**Official** 3rd Test @Brisbane (Ewwwww), 14th-18th December

[halba]

Maybe Smith should try opening again, I think his average was better there!!

It does make me wonder what on earth the batting line up looks like in 12 months time for the Ashes.....

Khawaja is on his last legs as well- age is 38 on 18/12/2024...Ashes to be his last.

a few new batters. Konstas to open.

Kurtis patterson to be recalled(averaging 100 in shield season). Smith will be far gone by then, hes bad now. Mcsweeney in the middle order where hes most comfortable.

Inglis to play as Keeper just like he does in ODIs - its not subcontinent spin so he should be ok against Pace. Carey to be long gone by then, hes out of form again.

Mitch marsh is gone by then. hes not cut for being a long term all rounder.

Green Test career appears over - stress fractures is pretty much it at this level. Might be continued in shorter formats only.

Webster is now the best all rounder in the country.

XI as follows

1. Khawaja (last test series at 39)
2.Konstas (new opener)
3. Labuschagne
4. Patterson /Smith(if he regains form)/ any other domestic batter
5Mscweeney
6Inglis(w/k)
7 Webster (all rounder) .
8 Starc
9Cummins
10Hazlewood / Boland (depending on Hazlewoods fitness)
11Lyon.

12 - Fergus O Neill - backup seamer(Shield joint leader -22 wkts)

 

[Burgey]

Tim Ward will be batting in the top order. Lock it in

 

[ashley bach]

It's hard to see Rohit turning it around from here. Maybe he'll have one more decent knock but really he's looking like toast.

T O A S T
O
A
S
T

Burnt

Should be on holiday in the Bahamas with Tim Southee

 

[Burgey]

I don’t want to fat shame the morbidly obese, but you’re entitled to present yourself in the best possible condition when you’re playing sport at the highest level. If he actually gaf and shifted half a dozen kgs now he’s getting on a bit, I bet his output would improve.

 

[sayon basak]

Tim Ward will be batting in the top order. Lock it in

Will Bumrah get a 10 wicket haul?

 

[Daemon]

I don’t want to fat shame the morbidly obese, but you’re entitled to present yourself in the best possible condition when you’re playing sport at the highest level. If he actually gaf and shifted half a dozen kgs now he’s getting on a bit, I bet his output would improve.

Its actually really poor tbh. Taking us backwards to the generation that didn’t care about fitness.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Its actually really poor tbh. Taking us backwards to the generation that didn’t care about fitness.

Making a decent side pay check testing novel anti-diabetic medication though

 

[honestbharani]

I dont really care about his physique but he has to definitely bat better and be sharper as a captain. This season and perhaps since the T20 WC win, he has been failing in both. Difficult not to think its the same effect the 2011 WC win had on Harbhajan, Sehwag, Gambhir and that generation of players. None of the guys we thought will kick on from there and be a mainstay, did, except the babies of that team, Virat and Ashwin.

 

[Burgey]

Will Bumrah get a 10 wicket haul?

In next year’s Ashes? Unlikely

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Will Bumrah get a 10 wicket haul?

When Pritwi Shaw gets recalled to the National team

 

[sayon basak]

In next year’s Ashes? Unlikely

Makes sense.

 

[halba]

Its actually really poor tbh. Taking us backwards to the generation that didn’t care about fitness.

Pant is also pretty Thick as well for a modern day keeper. Most modern day keepers are generally athletic/ Lean.

 

[Daemon]

Pant pre injury was a chubby lad but still athletic. But you’ll have a tough time convincing me that shedding some pounds would make him worse.

It’s just unprofessional. These sorts of things are the 2-3%ers you should absolutely care about.

Nobody’s even asking for a Kohli level obsession. Just basic levels required of even school level athletes in many sports.

You can only hide behind “cricket fitness is different” up to a certain point.

 

[honestbharani]

Look, the main reason I refrain from commenting on these things is the possibility that they have some medical condition which makes this the best they can do. I think it only happens in like 20% of the cases but it just seems cruel to point it out anytime.

His performances on the other hand, are absolutely fair game for criticism. Just my two cents.

 

[Prince EWS]

Khawaja is on his last legs as well- age is 38 on 18/12/2024...Ashes to be his last.

a few new batters. Konstas to open.

Kurtis patterson to be recalled(averaging 100 in shield season). Smith will be far gone by then, hes bad now. Mcsweeney in the middle order where hes most comfortable.

Inglis to play as Keeper just like he does in ODIs - its not subcontinent spin so he should be ok against Pace. Carey to be long gone by then, hes out of form again.

Mitch marsh is gone by then. hes not cut for being a long term all rounder.

Green Test career appears over - stress fractures is pretty much it at this level. Might be continued in shorter formats only.

Webster is now the best all rounder in the country.

XI as follows

1. Khawaja (last test series at 39)
2.Konstas (new opener)
3. Labuschagne
4. Patterson /Smith(if he regains form)/ any other domestic batter
5Mscweeney
6Inglis(w/k)
7 Webster (all rounder) .
8 Starc
9Cummins
10Hazlewood / Boland (depending on Hazlewoods fitness)
11Lyon.

12 - Fergus O Neill - backup seamer(Shield joint leader -22 wkts)

I love how one Test ago everyone thought Marnus should be dropped and in this post you've literally advocated for dropping every member of the top seven except Marnus, including Head for some unknown reason who's in his prime and just made a ton.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Lol

 

[Spark]

I love how one Test ago everyone thought Marnus should be dropped and in this post you've literally advocated for dropping every member of the top seven except Marnus, including Head for some unknown reason who's in his prime and just made a ton.

Including Green who hasn't even done anything wrong!

 

[Xix2565]

I dunno mate, I think both teams would be reluctant to drop someone making runs in the lower-middle order given their batting. It isn’t like Aus are racking up 500 themselves

Wut?

Yeah, which is why it's better to strengthen the bowling and ensure that Australia get less runs rather than worry about runs from the lower order. The support bowling is the issue, not the support batting after the top order. We've seen at Perth that if the Indian pacers apart from Bumrah show up Australia doesn't make much runs anyway, the question then becomes who's more likely to contribute between Harshit/Reddy/Akash/Prasidh/Mukesh/etc.

 

[Spark]

Yeah, which is why it's better to strengthen the bowling and ensure that Australia get less runs rather than worry about runs from the lower order. The support bowling is the issue, not the support batting after the top order. We've seen at Perth that if the Indian pacers apart from Bumrah show up Australia doesn't make much runs anyway, the question then becomes who's more likely to contribute between Harshit/Reddy/Akash/Prasidh/Mukesh/etc.

If India can't get to 200 consistently then it'll be very difficult to win regardless of what bowlers are picked. They aren't miracle workers, they do need some actual runs to bowl at.

This is just a classic case of the seemingly pandemic-level syndrome of people reacting to obvious, chronic batting failures by wanting to change the bowlers.

 

[Xix2565]

If India can't get to 200 consistently then it'll be very difficult to win regardless of what bowlers are picked. They aren't miracle workers, they do need some actual runs to bowl at.

I don't really see the big difference between Australia's batting and India's batting in terms of fragility, it's just that last Test Australia got Harshit to feast on and India ran into Starc and Boland. India being down on runs hurts when the opposition team isn't down on runs, and that comes from the bowling they face. I'm fine if they swap out batters in the top 5/6 but Reddy really shouldn't be a lock ahead of Jadeja and others because he doesn't seem to have much to offer as a bowler and Harshit so far is too raw to have as the 3rd pacer. I'd rather fix that before deciding on which batter is out of the lineup.

Something like:
Jadeja
2 of Akash Deep/Ashwin/Prasidh
Bumrah
Siraj

Would be preferable. You don't lose much with the bat and the 3rd option after Bumrah/Siraj is more experienced.