1st Test Border Gavaskar Trophy November 22-26 1350hrs @ Perth Stadium

[Lunchtime]

We did this to ourselves through a combination of arrogance and weakness.

We all knew Warner should've been out last Summer, we knew we NEEDED to get a new opener bedded in with Khawaja and ready for this series.

Instead we let Warner waste a summer against average opposition and now we're paying for it. McSweeney was a desperation pick (I would've gone Renshaw, at least he has some experience), looks completely out of his depth - no surprise considering his shield record.

Even worse, we've wasted Tests trying out Smith as an opener, and arguably disrupted his game as well.

And there is every chance Khawaja retires end of this Summer - who the hell are our openers for the Ashes?

Labash has been crap for 2 years, constantly making meaningless scores while striking well below 50 and putting everyone else under pressure - he looks absolutely shot.

Throw in our refusal to schedule any proper warm up matches (which also bit us on the arse when we toured India, clearly we didn't learn), and is it any surprise we look like shit?

I'm a big fan of Cummins, not putting this on him, but what's the point of having a coach and selectors if they aren't actually preparing the team to win one of the 2 biggest series we play?

Bloody pathetic!

This just shows the arrogance of Smith.

Asking selectors to open the batting. How stupid and self destructive is that. In a stronger era of Australian cricket had he asked the selectors they would of told him NO and get lost. Notice how he chose to open against the West Indies (weak opposition) but opted to drop back to number 4 this series against India (strong opposition).

I've been saying for years....CA/Aust men's cricket team are collectively arrogant and the points you've raised...you've hit the nail on the head.

It's hilarious seeing things unravel as they are so far.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

You missed Hadlee for one.

Who is arguably number 1

 

[Buzz Hawk]

There's nothing wrong with it, it looks bad side on because you shouldn't be seeing a bowlers elbow do that but then you see it from behind or front on, it's just the hyperextension and the whip he gets through his arm, he's not throwing it.

Hmmm.
12 steps, locked arm, snapped wrist. 140ks.
But good luck to him.

 

[Around the Wicket]

This just shows the arrogance of Smith.

Asking selectors to open the batting. How stupid and self destructive is that. In a stronger era of Australian cricket had he asked the selectors they would of told him NO and get lost. Notice how he chose to open against the West Indies (weak opposition) but opted to drop back to number 4 this series against India (strong opposition).

I've been saying for years....CA/Aust men's cricket team are collectively arrogant and the points you've raised...you've hit the nail on the head.

It's hilarious seeing things unravel as they are so far.

Had he scored a bucket load of runs he would have stayed at opener, he realised he was struggling and dropped back down, plus Green got injured.

 

[King Elvis]

This just shows the arrogance of Smith.

Asking selectors to open the batting. How stupid and self destructive is that. In a stronger era of Australian cricket had he asked the selectors they would of told him NO and get lost. Notice how he chose to open against the West Indies (weak opposition) but opted to drop back to number 4 this series against India (strong opposition).

I've been saying for years....CA/Aust men's cricket team are collectively arrogant and the points you've raised...you've hit the nail on the head.

It's hilarious seeing things unravel as they are so far.

I think Smith put his hand up to do what he believed what was in the best interest of the team, because management couldn't make a decision as it was.

He gave them an easy out, and they took it.

I don't blame him, I blame management for allowing the situation to occur.

 

[Buzz Hawk]

Has a hypermobile elbow, and uses it to great effect.

Yeah and I have lockjaw and a hyper extended butt crack.

 

[Portmagpies36]

the goat pace bowlers list is very tight

Anderson
Mcgrath
malcolm marshall
Steyn
Lillee
Waqar
Akram

As good as bumrah as been so far, he still has a way to go before he surpasses the names mentioned above.

Has a way to go before he passes James Anderson? Your having a laugh.

 

[Lunchtime]

It was unrealistic to think Labs was going to average 60 for ever when he averaged 35 in Shield cricket prior to getting a crack at Test cricket

In a stronger era of Australian cricket.....he doesn't get picked.

 

[King Elvis]

Hmmm.
12 steps, locked arm, snapped wrist. 140ks.
But good luck to him.

Nobody else will be able to bowl like him - a physical abnormality shouldn't invalidate the rules.

 

[Portmagpies36]

This just shows the arrogance of Smith.

Asking selectors to open the batting. How stupid and self destructive is that. In a stronger era of Australian cricket had he asked the selectors they would of told him NO and get lost. Notice how he chose to open against the West Indies (weak opposition) but opted to drop back to number 4 this series against India (strong opposition).

I've been saying for years....CA/Aust men's cricket team are collectively arrogant and the points you've raised...you've hit the nail on the head.

It's hilarious seeing things unravel as they are so far.

That is 100% on the leaders agreeing to Smith saying he could do it.

 

[Around the Wicket]

Labs 3 hundreds in 25 Tests v India / England TS 111

Labs 3 hundreds in 4 Tests v Windies TS 204

 

[Jamz]

Hmmm.
12 steps, locked arm, snapped wrist. 140ks.
But good luck to him.

The pace comes from whatever he’s got going on with his elbow there and by that I mean the flex he gets on it, you don’t have to come running in from 30 metres to generate pace. His talent is his ability to control that flexion, no coach will be able to teach anyone to do that, you can either do it or you can’t. It’s not normal for someone to be able to hyperextend their elbow like that, yet he obviously can and is comfortable while doing it.

 

[reubski23]

the goat pace bowlers list is very tight

Anderson
Mcgrath
malcolm marshall
Steyn
Lillee
Waqar
Akram

As good as bumrah as been so far, he still has a way to go before he surpasses the names mentioned above.

lol Anderson absolutely does not belong there.

Longevity at best - strike rate shit. Average shit. One good series away against Oz

 

[PhatBoy]

Achieved nothing? Woke?
They won a world cup and a world test championship and are literally the number one side in the world.

Go to your maga/old man yelling at clouds convention.

The white ball stuff has merit achievement wise.

As a test unit citing the current top ranking is not much to hang a claim on. As has already been addressed, it’s a mediocre side among a host of other mediocre sides

 

[Redline]

Yea i think loose-bus-change's goose is well and truly overcooked . A smith low score tomorrow and the marnus and smith era is officially over.

He shouldn't but I think Smith will get the whole series regardless of what happens.

 

[kickazz]

I think Smith put his hand up to do what he believed what was in the best interest of the team, because management couldn't make a decision as it was.

He gave them an easy out, and they took it.

I don't blame him, I blame management for allowing the situation to occur.

I do recall at the time he was often coming in at 2 for not many at all, before taking his time, shine off ball/tired bowlers then making big runs.

Basically playing a good opener's innings.

It wasn't a ridiculous thing to try. It just didn't work, that's all. (Thing is, is he batting any better back at 4 now anyway?)

 

[eltrain]

the goat pace bowlers list is very tight

Anderson
Mcgrath
malcolm marshall
Steyn
Lillee
Waqar
Akram

As good as bumrah as been so far, he still has a way to go before he surpasses the names mentioned above.

If you gave me the choice of our blokes having to face Bumrah or prime Anderson with the new ball I’m picking Anderson every time. Bumrah scares the shit out of us in a way that Anderson never did.

 

[Lunchtime]

lol Anderson absolutely does not belong there.

Longevity at best - strike rate shit. Average shit. One good series away against Oz

Agreed. As good as Anderson is and his record proves it...he isn't (in my opinion) an all time great. Longevity is what has helped him to take as many wickets as he did. Good career - yes. But he shouldn't be considered an all time great fast bowler. Still very good though.

 

[celestial]

Plenty of memberships in the microwave?

Need an over and under on the number of coldplay mentions in the first hour .

Expected rants tomorrow morning ( in no particular order)

- cummins shouldn't have gone to the concert, he should have spent more time coming up with various attack plans and fielding setups.
- we need a brand new top 4 . (Smith,khawaja,labs and mcsweeney aren't it)

• lyon is cooked
• the pitch somehow favoured india (someone will definitely bring this up)
• Australian selectors are all blind ( failed to see something that has been a long time coming) and eunuchs as they don't have the testicular fortitude to make tough selection decisions.- Cricket australia's balls are in BCCI's bag as they are unable to match ipl money and grow sheffield shield cricket.
• The coaching staff is soft, should have never sacked langer.

Anything else I am missing ?

 

[samFFC]

Yeah and I have lockjaw and a hyper extended butt crack.

I would recommend chatting to your GP and dentist!

 

[Wce17]

Hmmm.
12 steps, locked arm, snapped wrist. 140ks.
But good luck to him.

Probs should be focusing on the state of Australian cricket rather than a bowling action

 

[PhatBoy]

The worst I have seen us play, to be in the position we are in.. in Perth of all places? This is supposed to be our bread and butter, fast and pacy tracks. Nobody in our top 6 has looked like consistently being able to get it off the square. Once upon a time the BCCI insisted they don't have to play in Perth. They'll be lining up to play again next time around, what a demolition job.

They won at the WACA in the series before Kohli first toured here. They’ve played a couple of times since at Perth.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Australia would love an opening batsman to average over 30 against Bumrah and co…

Yer but you gotta stop comparing bowlers to Bumrah he is unique and no bowler is like him.

Like just because a batter fails against him doesnt mean he cant play.

 

[Dazza the Viking]

When does Labuschagne’s Gold Card expired, or did it get extended for another 2 years, he should of been dropped a year ago

 

[kickazz]

Need an over and under on the number of coldplay mentions in the first hour .

Expected rants tomorrow morning ( in no particular order)

- cummins shouldn't have gone to the concert, he should have spent more time coming up with various attack plans and fielding setups.
- we need a brand new top 4 . (Smith,khawaja,labs and mcsweeney aren't it)

• lyon is cooked
• the pitch somehow favoured india (someone will definitely bring this up)
• Australian selectors are all blind ( failed to see something that has been a long time coming) and eunuchs as they don't have the testicular fortitude to make tough selection decisions.- Cricket australia's balls are in BCCI's bag as they are unable to match ipl money and grow sheffield shield cricket.
• The coaching staff is soft, should have never sacked langer.

Anything else I am missing ?

You forgot to say woke