Australia v India - pre series discussion

[Jim Prideaux]

Hang on, I thought we were preparing for tests? No one could play the deciding ODI yet here is Carey playing for SA in a one dayer.

How does that work? Are we concentrating on tests or not?

Bit of a head scratcher, maybe it was up to the individual players - offered the time off but not forced?

 

[Whiskers]

Bit of a head scratcher, maybe it was up to the individual players - offered the time off but not forced?

Nah that would annoy me more. Opted not to play? No way.

 

[big_e]

Hang on, I thought we were preparing for tests? No one could play the deciding ODI yet here is Carey playing for SA in a one dayer.

How does that work? Are we concentrating on tests or not?

Carey isn't the first-choice ODI keeper - Josh Inglis is.

Since Carey was dropped during the 23 CWC, he's only played as a keeper when Inglis has been injured. (They both played in the last ODI in England recently but Inglis kept and Carey was a batter only.)

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Nah that would annoy me more. Opted not to play? No way.

I’m not sure it would annoy me. Honestly, I’m not really sure why Labs, Smith, Cummins, Haze even play ODIs. Like roll them out for the World Cup, but otherwise use it as a development team and try and keep some continuity with the selection - create a team.

 

[Freezin]

Carey isn't the first-choice ODI keeper - Josh Inglis is.

Since Carey was dropped during the 23 CWC, he's only played as a keeper when Inglis has been injured. (They both played in the last ODI in England recently but Inglis kept and Carey was a batter only.)

Considering how well Carey has been batting this season across all formats, surely he was worth a spot in that ODI XI for that Perth series decider.....nope let's give Stoinis a go, despite Tarzan scoring what so far this season?

The selectors are selecting, like the batsmen are batting at present.... with little or no nous.

 

[ioppolo]

Carey has been in awesome form...let the momentum keep going I say.

 

[Golumless]

Bit of a head scratcher, maybe it was up to the individual players - offered the time off but not forced?

Cummins mentioned something like that in his interview with cricket et al., where the test match players had the flexibility to choose what matches they wanted to play to prepare for the first test match. For instance, he highlighted Hazlewood preference was to play shield cricket over the ODIs, Starc and himself vice versa.

 

[Some Idiot]

Absolutely, that is a great approach and one I can fully get on board with

Except that after Mitch was dropped in 2018, he then played the grand total of 6 first class games in 5 years before returning to the test side in 2023. The guy batted 11 times at first class level in 5 years. He didn't demonstrate shit

He was called up because he happened to be on holiday in England, and they wanted an all rounder, it was a rare circumstance.

 

[sabso]

He was called up because he happened to be on holiday in England, and they wanted an all rounder, it was a rare circumstance.

James Franklin style.

 

[74561347]

He was called up because he happened to be on holiday in England, and they wanted an all rounder, it was a rare circumstance.

he was literally named in the squad in april 2023

Mitchell Marsh and Matthew Renshaw named in Australia’s 17-player squad for 2023 Ashes

Warner spared axe, star snubbed as Aussies pull big Ashes selection shocks

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[western royboy]

Are we saying this like 26 is old? Can green is not perfect but he is the technique and the temperament to be a long term number 4. Think with time we would see his numbers reflect that.

Biq query still on technique for me particularly early because he doesn’t move his feet

 

[Around the Wicket]

Plenty of carry on about the McSweeney selection, don't understand why.. I like it.

Options were;

Bancroft, Renshaw or Harris - All in horrible form and previous tried and didn't do anything.

Renshaw has 69 runs at 13.80 after 3 shield games with a top score of 25 and Bancroft has 10 runs at 2.50 to start the shield season. Harris hasn't started to bad with a 100 and a 50 in 2 games but the game he scored them in was a high scoring run fest and nothing of note around that game.

or

19 year old Konstas who unfortunately couldn't make another big score after the twin tons to really push his case.

while McSweeney has been the most consistent to start the season.

 

[toml]

Plenty of carry on about the McSweeney selection, don't understand why.. I like it.

Options were;

Bancroft, Renshaw or Harris - All in horrible form and previous tried and didn't do anything.

Renshaw has 69 runs at 13.80 after 3 shield games with a top score of 25 and Bancroft has 10 runs at 2.50 to start the shield season. Harris hasn't started to bad with a 100 and a 50 in 2 games but the game he scored them in was a high scoring run fest and nothing of note around that game.

or

19 year old Konstas who unfortunately couldn't make another big score after the twin tons to really push his case.

while McSweeney has been the most consistent to start the season.

View attachment 2163840

53, 67, 117 and 6 in his 2 previous shield matches at the end of last season too

137, 0 (howler of an umpiring decision, so forgive), 52, 40, 53, 49, 62, and 51 in List A cricket since the start of last season. Could do worse than give him a run at 3 in the ODI side between the champions trophy and the next WC, especially if he handles the Indian attack this summer and looks comfortable against international bowling. Can't do any worse than the fringe guys that played Pakistan.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

Reckon Beau Webster Is stiff not to get a game in this team. Best form of his career with bat and ball. He's the best all rounder in Australia currently, taking wickets and making big runs. He bowls more than all the others do including Cam Green, first choice option after the openers alot for Tassie. Was solid for Australia A too.

 

[Westend]

Looks like there is going to be some weather thunderstorms . before the test ..maybe on the morning of it

could be a spicy deck ...bowl first you would think with both brittle batting lineups atm

 

[Westend]

Reckon Beau Webster Is stiff not to get a game in this team. Best form of his career with bat and ball. He's the best all rounder in Australia currently, taking wickets and making big runs. He bowls more than all the others do including Cam Green, first choice option after the openers alot for Tassie. Was solid for Australia A too.

who are you going to drop ??

 

[Some Idiot]

Reckon Beau Webster Is stiff not to get a game in this team. Best form of his career with bat and ball. He's the best all rounder in Australia currently, taking wickets and making big runs. He bowls more than all the others do including Cam Green, first choice option after the openers alot for Tassie. Was solid for Australia A too.

He should probably have played that last ODI ahead of Hardie and Stoinis, but here we are

 

[Voice of the G]

who are you going to drop ??

Would think the spot he would be after is M.Marsh.Mitch,s biggest problem is his body and can bowl to many overs these days in case of injury.

 

[Whiskers]

Ed Cowan with some great stats on McSweeney.
For all the people who say he comes in early, that maybe true but here are his scores when that happens.


“He has two scores over 50 - 53 and 67 against NSW. Here are his other scores: 22, 32, 10, 0, 12, 48, 36, 15, 20, 25, 11, 0, 7 and 0,” Cowan said on the podcast of the times McSweeney has walked to the crease after an early wicket or two.


The obvious answer to open is still Travis Head!

 

[Freezin]

Would think the spot he would be after is M.Marsh.Mitch,s biggest problem is his body and can bowl to many overs these days in case of injury.

When was the last time Marsh even bowled? Marsh keeps saying he is fit to bowl as many overs as Cummins wants him to....sounds like all talk to be honest

 

[Thrillthorpe7]

Ed Cowan with some great stats on McSweeney.
For all the people who say he comes in early, that maybe true but here are his scores when that happens.


“He has two scores over 50 - 53 and 67 against NSW. Here are his other scores: 22, 32, 10, 0, 12, 48, 36, 15, 20, 25, 11, 0, 7 and 0,” Cowan said on the podcast of the times McSweeney has walked to the crease after an early wicket or two.


The obvious answer to open is still Travis Head!

There is no need to overthink the selection, McSweeney has been selected as he averages 50 in his last 50 FC innings and is therefore the next best batsman outside the current Test side. He's made scores in tough situations and that means a heck of a lot more than whether he opens or bats at 3/4.

This article is far more in-depth about McSweeney's career and what helped him get selected (but also balances it out with the talk of what position he bats): https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/...han-mcsweeney-to-new-world-of-opening-1459070

It is understood Australia's selectors did a deeper dive into the candidates' performances against the best Shield attacks on the Test venues in the recent past to find a separator amongst them. McSweeney stood out.

Last season he made 64 and 100 in a low-scoring game against a New South Wales attack featuring Jackson Bird and Chris Tremain, 112 not out at the Gabba against Michael Neser, Mark Steketee and Mitchell Swepson, and 117 against the Shield finalists Tasmania on a brutal wicket at Bellerive where the next highest score in the game was 68. This season he scored 55 and 127 not out against NSW at Cricket Central in Sydney where Nathan Lyon took eight wickets across 63.3 overs. His 39 and 88 not out against India A were standout performances in Mackay on a surface assisting the quicks.

 

[Whiskers]

There is no need to overthink the selection, McSweeney has been selected as he averages 50 in his last 50 FC innings and is therefore the next best batsman outside the current Test side. He's made scores in tough situations and that means a heck of a lot more than whether he opens or bats at 3/4.

This article is far more in-depth about McSweeney's career and what helped him get selected (but also balances it out with the talk of what position he bats): https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/...han-mcsweeney-to-new-world-of-opening-1459070

Cool, bat him at 4 or 5. Open with Head

 

[toml]

Cool, bat him at 4 or 5. Open with Head

What is your evidence that Head would be better opening in red ball cricket in Australia? Or are you just guessing too on account of Head not having opened in FC cricket in Australia either?

 

[Whiskers]

What is your evidence that Head would be better opening in red ball cricket in Australia? Or are you just guessing too on account of Head not having opened in FC cricket in Australia either?

My ‘evidence’ is more that we don’t have an opener so don’t look for one.
We have a plethora of options for the middle order though.

Head is talented but has not set the world on fire at #5. I’m sure he can do a better job opening and could hardly be worse. He opens in the short form and can hopefully score at a rate Warner used to.
We aren’t really losing anything by putting him up to open but we have plenty to gain looking for a middle order option rather than an opener that does not exist. Plus when Green comes back, you can easily slide him back in.
When Green comes back, what are we to do? Drop an established player?

When Khawaja retires soon enough you have to find 2 non existent openers. The numbers suggest McSweeney won’t have thrived.
I hope he does but the numbers above suggest he won’t.

 

[Thrillthorpe7]

My ‘evidence’ is more that we don’t have an opener so don’t look for one.
We have a plethora of options for the middle order though.

Head is talented but has not set the world on fire at #5. I’m sure he can do a better job opening and could hardly be worse. He opens in the short form and can hopefully score at a rate Warner used to.
We aren’t really losing anything by putting him up to open but we have plenty to gain looking for a middle order option rather than an opener that does not exist. Plus when Green comes back, you can easily slide him back in.
When Green comes back, what are we to do? Drop an established player?

When Khawaja retires soon enough you have to find 2 non existent openers. The numbers suggest McSweeney won’t have thrived.
I hope he does but the numbers above suggest he won’t.

Trav has been consistently one of the best Tests batsmen in the world over the last 18 months, won us a WTC final and played some important innings in England and India. What more does he need to do to 'set the world on fire'?!