**Official** 1st Test @ Perth, 22nd-26th November

[Jarquis]

McSweeney to open. Inglis reserve bat. Borland reserve bowler. Probably as expected from an Aus POV after the A games?

 

[Prince EWS]

McSweeney to open. Inglis reserve bat. Borland reserve bowler. Probably as expected from an Aus POV after the A games?

I expected it to be Harris opening tbh, but I'm very pleasantly surprised by that.

 

[social]

I expected it to be Harris opening tbh, but I'm very pleasantly surprised by that.

Being saying for ages that I doubt that the selectors have any confidence in Harris, Bancroft or Renshaw & would only pick them under sufferance

They aren’t stupid and would know that they haven’t improved at all since being dropped

 

[Spikey]

It's anti-Italian Greek discrimination

 

[Starfighter]

I think there's going to be quite a bit of noise about Harris being passed over after objectively doing the best in the 'bat off', especially if McSweeney fails a couple of times. And I'm sure it would be very disappointing for him personally. But I simply don't see much upside to picking him, especially with his fielding.

 

[social]

I think there's going to be quite a bit of noise about Harris being passed over after objectively doing the best in the 'bat off', especially if McSweeney fails a couple of times. And I'm sure it would be very disappointing for him personally. But I simply don't see much upside to picking him, especially with his fielding.

McSweeney scored the most runs in the series, has been the best batsman this summer, has a better technique, can field and bowl plus brings much needed youth

I don’t see it as being controversial at all

 

[Starfighter]

I don’t see it as being controversial at all

I see the 'you need to be an opener to open' mentality a lot in the broader audience. Never mind that Langer, Katich, Watson and Khawaja all succeeded as openers after starting in the middle order (I suppose you could say the difference is they played tests before opening).

 

[TheJediBrah]

Never mind that Langer, Katich, Watson and Khawaja all succeeded as openers after starting in the middle order

Not to mention Warner, which everyone forgets. Warner barely opened in red ball or even Grade cricket before his Test debut. No reason McSweeney can't as well

 

[Qlder]

There have only been 4 Tests at Perth Stadium and Australia has won them all by huge margins, so quickly becoming the new "Fortress" after 2 recent losses ar the Gabba

However, Australia has also won the toss and batted in every test making 326, 416, 598/4(dec) and 487 in 1st innings (average score 457)

 

[Daemon]

Not a good week for Harris supporters

 

[Qlder]

Some things just don't feel right about the Aussie squad as we have a:

(1) Keeper as reserve batsman. It's ironic that Inglis was born in England as that's a very English cricket thing to do

(2) 35 year old pace bowler reserve just back from injury who's only taken 4 wkts @ 47.75 this season.

Really highlights how shallow Australia's batting and fit pace bowling stocks are

 

[Spark]

Some things just don't feel right about the Aussie squad as we have a:

(1) Keeper as reserve batsman. It's ironic that Inglis was born in England as that's a very English cricket thing to do

(2) 35 year old pace bowler reserve just back from injury who's only taken 4 wkts @ 47.75 this season.

Really highlights how shallow Australia's batting and fit pace bowling stocks are

Boland's form is a concern but otherwise it seems about normal to me? It barely counts as a squad, it's just an XI with the now-standard backup batsman and bowler.

 

[govinda indian fan]

India xi if rohit doesnt play
Jaiswal
Jurel
Gill
Kohli
Pant(wk)
Safaraz
Jadeja
Rana
Akashdeep
Bumarh
Prasidh

 

[Starfighter]

Boland's form is a concern

Certainly is and at his age I'm not sure why he's the automatic next in line, which I think would have been the case even without the injuries.

Problem we have is that of the other anointed options, Neser has pulled a hamstring, which could put him out for a while, Morris has not played a single FC match since his return, and nor has Richardson. I suppose CA might force WA to break up the successful Paris-Gannon-Kelly-Couch combination to play one of them, but if they're picking the squad this early it's academic anyway.

And if they're not fit, who do they look at? O'Neill? Recall Paris while he's in one of his rare fit spells? My bet is the big three will play all five tests and if we have a pooped Mitchell Starc rocking up in the fifth test bowling rubbish with the series on the line I'll be unimpressed.

 

[Thala_0710]

India xi if rohit doesnt play
Jaiswal
Jurel
Gill
Kohli
Pant(wk)
Safaraz
Jadeja
Rana
Akashdeep
Bumarh
Prasidh

The current news suggests Rohit is going to play, this is the line up I'd go with then:
Rohit
Jaiswal
Gill
Kohli
Pant
Jurel
Sundar
Jadeja
Akashdeep
Bumrah
Prasidh/Siraj

 

[Spark]

Certainly is and at his age I'm not sure why he's the automatic next in line, which I think would have been the case even without the injuries.

Problem we have is that of the other anointed options, Neser has pulled a hamstring, which could put him out for a while, Morris has not played a single FC match since his return, and nor has Richardson. I suppose CA might force WA to break up the successful Paris-Gannon-Kelly-Couch combination to play one of them, but if they're picking the squad this early it's academic anyway.

And if they're not fit, who do they look at? O'Neill? Recall Paris while he's in one of his rare fit spells? My bet is the big three will play all five tests and if we have a pooped Mitchell Starc rocking up in the fifth test bowling rubbish with the series on the line I'll be unimpressed.

You'd have to think McAndrew is the next in line after Boland and Neser based on the selection pattern in the A game, right? The first game was "promising" fast bowlers whereas the second had the actual A attack.

 

[Starfighter]

You'd have to think McAndrew is the next in line after Boland and Neser based on the selection pattern in the A game, right? The first game was "promising" fast bowlers whereas the second had the actual A attack.

I don't necessarily see that. Doggett's 30 and has been around for a similar period, if not as consistently. They're also two of the faster options of those fit (especially with Meredith and Stanlake barely able to break into the Tassie side even when they aren't injured). O'Neill has form and similarities with Boland. I think it's quite open as to who they'd choose.

But even with his bad fitness history it surprises that Paris seems to be completely off the radar. He's 31, same as McAndrew, they like to have a leftie, and his career average is 19.73!

 

[Prince EWS]

The current news suggests Rohit is going to play, this is the line up I'd go with then:
Rohit
Jaiswal
Gill
Kohli
Pant
Jurel
Sundar
Jadeja
Akashdeep
Bumrah
Prasidh/Siraj

I really don't see a couple of Tests in totally different conditions really being enough for them to drop Ashwin for Sundar. I can see it happening later in the tour if he doesn't have much impact, but the only way I can see Ashwin missing out in the first Test is if they only go in with one spinner.

 

[Thala_0710]

I really don't see a couple of Tests in totally different conditions really being enough for them to drop Ashwin for Sundar. I can see it happening later in the tour if he doesn't have much impact, but the only way I can see Ashwin missing out in the first Test is if they only go in with one spinner.

Yeah that's probably true. But I hope they go for Sundar mainly because our batting currently is absolutely dogshit and Sundar is in good form and has shown previously he can bat here. Expecting a low scoring game and probably need his batting more than Ashwin's bowling

 

[Daemon]

I really don't see a couple of Tests in totally different conditions really being enough for them to drop Ashwin for Sundar. I can see it happening later in the tour if he doesn't have much impact, but the only way I can see Ashwin missing out in the first Test is if they only go in with one spinner.

Really? I can totally see them go for Sundar over Ashwin in the first test. Right or wrong he’s always been the sacrifice in overseas tests in the name of balance.