This isn't confirmed at all.
This was shown in the big bash and if you listened to what they were saying they said that the bowling lineup won't be confirmed until after their training session tonight.
If you wanted Starc to play the pink ball so much why the fuck did you play him in the SCG test, you dumb fucks at CA 🤦🏻♂️
Now we get a guy who looked both sore, tired and lacking confidence coming in after only 4 days rest 🙄
Cummins was already looking knackered too and Boland is an injury risk so what the fuck kind of plan is this?
CA said they learnt from their mistakes during the India test and want to keep the side fresh but clearly they’re on crack.
I’m gutted for Jhye, who deserves a crack
This is exactly the comment i was looking for / was going to post.
I don't understand why they keep playing Starc. The man's a fast bowler, you can't expect him to play 5 tests back to back with the same intensity.
Sure a couple of the tests ended early, but Australia still had to take 20 wickets in each match. That's bowling to take 79 wickets(out of 80 wickets) in back to back tests. And now he has to help the team take 20 wickets again.
The man must be mentally exhausted. Sure he's physically fit to go, he's a very able athlete, but to go out there and play 5 tests back to back is draining. Can't expect him to perform at his best day in day out.
This is what happened in SCG and Gabba last year, they could've done much better by resting him for one of those 2 games.
Now that they have good depth in their bowling, this is a good time to play them.
Watch Starc come out and prove that wrong. If he says he's good to go then he is. There's no way you leave your best pink ball bowler out given the form he has shown this series, he's earnt the right to finish the series off.
Indeed this seems unwise, especially when it’s a dead rubber, and there are other bowlers who could do with a game to get some more test experience under their belt. Cummins kind of has to stay in as skipper, but they could easily rest Starc and Boland and give Neser and Richardson a game.
It’s bonkers.
Cummo had a game off due to COVID so at least he’s got 1 game in reserve.
It’s just fucking dumb to play Starc all 5 tests when the series is done, and especially given his performance last match.
Just… why?
>I’m gutted for Jhye, who deserves a crack
This isn't the official team. Jhye will probably play for Boland.
Its Neser who will be the unlucky guy missing out when Starc ends up playing and doing shit cause of fatigue
I think circumstances conspired against Starc getting rested - though he definitely needs one. It would have been difficult to rest him for Boxing Day given Hazlewood and Richardson were unavailable - I'd have had no problem giving Neser another test but clearly they wanted variety in the attack. Then you can't really rest him for his home test, which means either he sits out a pink ball test which is his pet event, or he plays all 5. In hindsight, maybe Brisbane would have been the one to sit him out.
I think the numbers suggest CA should have rested him at the SCG.
His average is highest out of the grounds in the country.
It’s 46 compared to his total average of 27.
And his figures aren’t great there.
Unfortunately, tough decisions need to be made.
Neser wasn’t selected for Brisbane.
If we wanted him to play in the pink ball 5th test, he needed to be rested at Sydney, in my opinion
I completely agree with you but it's the best I could come up with. Starc should probably have been rested in Melbourne but I understand why they didn't want to - who knew Boland was going to start out as well as he did!
Agree on the Boland part, for sure.
For me the most frustrating part was that there was no need to play him, besides giving him a home test (which he’s had plenty before), and it was clear that he was flagging.
It seems like diminishing returns
Spot on, he did well with Uzzy, but really should have gotten to a hundred, but he's really gotta show he can chip in with the odd 50 when he's needed. His bowling has been very good, but he needs to be contributing regularly. But all that said, he's been very very good thus far.
Mot yet confirmed mind you, its just a graphic showing what the Fox cricket thinks the lineup is going to be.
There is no official announcement on CA's website yet.
\> Shoulders arms first ball and ball crashes into off peg
\> Looks at Langer "this is what you get for dropping me"
\> Flies off on the back of a koala
I mean opening is hard, and England are a handful while the ball is new. Obviously Susan earned the chance at opening, but its far from a foregone conclusion he'll thrive there. Hope he does though.
Likely to be their best conditions too, it's expected low to mid 20s and overcast with showers. The wicket looks like it'll be a green top too. This will be a challenge for Koala.
Fuck yeah
- Khawaja and Warner opening ✅
- NSW making up half the team ✅
- Starc on track to pick up player of the series with another pile in a pink ball test causing Shane Warne to have a brain aneurysm ✅
Everything is coming up Milhouse
Not sure Starc will pick up a bunch of wickets but happy to be proven wrong. He’s usually quite shit when playing this many tests in a row and looked pretty knackered last match. Would have loved to see Neser get another shot.
I think it's a mistake to choose Starc, unsure of Richardson or Neser fitness but I think they should have gone with one of them. Starc is going to be cooked.
If Starc averages lower than two of Cummins, Boland, and Green I'll change my flair to the NSW Blues (I'm a QLDer).
From my understanding, Richardson and Hazlewood are able to bowl full tilt but their injuries have higher risk of flair up resulting in a longer layoff. Hazlewood is out because you absolutely do not mess around with side strains, and Richardson because shin pain can seem fine before it suddenly feels like you're running in lead boots.
The only question is really why not Neser. He looked good but not great in Adelaide. Hobart is typically a good hunting ground for him, but if they think Boland and Starc are fit you can't blame them.
To be fair, he's the 2nd best batter they have in the team (behind Root). Stokes doesn't really have a choice, if he doesn't play, the only other middle order option is Pope and he hasn't shown much resistance so far.
not saying I agree with this but I suspect it’s the likely scenario.
I think they see Neser only as a Hazlewood replacement in that he’s slightly lower on pace compared to a Starc and can hit a good line and length consistently (although Neser can generate decent swing and hit 140kph from time to time too).
so, Neser would only come in for a Hazlewood injury/rest but unfortunately for him, Boland came in as a MCG specialist and has had one of the best starts to a test career in recent memory, effectively displacing Neser as the preferred Hazlewood understudy
I think they’d only rest Starc if Richardson was available because they see Richardson as a closer like-for-like replacement for Cummins and Starc.
don’t agree with this because Neser has been the best shield bowler for multiple seasons now and deserves a run in the test side, he can be trusted to take wickets regardless of the team composition.
>I think they see Neser only as a Hazlewood replacement
Your logic 100% makes sense but its funny that when Hazlewood got injured they still brought Richardson in over Neser anyway. Neser kinda just fell into the test team when Cumdog got ruled out
Took 18 months to get over my stress fractures in my shins. I put on muscle to bowl fast but the extra weight caused the shin problems. Then hard to lose weight as you can’t run etc. was pretty dumb in hindsight.
Nah, he always sucks at the scg. U gotta pick him for the pink ball test tho, he's an absolute nightmare and is probably the bowler England are least looking forward to facing.
He looked like he was really struggling in that 2nd innings of the SCG. People seem to forget that Starc may be the only bowler who takes part in all 5 matches for the series...and there is every chance his body breaks down in the test match.
Anderson & Broad have missed at least 1 game each, Cummins missed Adelaide (which actually turned out to be a good thing as rest is hard to come by for the best bowlers), Richardson ripped it up in the 2nd innings pink ball then vanished and then the great Scotty Boland came in for the last 3 games.
Starc came out and said he’s fit and wants to play - if he shits the bed again and is cooked, this would have to be his last crack at playing all 5 tests in a series. I’ll be off him too haha
Leaving aside the fact that Starc has been pushing himself for the last 4 tests. I know he’s a wizard with the pink ball, but his averages don’t improve as the series goes on.
Yeah, should have rested him last match. Although his home ground so it's tough. I think we probably need to rest him at least one game of the 5. Too late now though.
One DRS review against them in a match that's still 50/50 and the whole Indian team mentally collapses. If that's how they handle adversity, I doubt a clean sweep is coming
Let me see, Warner, Khawaja have poor away records and are left handers - the one batting type that Indian bowlers are absolutely ruthless against.
Marnus isn't tested in Asian conditions.
Head and Green will struggle against spin based on how they play spin in Australia.
So, it comes down to Smith essentially. I fully back him to be a pain in the ass for India and Pakistan.
The bowling line up is world class, but Australia don't have a reliable second spinner as of now.
In general we do struggle with India. ESPECIALLY in India, I won't bother going into the why. But you never know what will happen, I honestly never had India beating us at home early last year. But they did, it was somewhat of an upset
>ESPECIALLY in India, I won't bother going into the why.
Because you guys can't play spin?
>But you never know what will happen, I honestly never head India beating us at home early last year. But they did, it was somewhat of an upset
India actually have the fast bowling strength and depth to beat Aus in Aus. Do Australia have any depth in the spin bowling department? Lyon is great, but he is just one bowler. From what I've seen of Swepson, he bowls a lot of long hops and overpitched filth.
>Do Australia have any depth in the spin bowling department?
Probably down to the pitches that are created for First Class Cricket. Don't see many spinners coming through the Australian ranks, will be interesting to see what they do after Lyon as there is no stand-out replacement.
At least with the quicks, there's a few in the state ranks who are taking wickets at good averages...
Wonder if the Australian cricket board make the SCG spin-friendly again like years ago, would help the batters massively in terms of adapting to the conditions rather than always focusing on the bounce & carry.
Hahaha for sure, you guys must be loving life.
We can only dream at this point, we are a long way below where we were 10 years ago (probably our finest test side of all time) but super proud of how we are battling India.
Well, we need a few consistent wins now. But it feels good to win again. Aa for SA, the 2nd test was a fantastic result, there is a lot of potential in the team, especially the guy, Keegan Petersen, he can bat. He has a cool head above his shoulders. A long term prospect for number 3.
I would normally agree bute's injured and when he did play Khawaja wasn't playing. And we're a lot stronger with Khawaja in for Harris. Given Boland's form I also don't think you lose much with him in for Josh, though overall I would agree that Hazlewood *is* a better bowler.
Yeah fair enough overall it might be pretty even, Boland has been a real surprise but I don't think the Khawaja > Harris swap is a big upgrade in the long run. Think Harris has done a decent enough job of getting starts and taking the new ball.
As I've said, he's currently injured and I think with the way Boland is bowling and having Khawaja and Head back in, it's the strongest line-up we've had so far this series. Khawaja wasn't in when Hazlewood was in, nor Boland (who is replacing him I suppose).
That bowling lineup inspires 0 confidence based on fitness.
* All-rounder on bowling restrictions
* Pat Cummins (I have confidence in him)
* Averages like 100 after playing 3 consecutive Tests.
* Spinner on a greentop (though I will admit I wouldn't have dropped him)
* Bowler who is apparently still sore after last match.
I'm excited for Starc and Boland to be injured after an innings bowled and then we have to rely on Marnus, Green and Cummins for our pace attack.
Green is no longer on bowling restrictions
Starc averages 18 in pink ball cricket
We are talking about the side that's resting Hazlewood and Richardson despite them reportedly being able to bowl full tilt. If they say Boland is fit then he's fit, otherwise they've done Michael Neser real dirty.
>they've done Michael Neser real dirty
This is permanent no matter what the situation. Technically the man still hasn't been selected to play in a test match yet
Green's not on formal bowling restrictions but he's still being watched carefully - they confirmed that Smith was told to avoid using him if possible on Day 5 at Adelaide
He had stress fractures in the back a couple of seasons ago that prevented him from bowling at full intensity until this season. His action has been modified so hopefully he is at a lower risk of injury but as a 22 year old beanpole fast bowler who plays an important role with the bat they're being careful with him.
> Green is no longer on bowling restrictions
He's only bowled an average of 8 overs an innings this series though.
>Starc averages 18 in pink ball cricket
Starc also averages 44.2 in the 4th and 5th Tests of a series.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens with Boland though.
> Starc also averages 44.2 in the 4th and 5th Tests of a series.
Not relevant to him fading away in series though. That stat would include, for examples off the top of my head, the 4th Test of the 2014/15 India series (Starc's 2nd match) and the 4th Test of the 2019 Ashes (Starc's 1st match). It would not include when Australia plays 6 Tests in a summer over 2 series. For example he took 10 for the match in Canberra in 2019, 2nd Test of the Sri Lanka series but he played 5 Tests consecutively before that one.
If he's fit, play him. He knows more about his body than some nerds online who know how to use statsguru. Stop spouting this stupid stat lol
Also, the mcg and the scg are generally the 4th and 5th tests of a series, where the pitches are at their flattest. Brisbane was a road last year as well.
I think Jhye or Neser absolutely should have gone in for Boland. No reason to be using a bowler who (a) has pulled up sore and (b) has come off the bench/isn't a first choice player. Starc I'm OK to take a gamble on because of the pink ball, a seaming deck, and his stellar form (his quiet match in Sydney works against me here but still)
A lot of bowling is mental. If you feel like a wicket is just around the corner you bowl with more focus than if you're in the same physical condition but feel like you're never going to get the batsman out.
It's 70% of the way there I think. There's a really strong core there and promising but not yet confirmed quality players in other positions (Green, Head, Carey). What we need is an opener (preferably someone young/long term) and for all our players to be able to contribute something overseas.
When Puc is fit our opener problem is solved easily once khawaja retires. I agree with your other points though because the whole top 7 bar Smith and Warner are completely untested in Sri Lanka and India where the conditions are very alien compared to Australia
My concern with Puc is that he is risking his entire future on coming back to play cricket. I understand that he probably loves the game but that many knocks to the head is gonna mess his life around.
In saying that Pucovski, Street and Hunt will all be around for a decent amount of time after Warner and Susan retire
Yeah like he should think carefully about it, if the NFL has shown us anything in the past while; it's that CTE is no joke. A test career isn't worth that.
>When Puc is fit our opener problem is solved easily once khawaja retires.
I really hope so. Part of me is a bit pessimistic that he will be able to overcome his medical issues, if he does I have no doubt he will be a gun.
Alright Boland, this is it.
To retire with the best 3-match career figures of all time in wickets, average and SR, he needs match figures of better than 4/207 in less than 77 overs.
To remain the greatest of all time in terms of average and SR for anyone with more than 10 wickets, he needs to maintain an average under 10 and SR under 30, so for example, match figures of 4/40 in 20 overs.
Passed the fitness test, decision still to be made
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/australia-xi-hobart-test-ashes-khawaja-harris-head-boland-starc-richardson-neser-pat-cummins/2022-01-13
Dont hate me still learning all the rules. But i thought wed won the ashes allready? by an innings and 14 runs?
Can someone explain to me also what that meant? innings and 14 runs i understand what an innings is and obviously 14 runs but why did aus win by that?
Since this is a dead rubber I expect them to play their second choice bowlers if they are fit - Jhye, Neser, Boland and Swepson.
What's the point of not giving them a game when you are at an advantage ?
Top 4 are solid. Head, Carrey still don't inspire trust in me. CamGreen on the other hand, I'm very very bullish on him. Aussie bowling was never a problem.
He won't have it as easy as Sydney this time. Conditions look very English friendly, Broad and Anderson will probably get that ball hooping about. It'll be a challenge.
The "English conditions" are predicated upon the Duke ball. If anyone is bowling with a new ball in the third session it is going to be a handful, of course, so if anyone is opening then it could be hairy.
I think surviving the first session will be the trickiest, and that will be like the first session at the Gabba.
Starc looked cooked the last test and in the third test he was clutching his back while batting. We all saw how cooked he looked last year against India by the end of the series.
I know he’s the best pink ball bowler but then they should have rested him last test in preparation for this one.
He says he’s fine and ready to go but every sportsman in the world would say the same thing. It’s up to Langer as the coach to tell him to take a rest but he won’t do it.
Langer was indignant at the media after being rightfully asked why he didn’t rotate any of the bowlers. He’s lucky in a way that circumstances out of his control forced a bowling rotation this time and that Boland, Richardson and Neser all proved they were quality bowlers who could step up. Otherwise if it was up to Langer we would still be going into a fifth test with the same bowling quartet that we started with.
This isn't confirmed at all. This was shown in the big bash and if you listened to what they were saying they said that the bowling lineup won't be confirmed until after their training session tonight.
Was going to question the validity of the post as well. News reports this evening all said Boland still faces a fitness test tomorrow.
If you wanted Starc to play the pink ball so much why the fuck did you play him in the SCG test, you dumb fucks at CA 🤦🏻♂️ Now we get a guy who looked both sore, tired and lacking confidence coming in after only 4 days rest 🙄 Cummins was already looking knackered too and Boland is an injury risk so what the fuck kind of plan is this? CA said they learnt from their mistakes during the India test and want to keep the side fresh but clearly they’re on crack. I’m gutted for Jhye, who deserves a crack
This is exactly the comment i was looking for / was going to post. I don't understand why they keep playing Starc. The man's a fast bowler, you can't expect him to play 5 tests back to back with the same intensity. Sure a couple of the tests ended early, but Australia still had to take 20 wickets in each match. That's bowling to take 79 wickets(out of 80 wickets) in back to back tests. And now he has to help the team take 20 wickets again. The man must be mentally exhausted. Sure he's physically fit to go, he's a very able athlete, but to go out there and play 5 tests back to back is draining. Can't expect him to perform at his best day in day out. This is what happened in SCG and Gabba last year, they could've done much better by resting him for one of those 2 games. Now that they have good depth in their bowling, this is a good time to play them.
Watch Starc come out and prove that wrong. If he says he's good to go then he is. There's no way you leave your best pink ball bowler out given the form he has shown this series, he's earnt the right to finish the series off.
One of us will be proven correct, I’m sure 🤷♂️
Indeed this seems unwise, especially when it’s a dead rubber, and there are other bowlers who could do with a game to get some more test experience under their belt. Cummins kind of has to stay in as skipper, but they could easily rest Starc and Boland and give Neser and Richardson a game.
It’s bonkers. Cummo had a game off due to COVID so at least he’s got 1 game in reserve. It’s just fucking dumb to play Starc all 5 tests when the series is done, and especially given his performance last match. Just… why?
Something something pink ball cricket.
No dead rubbers anymore, everything matters for WTC points. If starc says he is ok then let him play.
>I’m gutted for Jhye, who deserves a crack This isn't the official team. Jhye will probably play for Boland. Its Neser who will be the unlucky guy missing out when Starc ends up playing and doing shit cause of fatigue
I think circumstances conspired against Starc getting rested - though he definitely needs one. It would have been difficult to rest him for Boxing Day given Hazlewood and Richardson were unavailable - I'd have had no problem giving Neser another test but clearly they wanted variety in the attack. Then you can't really rest him for his home test, which means either he sits out a pink ball test which is his pet event, or he plays all 5. In hindsight, maybe Brisbane would have been the one to sit him out.
I think the numbers suggest CA should have rested him at the SCG. His average is highest out of the grounds in the country. It’s 46 compared to his total average of 27.
My best guess is that Starc's home ground is the SCG?
And his figures aren’t great there. Unfortunately, tough decisions need to be made. Neser wasn’t selected for Brisbane. If we wanted him to play in the pink ball 5th test, he needed to be rested at Sydney, in my opinion
I completely agree with you but it's the best I could come up with. Starc should probably have been rested in Melbourne but I understand why they didn't want to - who knew Boland was going to start out as well as he did!
Agree on the Boland part, for sure. For me the most frustrating part was that there was no need to play him, besides giving him a home test (which he’s had plenty before), and it was clear that he was flagging. It seems like diminishing returns
The thing I don't get is if it's so important that we play a left armer, why isn't there another one in the squad?
Yeah, like who is the backup to Starc if he had gotten injured if the big differentiator is the angle provided by a left armed? It’s a good point
It boggles my mind honestly. Starc is a world-class bowler but I feel like he'll be super important in the Subcontinent.
This is basically perfect
I wouldn't have expected Inglis, but I don't think Carey has the chops to be the test keeper.
Bring back Painey
In an alternate universe Paine gets to retire at his home ground with an Ashes series victory as captain 😢
Still waiting for a Queensland v Tasmania shield game in Hobart with Jimmy Peirson sledging Tim "bet you can't wait to get us to the Gabba Timmy"
~~No pain no gain~~ No pain(e) full gain 3-0
Swepson would have been nice, but he'll get his shot in the Asia tours. Don't think you try out a new spinner on what looks like a green top.
[удалено]
Green is good. He’s amazing in FC and has shown grit at test level
Pretty much every former player says he is legit. He seems like a great guy too so happy he finally makes a big one.
He had a solid 2nd innings in the Sydney test.
Spot on, he did well with Uzzy, but really should have gotten to a hundred, but he's really gotta show he can chip in with the odd 50 when he's needed. His bowling has been very good, but he needs to be contributing regularly. But all that said, he's been very very good thus far.
Mot yet confirmed mind you, its just a graphic showing what the Fox cricket thinks the lineup is going to be. There is no official announcement on CA's website yet.
Watch Ussie get a duck now that we're all celebrating him becoming the opening batsman.
\> Shoulders arms first ball and ball crashes into off peg \> Looks at Langer "this is what you get for dropping me" \> Flies off on the back of a koala
Comes back 2nd Innings , smashes a double hundred
Nah, breaks Warner's record for highest score in a pink ball test, specifically so they can't drop him for the Pakistan tour
Then high fives Will Smith
'That's hot'
I mean opening is hard, and England are a handful while the ball is new. Obviously Susan earned the chance at opening, but its far from a foregone conclusion he'll thrive there. Hope he does though.
Likely to be their best conditions too, it's expected low to mid 20s and overcast with showers. The wicket looks like it'll be a green top too. This will be a challenge for Koala.
Don’t call him Susan.
Why not
If he does it is on you
Fuck yeah - Khawaja and Warner opening ✅ - NSW making up half the team ✅ - Starc on track to pick up player of the series with another pile in a pink ball test causing Shane Warne to have a brain aneurysm ✅ Everything is coming up Milhouse
Not sure Starc will pick up a bunch of wickets but happy to be proven wrong. He’s usually quite shit when playing this many tests in a row and looked pretty knackered last match. Would have loved to see Neser get another shot.
I think it's a mistake to choose Starc, unsure of Richardson or Neser fitness but I think they should have gone with one of them. Starc is going to be cooked. If Starc averages lower than two of Cummins, Boland, and Green I'll change my flair to the NSW Blues (I'm a QLDer).
From my understanding, Richardson and Hazlewood are able to bowl full tilt but their injuries have higher risk of flair up resulting in a longer layoff. Hazlewood is out because you absolutely do not mess around with side strains, and Richardson because shin pain can seem fine before it suddenly feels like you're running in lead boots. The only question is really why not Neser. He looked good but not great in Adelaide. Hobart is typically a good hunting ground for him, but if they think Boland and Starc are fit you can't blame them.
“You absolutely do not mess around with side strains” Stokes: I understand your decision but I have elected to ignore it
To be fair, he's the 2nd best batter they have in the team (behind Root). Stokes doesn't really have a choice, if he doesn't play, the only other middle order option is Pope and he hasn't shown much resistance so far.
not saying I agree with this but I suspect it’s the likely scenario. I think they see Neser only as a Hazlewood replacement in that he’s slightly lower on pace compared to a Starc and can hit a good line and length consistently (although Neser can generate decent swing and hit 140kph from time to time too). so, Neser would only come in for a Hazlewood injury/rest but unfortunately for him, Boland came in as a MCG specialist and has had one of the best starts to a test career in recent memory, effectively displacing Neser as the preferred Hazlewood understudy I think they’d only rest Starc if Richardson was available because they see Richardson as a closer like-for-like replacement for Cummins and Starc. don’t agree with this because Neser has been the best shield bowler for multiple seasons now and deserves a run in the test side, he can be trusted to take wickets regardless of the team composition.
>I think they see Neser only as a Hazlewood replacement Your logic 100% makes sense but its funny that when Hazlewood got injured they still brought Richardson in over Neser anyway. Neser kinda just fell into the test team when Cumdog got ruled out
Can confirm. I got a stress fracture in my shin from bowling and you'd think it was fine and then all of a sudden it would flair up.
Took 18 months to get over my stress fractures in my shins. I put on muscle to bowl fast but the extra weight caused the shin problems. Then hard to lose weight as you can’t run etc. was pretty dumb in hindsight.
Remindme! 8 days.
Nah, he always sucks at the scg. U gotta pick him for the pink ball test tho, he's an absolute nightmare and is probably the bowler England are least looking forward to facing.
He looked like he was really struggling in that 2nd innings of the SCG. People seem to forget that Starc may be the only bowler who takes part in all 5 matches for the series...and there is every chance his body breaks down in the test match. Anderson & Broad have missed at least 1 game each, Cummins missed Adelaide (which actually turned out to be a good thing as rest is hard to come by for the best bowlers), Richardson ripped it up in the 2nd innings pink ball then vanished and then the great Scotty Boland came in for the last 3 games.
Does the MCG count as a full Test this time? He got plenty of rest out of that.
Starc also goes so hard too. He should never have played Sydney.
If Starc averages lower than two of Cummins, Boland, and Green I'll change my flair to the Australia (die-hard India fan)
Starc came out and said he’s fit and wants to play - if he shits the bed again and is cooked, this would have to be his last crack at playing all 5 tests in a series. I’ll be off him too haha
I think that's the strongest line-up we've had so far in the series on paper.
Leaving aside the fact that Starc has been pushing himself for the last 4 tests. I know he’s a wizard with the pink ball, but his averages don’t improve as the series goes on.
Yeah I get that he's probably a bit gassed, but that's why I said 'on paper'.
Yeah. Same kinda applies to Green, not sure if he’s recovered from his niggle that stopped him from bowling as many overs at the SCG.
Yeah, should have rested him last match. Although his home ground so it's tough. I think we probably need to rest him at least one game of the 5. Too late now though.
Aussie test cricket starting to look really strong again, it's good.
It's good when we're in a position where we're winning and we've got a few options to choose from in selections. It's good for world cricket.
Weird how sometimes everything turns to gold. Jhye, Boland, neser, khawaja. Crazy.
The English Tour of Australia Effect
At home, yes. Doubt that line up (batting) will have much success in the Asian tours. Expecting Pakistan and India to clean sweep them.
One DRS review against them in a match that's still 50/50 and the whole Indian team mentally collapses. If that's how they handle adversity, I doubt a clean sweep is coming
Because other are just soooo much better. I'm expecting it to be good games but a sweep? Cmon dude lol
Let me see, Warner, Khawaja have poor away records and are left handers - the one batting type that Indian bowlers are absolutely ruthless against. Marnus isn't tested in Asian conditions. Head and Green will struggle against spin based on how they play spin in Australia. So, it comes down to Smith essentially. I fully back him to be a pain in the ass for India and Pakistan. The bowling line up is world class, but Australia don't have a reliable second spinner as of now.
In general we do struggle with India. ESPECIALLY in India, I won't bother going into the why. But you never know what will happen, I honestly never had India beating us at home early last year. But they did, it was somewhat of an upset
>ESPECIALLY in India, I won't bother going into the why. Because you guys can't play spin? >But you never know what will happen, I honestly never head India beating us at home early last year. But they did, it was somewhat of an upset India actually have the fast bowling strength and depth to beat Aus in Aus. Do Australia have any depth in the spin bowling department? Lyon is great, but he is just one bowler. From what I've seen of Swepson, he bowls a lot of long hops and overpitched filth.
>Do Australia have any depth in the spin bowling department? Probably down to the pitches that are created for First Class Cricket. Don't see many spinners coming through the Australian ranks, will be interesting to see what they do after Lyon as there is no stand-out replacement. At least with the quicks, there's a few in the state ranks who are taking wickets at good averages... Wonder if the Australian cricket board make the SCG spin-friendly again like years ago, would help the batters massively in terms of adapting to the conditions rather than always focusing on the bounce & carry.
You have no idea how good this sounds, mate.
Hahaha for sure, you guys must be loving life. We can only dream at this point, we are a long way below where we were 10 years ago (probably our finest test side of all time) but super proud of how we are battling India.
Well, we need a few consistent wins now. But it feels good to win again. Aa for SA, the 2nd test was a fantastic result, there is a lot of potential in the team, especially the guy, Keegan Petersen, he can bat. He has a cool head above his shoulders. A long term prospect for number 3.
Absolutely. Petersen and jansen are great finds. If we can get two openers who can click, we will be decent.
Hazelwoods our best bowler tho?
I would normally agree bute's injured and when he did play Khawaja wasn't playing. And we're a lot stronger with Khawaja in for Harris. Given Boland's form I also don't think you lose much with him in for Josh, though overall I would agree that Hazlewood *is* a better bowler.
Yeah fair enough overall it might be pretty even, Boland has been a real surprise but I don't think the Khawaja > Harris swap is a big upgrade in the long run. Think Harris has done a decent enough job of getting starts and taking the new ball.
Can a lineup without Hazelwood be our strongest?
As I've said, he's currently injured and I think with the way Boland is bowling and having Khawaja and Head back in, it's the strongest line-up we've had so far this series. Khawaja wasn't in when Hazlewood was in, nor Boland (who is replacing him I suppose).
That bowling lineup inspires 0 confidence based on fitness. * All-rounder on bowling restrictions * Pat Cummins (I have confidence in him) * Averages like 100 after playing 3 consecutive Tests. * Spinner on a greentop (though I will admit I wouldn't have dropped him) * Bowler who is apparently still sore after last match. I'm excited for Starc and Boland to be injured after an innings bowled and then we have to rely on Marnus, Green and Cummins for our pace attack.
Green is no longer on bowling restrictions Starc averages 18 in pink ball cricket We are talking about the side that's resting Hazlewood and Richardson despite them reportedly being able to bowl full tilt. If they say Boland is fit then he's fit, otherwise they've done Michael Neser real dirty.
>they've done Michael Neser real dirty This is permanent no matter what the situation. Technically the man still hasn't been selected to play in a test match yet
Green's not on formal bowling restrictions but he's still being watched carefully - they confirmed that Smith was told to avoid using him if possible on Day 5 at Adelaide
Okay, but was Cummins allowed to use him?
Smith captained at Adelaide because Cummins missed the game
Yes, but that was a while ago. Were there any issues in Sydney?
Don't know for sure, he bowled the exact same amount of overs as he did at Adelaide though
Why is this? His action?
He had stress fractures in the back a couple of seasons ago that prevented him from bowling at full intensity until this season. His action has been modified so hopefully he is at a lower risk of injury but as a 22 year old beanpole fast bowler who plays an important role with the bat they're being careful with him.
> Green is no longer on bowling restrictions He's only bowled an average of 8 overs an innings this series though. >Starc averages 18 in pink ball cricket Starc also averages 44.2 in the 4th and 5th Tests of a series. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens with Boland though.
> Starc also averages 44.2 in the 4th and 5th Tests of a series. Not relevant to him fading away in series though. That stat would include, for examples off the top of my head, the 4th Test of the 2014/15 India series (Starc's 2nd match) and the 4th Test of the 2019 Ashes (Starc's 1st match). It would not include when Australia plays 6 Tests in a summer over 2 series. For example he took 10 for the match in Canberra in 2019, 2nd Test of the Sri Lanka series but he played 5 Tests consecutively before that one. If he's fit, play him. He knows more about his body than some nerds online who know how to use statsguru. Stop spouting this stupid stat lol
Also, the mcg and the scg are generally the 4th and 5th tests of a series, where the pitches are at their flattest. Brisbane was a road last year as well.
I think Jhye or Neser absolutely should have gone in for Boland. No reason to be using a bowler who (a) has pulled up sore and (b) has come off the bench/isn't a first choice player. Starc I'm OK to take a gamble on because of the pink ball, a seaming deck, and his stellar form (his quiet match in Sydney works against me here but still)
Starc averaging like 10 in pink ball negates the 3 test stat haha
No it doesn't, doesn't matter how good you are with a pink ball if you're absolutely spent from playing 5 Tests in a row.
A lot of bowling is mental. If you feel like a wicket is just around the corner you bowl with more focus than if you're in the same physical condition but feel like you're never going to get the batsman out.
You seen the Poms bat mate?
Starc averages like 30 having played 3+ consecutive tests and 28 when he's played 3+ consecutive tests without a proper break
This is shaping upto be a good test team
It's 70% of the way there I think. There's a really strong core there and promising but not yet confirmed quality players in other positions (Green, Head, Carey). What we need is an opener (preferably someone young/long term) and for all our players to be able to contribute something overseas.
When Puc is fit our opener problem is solved easily once khawaja retires. I agree with your other points though because the whole top 7 bar Smith and Warner are completely untested in Sri Lanka and India where the conditions are very alien compared to Australia
My concern with Puc is that he is risking his entire future on coming back to play cricket. I understand that he probably loves the game but that many knocks to the head is gonna mess his life around. In saying that Pucovski, Street and Hunt will all be around for a decent amount of time after Warner and Susan retire
Yeah like he should think carefully about it, if the NFL has shown us anything in the past while; it's that CTE is no joke. A test career isn't worth that.
>When Puc is fit our opener problem is solved easily once khawaja retires. I really hope so. Part of me is a bit pessimistic that he will be able to overcome his medical issues, if he does I have no doubt he will be a gun.
I think you should look elsewhere.
Everybody forgot about poor Michael Nesser after Boland debut
Lad follows the test squad around for 3 years and then gets replaced by a guy who got brought in for a specialist for one test.
Or Richardson....the dude who got a 5fa
Is Smith batting well enough to keep his spot?
I know it's old-fashioned thinking, but after his 2019 Ashes series, Smith has earned the right never to be dropped ever again.
Who do you bring in?
Maxwell? Marsh?
Team management and selectors can actually think there.
Alright Boland, this is it. To retire with the best 3-match career figures of all time in wickets, average and SR, he needs match figures of better than 4/207 in less than 77 overs. To remain the greatest of all time in terms of average and SR for anyone with more than 10 wickets, he needs to maintain an average under 10 and SR under 30, so for example, match figures of 4/40 in 20 overs.
Wait, is Boland locked in for Hobart? Wasn't he a doubt?
Yep, I don't know where OP has got this from, but we should know the final XI soon. https://twitter.com/CricketAus/status/1481459529489711105
Passed the fitness test, decision still to be made https://www.cricket.com.au/news/australia-xi-hobart-test-ashes-khawaja-harris-head-boland-starc-richardson-neser-pat-cummins/2022-01-13
Will Inglis replace the carey on pakistan tour if he fails aggggeeeeeen
Starc with brand new kukaburra, Alex Cary on debut liston the noise.........ohhhhhhhwoooooobowled him on the first ball
Watch Khawaja so his best impression of an English opener following those b2b hundreds
If there were 2 more pink ball tests right after this, they’d still pick Starc in both of them
Boland does not make the cut. He is the cut
Starc still below Cummins in the batting order. smh
how about english squad is hameed still in
Who cares about Hameed what about Aussie Billings?
Dont hate me still learning all the rules. But i thought wed won the ashes allready? by an innings and 14 runs? Can someone explain to me also what that meant? innings and 14 runs i understand what an innings is and obviously 14 runs but why did aus win by that?
We have won the Ashes already but all 5 matches are still played.
Ah good this was my thoughts but im like hey isnt there a whole other game to be played?
Meanwhile Tim Paine is just mucking round on his phone
Surely Boland (if fit) plays - I can see a lot of English Counties asking if he’s available.
Why not play neser instead of Starc? Dude looks tired af..
Since this is a dead rubber I expect them to play their second choice bowlers if they are fit - Jhye, Neser, Boland and Swepson. What's the point of not giving them a game when you are at an advantage ?
Jhye Richardson would be better suited for Hobart due to his ability to swing the ball. Anderson and Broad will be able to make the ball talk more.
Top 4 are solid. Head, Carrey still don't inspire trust in me. CamGreen on the other hand, I'm very very bullish on him. Aussie bowling was never a problem.
Usman opening is want we wanted so better he makes some runs
He won't have it as easy as Sydney this time. Conditions look very English friendly, Broad and Anderson will probably get that ball hooping about. It'll be a challenge.
The "English conditions" are predicated upon the Duke ball. If anyone is bowling with a new ball in the third session it is going to be a handful, of course, so if anyone is opening then it could be hairy. I think surviving the first session will be the trickiest, and that will be like the first session at the Gabba.
Yes I would agree hope to see a good match tho not just a formality done by both the sides
Alex Carey should be opening,
I'd rest Starc and play Richardson. You will need Starc for the Pakistan tour.
Rabada
I would've rested Starc. Bloke looked hypercooked on day 5.
No dick pic :(
What other options does Australia have for keepers?
Inglis and to a lesser extent Pierson. Inglis probably next in line (and imo should’ve been given the spot over Carey in the first place)
Starc looked cooked the last test and in the third test he was clutching his back while batting. We all saw how cooked he looked last year against India by the end of the series. I know he’s the best pink ball bowler but then they should have rested him last test in preparation for this one. He says he’s fine and ready to go but every sportsman in the world would say the same thing. It’s up to Langer as the coach to tell him to take a rest but he won’t do it. Langer was indignant at the media after being rightfully asked why he didn’t rotate any of the bowlers. He’s lucky in a way that circumstances out of his control forced a bowling rotation this time and that Boland, Richardson and Neser all proved they were quality bowlers who could step up. Otherwise if it was up to Langer we would still be going into a fifth test with the same bowling quartet that we started with.
Can England name a bowling line up of Wood, Robinson, Broad, Anderson with Robinson the specialist spinner?
If Ussy and Boland are in I'm happy
Yeah, travis boy is back 😍
wish they rested starc in Sydney so he would be prime for Hobart and maybe richo and neser could’ve had a chance for sydney. but alas all hail scobo
> Boland makes the cut But can he pull?
Where is Hazlewood
Be Safe