Australia - the aftermath of the Ashes

[vcs]

Australia still has world class spinners. There's the redback, the funnel web...

 

[TumTum]

We have a one day series in Bangladesh, I heard on the radio that the type of tour hasn't been confirmed. I've got a feeling that Australia will try very hard to get a couple of Tests not just one dayers.

Certainly hope so, it will give our Test team a chance to reorganize themselves.

However if we get beaten

 

[Howe_zat]

In seriousness, how do we think Australia will do in Sri Lanka? The obvious question is whether they will be able to take 20 wickets against Sanga, Jayawardne and the rest in their conditions, but following the Ashes I'd be more worried about who's going to bat in the top six.

 

[Spark]

We know our best top six.

We don't know our best three seamers - and that's a real worry.

 

[Ruckus]

The 'safe' option would have to be:

Johnson
Siddle
Bollinger

 

[Howe_zat]

We know our best top six.

We don't know our best three seamers - and that's a real worry.

I'm not sure you do.

Will Ponting come back, and if so can Khawaja stay? Do Katich and Hussey have another year? Can Smith stay on, and should Haddin be promoted? What about David Hussey?

All serious questions, no?

 

[TumTum]

I'm not sure you do.

Will Ponting come back, and if so can Khawaja stay? Do Katich and Hussey have another year? Can Smith stay on, and should Haddin be promoted? What about David Hussey?

All serious questions, no?

Except Dussey, the rest are pretty much similar and it really doesn't make a difference who we pick (although I'd definitely have Ponting back).

Sure they must all be answered, but it really won't have much of an effect in our batting performance.

 

[Spark]

I'm not sure you do.

Will Ponting come back, and if so can Khawaja stay? Do Katich and Hussey have another year? Can Smith stay on, and should Haddin be promoted? What about David Hussey?

All serious questions, no?

Our best top six batsmen are Katich Watson Khawaja Ponting Clarke Hussey. It's very clear in my mind.

In that case those questions are easily answered for mine. Yes, yes, yes, not in the XI, not in this lineup, not in this lineup.

 

[Ruckus]

The top 6 is simple, there are no two ways about it:

Watson
Katich
Khawaja
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey

In fact, I think the selection of most of the team is pretty simple. The only tough decision will be the selection of the spinner. I would personally go O'Keefe or Hauritz, but no doubt Beer will be retained.

 

[vcs]

In seriousness, how do we think Australia will do in Sri Lanka? The obvious question is whether they will be able to take 20 wickets against Sanga, Jayawardne and the rest in their conditions, but following the Ashes I'd be more worried about who's going to bat in the top six.

SL will have already toured England by then, won't they? You'd have to think they'd be more match-fit and in the swing of things after a tough tour by then.

 

[robelinda]

Could be either 3 draws on flat pitches, but I fear a 1-0 loss or 2-0 loss, cant see our bowlers doing the 20 wickets against the best home track bullies in existence.

 

[Spark]

Agreed that a 1-0 or 2-0 is very possible, I just see a stupid incomprehensible collapse coming out of nowhere between massive scores like has been the norm for every series for the last two years except the last.

 

[TumTum]

Awta, defeat looms.

 

[robelinda]

Only positive is that the SL bowlers are mostly ordinary, the pace bowlers anyway. We should be able to see them off, but if the spinners bowl all day we'll be tied down. AND, we havent faced MENDIS yet in tests, he could tear us apart, no matter how ordinary he has looked of late. India were clueless in their first series against him, clueless. If he is in any sort of form he will run through us. If not, then we coudl make hay. The other spinner whose name escapes me could be good, the guy that did well in the one dayers in November here ( Ashwin?)

 

[Spark]

Randiv. I don't see him being great in tests, though, seemed to be a LO specialist. Could be wrong.

You make a good point but we did manage to collapse against NZ's lineup, and WI's (god that was lame), on pitches doing very little... I don't see it happening a lot, but it could happen often enough to lose us a test.

Mendis seems the kind of bowler that could have Ponting in a tizzy. Worried.

I tell you what though, I feel a lot better for our chances now that Murali has retired. Yes, our middle order has truly ridiculous averages against him but even now, at home, he'd be a real handful.

 

[morgieb]

Sri Lanka's ordinary, but we'll still probably lose. Their batting's too strong to give up tests, and we'll have some collapse there somewhere.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Nah, Ashwin is an Indian spinner. Randiv I think was the one who bowled well, lots of overspin and great shape.

 

[TumTum]

Nah, Ashwin is an Indian spinner. Randiv I think was the one who bowled well, lots of overspin and great shape.

Both pretty similar bowlers. What happened to Herath?

 

[morgieb]

Malinga/Thruasha/Randiv/Mendis is a decent attack, but whether it'll play is a different matter. Still reckon it'll be OK on home decks, but ordinary on away decks.

 

[Spark]

True that their second tier seam could feed us plenty, though. Saw a fair bit of the SL/India series and wow did their pacers beyond Malinga bowl some absolute rubbish. Could really play our top four back into form if not careful.