***Official*** Australia in the West Indies 2015

[Tangles]

Went out for lunch and over before I got back. Seriously.

Smith mom and Haze mos. Well deserved.

 

[Niall]

What was the worst boxing day test crowd in the last decade?

Because who the hell in Australia will show up to watch this shower try to crawl to 200?

 

[Tangles]

There's absolutely nothing new about quicks backing off the pace on slow decks, even Lee had to on occasion and every quick worth their salt has a slow deck game. If the conditions don't merit express bowling but you keep trying to muscle the batsmen, that's not good bowling and even average bats will make you pay. Making the batsmen wait that fraction longer for the ball is good cricket under these conditions, especially since that extra bit of time in the air will give you more movement. I don't know the injury status of these guys but that they're down on pace isn't, for mine, indicative of anything other than team-focussed professional Test bowling.

72/7, 2rpo, 5 wickets in the first session. How is this worrisome exactly?

I think MJ is the only one I'm concerned about but im hoping like you said he has dialed it back due to conditions.

 

[Tangles]

What was the worst boxing day test crowd in the last decade?

Because who the hell in Australia will show up to watch this shower try to crawl to 200?

I remember reading once that NZ attracted the lowest crowds and that factored against them with tests and location. But you can't build a road roady enough for this WI team to last past 3 days.

 

[Skyliner]

I remember reading once that NZ attracted the lowest crowds and that factored against them with tests and location. But you can't build a road roady enough for this WI team to last past 3 days.

I thought there was a big crowd for our last Boxing Day test in 89? That was the 'Dyer the Liar' test where Whitney and McDermott 'survived' (the LBW law was suspended during the last few overs) in heroic fashion. Part of Australian folklore.

 

[Cabinet96]

Haze won't be getting dropped for the Ashes but I know who might be https://twitter.com/Jesse_Hogan/status/610157315585646592

Edit: I'm aware that he's not a normal commentator for any company with the rights to the Ashes, but the joke still stands.

 

[TheJediBrah]

It's really quite simple. Starc misses out. It's not like Harris is returning from injury. Haze can't be dropped, MJ has got money in the bank and it can't be reasonably assumed that Starc will outperform MJ, or the others, even if he has in this tour. I hope we don't make this complicated. Thank goodness Marsh didn't ton up

Nope. Starc has leapfrogged MJ. A few good series 12 months ago doesn't trump 12 months of constant domination and superiority. MJ has been ordinary for a while now. Starc is a shoe-in (depending on warm ups and injuries obviously).

 

[TheJediBrah]

Haze won't be getting dropped for the Ashes but I know who might be https://twitter.com/Jesse_Hogan/status/610157315585646592

Edit: I'm aware that he's not a normal commentator for any company with the rights to the Ashes, but the joke still stands.

haha

his face right after he says it

 

[weldone]

Nope. Starc has leapfrogged MJ. A few good series 12 months ago doesn't trump 12 months of constant domination and superiority. MJ has been ordinary for a while now. Starc is a shoe-in (depending on warm ups and injuries obviously).

Starc was pathetic in the last test series against India. Only 2 tests against a hapless WI top-order doesn't change anything, especially when Johnson wasn't bad either.

 

[Spark]

Nope. Starc has leapfrogged MJ. A few good series 12 months ago doesn't trump 12 months of constant domination and superiority. MJ has been ordinary for a while now. Starc is a shoe-in (depending on warm ups and injuries obviously).

Starc was pathetic in the last test series against India. Only 2 tests against a hapless WI top-order doesn't change anything, especially when Johnson wasn't bad either.

neither of these posts are good posts

 

[The_Bunny]

Think this talk about replacing MJ is pretty premature, may not have been anywhere near his best but he still took 8/149 in 2 matches, had an ok world cup, bowled ok for little reward against India and was our best bowler in UAE.

Short of some shocking tour matches and a bad start to the Ashes cant see him getting dropped anytime soon.

 

[Spark]

His work in the WC final was exceptional, 2013-4 level stuff. Best bowler on the day for me.

 

[weldone]

neither of these posts are good posts

This one is the worst among the 3.

 

[Hooksey]

RIP West Indian cricket. All that remains of what was once a truly great cricketing nation is some bling and misplaced swagger.

 

[Bahnz]

Well that was pointless. This WI batting lineup is now definitely looking worse than Bangladesh's. You know a team is in bad shape when they desperately need the return of Kirk Edwards and Kieran Powell. Hopefully Gayle and Samuels are available for the Aussie series, otherwise things could get horrendous. Seriously, dropping Chanderpaul with these shunts waiting in the wings...WTF?!?

 

[wellAlbidarned]

the chanders dropping is looking fishier and fishier by the minute

 

[Midwinter]

the chanders dropping is looking fishier and fishier by the minute

No, its not. His farewell series against England was poor. It was a " time to blood some young blokes" decision which has not worked.

Johnson vs Starc IMHO it has to be one or the other as on a bad day they are both very bad and you cant afford both. Interesting the comment Johnson "throttled it back" against India because apart from the innings when he destroyed the middle order his main role was frightening out the tailenders.

Would start the Ashes with Johnson tho'

 

[Tangles]

Nothing wrong with blooding young batsmen. And with such a poor domestic scene it's no surprise they are below what we would really expect. They will have to learn on the job fast. The problem is with no senior players to teach and show them in match conditions how will they learn? How soon will they be punted back down to the sub standard domestic scene? That's how players get on the merry go round. Too good for one yet not for the other.

 

[Athlai]

No, its not. His farewell series against England was poor. It was a " time to blood some young blokes" decision which has not worked.

Johnson vs Starc IMHO it has to be one or the other as on a bad day they are both very bad and you cant afford both. Interesting the comment Johnson "throttled it back" against India because apart from the innings when he destroyed the middle order his main role was frightening out the tailenders.

Would start the Ashes with Johnson tho'

Chanderpaul at age 60 will still be better than some of these spuds.

 

[howardj]

What a woefully uncompetitive series

Hopefully this convinces CA to revoke their invitiation to the Windies to play Tests out here this Summer

Expand the Trans-Tasman series to 5 Tests