*Official* Fifth Test at the SCG

[Spark]

They could indeed.

 

[Craig]

I was in shock that Jon Holland wasn't called up when he took those four wickets in an innings.

 

[Spikey]

I was in shock that Jon Holland wasn't called up when he took those four wickets in an innings.

"Jon Holland picked for dead rubber as selectors seek to unleash new pair of spin twins."

 

[Spikey]

Don't count it out...

 

[iamdavid]

I agree that Beer should play for the sake of consistency, despite the idiocy of him being picked in the first place

It'd be a good scenario to blood Khawaja, but it won't happen. Smith and Hughes have been awful but they were both long term selections, punting them now after just two tests - especially now that Sydney's going to be a dead rubber - would be dumb.

There will be a huge campaign for Khawaja to come into the side after this series. Hussey is back in the runs, Clarke is the next skipper due to lack of alternatives and Hughes and Smith will be persisted with for a while yet, so unfortunately, barring a big score in Sydney, I think he's going to take Ponting's place.

I expect Ponting to get a tap on the shoulder from the selectors in the lead up to the Sydney test, not telling him he'll be dropped, but hinting that they can't guarantee his selection beyond this series and prompting him to make an announcement of his own, like they tried with Steve Waugh in 02/03.

 

[Ausage]

Draft the Channel 9 commentary team. You have Lawry and Slater to open the innings. Chappelli as captain. Healy as keeper.Benaud and Warne for spinners. Draft Greig as an honorary Australian and all-rounder.

I guess the Sky blokes would be needed to finish the XI. Athers and Nass round out the batting. Holding and Botham would be handy with the ball and Botham would make a great vice-captain to Chappeli.

Mark Nicholas can be the waterboy.

Best part being we get a new commentary team.

 

[MyLord]

Yeah seeing as though we will lose this match, I'd love to see a bit of an experiment at Sydney. Would love to see Copeland in for Hilfenhaus, O'Keefe in as the spinner, Khawaja in for Smith and Cameron or Bollinger in for Harris if he is injured.

If that happened it would really bring some spark into what will otherwise essentially be a dead rubber.

Huh? I don't get this attitude at all! Yes you lost the Ashes. You can still try to win the last test and deny England a series victory in Australia. Is that worth nothing at all now to Australians?

 

[Prince EWS]

Huh? I don't get this attitude at all! Yes you lost the Ashes. You can still try to win the last test and deny England a series victory in Australia. Is that worth nothing at all now to Australians?

Pretty much.

 

[Nate]

Marsh
Hughes
Watson
Ponting
Hussey
Haddin
Smith
O'Keefe
Harris (if injured, Bollinger)
Copeland
Siddle

...so what I said for the First Test.

 

[Sylvester]

Not a fan of dropping a youngster after 2 matches, would give both Smith and Hughes another run. Would like to get Khawaja in there but he'll get a chance next series replacing one of Hughes, Smith, Clarke or Ponting. Bollinger who should be 100% back in for Hilfy and O'Keefe/Hauritz for Harris.

 

[Ruckus]

Huh? I don't get this attitude at all! Yes you lost the Ashes. You can still try to win the last test and deny England a series victory in Australia. Is that worth nothing at all now to Australians?

I can't speak for everyone else, but personally I couldn't care less if we lost in Sydney. In fact, if we go into Sydney with the same team, I'd almost prefer we lost because otherwise a pretty terrible series will be flattered by the overall 2-2 result - which really deosn't reflect how badly the we have performed as a complete team.

There is literally no better time than now to try some new players out imo. It's essentially a dead rubber, and it's on the big stage in a pressure situation where we could see what the new players are made of. Not to mention I think we would actually have a better chance to win if the team was different...

 

[Julian87]

Watson
Haddin
Khawaja
White*
Hussey
Ponting/Clarke
Christian
O'Keefe/Smith
Johnson
Siddle
Bollinger

 

[robelinda]

Not a fan of dropping a youngster after 2 matches, would give both Smith and Hughes another run. Would like to get Khawaja in there but he'll get a chance next series replacing one of Hughes, Smith, Clarke or Ponting. Bollinger who should be 100% back in for Hilfy and O'Keefe/Hauritz for Harris.

No point in making huge changes I reckon, seeing as the next series is in August next year, plenty of time for lots to happen.....

 

[Spark]

I'd care a fair bit if we lost at Sydney. It's still an Ashes test match ffs and people are still forking out their hard-earned to come see it

 

[Julian87]

Haddin must go up the order due to an abundance of **** ****s atm. If Gilchrist played 2 tests behind ****ing North, Smith, and 2010 Ponting + Clarke, he would have been opening in an instant. Haddin's talent, and technique under pressure, is severely wasted atm. Him batting behind Smith at all, but especially this innings was madness.

 

[G.I.Joe]

All the guys treating Sydney as adead rubber, you do realise that beyond the Ashes, there's also the small matter of avoiding a home series defeat, don't you? Sydney is not a dead rubber by any means.

 

[Julian87]

Trying to win = treating it as a dead rubber?

 

[Ruckus]

All the guys treating Sydney as adead rubber, you do realise that beyond the Ashes, there's also the small matter of avoiding a home series defeat, don't you? Sydney is not a dead rubber by any means.

If it were any other series I'd agree with you, but for me the actual importance of retaining/winning the Ashes kind of nullifies the importance of the series on it's own merits. I definately don't think it is worthless though, it's an excellent opportunity to experiment a bit, and also increase our chances of winning.

 

[Prince EWS]

All the guys treating Sydney as adead rubber, you do realise that beyond the Ashes, there's also the small matter of avoiding a home series defeat, don't you? Sydney is not a dead rubber by any means.

I agree wholeheartedly. Australian cricket is very much geared towards the Ashes, though. Even when they do lose/draw a non-Ashes series, the immediate reaction is usually to discuss the impact it'll have on Ashes preparations and whether the current team is good enough to win the Ashes. That the actual series has been lost is a secondary consideration.

I'm not saying it's right (it isn't, IMO) but it's the way cricket works in this country. It's almost applied to the same extent as other countries building towards a World Cup in ODIs.

 

[Spark]

Haddin must go up the order due to an abundance of **** ****s atm. If Gilchrist played 2 tests behind ****ing North, Smith, and 2010 Ponting + Clarke, he would have been opening in an instant. Haddin's talent, and technique under pressure, is severely wasted atm. Him batting behind Smith at all, but especially this innings was madness.

I agree he should bat 6, but I think you might be slightly overrating his technique under pressure given the shot he played first innings.