***Official*** Australia in South Africa

[TumTum]

Hughesy going to destroy SA here

lol Clarke as if you were going to bat first.

 

[Jayzamann]

MJ + Vicious

ehhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[Spark]

Tipping Australia to score 100+.

don't want to get too ahead of ourselves here

 

[Nate]

gggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[Quaggas]

So the Saffies get first go on this pitch with ball. Clarke saying he was going to bat first anyway!

Smith said Philander and Tahir get their debuts, otherwise it takes the usual look. No Rudolph ?

Tsotsobe and Harris out, surely?

 

[andyc]

wow. clarke is an absolutely trash caller - won like 1 toss in the last 10

edit: although he was gonna bat first. hmmmmm

Reckon it was a good toss to lose from Clarke's perspective. An Aussie captain winning the toss and bowling first always seems to be questioned after Ricky at Edgbaston, and I wouldn't be surprised if we battle hard against the new ball today. Can see Steyn having a bit of fun here.

 

[TumTum]

don't want to get too ahead of ourselves here

But yeah won't be surprised if we get all out under 100 again

 

[NUFAN]

Put the ****ing Test match on, no one wants to see this ****. I would even prefer to just listen to BJ bumble on.

Really pleased by the Aussie selectors, they've picked the best team from the available squad.

 

[Burgey]

You know with Sid though, he's a real trier.

Cos no one else playing for Australia gives a ****.

 

[Woodster]

Tsotsobe and Harris out, surely?

Yes realised those two bowlers would miss out, it was just with Smith saying the team is pretty much the same as usual. I wouldn't say Rudolph was a regular, he hasn't played Test cricket since August 2006! Unless I've misunderstood what Smith was saying, or he's simply forgot to mention his return to the Test team.

Unless Smith was saying it was as expected except for the two debutants, as their inclusion was still in the air.

 

[Midwinter]

So what's changed since last summer, then ?

change the spinner - check

drop the most promising young batsman for a not quite as young promising batsman - check

So what else has changed ?

All that talk and reviewing and reporting.....

 

[adub]

No great surprises in there. Would have liked to have seen Cummins unleashed, but fully understand the Siddle selection.

Yep we asked him to pitch up and take top order wickets. He's done that and Copes' wickets have dried up. Perfectly reasonable decision. Just fingers crossed that the Siddle and MJ in the same team curse doesn't strike and at least one of them has a good game.

 

[Spark]

So what's changed since last summer, then ?

change the spinner - check

drop the most promising young batsman for a not quite as young promising batsman - check

So what else has changed ?

All that talk and reviewing and reporting.....

are you seriously suggesting that marsh should have been dropped for khawaja?

 

[Pothas]

Delighted to see Tahir making his debut, has been an awful long time coming but he really deserves it.

Anyway stating the bloody obvious and all that but this first little session really is important, not really sure what to make of the Australian top 4 right now but we will find out a fair bit in the next couple of tests.

 

[Bobisback]

WHAT!?! I was enjoying the T20

 

[ajdude]

Hahaha "not too far away from the toss of the coin", wow who does Julian think he's fooling?

edit: GODDAMNIT as soon as they go to the toss there's dense cloud cover in my area according to austar, i mean i know who wins the toss but jesus ****

 

[Midwinter]

Just talking about deckchairs...and ships ...and stuff

 

[Reverse Swing]

Series actually starts today I'm looking forward to it.

 

[NUFAN]

There is no way that M.Clarke was going to bat first. I've watched too many episodes of Lie to Me to be fooled!

Anyway, I think both squads have picked their best XI's, so I'm really excited about the match. Pretty nervous with our batting lineup, hopefully we can get to lunch at say 0/45 or so.

 

[Spark]

Just talking about deckchairs...and ships ...and stuff

Then find something worthwhile to complain about.