***Official*** South Africa in Australia

[displaced]

And welcome to Cricket Web.

I'm Craig - very limited knowledge of cricket compared to others but I like to contribute. Anyway welcome again - hope you stay.

Thanks for the welcome. I've been lurking here a bit of late, seems to be a quite well informed community with some strong characters and opinions. I'll probably stick around

 

[howardj]

With Langer out, I'd go with this XI for the Boxing Day Test:

Hayden
Jacques
Ponting
Hodge
Hussey
Clarke
Gilchrist
Warne
Lee
McGill
McGrath

 

[Nate]

I`d keep the current team, but with Jaques in for Langer.

 

[GotSpin]

I`d keep the current team, but with Jaques in for Langer.

Going to be quite peeved if they picke some bogan instead of jaques

 

[James90]

I`d keep the current team, but with Jaques in for Langer.

I think that's the most logical choise. Despite Symonds lack of competence at this level.

 

[social]

I`d keep the current team, but with Jaques in for Langer.

Same.

Make Clarke earn his spot this time.

Whilst the 200 was a great response, it should be regarded as the start not the finish of his road to recall.

Hussey and Hodge had nearly 30000 runs between them before they made their debuts and it shows.

Obviously, Im not advocating that Clarke should be made to wait that long, but let him churn out a succession of big scores rather than toss him back in just because Symonds isnt performing.

 

[aussie]

for me i wont say Pup should have an automatic return, i would keep my eye on Martyo he's got to bat tommorow in the pura Cup game againts the bulls & has the ING Cup match. Clarke just has one ING cup match before the MCG test, so if Martyo makes runs what will happen then?

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Marto won't get a re-call because that's how the selectors work. (Y)

 

[Linda]

HODGEY!!! DOUBLE TON!

What a great knock, just awesome to see.


Where were they on the 3rd and 4th day?

Haha, they all stood up and applauded a great innings. That was fantastic to watch.

The weather man says that it might actually rain bit in the morning... sounds like a day like last Friday.

 

[Josh]

So who bowls when the ball is 14-25 overs old?

Ponting??

 

[Josh]

Who needs personality when you can smack 203* against SA?
Question is: what does he bowl?
Ponting wanted to use him to be able to continue with Warne from the other end in the fading light.

Personality...hah...ask Jacques Kallis what use a personality is

Off Spin, gets wickets when he bowls 9 times out of 10 (i made that up, but quite regularly)

 

[Josh]

In all truth, yes 3rd seamer is needed. With Lee batting the way he is he can play as the all rounder and continue with Bracken if they're going to play 2 spinners. Symonds & Langer out, MacGill and Clarke in, Hussey to bat 1.

If they're not entirely happy with Lee playing as the allrounder, and they want to play the 2 spinners, they will have to find an allrounder.

Who's it going to be??

 

[howardj]

I reckon, considering they are without the best batsman in the world, they haven't done too shabbily in this Test, South Africa. On this pitch, if you add Kallis in there, South Africa's 1st innings lead could well have been comfortably over 100. Bit of a different ball game for Australia then - especially in terms of the mental aspect. Even with tomorrow, on that pitch, I reckon Kallis could bat most of the day out. All highly speculative, of course, but there's no denying the difference that Jacques makes to that team.

 

[Josh]

Kallis is the best batsman in the world ON STATS. He is, however, not the best batsman in the world.

 

[howardj]

Kallis is the best batsman in the world ON STATS. He is, however, not the best batsman in the world.

The Australian team, and me too , disagree with you apparently.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

The Australian team, and me too , disagree with you apparently.

Kallis is a very good batsman, but he is a bit of a minnow basher and has never really performed against Australia (though the best part of his career he has not really played them). I would rate him behind Dravid, Ponting and Lara, right now.

 

[Jono]

I know he's a favourite of yours Howardj, but Kallis is not the best batsman in the world

You ask any Australian bowler who they'd rather bowl to, Kallis or Lara, they'll say Kallis. Even if you think Lara's technique isn't perfect.

That being said, if you wanted a batsman out there tomorrow to save yourself a test, Kallis is the best player to do that. I reckon Dravid is the best player to graft out an innings for a victory, but Kallis is the best player to graft out an innings and save a test. They definitely are missing him. If he does return though, I reckon Kemp should go instead of Rudolph.

 

[Dasa]

I know he's a favourite of yours Howardj, but Kallis is not the best batsman in the world

You ask any Australian bowler who they'd rather bowl to, Kallis or Lara, they'll say Lara. Even if you think his technique isn't perfect.

That being said, if you wanted a batsman out there tomorrow to save yourself a test, Kallis is the best player to get them. I reckon Dravid is the best player to graft out an innings for a victory, but Kallis is the best player to graft out an innings and save a test. They definitely are missing him. If he does return though, I reckon Kemp should go instead of Rudolph.

I don't know what Kemp is doing in the team. I don't think his batting is good enough for a Test no. 6, and his bowling is innocuous. When Kallis is back, he has to go...and they should've gone for Andrew Hall anyway.

 

[howardj]

Kallis is a very good batsman, but he is a bit of a minnow basher and has never really performed against Australia (though the best part of his career he has not really played them)..

All a matter of opinion, I guess. I watched the Super Test pretty closely and his tussle with Warne was some of the best Test cricket Ive seen in a while, it was also demonstrative of his vast improvement as a batsman - as you've acknowledged there. Even before his improvement, he still averaged over 50 the last time he toured Australia.

Since then he absolutely put England, West Indies, Pakistan, India etc to the sword, and averages 70+ in his last 30-odd Tests. Not that I follow his career all that much though . The proof will be in the Boxing Day pudding, I guess. But going on the remarks of Ponting, Warne and Langer - especially Ponting before this Test - I think the Australian's rate him fairly highly. Mark him down for another MCG century. Oh the pain when he got run out on 99 last time!

 

[Jono]

Oh no one is doubting that the Australian players rate Kallis highly Howardj. He's a world class batsman, and without a doubt in the top 5 best batsman of this millenium. Its only the tag of 'best in the world' which is being questioned. Its not necessarily wrong to believe he's the best in the world, because he's done a hell of a lot over the past 2 years to make a claim for himself, but I don't think he's better than Lara or Dravid, and the Australians wouldn't either.

I really hope he returns by Boxing Day though, because I'd love to see him bat. I've never seen him bat in test matches yet, only in ODIs.