1st Test Sri Lanka v Australia Jan 29-Feb 2 1500hrs @ Galle International Stadium

[sr36]

Smith over Lara for me. Obviously when you look at any player who has scored 10,000 runs, they’re all amazing who have had dominant periods. The thing that separates the very best of the best is away performances and whether they mastered all conditions. Smith’s away record is much better than Lara’s.

Agree for the same reason. And I'd go Tendulkar over Smith. Smith the best, probably since Bradman, at setting the game up in good conditions. But Tendulkar better when the going was tougher either in terms of a wearing pitch or the game situation pressure. You see it in their second innings averages

 

[new0066]

 

[Run n Spread]

Out labaschagne Carey
In konstas Connolly

 

[Lunchtime]

Agree for the same reason. And I'd go Tendulkar over Smith. Smith the best, probably since Bradman, at setting the game up in good conditions. But Tendulkar better when the going was tougher either in terms of a wearing pitch or the game situation pressure. You see it in their second innings averages

What about Smith's not so good record in 4th innings? Surely that's a valid knock on him? 4th Innings is when it's toughest to bat on. Lara and Tendulkar have mutiple centuries each in 4th innings, Smith doesn't, he doesn't even have one century in the 4th Innings. He's good enough to but hasn't done it.

 

[Joffaboy]

Happy we have found some youngish batsmen of late Inglis, Head, Webster around thirty, Green, McSweeney, 25, Konstas 20.
Now to find some bowlers in their 20's.

Not the same but when we lost Langer, Hayden, McGrath, Warne, Ponting and Gilchrist in a short space of time, our test team was ordinary for 7 or 8 years.




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[Joffaboy]

Almost identical

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[sr36]

What about Smith's not so good record in 4th innings? Surely that's a valid knock on him? 4th Innings is when it's toughest to bat on. Lara and Tendulkar have mutiple centuries each in 4th innings, Smith doesn't, he doesn't even have one century in the 4th Innings. He's good enough to but hasn't done it.

That's what I was trying to say - I meant his team's second innings rather than the second innings of the match. Probably hasn't had as many chances to score big in the 4th innings, particularly compared to Lara whose team often needed a lot (too many) in the 4th innings and not always under pressure as the game was often basically over. But I was trying to say that I don't think he's been as good as Tendulkar was when the batting was toughest - conditions and game situation - particularly against pace. Smith has been an absolute master when the batting conditions have been good though - it's set up a heap of victories with first innings runs.

 

[Westend]

Out labaschagne Carey
In konstas Connolly

Labs yes no to carey

Labs and Murphy for me

Labs because he has made 1 ton in 50+ test innnings averaging 30 last 3 years

Murphy I thought bowled to quick and to flat ....we already have Lyon head and Webbie who can bowl offies

Great chance for Konstas and Connolly to play in spinning conditions

But which ever way the selectors go...its fine for me

 

[Gough]

Can't think of a single reason why you'd drop Carey.

 

[troybe]

Carey 46* 1 c 3 st not getting dropped any time soon

 

[Run n Spread]

Can't think of a single reason why you'd drop Carey.

Don't need 2 keepers.
It has been line ball for 4 years and Inglis with his ton overtook him and deserves a shot. Connoly makes a good 4th spin option
It could change in a year or a few tests.
Australian cricket has a weird obsession that you can never change a side and once someone is omitted they are banished to the boon docks forever. Very odd attitude

 

[sr36]

Labs yes no to carey

Labs and Murphy for me

Labs because he has made 1 ton in 50+ test innnings averaging 30 last 3 years

Murphy I thought bowled to quick and to flat ....we already have Lyon head and Webbie who can bowl offies

Great chance for Konstas and Connolly to play in spinning conditions

But which ever way the selectors go...its fine for me

In terms of getting games and experience into youngsters, I'd prioritise Murphy's bowling over Connolly's. Murphy's bowling is much more likely to be crucial to our subcontinent future than Connolly. If it's a pitch where they think 2 seamers is the way to go, I'd consider Connolly for Webster - as with two seamers you'd want your allrounder to be a spinner (but that's assuming Connolly has been batting well enough in the conditions to justify it - who knows on that front)

 

[Lunchtime]

That's what I was trying to say - I meant his team's second innings rather than the second innings of the match. Probably hasn't had as many chances to score big in the 4th innings, particularly compared to Lara whose team often needed a lot (too many) in the 4th innings and not always under pressure as the game was often basically over. But I was trying to say that I don't think he's been as good as Tendulkar was when the batting was toughest - conditions and game situation - particularly against pace. Smith has been an absolute master when the batting conditions have been good though - it's set up a heap of victories with first innings runs.

I'd prefer Lara or Tendulkar to win me a game for the reasons you stated above. Thats another reason I have (in my opinion) them ahead of Smith.

For the record, in terms of 4th Innings, Smith has batted 31 times for six 50s. He has had opportunities to score a 100.

 

[Gough]

Don't need 2 keepers.
It has been line ball for 4 years and Inglis with his ton overtook him and deserves a shot. Connoly makes a good 4th spot option
It could change in a year or a few tests.
Australian cricket has a weird obsession that you can never change a side and once someone is omitted they are banished to the boon docks forever. Very odd attitude

Keeping requires a lot more concentration than walking around the outfield the two scores aren't like for like.

 

[sr36]

Don't need 2 keepers.
It has been line ball for 4 years and Inglis with his ton overtook him and deserves a shot. Connoly makes a good 4th spin option
It could change in a year or a few tests.
Australian cricket has a weird obsession that you can never change a side and once someone is omitted they are banished to the boon docks forever. Very odd attitude

It comes down to how big ththe difference is between Carey and Inglis's keeping and also how big they think the difference is between Carey's batting and whatever bat they'd pick to replace him. You could probably justify it more in Aussie conditions as keeping in the subcontinent is really tricky and any difference in standard has a bigger impact.

 

[Run n Spread]

Almost identicalView attachment 2216729

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Neck and neck isn't it?
I'm on the verge of calling it a draw.
I'm going with Tendulkar just but based off longevity.
Smith got screwed with the ridiculously long ban than covid killing off 2 years.
Both greats. And an argument can be made for
1 Tendulkar
2smith
3 bradman

 

[Westend]

In terms of getting games and experience into youngsters, I'd prioritise Murphy's bowling over Connolly's. Murphy's bowling is much more likely to be crucial to our subcontinent future than Connolly. If it's a pitch where they think 2 seamers is the way to go, I'd consider Connolly for Webster - as with two seamers you'd want your allrounder to be a spinner (but that's assuming Connolly has been batting well enough in the conditions to justify it - who knows on that front)

Yeah I just think it's a good opportunity to get a game into the two youngens and I reckon we have too many right arm offies in the side....another left arm spinner in Sri Lankan conditions goes well IMO

 

[sr36]

I'd prefer Lara or Tendulkar to win me a game for the reasons you stated above. Thats another reason I have (in my opinion) them ahead of Smith.

For the record, in terms of 4th Innings, Smith has batted 31 times for six 50s. He has had opportunities to score a 100.

It depends on how you value what wins the game. For a lot of Smith's time it was Smith and someone going big with first innings runs setting the game up and then bowlers knocking teams over. Throughout history, there hasn't been many occasions of a batsman going big in the last innings to win the game for his team. It was only recently that only one team had ever scored 300 to win in the 4th innings.

 

[swingdog]

Reckon Alana King would have cleaned up a few of the Sri Lankan men.

 

[sr36]

Yeah I just think it's a good opportunity to get a game into the two youngens and I reckon we have too many right arm offies in the side....another left arm spinner in Sri Lankan conditions goes well IMO

I'd love to see them, just not at Murphy's expense. Just as many think that we should play Konstas as they view him as our future, I think that about Murphy. I think he's our future in Asian tests and probably SENA tests too and I also think he justifies a spot anyway if we're playing 3 spinners. If they think it's a 2 spinner pitch - bad luck Todd - team comes first and then you'd consider Connolly over Webster. I don't think Konstas is much chance. Marnus does need to pull his finger out though - their leggie had him in knots.

 

[cricketnut14]

Can't think of a single reason why you'd drop Carey.

agreed - 38 consectitive tests since debut suggests he'll be fine.

all it means now, is that inglis willl be mounting pressure if carey's form deteriorates.

 

[yabsy]

The realisation after this test there's like 4 months until the next test

At least it's not a gap of 8.5 months, which was the case last year

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[darcytiger]

agreed - 38 consectitive tests since debut suggests he'll be fine.

all it means now, is that inglis willl be mounting pressure if carey's form deteriorates.

Through years of touring as a batsman without any keeping in matches? Yeah nah

 

[cricketnut14]

At least it's not a gap of 8.5 months, which was the case last year

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yeah but after our home summer against england , there's like an 8 month break from test cricket for us.

thats why i don't think khawaja will get past the end of next summer.

he may not be the only one - not sure how we gonna stagger the retirements of hazlewood, starc, boland, neser and lyon and smith.

 

[SSwans2011]

Can't see why you would drop anyone except Marnus (and that's not happening).

You're not dropping Head, Khawaja, Smith, Inglis, Kuhnemann, Lyon, Starc or Carey (very good with the gloves as per usual) based on their performances in the last Test.

Of the two that remain, Webster deserves to be backed in and there's every chance we need him with the ball if Sri Lanka's batters get their shit together. And Murphy remains the obvious heir to Lyon's throne and needs experience.

Connolly's time will come. He's still only played 4 FC games and doesn't have an FC ton to his name. It's good experience for him to be over there, but he shouldn't actually be anywhere near the XI IMHO. I'd be more inclined to give McSweeney a crack at the expense of Marnus if anything, but as I said, there's next to no chance Marnus gets dropped until Green returns.