or cut for 4" shows the bowler lacks the patience to keep working in those areas.

It would help if our bowlers could pitch two balls in the same area too. Let alone in one spot for a majority of the day.

 

[vicleggie]

Putting it out there and saying there's enough there for us to bowl England out pretty cheaply if we hit good areas. Unfortunately though, we don't seem to do it.

Johnson's little spell last night was a snapshot of how we know he can bowl. It's what makes him so bloody frustrating tbh.

Anyway, I'll back our blokes because that's what you do. 260 odd here isznowhere near the disaster of 240 odd in Adelaide. It's not great, but it isn't a complete shambles. Bearing in mind Strauss could have gone a couple of times already, if they bowl decent areas they can roll England for close enough to parity to set up a decent finish to the match.

If Johnson gets his rhythm, and siddle/harris bowl OK, they could get 3-4 in relatively quick succession.Then, 270 seems enough for a contest. It's all there to do today, Johnson siddle harris have enough potential there to make that happen.

 

[Burgey]

Ignore Steyn, as he's by far the number 1 bowler in the world. Can you name me a better seam bowler in the world right now than James Anderson?

I would say Zaheer, as others have said. Asif too, but I never know whether he's banned from one week to the other!

Also, it's not necessarily about who's better than him, it's about how good he is.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Will be absolutely devastated if we **** around this morning and lose the test. Not only the Ashes, but it means the boxing day and new years test will be meaningless.

I'm personally thinking Australia owe it to me (and the rest of us) as spectators to actually bowl half-decently this morning. Otherwise I might be forced to watch the remainder of the series feeling slightly disgruntled by it all.

3 tests of balls sprayed all around the pitch is definitely a step too far. Will be up there with the worst bowling performances I have seen in a long, long time if it gets that far.

 

[Furball]

You'll be forced to reconsider if Prior doesn't pull some technique out of his ass as well. Deadset the only batsman in the series that has seriously struggled against the X man.

Doherty didn't bowl to him at Brisbane, and Prior was on the slog in Adelaide, and faced about 15 balls.