*Official* Fourth Test at the MCG

[Johnners]

Ugh, unchanged lineup. If Beer gets selected, plays like ****, does this mean we can get Hauritz back for Sydney? Please?

 

[turnstyle]

Any chance Cosgrove's name might be thrown in the hat if Ponting doesn't pull up, or is he still too fat these days?

 

[vicleggie]

Ugh, unchanged lineup. If Beer gets selected, plays like ****, does this mean we can get Hauritz back for Sydney? Please?

unless beer shows signs of being a genuine wicket taker, even if we win in melbourne, surely we HAVE to play hauritz at sydney. cant have a bull**** spinner as our only one in sydney on the last day, who cant take wickets.

 

[andyc]

Given the batting form Hauritz is in as well, having him in the team should effectively make up for the loss in batting from playing Smith at 6 over Khawaja.

 

[Spark]

Yeah he's in quite some form. It would make our lower order amazingly strong with Johnson back in nick.

 

[andyc]

Is just so infuriating that the selectors haven't even waited till the end of the NSW-QLD game before picking the squad. Means that Hauritz could take a bagful to go with his second consecutive ton and still be completely overlooked. Ridiculous.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

So which versions of the Jekyll and Hyde outfits that are Australia and England will turn up in Melbourne.

Be nice if both play well in the same game for a change.

 

[Ruckus]

Hauritz will never play again...How can he? He solds his pads at a garage sale.

 

[Jayzamann]

well beer is a local boy so he'll know the conditions well

Good call

 

[Oscillatingmind]

Is just so infuriating that the selectors haven't even waited till the end of the NSW-QLD game before picking the squad. Means that Hauritz could take a bagful to go with his second consecutive ton and still be completely overlooked. Ridiculous.

Nothing he does would get him in, that line of thinking suggests that the selectors have shown a respect or care about Shield form.

 

[Prince EWS]

Is just so infuriating that the selectors haven't even waited till the end of the NSW-QLD game before picking the squad. Means that Hauritz could take a bagful to go with his second consecutive ton and still be completely overlooked. Ridiculous.

To be fair, dropping Beer for another spinner before even giving him a game would make even less sense than picking him in the first place. It'd probably work out better in the short term but to see the selectors do that would be a very bad long-term indication of their processes.

 

[vicleggie]

Nothing he does would get him in, that line of thinking suggests that the selectors have shown a respect or care about Shield form.

absolutely stupid if they're not considering selecting hauritz despite him continuing to play well.
if thats the case, maybe they're planning to have seamers/non turning wickets in the next 2 tests to nullify the gulf in spin qualities.

 

[stephen]

It'd be tough on Beer to be dropped from the squad, but there's no reason why the selectors couldn't have announced a 13 man squad.

I would not want to lose an Ashes series because the selectors were too stubborn to pick the best spinner in the country.

 

[Spikey]

Any chance Cosgrove's name might be thrown in the hat if Ponting doesn't pull up, or is he still too fat these days?

It's unlikely tbh - the cantering staff for all the major grounds in Australia wrote, signed and sent a letter to Cricket Australia which pretty much said that if Mark Cosgrove ever plays test cricket in Australia, Cricket Australia must pay for the food consumed by Mark Cosgrove during the match as their budgets just can't afford it. Bit of a bummer for Mark but hey that's politics for you

 

[Uppercut]

To be fair, dropping Beer for another spinner before even giving him a game would make even less sense than picking him in the first place. It'd probably work out better in the short term but to see the selectors do that would be a very bad long-term indication of their processes.

Nah, I'd be very encouraged if they did so because it would indicate the ability to admit it when they've made a mistake.

 

[Prince EWS]

Nah, I'd be very encouraged if they did so because it would indicate the ability to admit it when they've made a mistake.

There's been absolutely no evidence to change their mind based on though. It'd just show they really did have absolutely no idea.

 

[Redbacks]

If Siddle is picked, I reckon he should be promoted to 9 and switch with rhino. Seems to have good discipline and can aid a batsman at the other end better.

 

[Redbacks]

It's unlikely tbh - the cantering staff for all the major grounds in Australia wrote, signed and sent a letter to Cricket Australia which pretty much said that if Mark Cosgrove ever plays test cricket in Australia, Cricket Australia must pay for the food consumed by Mark Cosgrove during the match as their budgets just can't afford it. Bit of a bummer for Mark but hey that's politics for you

 

[Furball]

Still not too worried despite the loss in Perth, as it was largely down to Australia's bowling being outstanding. Their batting still isn't standing up, every innings Australia have batted, it's been Hussey and one other that's stood up and been counted - Australia's batting hasn't been strong enough to mask any deficiencies in the bowling - and that's despite England's bowling being solid rather than outstanding.

If Harris and Johnson rock up in Melbourne and bowl like they did, we'll get thrashed again. If they don't - and it's a big if - then what I've seen from Australia doesn't worry me.

Interesting though, that apparently the broadcasters have been asked to move their cameras at the G. Wonder how the new pitch will play - what's the MCG been like in Shield games?

 

[vic_orthdox]

As in, move the cameras from normal positions? Maybe it just means that the normal Test match wicket is not going to get up, and they are going to use a different one. Long term planning leads to the middle-most pitch usually being used for Test cricket, but could understand the change with the enormous amount of rain that we've had in Melbourne.

The conspiracy theorist would say that it's because they've moved the pitch to a faster track after the success in Perth, and the disappointing efforts of England in that game and against SAfrica on a quick track.