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

[Dubai Quacker]

Maxy. Gayle and KP back in the day. Warney bowling micced up. Lynn going apeshit. Probably still happens with other players now but Ive had my fix

I’d have loved to see Viv Richards play T20. Ditto Beefy Botham.

But like you, I feel the novelty of T20 has worn off (for me). I crave high calibre, tense test cricket.

Just don’t think Sri Lanka will provide it. Hope I’m wrong.

 

[sosos]

I’d have loved to see Viv Richards play T20. Ditto Beefy Botham.

But like you, I feel the novelty of T20 has worn off (for me). I crave high calibre, tense test cricket.

Just don’t think Sri Lanka will provide it. Hope I’m wrong.

I watched the tests then the BBL, bear with me for a controversial take, the T20 version of the Shield.

Such a massive difference in the two formats. But the good T20 cricket transcends the hype machine aspect of the thing.

On fta every night, I just got hitched to it's hook again, binging on the soap opera. Certainly didn't watch every minute, sometimes slabs, more often wandering around the house catching bits here and there.


and I am a test cricket life long fan. I've watched the early BBL series like yourselves, and they were bloody good.

Dipping interest as they messed with the formats. But last two years have seen some of Australia's most exciting young cricketers, spiced by some gun internationals, and older retired stars, the occasional test cricketer, all strutting some excellent cricket skills, in a newish, family oriented, crowd-pleasing production.

Which, if you compare to Shield cricket telecasts (are there any?)...

Then you've had some of those gun young players, get to put their best forward, in front of a decent commentary team of mostly decent ex players, who get to play Australian international selectors, launching the names into the minds and hearts of all these new cricket fans.

Who thus, as they grow older, may follow those players' careers, hopefully into the test team, thus ensuring test cricket's audience keeps growing, and regenerating.

And here's where this old crusty fan sits, also following their story, hopefully towards test cricket.

Of course Shield cricket matters. But everyone plays both anyway, just like some members of our current test team, who also play international T20....

It's Spencer Johnson for me. Tall leftie with sweet length, line, movement and zip. Reminds me of Bruce Reid. Got test cricket written all over him.

If I hadn't watched BBL, I wouldn't have known anything of his early career when (yeah I'm that confident) he plays his first test.

Its the stories like this that keep this fan engaged.

 

[sr36]

Good quality t20 cricket is more than that. The better bats still value their wicket by trying to find gaps rather than just slogging every ball.

Yeah, I don't like the franchise nature and ridiculous hoopla, but you can seperate that from the format itself. It's a highly skilled format that has added heaps to the game in general in terms of skill, analysis and creativity.

 

[Bedi]

Annoyingly looks like there is some rain forecast in the coming days.

 

[Borisdog]

Annoyingly looks like there is some rain forecast in the coming days.

The weathers been good, I’m 27 k north so pretty close. We’ve been down to Hikkaduwa for lunch a couple of times and that’s even closer. It’s been good there too. It does build up a little in late afternoon but after 5 or so. We had a fair bit of rain Saturday evening but, really, I think it’ll be good. The shot along the beach is looking south toward Galle from our backyard. It’s hazy but it’s been like that every morning. The odd spit during the game maybe, but largely good I’d reckon. We’ll see. It’s actually pretty nice weather.

 

[Bedi]

The weathers been good, I’m 27 k north so pretty close. We’ve been down to Hikkaduwa for lunch a couple of times and that’s even closer. It’s been good there too. It does build up a little in late afternoon but after 5 or so. We had a fair bit of rain Saturday evening but, really, I think it’ll be good. The shot along the beach is looking south toward Galle from our backyard. It’s hazy but it’s been like that every morning. The odd spit during the game maybe, but largely good I’d reckon. We’ll see. It’s actually pretty nice weather.

Looks amazing dude. Yeah it wont be a washout put it that way

 

[big_e]

Alright, taking a stab at the first test line-up.

Konstas
Khawaja
Labuschagne
Smith
Head
Webster
Carey
Connolly
Starc
Lyon
Murphy

Should know within 24 hours, I guess.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

It's a test team, you pick blokes who you've seen play well. And frankly for the conditions that's purely going to be in practice for a fair few of our guys.

I hope the selectors see Konstas play spin well in practice and pick him, but I won't be remotely surprised or critical if that doesn't occur.

My view is essentially if they don't see these Asian newbies perform well in practice in the conditions, why would they think they're going to perform well in a match - why would they select them?

But it really seems to be Konstas that you’re honing in on in this regard.

The other youngsters don’t seem to be getting the same 3rd degree. Why is that?

 

[sr36]

But it really seems to be Konstas that you’re honing in on in this regard.

The other youngsters don’t seem to be getting the same 3rd degree. Why is that?

Because people are posting that Konstas should be a certainty and it will be very controversial if he isn't selected. No one is posting that about McSweeney, Connolly, Inglis - it'll be controversial if they are selected (unless we cop an injury). The discussion hasn't come up about Webster, but personally, I'd probably lock him in if only playing one specialist seamer, but if we're playing two seamers, his seam bowling is irrelevant and I'd be weighing him up agianst the other Asian newbies in terms of how he's batting in the conditions, and select or not select him based on that. No idea about his spin or whether that would be relevant.

 

[Cmarsh]

Alright, taking a stab at the first test line-up.

Konstas
Khawaja
Labuschagne
Smith
Head
Webster
Carey
Connolly
Starc
Lyon
Murphy

Should know within 24 hours, I guess.

Connolly at 8 is a luxury if selected.

 

[sr36]

Connolly at 8 is a luxury if selected.

The other way of looking at it is that depending on the pitch, a 4th specialist bowler might be a luxury that we don't need and that will give us an ugly tail.

Selection is going to be really interesting. Lots of ways they may go.

 

[The 747]

Because people are posting that Konstas should be a certainty and it will be very controversial if he isn't selected. No one is posting that about McSweeney, Connolly, Inglis - it'll be controversial if they are selected (unless we cop an injury). The discussion hasn't come up about Webster, but personally, I'd probably lock him in if only playing one specialist seamer, but if we're playing two seamers, his seam bowling is irrelevant and I'd be weighing him up agianst the other Asian newbies in terms of how he's batting in the conditions, and select or not select him based on that. No idea about his spin or whether that would be relevant.

Konstas is a current member of the team. The others are not.

If the others play someone is getting dropped to make way for them.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Because people are posting that Konstas should be a certainty and it will be very controversial if he isn't selected. No one is posting that about McSweeney, Connolly, Inglis - it'll be controversial if they are selected (unless we cop an injury). The discussion hasn't come up about Webster, but personally, I'd probably lock him in if only playing one specialist seamer, but if we're playing two seamers, his seam bowling is irrelevant and I'd be weighing him up agianst the other Asian newbies in terms of how he's batting in the conditions, and select or not select him based on that. No idea about his spin or whether that would be relevant.

it will obvs be controversial if a young opener is dropped after 2 tests despite performing well. It is obviously not as controversial if 3 players who aren’t in the team continue to not be in the team.

 

[sr36]

Konstas is a current member of the team. The others are not.

If the others play someone is getting dropped to make way for them.

it will obvs be controversial if a young opener is dropped after 2 tests despite performing well. It is obviously not as controversial if 3 players who aren’t in the team continue to not be in the team.

I know, but I think many don't pay enough consideration for the different strengths and skills needed to succeed in the different conditions - not just for the bowlers but for the batters too.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

I know, but I think many don't pay enough consideration for the different strengths and skills needed to succeed in the different conditions - not just for the bowlers but for the batters too.

dropping a bloke 2 tests into his career despite decent returns because of a net session will be very controversial and rightly so.

Thankfully I don’t think it’ll happen

 

[sr36]

dropping a bloke 2 tests into his career despite decent returns because of a net session will be very controversial and rightly so.

Thankfully I don’t think it’ll happen

Fair enough. That's the traditional way of thinking of the test team. Harder to get out of than into and all that. (Particularly the batters. We've become more accustomed to bowlers being left out in Asia after good performances at home. I think we'll become accustomed to batters being left out too - particularly as more and more data is used to analyse performance in different conditions and against different types of bowling - and the influence of T20s viewing of match ups. I think it will increase our success in Asia. We don't need to see Head fail and not even look like scoring runs in 3 Asian series in a row before he works out an approach for the conditions. Pick them once they've worked out an approach that looks like working. Judging by how much he adapted his style for Bumrah, I think Konstas will work out an approach pretty quickly, but I wouldn't assume that he or any of the other newbies have done so yet. We need a couple to have done so though.

Personally, I think Asian tests are so different to Aussie tests that it's like a different format and you pick the team without giving a shit who the test incumbents were in Australian conditions - we have done so for ages with the bowlers. You pick the betters you think are most likely to score runs against Jayasuria and co - rather than those who you think will score against Bumrah and co decking it about and the bowlers most likely to take poles on a low turner.

 

[sosos]

Connolly at 8 is a luxury if selected.

Where Steve Smith debuted.

 

[sr36]

Where Steve Smith debuted.

Ravi Shastri debuted as a specialist spinner, batting at 10.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Fair enough. That's the traditional way of thinking of the test team. Harder to get out of than into and all that. (Particularly the batters. We've become more accustomed to bowlers being left out in Asia after good performances at home. I think we'll become accustomed to batters being left out too - particularly as more and more data is used to analyse performance in different conditions and against different types of bowling - and the influence of T20s viewing of match ups. I think it will increase our success in Asia. We don't need to see Head fail and not even look like scoring runs in 3 Asian series in a row before he works out an approach for the conditions. Pick them once they've worked out an approach that looks like working. Judging by how much he adapted his style for Bumrah, I think Konstas will work out an approach pretty quickly, but I wouldn't assume that he or any of the other newbies have done so yet.

Personally, I think Asian tests are so different to Aussie tests that it's like a different format and you pick the team without giving a shit who the test incumbents were in Australian conditions - we have done so for ages with the bowlers. You pick the betters you think are most likely to score runs against Jayasuria and co - rather than those who you think will score against Bumrah and co decking it about and the bowlers most likely to take poles on a low turner.

I think need give young blokes a bit of continuity. If he fails in SL, then discussions about his selection will be fair enough.

He’s played 2 tests, he’s done alright, he deserves at least a couple more.

 

[sr36]

I think need give young blokes a bit of continuity. If he fails in SL, then discussions about his selection will be fair enough.

He’s played 2 tests, he’s done alright, he deserves at least a couple more.

I think that in terms of Lords. I'd pick him for the WTC regardless of how he goes if he plays in these SL tests. I wouldn't factor it in at all. How he went against the seaming ball should have him inked into that team.

 

[Gough]

Great seeing cricket at the front of the sporting agenda in February still, usually by this time it's all pre season training and injury lists and I've never seen this sort of interest in any series against Sri Lanka.

 

[Pistol Night]

Great seeing cricket at the front of the sporting agenda in February still, usually by this time it's all pre season training and injury lists and I've never seen this sort of interest in any series against Sri Lanka.

Tests in January used to fill the void beautifully

 

[JackOutback]

it will obvs be controversial if a young opener is dropped after 2 tests despite performing well. It is obviously not as controversial if 3 players who aren’t in the team continue to not be in the team.

Let's not overegg the pudding, he has scores of 60, 8, 23 and 22. That's... fine. I understand that other batters were falling around him also, but that's a barely passable mark, albeit while acknowledging he is only 19, was facing one the world's best bowlers and will hopefully improve. Whether he plays or not, there's nothing outrageous in either decision.

 

[Pistol Night]

Let's not overegg the pudding, he has scores of 60, 8, 23 and 22. That's... fine. I understand that other batters were falling around him also, but that's a barely passable mark, albeit while acknowledging he is only 19, was facing one the world's best bowlers and will hopefully improve. Whether he plays or not, there's nothing outrageous in either decision.

This is going in my arsenal.

 

[ROOTA#6]

Great seeing cricket at the front of the sporting agenda in February still, usually by this time it's all pre season training and injury lists and I've never seen this sort of interest in any series against Sri Lanka.

Funny what happens when the bigwigs make something accessible for everyone.

So good that it will be live and free for people to watch