Hodge an option as Aussie Test opener ?

[howardj]

A few points to note:

Hussey will not be moved to opener. You're not going to move a guy who is averaging 80 in the middle order to a position that he was fairly average at in FC for Western Australia (ie opener). It will not happen.

Note that when he was moved back there against Bangladesh, he scored a miserly (compared to his middle order scores and considering the opposition) 23 and 37. Hardly a great recommendation.

Secondly, neither Watson or Hodge (or anybody else, I dare say) will get anything like a look-in at the opening spot until Jaques and Rogers (in that order, in my opinion) both get an extended run at nailing down the postion.

 

[Craig]

I thought Watson would more or less get picked for Australia in the Test team once he is fit again and Symonds is only a stop-gap measure. Really it was him or Adam Voges who they wanted to pick, so I guess they figured who would be the less dire of the two. But with Symonds getting that ton at the MCG, I don't know. IMO he is turning into a current version of Andy Bichel who saves his best for the Boxing Day Test (and in Symonds case, does stuff all for the rest of it).

As for the question, I would say they would go for Jaques, they have already capped him a few times and Rogers will get it once Hayden eventually leaves (whenever that will be), although I think Rogers is a bit of a FTB.

 

[pup11]

Personaly i think David and Mike Hussey should open but that's just me

Nah.. David isn't much of an opener, its should be a direct swap in batting positions for the Hussey brothers Mike should open and David should come in at no.4. But where do Jacques and Rogers stand atm among all these names.

 

[Richard]

Hussey's resurgence as a first class player in Australia coincided with him being moved to #3 in the order regularly for WA though, IIRC. He was on the verge of getting dropped a few times while opening, and was eventually moved to #3 on a more regular basis where he flourished. Watson looks a lot more technically equipped to open the batting than Hussey IMO, and with Hussey doing so well in the middle order, promoting him to open just because he used to do it at first class level would be silly IMO.

I honestly didn't know that. I thought he'd opened (in the longer game) for WA all his career. Certainly he was back in 1998\99, and I thought he had been as recently as 2004\05. He absolutely always has done when playing a long stint over here (played briefly as a middle-order batsman for Gloucs in 2005).

I've never seen any technical flaws in Hussey's game that suggest he'd be an incapable opener, TBH, and thought it was his preferred position.

 

[Shaggy Alfresco]

The amount of talent Australia has is nauseating. Hayden and Langer retiring? We've got Rogers and Jaques ready to come in. Don't want them? Then you can have Hussey, Watson or Hodge opening. All of them could manage an average of 40 in test cricket.

 

[Josh]

I'd love to see Hussey opening, tbh. However, I don't think it's going to happen. He's found his place in the middle and I don't think he really wants that to change.

 

[Josh]

And on Hodge opening, even though I've been a fan of his for near on 10 years; that's laughable...

 

[vic_orthdox]

What on Earth is Hodge thinking?

Basically that he wants to play for Australia, and he doesn't care if he does it out of position.

I guess we'll see how serious he is about it when the first Victorian game comes along. If he opens then, well maybe it's worth taking this "nomination" at face value. However, I expect he'll be batting in his usual spot, and you can see this for the desperation move that it is.

 

[Richard]

I recall very clearly Mark Ramprakash in 2000 taking a similar tack, and what's more he did indeed bat totally out of position in the opening month of the domestic season. Needless to say, the idea of him opening at Test level fell on it's face, as it almost always does when you get middle-order batsmen trying to convert to openers, especially at the age of 30.

And

and you can see this for the desperation move that it is.

haha - not a Hodge fan then?

 

[Flem274*]

I recall very clearly Mark Ramprakash in 2000 taking a similar tack, and what's more he did indeed bat totally out of position in the opening month of the domestic season. Needless to say, the idea of him opening at Test level fell on it's face, as it almost always does when you get middle-order batsmen trying to convert to openers, especially at the age of 30.

And haha - not a Hodge fan then?

Stephen Fleming

As for Hodge, I've already said no. Just look at the other converted middle order bats.

 

[Jono]

Basically that he wants to play for Australia, and he doesn't care if he does it out of position.

Yeah, and I hardly think anyone can blame him for doing so too. He's clutching at straws to get into the Australian team, but that's hardly a crime.

 

[vic_orthdox]

haha - not a Hodge fan then?

Nah, actually am probably more behind Hodge than most.

In a way, I feel sorry for him, because he says what he's thinking, and he's honest about his ambitions and what he wants, but gets caned for it because he's been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

[Richard]

Stephen Fleming

Another fine example.

Fortunately Fleming, unlike Ramprakash and Hodge, had a fine middle-order career to fall back upon when the bad experiment failed.

 

[dmac]

Yeh but when you think about hodge is a good option to bat in front of gilchrist as he made 200 against South Africa. And it might be a good option as it may relieve some pressure off Gilchrist as hodge can stay in and Gilchrist won't have to worry about a partner to stay in wit him. Also as you sore in the WACA ashes test he made a hundred with a steady batsman at the other end in Michael Clarke.

 

[Perm]

Yeh but when you think about hodge is a good option to bat in front of gilchrist as he made 200 against South Africa. And it might be a good option as it may relieve some pressure off Gilchrist as hodge can stay in and Gilchrist won't have to worry about a partner to stay in wit him. Also as you sore in the WACA ashes test he made a hundred with a steady batsman at the other end in Michael Clarke.

He can still bat ahead of Gilchrist though, but it doesn't mean he should bat ahead of the rest of the lineup.

 

[brockley]

Jaques and rogers in poor form in england.

 

[Perm]

Jaques and rogers in poor form in england.

They're both doing quite well in List A cricket, but the First Class form of both is a big worry for Australian selectors, not that they value County Cricket much.

 

[four_or_six]

They're both doing quite well in List A cricket, but the First Class form of both is a big worry for Australian selectors, not that they value County Cricket much.

I thought that was more not valuing it because runs were easier to score rather than not valuing it if they're playing badly.

Wasn't Jaques a bit out of form last Aus summer too... or do I not remember right?

 

[Richard]

Think he started the season in ridiculously heavy-scoring style (including a couple of meaningless 12-a-side tour-games), then went off the boil after a month or so.

 

[four_or_six]

Think he started the season in ridiculously heavy-scoring style (including a couple of meaningless 12-a-side tour-games), then went off the boil after a month or so.

Huh, yeah, that's kind of what I thought. He'll still get the gig though, won't he?