***Official*** Australia in England (The Ashes)

[Pedro Delgado]

On form Shane Watson has to be in the Test squad, either for clarke or Katich. My preference would be that Katich is dropped. Watson will also add the depth that Australia need in the bowling department especially if Mcgrath is coming in under an injury cloud.

Kato (the ball didn't go Irish of course) and Clarke played well last match though, if one were to drop anyone surely it'd be Hayden? Kato moving up to open (he's a good leaver generally) and maybe Watson in down the order. I'd still want Hussey in if I was Aussie though, but it seems the selectors are Adam Ant about not utilising their best batsmen.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Australia's top 8 will be unchanged for the next test. If McGrath is fit I'd expect him to lead a seam attack with Tait and Lee. On balance, Tait looked much more dangerous than Kasprowicz in both innings of the last test and deserves another go ahead of him. Macgill is an outside chance, but I doubt he'll be picked.

 

[Nate]

I hope Watson is picked. And I REALLY hope Pidge plays. Regardless of the other changes, I believe that if McGrath plays, we will win.

 

[Knopfler]

But if you don't score enough runs (which has been the main problem IMO) you won't solve it by dropping a batsman.

If none of the top order a making big scores, an extra batsman down the order is unlikely to help. Besides out tail has been doing well with the bat. We need big partnerships by the top 4, instead of getting in and wasting their chance.

As an extreme exageration, you can win a test match scoring just 100 runs, but you need 20 wickets.

 

[Prince EWS]

You can also win a test with your bowlers taking 0 wickets. It doesnt mean its going to happen...

 

[greg]

You can also win a test with your bowlers taking 0 wickets. It doesnt mean its going to happen...

not without the co-operation of the opposition

 

[The Baconator]

not without the co-operation of the opposition

Or some very bad running.

 

[andyc]

I hope Watson is picked. And I REALLY hope Pidge plays. Regardless of the other changes, I believe that if McGrath plays, we will win.

I reckon I wouldn't mind seeing Watson, Hussey and MacGill all in. The one thing I just don't want is an unchanged (apart from McGrath for Kasper) squad.

 

[Nate]

My team:

Langer
Gilchrist
Ponting
Martyn
Clarke
Katich
Hussey
Warne
Lee
Kasper
McGrath

...but I wouldn`t complain with MacGill in for Kasper.

 

[rookie]

Here is my team for the 5th test

Hussey
Langer
Ponting
Martyn
Clarke
Gilchrist
Watson
Warne
Lee
McGrath
Macgill

I think Watson has to be included after his 200 for Hampshire this week and the fact that the aussies are lacking in the bowling department compared to England.
I also reckon Hayden's time is up and that Macgill is worth a try

Also does anyone know what is happening with ponting i saw on the news that he might get a one match ban on a repeat offence after what he had to say in the 4th test

 

[luckyeddie]

Also does anyone know what is happening with ponting i saw on the news that he might get a one match ban on a repeat offence after what he had to say in the 4th test

Clever, that.

Depriving Australia of Ricky's captaincy could be seen as a way of punishing England over the substitutions row.

 

[social]

Here is my team for the 5th test

Hussey
Langer
Ponting
Martyn
Clarke
Gilchrist
Watson
Warne
Lee
McGrath
Macgill

I think Watson has to be included after his 200 for Hampshire this week and the fact that the aussies are lacking in the bowling department compared to England.
I also reckon Hayden's time is up and that Macgill is worth a try

Also does anyone know what is happening with ponting i saw on the news that he might get a one match ban on a repeat offence after what he had to say in the 4th test

Should be the team but Hussey is apparently flying home as we speak and Aus want to play a half fit McGrath in a meaningless match this weekend so he can prove his fitness

 

[social]

I reckon I wouldn't mind seeing Watson, Hussey and MacGill all in. The one thing I just don't want is an unchanged (apart from McGrath for Kasper) squad.

Its going to happen unfortunately

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Should be the team but Hussey is apparently flying home as we speak and Aus want to play a half fit McGrath in a meaningless match this weekend so he can prove his fitness

Isn't he flying to Pakistan to captain Australia A?

 

[Barney Rubble]

I also reckon Hayden's time is up and that Macgill is worth a try

Perhaps MacGill should play as a specialist batsman instead of Haydos.

 

[tooextracool]

There's a diffence between playing late and half forward.

barely any difference. fact is that if you stick your front foot far forward you are in effect going at the ball early. if you take a short stride forward you arent really that much of an lbw candidate, and you still have the chance to go on the backfoot depending on the length.

Secondly, Clarke is always feeling at balls outside the offstump when he shouldn't, that is probably his most common mode of dismissal...Khan on debut, Akhtar, Sami, now Hoggard, and a few others I can't remember.

playing balls that he shouldnt be playing isnt actually a technical weakness, its more judgemental. obviously the real weakness in clarkes game at the moment is not his technique but his temperament.

LBW has to be his next, getting caught half forward, that's happened at least twice this series.

2 times out of 7 isnt significant, and considering that on at least 1 of those occasions it was an inswinger that he didnt expect, its not something that can be put down to technique. in fact hes only ever been out lbw twice to a pace bowler in his career so far. this is so obviously not his weakness.

Promissing batsman, but just not ready for test cricket yet.

im sorry what?
if he is not ready, why has he been one of australias best batsmen in this series and averaged over 40?

 

[tooextracool]

As for those who criticise his technique:

a. the guy averages 50 in test cricket and has always played the same way; and.

the average as has been been said a million times before, doesnt change the fact that hes struggled to score a run against seam and swing.

b. who is perfect? Name one batsman and I'll tell you what his weakness is.

im sorry what?
there are some players who have weaknesses, get out to it occasionally,but the good ones always find ways to work around it.
has hayden ever in his intl career(im not really bothered about domestic cricket) managed to work around that weakness and score runs?
i do hope hayden is retained after this series, and i'll enjoy it even further if he ends up hammering mediocre bowling attacks on flat wickets all over again.

 

[tooextracool]

Ponting's hasn't been in world-beating form for some time either.

cant agree with that. average 72,100 and 97 in his last 3 test series before the ashes is about as good form as you can possibly imagine. he might not have been at his best at the start of the summer but midway through the ODI series it was obvious that he was playing as well as he usually does.

 

[tooextracool]

Actually, I think England will be a bit vulnerable after this series. They've spent the last two years working towards the goal of winning the Ashes and if they do it, they could well suffer from 'well...... now what?' syndrome. Certainly, playing against anyone else will be one heck of a come-down. How they respond to that will be interesting.

i cant see this happening actually. for one thing even if england were to win this series, they still wont be considered the best test team in the world, they would still have a fair bit more work to do. obviously the other big goal from here is winning the WC in 2007, so theres more than enough things to keep this england side motivated.

 

[marc71178]

Or some very bad running.

Or Andrew Pratt!