***Official*** Australia in South Africa 2013/14

[Dan]

A more interesting question is whether de Villiers keeps the gloves for the last test. I don't suppose they'll take it off him now because they'll hold on until they can transition it after the series, but I'd be changing Duminy and de Kock around in the batting order, giving de Kock the gloves and replacing Parnell with McLaren.

Is McLaren considered right to go? Heard some weird stuff about his injury (my dad seems to think it's career-ending), so I legitimately have no idea how bad it is.
If he's not, Abbott it is.

Completely agree with you wrt selection - no need for wholesale changes on the back of one loss. Reactionary selection at its finest.

And lol @ calls for David Hussey. Might have been ok in the first dig on that track but, like Dean Elgar, if there's any pace in the pitch he might well end up being killed. Genuine spreadsheet selection right there.

Marsh has bought himself this third game at the least; he deserves it after that ton. Two attractive 30s might be enough to keep his place, another ton will rightfully confirm it for the next series at least, but two failures and he's probably gone for good - especially with Watson waiting in the wings.

 

[Eds]

The worst possible scenario for the health of Australian cricket. Australia collapses on a docile pitch while Rogers makes an arse saving century. It completely needed to be the other way around if the team is going to go forward. Now we'll have a case of dropping Doolan because it's convenient despite him being the man (and others) that can actually take Australia forward. Just stunting Australia's growth having Rogers in the team only for him to make a century when he should have been dropped the innings before. Though I suppose the only thing that would have been worse was if the SA tale slogged out and Siddle picked up five, masking how poor he's been in this series (and for a while), the same thing with Rogers.

Or perhaps, heaven forbid, you misjudged Rogers? Maybe he's actually as good as a batsman who's scored a Test hundred against the best attack in the world in their own back yard?

There's a reason he'll get credit with the selectors for this knock. It's because he showed what a good batsman he is when everyone else collapsed under pressure.

 

[Spikey]

Is McLaren considered right to go? Heard some weird stuff about his injury (my dad seems to think it's career-ending), so I legitimately have no idea how bad it is.
If he's not, Abbott it is.

Concussion is complicated.

 

[benchmark00]

Or perhaps, heaven forbid, you misjudged Rogers? Maybe he's actually as good as a batsman who's scored a Test hundred against the best attack in the world in their own back yard?

There's a reason he'll get credit with the selectors for this knock. It's because he showed what a good batsman he is when everyone else collapsed under pressure.

Forgive me if I don't rate this second innings on a feather bed as highly as VVS Laxman's efforts.

When the heat is on and the game is there to be set up, he is not Australia's best option. Rogers will get by if you give him enough goes at it because he'll find conditions that suit. But that is going to harm Australia in the long term. If Australia were destined to lose, it would have been better that he failed so we can develop a team that actually can take Australia to #1.

 

[hendrix]

To be fair, Rogers was actually out well before his century.

Interesting call that giving the Kock the gloves will take pressure off him. I'd have called it the other way around - I wouldn't want to be dropping a catch with Steyn bowling - i guess it's a different perspective.

 

[benchmark00]

Concussion is complicated.

Not for Lachie Hansen.

 

[Spikey]

Not for Lachie Hansen.

North Melbourne tried to send South Africa some advice on the issue (they didn't pay the internet bill so did not send the advice)

 

[Flem274*]

I don't think Eds mentioned Laxman.

When the heat is on and the game is there to be set up, he is not Australia's best option.

And Watson is?

 

[Spikey]

last man in first man out. laters marsh. you'll get over it.

 

[benchmark00]

Good to see Bucky taking the pressure off the seamers with his handy seam ups.

 

[Eds]

Forgive me if I don't rate this second innings on a feather bed as highly as VVS Laxman's efforts.

Ah, I forgot Australia have Laxman waiting in the wings. My apologies.

When the heat is on and the game is there to be set up, he is not Australia's best option. Rogers will get by if you give him enough goes at it because he'll find conditions that suit. But that is going to harm Australia in the long term. If Australia were destined to lose, it would have been better that he failed so we can develop a team that actually can take Australia to #1.

If the conditions that suit are conditions the rest of the Australian batting lineup find seemingly unplayable then why is that a bad thing?

And.. yeah, I heard you the first time. Again, perhaps maybe you underrated Rogers just a little bit? Or are you just judging him by his age?

 

[benchmark00]

last man in first man out. laters marsh. you'll get over it.

It won't be though, it'll be Doolan, which will again harm the development of the team for no great gain.

Maybe they should speak to Essendon about how to improve [censored for libel].

 

[benchmark00]

Ah, I forgot Australia have Laxman waiting in the wings. My apologies.



If the conditions that suit are conditions the rest of the Australian batting lineup find seemingly unplayable then why is that a bad thing?

And.. yeah, I heard you the first time. Again, perhaps maybe you underrated Rogers just a little bit? Or are you just judging him by his age?

If Chris Rogers scores a ton on a flat flat wicket and the rest of Australia fail, Australia will lose.

If someone makes a hundred on a good bowling wicket, chances are Australia wins.

It's about understanding the game of cricket.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Poor McLaren, I hope it's not career ending.

 

[Spikey]

no hughes also harming the development of the team ftr #hughesnow #hughestomorrow #hughesforever

 

[Top_Cat]

More than two bad tests than one bad day. Harris being sent off for surgery now wouldn't exactly be a surprise.

I saw little wrong with his bowling at Centurion, just didn't get wickets and Johnson dominated at the other end. The only reason we know about his knee is because he himself said it might need a clean-up.

Even if it was two bad Tests, they're hot on the heels of of excellent one just over a month ago. Unless he himself says he's injured, fully expect him to line-up at PE.

EDIT: Cape Town, even.

 

[benchmark00]

Poor McLaren, I hope it's not career ending.

I would be surprised if he's not passed fit for the next test given it starts on Saturday. It was reported that it's a mild concussion so he will have had the best part of two weeks to recover. But obviously I'm not a doctor, but it was reported that it wasn't so bad.

 

[Eds]

If Chris Rogers scores a ton on a flat flat wicket and the rest of Australia fail, Australia will lose.

If someone makes a hundred on a good bowling wicket, chances are Australia wins.

It's about understanding the game of cricket.

So maybe a guy bagging a pair on a flat wicket is an indication that he's not up to much as a test batsman. If the rest of your team struggle to bat on such a batting-friendly surface then you'll never get to #1 anyway.

 

[benchmark00]

I saw little wrong with his bowling at Centurion, just didn't get wickets and Johnson dominated at the other end. The only reason we know about his knee is because he himself said it might need a clean-up.

Even if it was two bad Tests, they're hot on the heels of of excellent one just over a month ago. Unless he himself says he's injured, fully expect him to line-up at PE.

Yeah no need for anything re: Harris.

He did look a bit laboured in the PE test, but there really wasn't anything at all for the seam bowlers for the most part. Has the best part of a week to rest up now so he should roll on.

 

[Dan]

Good to see Bucky taking the pressure off the seamers with his handy seam ups.

Because that's the point everybody's been making - the key trait to making runs while opening the batting under pressure against South Africa is bowling 5-7 overs of medium pace per day. Completely irrelevant to the argument.

Rogers isn't perfect, but he's averaged 40 opening the batting since his recall - something nobody has done in partnership with Warner for a long time now. He's got maybe 18 months left in him, so he's not causing long-term problems by any stretch, and it allows guys like Jordan Silk and Joe Burns to spend some time making Shield runs at the top of the order before they undoubtedly get selected ahead of Hughes.

He's not a long-term solution; nobody is claiming him as being one.