Australian test selection 2020/21

[Spikey]

i like to think greg chappell got on an overnight flight from QLD to attend the victoria game today

 

[aussie tragic]

Spare me this bull**** because of whatever sensitivity you have to MH issues.

So still no evidence of him quitting a game half way through but you keep stating he will do it as fact anyway? Maybe the bullshit is flowing your way?

 

[trundler]

So still no evidence of him quitting a game half way through but you keep stating he will do it as fact anyway? Maybe the bull**** is flowing your way?

Think the major thing you're overlooking is that he's opened for just 1 innings as of now. If he has a great season or 2 doing that, he'd be a shoo-in. But that hasn't happened yet.

 

[Red]

Am I right in thinking Aus picked Langer, Katich and Watson as test openers in spite of them not being openers at FC level?

 

[Red]

Although tbf they’d already played a few tests.

 

[aussie tragic]

Think the major thing you're overlooking is that he's opened for just 1 innings as of now. If he has a great season or 2 doing that, he'd be a shoo-in. But that hasn't happened yet.

He's batted 3 for entire shield career, so coming in with new ball is not foreign to him. With Labuschagne and Smith locks at #3 and #4 and Burns the weakest link as Test opener it makes sense that he becomes an opener as he's not a #5.

You requiring he opens for 2 seasons before being selected is laughable as he now holds the record for best opening partnership in Sheffield Shield history after 1 attempt

 

[Gob]

I'm in the 'get Will in there' team. I get what Burgster is on about but the best time to blood a young gun in is against a minnow team so he can ease in to face better teams later on

 

[Red]

I can see both sides of the coin here. Ideally he’d get 3 or 4 Shield games, but I also can’t see a reason not to put him in now if he says his ready and the people looking after him agree.

I’ve been of the opinion that WP and KPat are the best two bats outside the Shield team for at least a year, and tbh they’re both better than Burns.

I would consider and be hesitant throwing him into a big series in the first test, but that’s not to do with him, I’d think the same of any debut opener. However, if Burns doesn’t contribute much in the first two tests I can’t see what it could hurt to bring him in late in the series

 

[Burgey]

Am I right in thinking Aus picked Langer, Katich and Watson as test openers in spite of them not being openers at FC level?

Langer was picked as an opener for the last, dead rubber test of an Ashes tour.

 

[Red]

Langer was picked as an opener for the last, dead rubber test of an Ashes tour.

Replacing Slater from memory. Think he’d been at 3 earlier in the series? And was dropped to let Ponting go from 6 to 3?

 

[mr_mister]

Replacing Slater from memory. Think he’d been at 3 earlier in the series? And was dropped to let Ponting go from 6 to 3?

Yep. I think he was dropped for Martyn

 

[morgieb]

Am I right in thinking Aus picked Langer, Katich and Watson as test openers in spite of them not being openers at FC level?

Yep. Langer got dumped after a middling home summer and poor form in tour matches but there was no other opener to cover for Slater once Australia wanted to get rid of him, then he made his case irrestistable by hitting a ton (would've been very interesting to see what happens if he fails as an opener in the dead rubber). Katich was made to open as a replacement for the injured Hayden, whereas Watson got called up as Australia stupidly lost patience with Hughes and they didn't have an alternate opener in the squad.

 

[morgieb]

I'm definitely in the "give Puco a season without concussion/mental health issues" bracket, FTR. Only worry is that Burns just doesn't seem up to it and something about a Warner/Maddinson opening combo doesn't sit right with me.

 

[Burgey]

Warner/Maddinson opening combo

Didn't Mad Dog have time out for MH issues too last year?

 

[mr_mister]

yep and a broken arm the previous season. has had some bad luck but when he's stayed on the park his record as an opener has been amazing

 

[Burgey]

Future Test Captain Travis Head once again doing the business for the SACAs when they have their backs against the wall

 

[TheJediBrah]

Replacing Slater from memory. Think he’d been at 3 earlier in the series? And was dropped to let Ponting go from 6 to 3?

Not quite. Langer was dropped just before the '01 Ashes, after the India tour. Ponting went up to 3 from the 1st test. Langer came in for slater in the 5th Test cause he was playing up

 

[Burgey]

Which, ironically, we now know was caused by him having MH issues...

 

[mr_mister]

Langer was fully convinced his career was over when he got dropped. Guess he rated himself below Slater

 

[Spikey]

As we now know, they should have actually picked Katich instead of Langer to replace Slater