Predict your test XI in 3 years time.

[Red]

Australia

Dave Warner
Joe Burns
Steve Smith *
Chris Lynn
Mitch Marsh
Glenn Maxwell
Peter Handscombe +
Mitchell Starc
James Pattinson
Nathan Lyon
Josh Hazelwood

Burns could be a good partner for Warner. Could also see someone like Forrest coming in to play the Rogers role for a few years. In three years Warner's name will be mentioned in lists of ATG openers.

Smith will assume the responsibility at #3, as he's done for NSW.

Lynn looks the goods to me, good technique and a great fielder.

Mitch Marsh has a great technique and will prove to be a great batsman, plus a handy 5th bowling option. I'm expecting that as he develops, Marsh will average 45+ as a batsman.

Maxwell is the wild card. When he plays orthodox shots he looks as good as anyone. If he can curb (or harness) his funkiness he could make it as a test batsman imo. Elite fielder and pretty handy bowler as well.

Handscombe is young and a good batsman, and seems like a winner. I've not seen him keep much, however.

Bowlers are self explanatory. I expect Pattinson to lead the attack, with Starc and Hazelwood making a great pace trio. They compliment each other well. Cummins will be around as well. I doubt Johnson will still be there by then. Lyon is the man afaic.

 

[ohnoitsyou]

Latham
Joe Carter
KW *
Taylor
Neesham
Anderson
Watling +
Craig
Milne
Southee
Boult

Henry to sub in for injuries. M Bracewell and Will Young waiting in the wings. Too predictable, next please.

 

[Grasshopper]

Latham
Joe Carter
KW *
Taylor
Neesham
Anderson
Watling +
Craig
Milne
Southee
Boult

Henry to sub in for injuries. M Bracewell and Will Young waiting in the wings. Too predictable, next please.

No love for Rutherford or Doug Bracewell?

 

[ohnoitsyou]

Rudd's is a home town hero. I've always maintained Bracewell will be huge, but Henry is *** and Milne will always be rated by the selectors more than he should be.

 

[Spark]

I rate Marsh very, very highly but that batting lineup looks awfully thin/short, especially with Marsh's injury problems.

Not to say that it isn't plausible or indeed that it isn't a reasonable first approximation to what may happen, mind you.

 

[Gnske]

Warner
Khawaja
Smith
Burns
Lynn
Marsh
Wade
Starc
Pattinson
Lyon
Hazlewood

 

[Debris]

Warner
Maddinson
Burns
Smith
Lynn
M. Marsh
Paine
Pattinson
Starc
Zampa
Hazlewood

 

[Flem274*]

hendos hero, musical chair, big daddy kane, ross, shark eyes, candy, wpwb, craig, milne/henry, 5outhee, boulteh

 

[Daemon]

Vijay
Rahane
Pujara
Kohli
Sharma
Samson
Ashwin
Jadeja
Bhuvi
Ishant
Yadav

Pretty much expect those in contention to be the same. Maybe Mukund, Naman Ojha, Tiwary and Pandey might be thereabouts. Rahane will be made to open because we'll try 100 different opening combinations and they'll all be a bit ****. Dhawan to **** off.

 

[Pothas]

Alex Lees
Alastair Cook
Garry Ballance
Joe Root
James Vince
Moeen Ali
Joss Buttler
Mark Wood
Stuart Broad
James Anderson
Matthew Fisher

In truth Bell might still be there and we may have found another spinner, with Moeen dropping out but I am not even going going to consider that.

Really see no reason why Anderson can't keep going, actually think Broad is just as likely to be gone by then.

Fisher is a bit of wild speculation but these things need a bit of that.

 

[Hurricane]

1) Michael Bracewell (he is better suited to opening despite his interviews where he says he likes number 3 - he will see the light next plunket season and start averaging 40+ per season from that spot. I think his defensive technique is surprisingly good and probably better than a number 3 needs if that is possible.)
2) Latham
3) Kane
4) Anderson - he will turn into a quality player mark my words
5) Brownlie (No Ross - I am predicting an early retirement following a loss of form after Craig McMillan insists he uses an open-Chanderpaul-like-stance or be dropped from the team. I also think that Ross may burn out although Kane has picked up some of the slack for him.
6) A 19 year old named Leopard (No McCullum - No Neesham, No Will Young)
7) Ronchi (I think as soon as Watling stops putting up astronomical numbers like he has been he will be dumped for the excitement machine that is Ronchi - because ODI form and big SIXES are the business)
8) Santner ( I am influenced by Blocky here)
9) Tim
10) Boult
11) Definitely not Bracewell - if you ain't got that swing you ain't got nothing. Not Milne he won't be seen as sturdy enough to last 5 days. The Evergreen Wagner possibly. Or Mathieson as a wildcard.

 

[kingkallis]

Stiaan van Zyl
Rilee Roussow
Faf du Plessis
Hashim Amla
de Villiers
JP Duminy
de Kock
Vern Philander
Simon Harmer
Dale Steyn
Morne Morkel
---------------------
Murali Vijay
KL Rahul
Cheteshwar Pujara
Virat Kohli
Ajinkya Rahane
Rohit Sharma
Sanju Samson
Rishi Dhawan
Ravi Ashwin
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Mohammad Shami

 

[Dan]

1. David Warner
2. Joe Burns
3. Nic Maddinson
4. Steven Smith *
5. Chris Lynn/Glenn Maxwell/Rotating Door
6. Mitchell Marsh
7. Sam Whiteman +
8. Mitchell Starc
9. James Pattinson
10. Cameron Boyce/Rotating Spinner
11. Josh Hazlewood

 

[Dan]

Would have a crack at NZ but I've yet to find a way to fit Neesham, Anderson and Santner into the same XI without having bowler overkill.

 

[hendrix]

Latham (MVP)
Brownlie - he'll get a late run and do decently except in the SC.
KW (c)
Rossco - he'll still be there in 3 years time.
Anderson - I still think 6 is a spot too high but the lower order is strong anyway
Neesham - again, a spot too high but Watling/Craig makes up for that
Watling (w)
Craig
Henry
Southee
Boult

Think Bracewell will be in and out of the team.

 

[Athlai]

Bracewell/Guptill
Latham
Williamson
Taylor
Neesham
Anderson
Watling
Sodhi
Henry
Southee
Boult

 

[vic_orthdox]

A fan of Maxwell more than most here, but don't think he'll be guaranteed to be in the side in three years.

Handscomb more likely, especially at 5. If we were going to the subcontinent this winter, he'd be a smoky for it - keeps being talked about as one of the best players of spin outside the Test team.

 

[Contra]

Vijay
Rahane
Pujara
Kohli
Sharma
Samson
Ashwin
Jadeja
Bhuvi
Ishant
Yadav

Pretty much expect those in contention to be the same. Maybe Mukund, Naman Ojha, Tiwary and Pandey might be thereabouts. Rahane will be made to open because we'll try 100 different opening combinations and they'll all be a bit ****. Dhawan to **** off.

Don't think they'll ask Rahane to open after his sucess @ 5. There's KL Rahul if they do away with Dhawan, hell even Rohit is a better shot for opener simply to fit him in the team.

 

[NUFAN]

@vic. That's good to know re: Handscomb. Can you name one or two emerging batsman who haven't represented Australia in Tests yet, who has a weakness against spin/also good against spin?

As for my 2018 team (the first Test after our home season comes to an end) and I think the biggest issue is determining who will open with Warner.

1. David Warner
2. Mitchell Marsh
3. Steve Smith
4. Nic Maddinson
5. Chris Lynn
6. James Faulkner
7. Matthew Wade
8. Mitchell Starc
9. James Pattinson
10. Nathan Lyon
11.Josh Hazlewood

12 Cameron Boyce

- Joe Burns as the incumbent is definitely a very reasonable chance, but I just think that Lynn is the better batsman.
- Marsh opening is a gamble. I like his balance at the crease and feel as though his batting ability exceeds his bowling ability by a considerable margin and his bowling wont be a factor in his continued selection.
- Faulkner is still so young and has shown often his composure on the International stage, so in 2018, he is 27 or 28, entering the prime of his career.
- I didn't get funky at all in the bowling department. Obviously, Cummins is a chance if he can string together a few games in a row for NSW. I also think Jackson Bird could still be a big part of our team, but feel as though he is battling it out with Hazlewood for the same spot. Anyone who has watched the domestic short formats this year will be excited about Behrendorff too, so he is one to keep an eye on.

 

[Maximas]

Will be inevitably way off, but...

Dimuth
Kaushal Silva
Thirimanne
Chandiguns
Matthews
Could be absolutely anyone
Dickwella
Tharindu
Eranga
Lakmal
Pradeep

Seekugge Prasanna as the default second spinner depending on conditions, the top 5 probably won't survive in that form for so long but it's what we're hoping for, the rotating door at 6 could churn out someone who isn't yet playing domestic cricket for all I know, the bowling will also undergo some changes one feels but at least Eranga and Lakmal will be there I'm fairly certain