**Official** 4th Test at Melbourne, 26-30 Dec 2024

[social]

the McSweeney debacle proved a few things

1. None of the incumbents want to open
2. George Bailey is the devil and if you want to debut as a batsman you have to be willing to sell your self respect to him for an opening slot
3. All of the specialist openers are black marked anyway in the Shield to the point where selectors are willing to try any new flavour based on a single innings (been this way awhile yes but the Konstas thing was just next level reactivity)

I will say, as much as I hate to say it. I could see Renshaw's point re McSweeney's selection being a bit of a gut punch. Averaging 38-40 opening right now is actually pretty remarkable. But I sure as **** wouldn't want that job.

Point is, no one wants to open really and we hate our openers. In fact opening world wide sucks right now. If I were Konstas I would de-select myself, wait until Smith retires and come in as a 4.

According to my very very limited sources, McSweeney was regarded as the best young player in Australia pre Konstas by the players

He didn’t take his opportunity but the selectors gave him no rope either

Not a good look

 

[GotSpin]

Hope Bailey and Marsh went out for a nice steak dinner after the squad announcement

 

[GotSpin]

It's just unnecessary change mid series. Konstas hasn't seen Bumrah or Indian attack in full flow, unlike McSweeney. It's a gamble. May take him a test or two to get used to the attack and playing test cricket. Now wasn't the time at 1-1 in the series. McSweeney's been made scapegoat for the failures of all around him (Marsh should have been first on the list). Selectors are making the change just to show they are 'doing something'/ taking action. I feel bad for him as he was interviewed on Thursday saying that he was excited to realise his childhood dream of playing the Boxing Day Test. And next day he was dropped.

The real problem is that the seniors in the team seem completely untouchable and there’s just no discussion around that.

On top of that, we have a head selector rolling around in the changing rooms wearing the team tracksuit and sitting next to the players. It’s terrible

I don’t give a **** how long you’ve played for. You don’t get to retire on your own terms just because. It’s not a club team

 

[Line and Length]

 

[Starfighter]

I really had no idea, is there an obvious reason why wickets have declined?

There's been more grass left on Australian pitches over the last three years than the previous thirty combined.

 

[Test fan]

MCG pitch has evolved into a spicy green top in recent times and likely spicey green top is served again .i hope we are not going with two spinners for MCG test .

Jais
KL
Gill
Virat
Pant
Rohit
Jadeja
Reddy/ Rana
Akashdeep
Siraj
Bumrah

I hope Rohit is injured so we can play jurel at 6.

 

[centurymaker]

It's going to be around 40 degrees on day 1.
Even if it's a greentop, that grass is going to fry so I would play Sundar instead of Reddy. Or Rana over Reddy.

 

[honestbharani]

Very true, although I remember him not coming around to either of the LHers initially which felt like a mistake.

I just don't see what will slow Bumrah down other than his body. He's a freak. Sending anyone into battle with him, let alone a teenager, seems like mutiny. The best you can hope for right now is get fortunate like us, or injury, or you at least try to blunt his new ball impact which McSweeney actually didn't do a bad job of. If Smith and Head can bat clear of him with lacquer on the ball, it's a win

I think Aus actually have kind of a perfect top 4 for SENA conditions where its always easier to bat against the older ball, except maybe England till recently. They got defensive batters who can blunt the bowling in Khawaja, McSweeney, Labu and Smith and then once these guys have done their thing, Head, Carey, Marsh come in to attack and smash the tired bowlers. Not sure if messing with that formula is a good thing.

 

[centurymaker]

India have too many shot hungry batters in the top order. Jaiswal, Gill, Kohli... they barely leave the ball and always looking to score and so they keep failing. Have learnt nothing this series or even from the last successful tour of Aus (Pujara).

 

[Arachnödouche2.0]

Aus deserve to lose this series for what they've done to young McSweeney. Just might trump how we use and dispose of Kuldeep routinely.

 

[Arachnödouche2.0]

India have too many shot hungry batters in the top order. Jaiswal, Gill, Kohli... they barely leave the ball and always looking to score and so they keep failing. Have learnt nothing this series or even from the last successful tour of Aus (Pujara).

Learnt nothing from KL's pneumatically sealed defense so far either.

 

[Justo]

I think Aus actually have kind of a perfect top 4 for SENA conditions where its always easier to bat against the older ball, except maybe England till recently. They got defensive batters who can blunt the bowling in Khawaja, McSweeney, Labu and Smith and then once these guys have done their thing, Head, Carey, Marsh come in to attack and smash the tired bowlers. Not sure if messing with that formula is a good thing.

When Green is fit I reckon moving Smith to 6 with Green at 4 might be the best line up with conditions the way they are (Marsh gone of course). Smith's not at his best but I still think he can be a run machine in easier conditions (more than the other batting options we have anyway). Once set he has the gears to make use of easier conditions after the ball is 30 overs old.

 

[SteveNZ]

Aus deserve to lose this series for what they've done to young McSweeney. Just might trump how we use and dispose of Kuldeep routinely.

It speaks to selectors who have no idea what they're doing in the short term, or the long-term. You pick a guy who doesn't usually open the batting, to open against quite clearly the best pace bowler in the world, you give him 3 Tests then pick the other guy, who is 19. Unless they move Josh Inglis up there, which would be even more braindead.

It's a pitiful message to send, although to be fair my team, and England with Crawley, can speak to how it can look the other way around when you back someone too long.

 

[Nintendo]

Why are people acting like mcsweeney is never going to play again? He's been given a central contract and still the most in form middle order bat in the country. He's going to be on the plane to Sri Lanka.

Coming into the series the selectors wanted to fit him in anyway possible so had him open because that's where the vacancy was and the other alternatives where Harris or 19YO konstas. Mcsweeney averages sub 20 for 3 tests and konstas smashed India A around in the pink ball game so there giving him a look.

People going "why don't they drop usman or marsh" are missing the fact that for 4 series before this marsh was our most consistent bat and usman was the best opener in Test cricket 12 months ago.

 

[Burgey]

Sounds like Aussies in Bali.

Actually a very good comparison in terms of behaviour, albeit the socio-economic roles between the visiting and host nations are obviously reversed.

Just as the worst thing in Bali are the Australian tourists, so the worst thing in Aus atm is the touring Indian team.

 

[SteveNZ]

Why are people acting like mcsweeney is never going to play again? He's been given a central contract and still the most in form middle order bat in the country. He's going to be on the plane to Sri Lanka.

Coming into the series the selectors wanted to fit him in anyway possible so had him open because that's where the vacancy was and the other alternatives where Harris or 19YO konstas. Mcsweeney averages sub 20 for 3 tests and konstas smashed India A around in the pink ball game so there giving him a look.

People going "why don't they drop usman or marsh" are missing the fact that for 4 series before this marsh was our most consistent bat and usman was the best opener in Test cricket 12 months ago.

I don't think anyone is acting like he won't play again.

From my perspective, it's allowing the guy enough time and opportunity to be successful at the role you've given him. You could have picked anyone as opener - apart from Puvoski, no one is injured I'm aware of - and they picked him. To think 3 Tests is enough time to judge that all of a sudden, the other guy is the better bet, is pretty callous. Especially given he's not a natural opener. So if the other (when the other?) guy doesn't get runs in the next two games, who is the incumbent?

 

[Qlder]

I think 3 tests is more than enough time for McSweeney to have made a decent score, which he didn't. No different to Nic Maddinson being dropped after 3 tests

I mean Kurtis Patterson was only given 2 tests and he averaged 144.00

 

[Arachnödouche2.0]

He made a 30-odd, didn't he? He never looked out of sorts as far as I could tell. A breakthrough score might've been around the corner but you'll never know now. Aus have very much had the wood on Ind the last two Tests, so they could've afforded to give him another Test at least.

 

[Line and Length]

Actually a very good comparison in terms of behaviour, albeit the socio-economic roles between the visiting and host nations are obviously reversed.

Just as the worst thing in Bali are the Australian tourists, so the worst thing in Aus atm is the touring Indian team.

Australians in Bali can be bad but, recently, Russians take the prize for

 

[vicleggie]

Actually a very good comparison in terms of behaviour, albeit the socio-economic roles between the visiting and host nations are obviously reversed.

Just as the worst thing in Bali are the Australian tourists, so the worst thing in Aus atm is the touring Indian team.

Fair point.