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

[Jim Prideaux]

Rather have the extra batting AR over there. You just need to be accurate and the pitch does the work. I’d be picking Connolly.

Except when it doesn’t and your bowlers (with a lot more experience than CC) take 0-330.

 

[sr36]

On the bowlers I agree to a point (the best few quicks will play everywhere, but maybe not every game). On the batters, who are these spin specialists and where are they proving their spin playing credentials? It’s not like we have 12-15 blokes that could arguably be in the best 6-7 bats on the country.

You may get the odd one pop up who demands selection in Asian conditions, but it’ll remain fairly rare for the time being.

You don't need 15 batters as there will always be blokes who play both. You get good players in the conditions by having talented players practice a lot in the conditions on tours like this and training camps.

It probably depends on your view of how and why a bloke like Ponting went from being a walking wicket in his first two tours of India who averaged 7 after 12 innings to being a good bat in Asia.

Was it from playing those 200 or so balls in tests, or was it from multiple tours where he faced thousands of balls and worked out how to succeed in the conditions. I think it's the latter.

If we want to succeed in Asia, we can't have walking wickets who get picked because they're good in Australian conditions but haven't worked out how to play in Asia yet.

The good ones will adapt. Some will adapt straight away, but even an all time great like Punter took a while.

 

[sr36]

Rather have the extra batting AR over there. You just need to be accurate and the pitch does the work. I’d be picking Connolly.

It'll depend on the the pitch. A lot of there's are good tracks for batting. They scored 500 against us last tour. They lost the first test on a big turner and then rolled out a traditional Asian pitch for the second one and won it easily. I wouldn't assume this one is going to make part timers really dangerous - particularly in the first innings.

 

[Coasters7]

I'm not saying he shouldn't play I'm reading as they think Trav has more chance of pulling it off in those conditions.
There's a playing it safe element in the selection although I also think it's dodgy to stuff around with Trav in the order.

If we needed to win I’d understand their thought process but these are basically trial games for the WTC and Ashes. Head won’t be opening in either of those so why do it now?

Connolly, Mcsweeney and Konstas should all be first picked imo. There’s no reason for them to not be in the 11.

 

[sr36]

If we needed to win I’d understand their thought process but these are basically trial games for the WTC and Ashes. Head won’t be opening in either of those so why do it now?

Connolly, Mcsweeney and Konstas should all be first picked imo. There’s no reason for them to not be in the 11.

I'd say any dead rubber factor will be focussed on India 2027 more than WTC or Ashes. WTC and Ashes will be the blokes we just saw beat India, with a tweak here or there based on injury or Green's return.

 

[Spiritof82]

I said Konstas would be gone from the team within 3 years..... and it happened within a momth..... LOL.

Best thing to happen, back to grade cricket for him

 

[cats_09]

 

[dogs105]

No thanks you need SLA in these conditions. Even without Murphy there’s THREE off spinners in the lineup. How many do you need?

I'd have Murphy ahead of Lyon too. At least he tosses it up occasionally

 

[LukeParkerno1]

I'd have Murphy ahead of Lyon too. At least he tosses it up occasionally

No issue on form Lyon was horrible this summer. Call a spade a spade he was dreadful. They won’t do it though so give us the bet bat version of a spinner and that’s Connolly and then 2 or the 3 left over. We should have taken a leggie over there

 

[corbies]

Test matches being called trial games will just about do me I reckon.

 

[cricketnut14]

I’d be saying the same thing too- either play them or let them come back and play Shield

only 1 shield match during this tour.

 

[yabsy]

Rather have the extra batting AR over there. You just need to be accurate and the pitch does the work. I’d be picking Connolly.

Going into a test match with only 3 frontline bowlers is a risky proposition & it's something they rarely do

On Redmi Note 8 Pro using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[ROOTA#6]

No issue on form Lyon was horrible this summer. Call a spade a spade he was dreadful. They won’t do it though so give us the bet bat version of a spinner and that’s Connolly and then 2 or the 3 left over. We should have taken a leggie over there

Be hardly bowled

 

[Around the Wicket]

I honestly don't understand dropping Konstas.. the kids 19 year old specialist opener.. only one way to find out if he'll be any good in spinning conditions and thats play him.

 

[Gough]

I honestly don't understand dropping Konstas.. the kids 19 year old specialist opener.. only one way to find out if he'll be any good in spinning conditions and thats play him.

I can only think that they don't want him to have a hard time on turners and start second guessing his game but I don't think it's a great decision.

 

[sr36]

Going into a test match with only 3 frontline bowlers is a risky proposition & it's something they rarely do

On Redmi Note 8 Pro using BigFooty.com mobile app

Only an option if it's a rank turner that won't last many overs.

 

[Westend]

Best thing to happen, back to grade cricket for him

Terrible comment still hasn’t been dropped from the team

And if he is being around the test set up will be good for him

It’s obvious the selectors are looking at Konstas Sweeney and Connolly as the future

Only missing one shield game being around the squad is huge

 

[THE A5]

If Inglis plays I wonder the last time a keeper was used as a bat in tests. I know Wade played as a pure bat when he returned to the test side but it felt like he wasn’t keeping as much at that period

 

[swingdog]

I've obviously missed it, but who's broadcasting this in Australia? Kayo?

 

[Westend]

I've obviously missed it, but who's broadcasting this in Australia? Kayo?

Seven

 

[THE A5]

I honestly don't understand dropping Konstas.. the kids 19 year old specialist opener.. only one way to find out if he'll be any good in spinning conditions and thats play him.

It’s extremely tough call on him but if Heads gonna open they had to have a bloke like Uzzie who can anchor at that end.

It’s one of those things that yes he might be not be great with spin but you might as well give him the opportunity in the subcontinent now before a big India series

 

[Around the Wicket]

It’s extremely tough call on him but if Heads gonna open they had to have a bloke like Uzzie who can anchor at that end.

It’s one of those things that yes he might be not be great with spin but you might as well give him the opportunity in the subcontinent now before a big India series

yep give him the chance against the crap sub continent side before the good one.. that's my thinking as well.

 

[sr36]

Is this team and order shuffling shrewd management and planning?

Or are we over complicating things?

It's not team and order shuffling if you're thinking of it as our Asian test team:

Here's our team at the end of the 23 tour of India when we'd adjusted and were going well:

Head
Khawaja
Marnus
Smith
Green
Handscomb
Carey
Starc
Kuhnemann
Murphy
Lyon

Same top 4. One forced change with Green. Probably Inglis for Handscomb. Same bowlers, but the number of spinners depending on the pitch.

We're building for India 27. The youngsters haven't pushed anyone out yet, but they'll get great experience on the tour and one or two of them might be ready by then.

 

[getthefooty]

Test matches being called trial games will just about do me I reckon.

Correct. I’ve hated the narrative around this series. It’s even been spouted by some players and senior figures in Australian cricket. Was every test series before the WTC a trial series? It’s a test series, you pick your team to win and you better be ****ing hurting if you don’t. You are judged on every test match you play and your legacy is tarnished by every test you lose and enhanced by every test you win.

 

[nobbyiscool]

I never really believe in picking for the future - you pick the best 11 you have every game.

If I were a selector though, I'd be so tempted to make an exception here.

Connolly is the one. Dude looks like a thumb, and obviously doesn't have the first class wickets to justify selection. But he's such a talent, and the only thing likely to cost us the WTC Final is slow over rates.

I kind of fear he might suffer the "James Faulkner Syndrome" of being (at test level) a bowling all-rounder number 7 in a country that hasn't wanted that player in about 60 years... so my temptation is to just back him at 6, get 2 games into him, and maybe give ourselves a nice problem when Green returns.

It's bowling heavy, but given they've already announced Head to open, I'm going

Head
Khawaja
Labuschagne
Smith
Webster
Connolly
Carey
Starc
Boland
Lyon
Kuhnemann (who is only above Murphy because of the variety he offers.)