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

[Spark]

Could easily see a Perth first innings type performance here. And entirely down to one man - Bumrah - again as well.

It helps that the ball is already 15 overs old, not literally new

 

[Spark]

Uhhh Smith is begging to be pinned in front again

 

[Starfighter]

McSweeney definitely has a problem right there

I'd like to see him lower down the order. But that leaves the problem of needing to find two openers in short order.

 

[silentstriker]

Smith is gonna get his pad blown off any second, or he's gonna score a hundred.

 

[Starfighter]

And that looks a really worrying adjustment from Smith.

Could be bowled behind his legs at this rate.

Played that one horribly.

 

[Spark]

I don't want to catastrophise off two balls but uhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[Starfighter]

I really wonder if McSweeney just doesn't line Bumrah up properly because that's like the fifth time he's defended down the flat out wrong line to him this series and nicked it

It's that square position everyone in our side adopts. Just need that 5 cm of movement away to catch the edge.

 

[Spark]

It's that square position everyone in our side adopts. Just need that 5 cm of movement away to catch the edge.

He has been clearly making more of an effort to get forward of late, you could see that on the previous ball. But he definitely has a slight technical issue with that back of a length delivery

 

[Shady Slim]

need mcsweendogg to score some runs to hold off Great Satan marcus harris as soon as possible

 

[OverratedSanity]

I really wonder if McSweeney just doesn't line Bumrah up properly because that's like the fifth time he's defended down the flat out wrong line to him this series and nicked it

He gets squared up a lot , khawaja labuschagne and Smith do too these days.

 

[Spark]

I will be truly astonished if Smith makes runs batting like this.

Mind you, if there's anyone who could...

 

[Starfighter]

He's never looked good, but Smith has never looked this bad. Not even in the 10/11 Ashes.

 

[Shady Slim]

akash looks just miles better than rana ngl

 

[morgieb]

I'd like to see him lower down the order. But that leaves the problem of needing to find two openers in short order.

Also unless you wanted to drop Smith who goes out instead? I guess Marsh could but then that would likely leave us short a 5th option.

 

[Spark]

This honestly reminds me of a few innings he played when opening, when his mind was clearly so scrambled that he was moving about three times more than usual

 

[Starfighter]

Also unless you wanted to drop Smith who goes out instead? I guess Marsh could but then that would likely leave us short a 5th option.

Well I am on the point of wanting to drop Smith and I don't think his career has long left regardless. Getting Green in for him (obviously not an option this series) and McSweeney replacing Marsh could be something to work with. But that leaves us needing to find two openers, where the options are either inexperienced with obvious technical flaws (Konstas) or journeymen (Hunt, Harris).

 

[OverratedSanity]

This honestly reminds me of a few innings he played when opening, when his mind was clearly so scrambled that he was moving about three times more than usual

He's made big hundreds doing all sorts of sidewinder crab horseshit so who knows , it might pull him out of this rotten stretch.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Khawaja’s reluctance to get a full press in was shown up there. He’s never been one for a big forward movement and when it decks around getting caught on the crease is problematic

Surely we'll be replacing him before The Ashes next year.

So we'll only have to find 2 openers, push McSweeney to 4 if he is still around (or bring in A.N. Other), Green in the middle order with Head. A keeper and some bowlers.

5-0 to Australia.

 

[Spark]

Peak Marnus isn't even playing at that ball

 

[Starfighter]

At least the writing appears to be off the ball, unlike at Perth.