*Official* First Test at the Gabba

[BoyBrumby]

Upper**** wrote a good piece in the blog last year after the Cardiff test about who had momentum. There is definitely a case of us having momentum through the euphoria of that escape and the opposite emotions the filth would have had.

I think that's clutching at straws somewhat. Didn't seem to help Australia at Trent Bridge in '05 for example, or England in the last Test against SA this year. On the other hand, India had a similar escape in 2007 and won the series, and of course England bounced back well in '09 at Lords. I doubt there's any correlation.

vcs has beaten me to it, but as I'd already multi-quoted Coz I went with it anyway. Oz had a similar escape at OT in 2005, but followed on in the 4th test. Momentum a bit nebulous IMHO.

I think Johnson is hanging by a thread at the moment. Not just because of his form, but the fact that Ponting seemed reluctant to turn to him for much of today. Once you've lost Ponting's confidence, you're on a greasy poll out of the team. Ryan Harris to come in for Adelaide - the form bowler of the Summer, and someone with an outstanding international record in both forms (small sample admittedly).

Actually think Adelaide, being something of a featherbed, is more likely to suit Harris's skiddy pitch-up swing bowling than Bollinger's back of a length stuff myself too. Think there's an outside chance that Shahzad might play for us for the same reason, although can't see Finn getting chopped after a six-for now.

 

[nick-o]

Strauss
Cook
Trott
Watson
Hussey
Bell
Haddin
Swann
Anderson
Finn
Siddle

looks about right

One batting slot up for grabs, with Watson taking it so far over KP and Katich thanks to the added bowling

For the spinner, Doherty probably ahead of Swann on performance, but his failure to make an impact on a fourth day counts against him...

 

[Howe_zat]

Strauss
Watson
Katich
Ponting
Clarke
Pietersen
Haddin
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Bollinger

Players in the batting lineup could definitely change in order but those are the seven I'd pick. Bollinger's pretty controversial, I know, but I definitely think he's Australia's best bowler and I think Australia have several bowlers all better than Finn, so in he goes.

No Cook, Bell, Hussey or Siddle? Have you not been watching?

 

[Prince EWS]

No Cook, Bell, Hussey or Siddle? Have you not been watching?

Goughy didn't ask us to pick a team of the series - he asked us to pick a composite team. I don't know about you but I don't base all my selections on three quarters of a Test match.

He himself picked Clarke, left out Haddin, etc.

 

[Howe_zat]

Goughy didn't ask us to pick a team of the series - he asked us to pick a composite team. I don't know about you but I don't base all my selections on three quarters of a Test match.

He himself picked Clarke, left out Haddin, etc.

Ah, I see. Thought the opposite. Fair enough. Shows what little difference there is between the star players and the fringe, though, that none of the stand out performers so far would get into the other's side.

 

[Goughy]

Goughy didn't ask us to pick a team of the series - he asked us to pick a composite team. I don't know about you but I don't base all my selections on three quarters of a Test match.

He himself picked Clarke, left out Haddin, etc.

You are 100% correct. I was interested to see who would go for flavour of the week, who would fall back on big names (as I likely did) etc. It is an interesting question, with a game around the corner, how much does recent form count over a career of excellence. Im not sure there is an easy or correct answer.

I guess you intentionally included Bollinger despite the rules saying only players in this game as I doubt you would quote one rule without reading them all.

 

[Prince EWS]

Ah, I see. Thought the opposite. Fair enough. Shows what little difference there is between the star players and the fringe, though, that none of the stand out performers so far would get into the other's side.

Yeah it's definitely been the lesser lights performing so far in this Test. Siddle and Finn both took six.. tons for Hussey, Cook and Haddin, runs for Bell too. Only Strauss has really been particularly effective out of the 'stars' and he was ever so close to getting a pair himself.

 

[Prince EWS]

You are 100% correct. I was interested to see who would go for flavour of the week, who would fall back on big names (as I likely did) etc. It is an interesting question, with a game around the corner, how much does recent form count over a career of excellence. Im not sure there is an easy or correct answer.

I guess you intentionally included Bollinger despite the rules saying only players in this game as I doubt you would quote one rule without reading them all.

Haha yeah I saw it and chose to ignore it. Bollinger has to play.
Pushed hard I'd probably take Siddle. Not as good a bowler as Johnson IMO but the form difference is definitely too much to ignore.

 

[nick-o]

Ah, I see. Thought the opposite. Fair enough. Shows what little difference there is between the star players and the fringe, though, that none of the stand out performers so far would get into the other's side.

Yeah, I read it that way too. Which is a much more interesting question, really -- we all know who the star players are, but looking at the people who have performed compared to the star names as a point of reference is an interesting measure of how the series could play out...

 

[social]

What a fantastic day by England,should bat all day tomorrow too now and wear out the bowlers ahead of next weeks test.Grind their noses into the dirt when we have the chance and leave some mental scars for later in the series.

Bowling looked very popgun all day,an ordinary attack if you ask me.

Cook was superb,Captain Fantastic was immense leading from the front and i see no reason why Trott shouldn't get a big one tomorrow against this lot.

No-one is denying that Oz's attack looked very ordinary today but you you conveniently ignore the fact Cook and Trott are only there because we dropped them

2 ordinary sides and, unless the only great player steps up, the winner will be the one that makes the least mistakes

 

[social]

All this talk of pitches etc and all Ive been able to think all day is thank **** McGrath retired.
Often tracks are only as flat at the talents of the bowlers bowling on them.

Hayden was a flat track bully but a guy who took 500 test wickets at 21 IN THE SAME ERA is criticised because "allegedly" he didnt move the ball enough

 

[GIMH]

Who criticised him for that?

The guy is a legend and I thank the lord every morning he's retired

 

[social]

Thought Ponting's captaincy was pretty ordinary today and I don't approach his skippering with high expectations. Was ball following for the most part.

Really think Oz need to get past this self-defeating "he can't play on once he's no longer captain" idea. Australia still need his runs, but he's not cutting the mustard as a captain any more. If his peers like Sachin, Lara and Dravid can return to the ranks after leading the side, why not Punter?

Thank you

Probably should've happened after Ashes '05

Definitely after Ashes '09

Only reasons that he is still there are fear he'll retire and lack of faith in Clarke

Man Up all round IMO

 

[Ilovecric]

I guess johnson is becoming Darren powell ...I always felt like Johnson was garbage for years..

 

[social]

Who criticised him for that?

The guy is a legend and I thank the lord every morning he's retired

Look at any analysis of great vs great on our esteemed site

Fat, old, re-married ****er would still be our best bowler and nip out the Poms top order in a heartbeat before taking the kids to the local park for a kick a round

Oh for someone that could put 2 balls on the same side of the pitch

 

[GIMH]

Ha, fair enough but any X V Y thread in CW is always full of facile opinions

 

[Goughy]

Hayden was a flat track bully but a guy who took 500 test wickets at 21 IN THE SAME ERA is criticised because "allegedly" he didnt move the ball enough

Im a huge fan of McGrath. Im not sure why you are quoting my post

 

[Howe_zat]

Hayden was a flat track bully but a guy who took 500 test wickets at 21 IN THE SAME ERA is criticised because "allegedly" he didnt move the ball enough

Who's criticising him?

 

[tooextracool]

No-one is denying that Oz's attack looked very ordinary today but you you conveniently ignore the fact Cook and Trott are only there because we dropped them

Are you kidding? If you pluck any random Aussie and smack the ball the same way as Cook and Trott did to Clark and SIddle, 9 out of 10 times those catches will not be taken. Believe it or not 300/1 is an accurate depiction of how the bowlers bowled yesterday, lets not let half chances get in the way of the big picture.

 

[Furball]

vcs has beaten me to it, but as I'd already multi-quoted Coz I went with it anyway. Oz had a similar escape at OT in 2005, but followed on in the 4th test. Momentum a bit nebulous IMHO.

Momentum is only a factor as long at the team who has that momentum continues to run with it.

I don't think there's much of a case for either claim wrt Cardiff in 09 or Old Trafford in 05. What happened at Lord's was simply a case of England learning from their mistakes made at Cardiff - that the batsmen had to capitalise on the starts they made. They were lucky that Anderson and Panesar's resistance gave them the opportunity to effectively start the series afresh at Lord's. Any claim that Australia took momentum into Trent Bridge in 05 is also tosh, they'd gone from being a boundary away from being 2-0 up to being comprehensively outplayed and lucky not to be 2-1 down.

The best example I can think of momentum changing in a series is actually from 2006/07. Ponting threw away Australia's early dominance by not enforcing the follow on at Brisbane, which allowed Pietersen and Collingwood to get a bit of form and score some runs in the 4th dig, which England could face without any sort of pressure. When England won the toss and batted at Adelaide, those two again combined and England posted 551/6 - which was a pretty emphatic statement considering how badly beaten they'd been at Brisbane. Up until Giles dropped Ponting, the momentum in that series had completely swung England's way. Warne snatched it away on that fateful final morning and Australia never looked back.