*Official* Fourth Test at the MCG

[Tangles]

any more retirements before boxing day England?

When the going gets tough retire...

Wait this isn't the spineless cricket thread.

 

[Hooksey]

you actually reckon priors gone?

Bairstow did a long session with the gloves yesterday and a big chance for selection in this Test.

 

[Spikey]

George Dobell ‏@GeorgeDobell1 1m

England have called-up Durham leg-spinner Scott Borthwick and Kent off-spinner James Tredwell to their Test squad.

 

[Spikey]

dont understand tredwell

 

[Spark]

gee if they play tredwell at either of these two tests...

 

[Spikey]

tredwell is only in the squad for the SCG, which makes it even weirder

 

[fredfertang]

Should give Kegga another go, imo

 

[GIMH]

tredwell is only in the squad for the SCG, which makes it even weirder

It basically just means they are flying him over a week earlier

 

[GIMH]

Should give Kegga another go, imo

He's over there already isn't he?

 

[marc71178]

He didn't, and we lost 3-0.

So how can you claim that he kick started the turnaround then?

 

[GuyFromLancs]

dont understand tredwell

Me neither!

 

[NUFAN]

I'm frankly staggered that no one else is talking about the real big story of the Boxing Day Test which is of course Peter Siddle's 50th Test. The big hearted former lumberjack, now vegan right arm quick will become just the 47th Australian to reach this milestone.

So to mark the achievement here is the commentary for all of his wickets, just joking as if I would do that in just a regular tour thread that will get glossed over..

His first ball:

Well it's Peter Siddle with the new ball. Three slips and a gully

Siddle to Gambhir, no run, Knocks him on the head straightaway! What a start, bangs it in short, Gambhir takes his eyes off the ball as he tries to duck and the ball knocks him flush on the helmet and rolls to the on side, he gets assistance from the dressing room, nothing to worry, he's ok now

His first wicket:

Siddle to Tendulkar, OUT, And Siddle picks up his first Test wicket and guess who it is! Isn't he happy. he pitches it on the corridor outside off and forces him into the stroke, he fishes at it and the outside edge travels low to Hayden at first slip who dives to his left, it's not the first time Tendulkar has fallen to a debut bowler, nevertheless it was just fabulous watching him bat today

WAG

 

[Hooksey]

So how can you claim that he kick started the turnaround then?

You mean the turnaround from losing 3-0 without Johnson, to being up 3-0 with Johnson in the side? That turnaround? I've already pointed it out in an earlier post.

 

[grecian]

I suppose they could play Borthwick at 3, would solve that problem, in a really hideous unsatisfactory way.

So Root bowling rubbish off-spin, Monty bowling average SLA and Scott bowling complete village leg-spin. Reckon it's a winner, Clarke will be quaking in his boots.

 

[marc71178]

You mean the turnaround from losing 3-0 without Johnson, to being up 3-0 with Johnson in the side? That turnaround? I've already pointed it out in an earlier post.

Australia's form turnaround was not kick started by Johnson.

 

[Scaly piscine]

God the media and 'experts' talking the usual bollocks about if you pick someone too early it destroys them, citing Kerrigan and saying it would be bad to pick Borthwick because of it. Err **** off. If it does that they were never going to work at Test level anyway. The ones that could make it is a positive thing. Borthwick is a leg spinner, he's going to get hammered now and then anyway. I don't see him playing anyway unless it's largely as a batsman on a flat pitch.

Kerrigan was obviously nervous and I don't know why he's gone so far down the pecking order because of it. Those sorts of negative effects associated with nerves will largely go. Ability or lack of it will remain.

 

[Tangles]

What's the point in adding 2 spinners? Monty should just step in. So they want a backup for Melbourne and 2 for Sydney? This must mean 2 spinners at Sydney. Very sporting to add spinners knowing Clarkeh hasn't scored a double yet this series.

 

[theegyptian]

The point is they can't get Tredwell out there and ready to play in a couple of days so Borthwick who is in sydney comes in to cover this test. Tredwell will be there as an alternative to Panesar for the last test - and to cover injury. Borthwick isn't a frontline spinner and England won't want to play him as the sole spinner so they're bringing Tredwell in 2 weeks early.

It doesn't mean they're gonna play two spinners in sydney. I'd put the chances of that at < 5% unless there are further retirements.

 

[Tangles]

So Monty plays in Melbourne but will be dropped if he gets carted. What a pisser. The forgotten victims here are Kerrigan and Watson.

 

[Spark]

Can't really imagine a worse idea than debuting a fresh, not-particularly-outstanding leggie at Sydney in a team potentially 4-0 down against a batting lineup full of particularly aggressive batsmen against spin. Especially **** spin.

I mean, Imran Tahir at least had a few Tests under his belt.