Australia v India - pre series discussion

[PhatBoy]

Can anyone clarify what number test Smith was playing when Archer hit him with that nasty blow? I'm guessing it'll be somewhere close to that 68th test.

That 68th test came 2 tests later; after the Lords test where he got hit, he did not bat in the second innings.

He came back in the next test and smashed a double-century, and 82 in the second innings for good measure.
That was his 67th
In the first innings of his 68th he hit another 80 and by my reading of it that’s where his average peaked

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Head should open, I have no idea why he can’t. The role suits him and who cares if he doesn’t like the idea? Make him do it, it’s not like he is a great #5.
You can play Inglis at 6.
Doesn’t seem all that difficult to me.

He literally is our most important bat and one of the only ones in form. You are not moving him from no5 it’s that simple.

 

[Voice of the G]

Surely the opener if he doesn't fail 6 times will be Bancroft, the comments by Bailey last week were on the lines of he had to be in great form to nick those.

I love Konstas but my gut says maybe a summer too soon, take him on every A game/tour for a year, look at him in 2026.

Depends a lot on what Konstas does in the upcoming 2 A grade games for Australia if he is to play 1st test.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Depends a lot on what Konstas does in the upcoming 2 A grade games for Australia if he is to play 1st test.

Just hope they don’t revert back to Harris we know how this goes

 

[Gough]

We could also go into the first Test without a player under thirty which is a little bit terrifying.

 

[Freezin]

Khawaja not doing much in the shield cricket at the moment is a worry.

I think more is the worry, is that the selectors won't drop Ussie through the India series, if he has a Warner like UK Ashes series. Reason is that the selectors would need to play 2 new openers then, which they would be loathe to do v Bumrah et al.

Smith and Ussie are locked in for all 5 tests( barring injury) regardless of form. Probably ditto for Labs as well.

 

[southern_crusher]

Smith is completely cooked and can't see him averaging more than low 30s against India. Also think India wins the whole series rather easily

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Smith is completely cooked and can't see him averaging more than low 30s against India. Also think India wins the whole series rather easily

At this stage I’d take 30! The way he batted yesterday double figures is a stretch the bloke was playing field hockey with balls hitting the stumps

 

[magpiemaniac44]

Firmly believe we bring in an opening bat rather than shifting one of our established middle order batsmen up.

Only problem is the batsmen in good form in the Shield all bat in the middle order McSweeney, Inglis, Handscomb and Webster.

I reckon it could literally comes down to who bats well in the Shield and Aus A game

 

[burge13]

We could also go into the first Test without a player under thirty which is a little bit terrifying.

I'm less worried about this tbh. Test cricket is different to season long sports, you pick the best players for that series.

We're never short on fast bowling, our next crop of quicks will still take 20 wickets.

Probably a bat or 2 short under 30 but someone will pop up when we need them. McSweeney still has a summer to develop, Konstas is just a kid, Connelly highly regarded, as is Ollie Davies.

 

[western royboy]

Didn’t see it but saw a hell of a lot of blow ups about it on social media along the lines of ‘not hitting a second set’ so must have been a pretty borderline decision at best

Jagged back a long way - you’d be dirty getting given out at any level

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Jagged back a long way - you’d be dirty getting given out at any level

Agree, poor decision. The one yesterday wasn't though the plonker can use his bat

 

[Black Diamond]

You never know, Khawaja and Renshaw have a huge chance today with a long time to bay and 300 to get. Could be when it turns around.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

You never know, Khawaja and Renshaw have a huge chance today with a long time to bay and 300 to get. Could be when it turns around.

Bancroft too even a 30 or so not out

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Not really my place to say as a ‘non fan’ but probably the concerning thing about that analysis is that the most reliable player in that line up who isn’t probably on the verge of retirement (Usman), ALSO believes he has to smash everything in order to play his role in the side which he really doesn’t as he was just as good before he started playing that way as he was after it.

I’ll give Travis his due, he has played 2-3 genuinely momentum shifting knocks with his borderline England-esque approach but he really didn’t need to change what he was doing, and the downside of it has been that he’s had a couple of shockers at crucial times as well.

Always appreciate your opinions Phat.

I think let Head do what head does, but I will certainly agree it’s concerning when you frame it with the age of our squad.

We desperately need more ‘A’ games and to begin blooding Bats in particular. My worry is I just can’t see it happening.