Australian test selection 2018/19

[Red]

For SL series, I'd love it if for the Sri Lanka series they just went **** it, let's pick the actual best performed Shield players. Cos none of the current test team in the top six are worth it (apart from Khawaja and Harris)


Harris
Burns
Khawaja
Patterson
Pucovski
Wade
Paine +*
Cummins
J.Richardson
Hazelwood
Lyon

I'd be inclined to play Starc in the ODIs but rest him from these two tests against SL

 

[NUFAN]

I get really nervous seeing Pucovski included in anyones teams. Realistically this close after his break from 'personal illness' he cant nor shouldnt play for Australia.

Also i quite like Patterson but you look at what Travis Head has done at Shield level and his reasonable start to his Test career and Head has to stay. Happy enough with K-Pat coming in for either of your number 5 or 6 bats.

 

[Red]

I get really nervous seeing Pucovski included in anyones teams. Realistically this close after his break from 'personal illness' he cant nor shouldnt play for Australia.

Also i quite like Patterson but you look at what Travis Head has done at Shield level and his reasonable start to his Test career and Head has to stay. Happy enough with K-Pat coming in for either of your number 5 or 6 bats.

Yeh I was being a bit facetious anyhow (although I think this top six is better than what we've been rolling with). Hopefully Pucovski can put together some big Shield performances over the next season or two before being selected in the test team.

I'm a big fan of Paterson, just looks like he knows his game and has control of what he's doing. Could be Shaun Marsh version 2 though.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Too early for Pucovski for sure. Let's see him get through a decent amount of Shield cricket uninterrupted first, prove he is physically and mentally ready

 

[stephen]

Yeh I was being a bit facetious anyhow (although I think this top six is better than what we've been rolling with). Hopefully Pucovski can put together some big Shield performances over the next season or two before being selected in the test team.

I'm a big fan of Paterson, just looks like he knows his game and has control of what he's doing. Could be Shaun Marsh version 2 though.

He's more of a Joe Root than a Shaun Marsh. Makes a 50 then gets out.

I agree about Pukovski. He needs a full couple of shield seasons for the bowlers to find him out like what happened to Cartwright. If he can get past two or three shield seasons and still look as good as he does, then pick him for tests.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Got to say in a series that was terrible for Aussie bats that Harris has looked quite good. Definitely something to work with there. Presume Warner will be his partner in England.

 

[stephen]

Got to say in a series that was terrible for Aussie bats that Harris has looked quite good. Definitely something to work with there. Presume Warner will be his partner in England.

He's far from the finished product but it's good seeing an actual batsman with proper technique. Needs to work on facing the short ball though and I can see some rough times for him overseas where the ball doesn't come onto the bat. He loves his square drives and cuts which will probably harm him in English conditions.

 

[Spark]

He's far from the finished product but it's good seeing an actual batsman with proper technique. Needs to work on facing the short ball though and I can see some rough times for him overseas where the ball doesn't come onto the bat. He loves his square drives and cuts which will probably harm him in English conditions.

Really? I can think of a lot of English batsmen who have thrived with little more than those two shots.

 

[Prince EWS]

Really? I can think of a lot of English batsmen who have thrived with little more than those two shots.

The square drive is a little more low percentage in England than it is in Australia IMO, but basing your game around the cut shot there is certainly fine. Cook just got knighted for it and the captain who preceded him certainly enjoyed the cut as well.

 

[Spark]

The square drive is a little more low percentage in England than it is in Australia IMO, but basing your game around the cut shot there is certainly fine. Cook just got knighted for it and the captain who preceded him certainly enjoyed the cut as well.

Yeah it's low percentage but it's a better option for dealing with half-volleys than the conventional off-drive IMO.

 

[stephen]

It was more the drive that is going to leave him vulnerable in England. He uses it as his early innings shot to play himself in. Doing that in England is a recipe for disaster.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

So Harris is now in, but at the same point in their careers, Burns & Renshaw both had scored 2 half centuries and a ton each (Burns had 3 fifties). Harris has 2 fifties and no tons, what a prospect what a talent, and the intent

 

[Starfighter]

So Harris is now in, but at the same point in their careers, Burns & Renshaw both had scored 2 half centuries and a ton each (Burns had 3 fifties). Harris has 2 fifties and no tons, what a prospect what a talent, and the intent

This Indian bowling attack is better and the pitches a bit harder. But he really should have tonned up today, it was there on a platter.

 

[the big bambino]

I have to say I didn't totally hate Marnus today. Looked fairly decent actually. even the shot that got him out was good if not the awareness.

 

[quincywagstaff]

This Indian bowling attack is better and the pitches a bit harder. But he really should have tonned up today, it was there on a platter.

Yeah, could tell earlier in the over that he was getting a bit flustered. Guess it's a question of maturity and temperament and whether he'll develop that over time. His intensity and driving down the ground was very impressive until lunch one of the very rare times this series an Oz bat has had the measure of the Indian bowlers.

 

[quincywagstaff]

So Harris is now in, but at the same point in their careers, Burns & Renshaw both had scored 2 half centuries and a ton each (Burns had 3 fifties). Harris has 2 fifties and no tons, what a prospect what a talent, and the intent

Until I checked now I'd forgotten that Burns was Oz opener for an entire summer plus a NZ tour and did well. That he did it against a disappointing NZ attack and insipid WI lineup where most Oz bats dominated reduces the impact of that, but shouldn't be discounted either.

Was a victim of the SL tour disaster and did play some awful shots, but fair to say he's been treated pretty poorly since the 15/16 season.

 

[stephen]

Until I checked now I'd forgotten that Burns was Oz opener for an entire summer plus a NZ tour and did well. That he did it against a disappointing NZ attack and insipid WI lineup where most Oz bats dominated reduces the impact of that, but shouldn't be discounted either.

Was a victim of the SL tour disaster and did play some awful shots, but fair to say he's been treated pretty poorly since the 15/16 season.

Getting found out by Herath on home bunsens shouldn't count too heavily against him.

It was the Hobart blood letting that sealed his fate more than anything.

 

[aussie tragic]

There has to be blood letting after this Test, otherwise the insanity definition has to apply.

Selectors need to go back to picking the best players who have results, not who they like as a bloke, or by how hard they're working to fix their game.

For me Burns, Maxwell and Wade has to come in, with Harris and Head being retained for at least having the best performances of the rest. That leaves Khawaja, Handscomb or Labushagne for final spot, depending how that play this innings obviously

Ok, rant over...

 

[stephen]

I'm quite concerned about how bad Harris looks against the short ball. He looks all at sea and is probably the worst against the short ball I've seen come out of the Australian system.

 

[Spikey]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricke...tter-options-on-sideline-20190105-p50pq8.html

geoff lawson really doesnt like justin langer as a coach is what i got from this