3rd Test Border Gavaskar Trophy December 14-18 1050hrs @ The Gabba

[fargothegreat]

Why do you?

The guy has failed to get to 10 in 5 out of 6 innings. While it certainly is tough against Bumrah that job is not going to get any easier this series so if he is not up to the task get someone else in who at least might be able to. I also think the idea that replacing him with someone who will look to put the pressure back on Bumrah is a good one.

I think McSweeney failing to score is also putting a fair bit of pressure on Khawaja. He used to have the luxury of taking his time to get in when batting with Warner, because he knew Warner would keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Need someone who can play a Warner-type role. Can Konstas be that guy?

 

[Iceman!]

I think McSweeney failing to score is also putting a fair bit of pressure on Khawaja. He used to have the luxury of taking his time to get in when batting with Warner, because he knew Warner would keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Need someone who can play a Warner-type role. Can Konstas be that guy?

Maybe not even Warner type but we need someone in the top 3 who can be more proactive. They are just sitting ducks waiting to edge one at the moment. I just don’t see how they can look at the first 3 tests and think this top 3 is going to work going in to the next two. You don’t dump them all but you can’t carry them all.

 

[Underarm]

Maybe not even Warner type but we need someone in the top 3 who can be more proactive. They are just sitting ducks waiting to edge one at the moment. I just don’t see how they can look at the first 3 tests and think this top 3 is going to work going in to the next two. You don’t dump them all but you can’t carry them all.

You can even extend that to the top 4. The only time any of our batsmen look settled is when Head is out there.

 

[RookiePick]

Why do you?

The guy has failed to get to 10 in 5 out of 6 innings. While it certainly is tough against Bumrah that job is not going to get any easier this series so if he is not up to the task get someone else in who at least might be able to. I also think the idea that replacing him with someone who will look to put the pressure back on Bumrah is a good one.

How's the bloke at the other end going?

Jaiswal has had one innings so far in the series and is probably the most talented young opener in world cricket.

Maybe it's just pretty tough opening the batting against top shelf bowling when the pitch is offering some assistance? Maybe it's tough starting your career when the other 3 members of the top 4 are walking wickets?

 

[Iceman!]

How's the bloke at the other end going?

Jaiswal has had one innings so far in the series and is probably the most talented young opener in world cricket.

Maybe it's just pretty tough opening the batting against top shelf bowling when the pitch is offering some assistance? Maybe it's tough starting your career when the other 3 members of the top 4 are walking wickets?

Usman should also be in trouble. You conveniently left out Rahul who had looked solid almost all series.

No one is saying it isn’t hard, but it isn’t going to get any easier. If he isn’t up to it why do you persist with him now? Dropping him doesn’t mean his career is over, it just means he isn’t ready at this stage.

 

[RookiePick]

Because the alternatives are also not very good. McSweeney has at least shown he is test standard in the field and may settle with the bat.

With the top order a complete shambles I just don't see any benefit to dropping McSweeney so quickly. It's all downside - we don't find out enough about McSweeney, the replacement and structurally our top order is still odds on to fold up for not many - even if we dropped peak Matt Hayden in there.

 

[Iceman!]

Because the alternatives are also not very good. McSweeney has at least shown he is test standard in the field and may settle with the bat.

With the top order a complete shambles I just don't see any benefit to dropping McSweeney so quickly. It's all downside - we don't find out enough about McSweeney, the replacement and structurally our top order is still odds on to fold up for not many - even if we dropped peak Matt Hayden in there.

Disagree, being an average fielder and terrible with the bat the downside is very low. The top order is in shambles and you see no benefit to moving on one of the players contributing to that issue?

We have seen he is not up to handling Bumrah and the top 4 clearly aren’t working as a whole. Someone has to go and I am okay with it being Aus man instead but you can not keep rolling out the same top 4 and expect to win this series.

 

[JimmyBC]

Dropping Usman &/or Marnus would be the ballsy decision over lopping the 3 gamer not that I'd lose sleep over it, we are here because they didn't have the minerals to move Warner on 12 months earlier.

 

[SSwans2011]

A fair bit of this seems to be a confidence issue for McSweeney. He looked solid enough when he got through the first spell on day 1 in Adelaide. Need to keep in mind that he's effectively learning how to open on the fly.

He's one of the last I'd drop when all of our batters except Head are struggling, and he's the one most likely to still be there in 5 years.

Besides, it's not like the alternatives are great. That's why we have a number 4 opening in the first place.

 

[Lunchtime]

Harbhajan Singh was the best offie I saw.

One of the best off-spinners I saw was Saqlain Mushtaq: in Test's he took 208 wickets @ 29.83 and in ODI's he took 288 wickets @ 21.78. He also developed the "other one" or the "doosra" as well. Outstanding off-spin bowler. Right up there with the very best off-spinners of all time in my opinion.

 

[ioppolo]

One of the best off-spinners I saw was Saqlain Mushtaq: in Test's he took 208 wickets @ 29.83 and in ODI's he took 288 wickets @ 21.78. He also developed the "other one" or the "doosra" as well. Outstanding offspin bowler. Right up there with the very best off-spinners of all time in my opinion.

Why did he retire so young?

 

[It Just Is]

McSweeney’s issue isn’t just getting out. He has no scoring options. I’m not sure selecting him for the next 2 tests does any favours in the long run.

Marnus hardly any better lately.

 

[Lunchtime]

Why did he retire so young?

No idea. He only played 49 Test matches and 169 ODI's. Read this below and it might explain a bit:

Saqlain Mushtaq

Saqlain Mushtaq Profile - Cricket Player Pakistan | Stats, Records, Video

Read about Saqlain Mushtaq cricket player from Pakistan profile, stats, rankings, records, videos, photos at ESPNcricinfo

www.espncricinfo.com

On a side note, he even scored a Test century as well.

 

[Westend]

In the squad named today ?

 

[Westend]

McSweeney’s issue isn’t just getting out. He has no scoring options. I’m not sure selecting him for the next 2 tests does any favours in the long run.

Marnus hardly any better lately.

Issue is regardless of Sydney being there ar not is the top three are cooked …both in scoring and and scoring rate . Dropping Sydney for Konstas doesn’t. Make sense to me .. why didn’t they just pick konsttas at the start of the series ? And it would be harsh on Sydney as marnus has been f$$ked for 2 years with 1 ton in 40 innings

Still reckon the best chance we have is moving smudge to three and stacking the middle order with stroke players ..that can score quick before bumrah nicks them off

Head Inglis marsh/webster if marsh can’t bowl Carey

This is all speculation interesting to see what the selectors do

 

[Underarm]

Besides, it's not like the alternatives are great. That's why we have a number 4 opening in the first plaplace

Marcus Harris is almost twice as good as Mcsweeney. That's how poor his start has been. If you think Sweeney's 14 is the best we got, you lack imagination.

 

[PhatBoy]

Saqlain I always suspected may have dipped out because of the growing scrutiny on bowling actions.

Murali’s was so complex that whatever side of the argument you stood on there was always some scientific or biomechanical counter argument getting lodged. Saqlain didn’t have a ‘tricky’ action - he just had a downright suspicious one at times. He was still a fantastic bowler and that doosra was beautiful when he got it right: it was like it hung in mid air sometimes and then pitched and kicked away

He was also one of the few non Indian spinners who did well there albeit he only played one series there - he took 20 odd wickets. He bowled well in Australia on his one visit, only notably struggled in a couple of places.

Just reading a few online things about him, there are some theories that he was a lot older than his alleged age as well

 

[RookiePick]

Saqlain I always suspected may have dipped out because of the growing scrutiny on bowling actions.

Murali’s was so complex that whatever side of the argument you stood on there was always some scientific or biomechanical counter argument getting lodged. Saqlain didn’t have a ‘tricky’ action - he just had a downright suspicious one at times. He was still a fantastic bowler and that doosra was beautiful when he got it right: it was like it hung in mid air sometimes and then pitched and kicked away

He was also one of the few non Indian spinners who did well there albeit he only played one series there - he took 20 odd wickets. He bowled well in Australia on his one visit, only notably struggled in a couple of places.

Just reading a few online things about him, there are some theories that he was a lot older than his alleged age as well

Pakistan and teenage debutants that look 40. Iconic.

 

[Woody15]

Shahid Afridi had a dubious age as well from memory. I remember reading about his 100 off 37 in the old Sports Weekly magazine and claims he was 16 or 17 at the time?

 

[PhatBoy]

Pakistan and teenage debutants that look 40. Iconic.

He didn’t even debut that ‘young’ in relative terms, he was just shy of his 20th birthday so it seems a bit odd in his case.

 

[Gough]

Shahid Afridi had a dubious age as well from memory. I remember reading about his 100 off 37 in the old Sports Weekly magazine and claims he was 16 or 17 at the time?

Pakistan claimed Waqar Younis and Aaqib Javid as barely being old enough to have finished puberty first time they came out here.

 

[dumb]

i would have preferred konstas to open if they were just going to give a non-opener the role and drop him after a couple of quiet games. not being an opener gives the selectors extra excuses on top of form to drop him. still would have preferred a journeyman opener in the short term. comes off good, it doesn't you stamp the papers.

 

[Woody15]

McSweeney dropped for Konstas it appears.

 

[Scorpus]

If we shuffled McSweeney down to 3, he'd be coming in after 5 overs anyway when Khawaja gets dismissed for single digits

He probably should be backed in but he did nothing to cement his spot. All he had to do was slightly outperform a woefully out of form Marnus and a cooked Khawaja and couldn't even manage that really

 

[ioppolo]

Shahid Afridi had a dubious age as well from memory. I remember reading about his 100 off 37 in the old Sports Weekly magazine and claims he was 16 or 17 at the time?

There's been controversy around Afridi's age and Afridi himself can barely give a direct answer. It's been stated that he was potentially either 19 or 21 at the time of his ODI debut, not 16.