***Official*** India in Australia 2011/12

[Turbinator]

All of these comments about the Aussie batting being weak are news to me. Appreciate the insight, guys.

 

[howardj]

I'm just so sick of Aus being in a "transition phase". The term is thrown around a lot by the media and management etc., but the fact is the team still is in a transition...and it damn well shouldn't be. How long has it been now since the retirement of the greats? It's been too long...and players like Ponting are dragging it on. .

Spot on, bro.

As I pointed out in my much acclaimed Ashes Aftermath paper, 'transition' is just used as a cover for some really poor performances.

Transition from what?...Warne and McGrath retired five or six years ago...

Are we transitioning in the batting?...nope, the selectors in their infinite wisdom won't even let the transition phase begin, such is their attachment to Ponting and Hussey

That's the saddest part about our batting at present...we haven't even entered the transition phase and yet we are still getting lapped.

 

[Burgey]

While ever you are looking for a consistent set of players you're "in transition" aren't you?

 

[social]

Spot on, bro.

As I pointed out in my much acclaimed Ashes Aftermath paper, 'transition' is just used as a cover for some really poor performances.

Transition from what?...Warne and McGrath retired five or six years ago...

Are we transitioning in the batting?...nope, the selectors in their infinite wisdom won't even let the transition phase begin, such is their attachment to Ponting and Hussey

That's the saddest part about our batting at present...we haven't even entered the transition phase and yet we are still getting lapped.

Watson, North, Hughes, Khawaja, Warner ........

Watching the BBL, our problem is obvious - masses of talent in the very early 20s but a void between that and the retiring guys

Subject to injuries and player development, with our depth of young talent I can easily see Oz being on top again in a few years but its going to be ugly for a while no matter who plays

 

[Furball]

It's phase 2 of the transition.

The bowling underwent a transition phase lasting a couple of years - the 5th Test of the 2006/07 Ashes your attack was McGrath-Clark-Lee-Warne - by the time of the 1st Test in the 2009 series it was Johnson-Siddle-Hilfenhaus-Hauritz.

The batting lineup hasn't quite gone through the same change the bowling line up has - the 3-4-5 in Sydney in 2007 was Ponting-Hussey-Clarke, who still make up the backbone of the middle order.

 

[Furball]

Cowan meh

I suppose I always have this dream pathway that I like to see debutants walk before they play. You know, Sheild centuries and 1000+ run seasons before you're 21 etc. Much in the mould of Ponting, Hayden, Martyn etc. The reality is though that those days are gone for the moment, and we have to adjust our expectations and be more open to journeymen such as Cowan coming into the team by simply getting on a hot streak at the right time.

That dream is just ever so slightly unrealistic. Players develop at different rates - you'll always have the prodigies like Ponting but you'll occasionally get the late developer like Jonathan Trott who can still have an excellent Test career.

Writing off players because of their age is just stupid.

 

[Jarquis]

Must be particularly galling for a guy like Andrew McDonald who is a far better cricketer than Christian is ever likely to be

+1

 

[Ruckus]

God reading this makes me feel depressed:

India in Australia 2011-12: Christian could make Boxing Day debut | Cricket News | Australia v India | ESPN Cricinfo

If our line up is as follows, we could get seriously walloped...

Warner
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Christian
Haddin
Siddle
Starc
Pattinson
Lyon

 

[Prince EWS]

McDonald got repeated injuries, stopped bowling as much and lost form at the wrong time, really.

He got injured every time he even touched a cricket ball last season and his reduced bowling workload this season has seem him return 5 wickets @ 56; yet to take more than one wicket in an innings. He'd not offer anything more than Hussey does with the ball at the moment and I don't think that's an exaggeration at all.

 

[Nate]

Christian will prove teh haterz rong!

 

[Prince EWS]

Christian will prove teh haterz rong!

I definitely think he's got the skill and ability to do something at Test level but he's so dreadfully inconsistent in general that it's just so bloody unlikely that it'll be his day. A truly weird cricketer that I don't really know what to expect from. Overall his performances so far in Shield cricket haven't been anywhere near Test standard on a regular basis though.

 

[Noble One]

McDonald is almost at the stage of being dropped from Victoria. So far down the pecking order right now.

Christian might be a stop-gap measure, but are we selecting a side for an important Test series v India, or a mythical XI in two years time? Christian is one of the form bats of the competition and is at least capable of relieving the main bowling attack (who are likely to bowl a truckload of overs this series). Not the best solution, but choices are limited and I can see the selectors viewpoint.

 

[Jarquis]

McDonald got repeated injuries, stopped bowling as much and lost form at the wrong time, really.

He got injured every time he even touched a cricket ball last season and his reduced bowling workload this season has seem him return 5 wickets @ 56; yet to take more than one wicket in an innings. He'd not offer anything more than Hussey does with the ball at the moment and I don't think that's an exaggeration at all.

Yeah, I know he's had huge issues with injuries. Doesn't mean he's still a better cricketer than Christian's ever been in his career, in my eyes.

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah, I know he's had huge issues with injuries. Doesn't mean he's still a better cricketer than Christian's ever been in his career, in my eyes.

Well I'd take Christian ahead of McDonald right now; the bloke is an absolute shadow of himself.

 

[GotSpin]

GPS the great disappointment in non-Rugby sport.

Terible record for producing international cricketers. Phil Emery was the first GPS educated bloke to play for Australia since Stan McCabe ffs.

Gone off Cowan now, knowing he's a silver spooner. Hope he isn't picked, or alternatively fails.

No place for Toffs in the Australian side.

Sorry mate, not a sledge on you. Please don't take it personally. It's just none of you are hard enough.

At least get your facts right. Cranbrook is a CAS school. Bloody uncouth from the West

 

[smash84]

So what are the odds of australia winning this?

 

[stephen]

The best XI I could hope for on Boxing Day:

Warner
Cowan
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Haddin
Harris
Siddle
Pattinson
Lyon

The best team we can field at the moment:

Warner
Cowan
Watson
Hussey
Clarke
Christian
Wade
Harris
Siddle
Pattinson
Lyon

This is all assuming that Harris/Watson are fit but Watto is unable to bowl.

 

[ganeshran]

Cowan is almost 30 years old. Does CA want to give him an international cap this late?

 

[stephen]

So what are the odds of australia winning this?

Not very high

 

[stephen]

Cowan is almost 30 years old. Does CA want to give him an international cap this late?

*cough*Michael Hussey/Matthew Hayden*cough*