Last 7 tests - w3, l2, d2
performers:
1st Test v SL
Contributors: Watson (bowling), Clarke, Hussey, Harris, Lyon
Passable: Ponting (just barely), Khawaja (just barely), Haddin (gloves), Copeland (just barely), Haddin (gloves)
Fail: Watson (batting), Hughes, Haddin (batting), Johnson,
2nd Test v SL
Contributors: Marsh, Hussey, Harris
Passable: Watson, Hughes, Khawaja, Copeland,
Fail: Clarke, Haddin (batting), Johnson, Lyon
3rd Test v SL
Contributors: Hughes, Marsh, Clarke, Hussey, Siddle
Passable: Watson (bowling), Ponting, Haddin, Copeland (just)
Fail: Watson (batting), Johnson, Lyon
1st Test v SA
Contributors: Clarke, Harris, Watson (bowling)
Passable: Marsh,
Fail: Watson (batting), Hughes, Ponting, Hussey, Haddin, Johnson, Siddle, Lyon
2nd Test v SA
Contributors: Hughes, Watson, Khawaja (just), Johnson (batting), Cummins
Passable: Ponting, Hussey (just), Haddin, Siddle (just), Lyon, Clarke (bowling)
Fail: Clarke, Johnson (bowling)
1st Test v NZ
Contributors: Ponting, Clarke, Haddin, Pattinson, Lyon
Passable: Warner, Khawaja, Hussey (bowling), Siddle,
Fail: Hughes, Hussey (batting), Starc,
2nd Test v SL
Contributors: Warner, Siddle, Pattinson
Passable: Hussey (bowling), Lyon
Fail: Hughes, Khawaja, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey (batting), Haddin (batting), Starc
The problem with hanging onto old guys out of form and arguing that we can't afford to not have experienced players in the side is pretty obvious.
Ponting has been a contributor in only 1 of these 7 matches and Johnson's only real contribution before his injury was with the bat. And it's not like these two had any form in the previous year or two to back it up.
Conversely we give Marsh a go, He contributes big time in 2 of three matches and may have made it 3 if not for his injury (which is another story). We chuck Lyon in the deep end and he's made real contributions in two matches (wins) as well as a very strong pass mark in another win. We chuck at green cap at an 18 yo Cummins and he wins a test for us. We chuck another at Pattinson and he goes back to back 7-fers. We give Warner a shot and carries his bat and scores 53% of the team total to almost salvage a win where all around him guys with thousands of test runs are chucking their wickets away. Even guys like Copeland and Uzi have been at least passable and contributing far more than the koalas. Hughes for all his failures has made significant contributions to two tests (1w, 1d), so only Starc of the débutantes has failed to be a clear improvement on the man he replaced (and he's certainly no worse than Johnson)
If we can learn anything out of the last 6 months it's that giving a young guy (even ones with modest to non-existent fc records) a go is far more likely return a result for us than crossing our fingers and toes and praying for Ponting to come good again. That's why I've come around to giving Cowan a shot, and why I think Watson should take Ponting's spot on boxing day at 4 no matter what happens with Marsh's dodgy back. Hussey deserves a bit more rope, but not much. If he doesn't come good I'd be tempted to give a Christian or even a Maxwell a shot in the Caribbean. Hazelwood or one of the other young quicks should also get a go with Harris saved as the injury back up.
Most people were thinking, 'give Ponting the NZ tests to get some runs under his belt and back in form for the Indians'. Well that worked out just great didn't it. Would we have gone any worse if we'd dumped Ponting and played Christian or Cowan in his place? Not very likely. I fear we'll be having similar regrets after the Indian series as well.