Pick the XI for Boxing Day v India

[Doodlesweaver]

Watson
Warner
Khawaja
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Hack
Siddle
Pattinson/Harris
Cummins/Harris
Lyon

Harris, Cummins, Pattinson to rotate through the series to try to avoid the inevitable injuries.

I don't know what to do with Shaun Marsh though. I guess ideally Hussey would be retired but that won't happen. And Marsh deserves his no 3 spot ahead of Usman but that wont happen either since Usman is NSW and Marsh isn't.

Bit of a dilemma but since we now have some competition for spots in the batters, Hughes needs to be discarded and one of Hussey or Ponting needs to go very soon.

Team should be:

Warner
Khawaja
Marsh
Ponting
Clarke
Watson
Anyone but Haddin
etc etc

All this talk about competition for spots sounds daft to me.

No-one is performing really, really well with the bat, apart from Clarke and he is having a very jammy run at present. But you need that.

It boils down to whether the selectors want to stick with batsmen who aren't really doing a great deal in order to give them a decent run or not.

 

[CHIEF SMACKAHOE]

Hughes
Khawaja
Clarke (give it a go)
Ponting
Watson
Hussey
Wade
Pattinson
Harris
Cummins
Lyon

 

[Bucking Beads]

We moved Clarke once before and it didn't work leave him at 5 thanks.

 

[stevemac]

Clarke averages over 50 in the number 4 spot and opened well in one-dayers. Surely he is much more versatile than he is given credit for. My concern is building a top 6 without Ponting or Hussey and having someone as experienced as Clarke remaining at 5.

Hughes
Watson
Clarke
Ponting
Hussey
Khawaja (Ponting played over 30 tests at #6 before promotion. I am a massive fan of the #6 being an apprenticeship position)
Haddin
Pattinson
Harris
Cummins
Lyon

 

[Bucking Beads]

Might want to check the stats in regards to Clarke and number 4.

 

[stevemac]

Might want to check the stats in regards to Clarke and number 4.

The awkward moment when you read the strike rate instead of the average. Clarke at 5 it is.

 

[TheBrownlowMan37]

Hughes
Khawaja
Clarke (give it a go)
Ponting
Watson
Hussey
Wade
Pattinson
Harris
Cummins
Lyon

"Give it a go"? Really? That's the policy we should use when it comes to the Australian cricket team.

Why not ask Lyon to fire some thunderbolts at the batsmen's feet if Cummins or Pattinson break down during a game? It's not what he does, but we'll give it a go anyway.

You pick the side and play them in their best positions/roles, you don't move a guy who's doing well in one position to plug a hole in another.

 

[CHIEF SMACKAHOE]

You pick the side and play them in their best positions/roles, you don't move a guy who's doing well in one position to plug a hole in another.

i dunno what you're yammering about with the lyon stuff but clarke is our best batsman, and your best batsman should bat at 3.

 

[stevemac]

You pick the side and play them in their best positions/roles, you don't move a guy who's doing well in one position to plug a hole in another.

You do if it's the best decision for an optimal team performance.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Clarke is best suited to 5, he plays the spin well and has performed well in the position. No need to move him to 3 when we have Khawaja or Marsh well suited to the 3.

 

[TheBrownlowMan37]

i dunno what you're yammering about with the lyon stuff but clarke is our best batsman, and your best batsman should bat at 3.

That's a myth, you play them where they perform best and for Clarke that's number 5. Khawaja or Marsh can be our number 3, but definitely not Clarke.

You do if it's the best decision for an optimal team performance.

You do, but it's not.

 

[courtjester]

i dunno what you're yammering about with the lyon stuff but clarke is our best batsman, and your best batsman should bat at 3.

That's such a big fallacy that people spout, probably because Bradman batted at 3.

Tendulkar doesn't bat at three. Lara only sometimes batted at 3. Steve Waugh hardly batted at 3. Border hardly batted at 3. All are/were the best batsmen in their teams.

You bat guys in the position that suits them and the team best. Clarke is best at 5, because he plays spin so beautifully. Ideally your number 5 comes in when the ball is over 50 overs old, and the spinners are on.

 

[Hellgood]

Yeah moving Clarke to 3 would be lunacy. Doesn't matter where he bats just as long as he is doing it well. Best suited to the middle order.

 

[Blue Dimension]

Bowlers pretty much pick themselves looking at it now (injury permitting) with;
- Harris
- Pattinson
- Cummins
- Lyon


The batting order is a whole different story really.

- Questions about Watson and Marsh's fitness (?)
- Does Watson go down the order? If so how does the order change?
- Khawaja does he play? Where does he bat?
- Warner's spot may be dependent on his performance against NZ and Khawaja's and Hughes's performance.
- Hughes... needs to perform too.

This Test is major for players like Khawaja, Warner and Hughes.

 

[The Passenger]

it'll be more interesting for who they leave out depending on how many of the blokes are fit.

watson and marsh will be back in the team if fit.

the question is which of hughes and warner will be the first batsmen out and which will survive if only one of marsh or watson is fit. they've got two innings to leap frog khawaja.

the second question then will be if they don't get themselves above khawaja, which of marsh or khawaja will open the batting with watson (or hughes/warner if watson is not fit)?? probably leaning towards usman to be honest.

clarke through to haddin won't change. lyon won't change.

the bowling is a little more clear cut.
harris and cummins will both come in if fit.
if only one is fit, starc will come out. if both are fit, siddle will also come out. it would probably take 8+ wickets in the second test to push siddle in front of pattinson and cummins... even then... maybe not.

 

[Dr Awkward]

I'm going to go with:

Watson
Khawaja
Marsh
Clarke
Ponting
Hussey
Haddin (ugh)
Harris|
Cummins
Pattinson
Lyon

Watson opening is not ideal, perhaps Marsh should open and get Watson in at 4. Hughes is an obvious dropping, just hasn't done enough, Warner is probably the next batsman in line for a spot. I think Khawaja is a must, he's done well so far imo and is a class act. Hussey and Ponting guide some of the youth but they will need to hit some runs in the first 2 tests to retain their spots. I dislike Haddin but he is playing.

The bowling order is quick and imposing, even though a bit inexperienced. Siddle can be next in line if someone is unfit. Lyon will have a huge test bowling to Tendulkar...etc but he hasn't put a foot wrong yet.

However if this line up was chosen there would probably be fitness questions over 4 or 5 players.

 

[Jascave]

1.Marsh
2.Khawaja
3.Ponting
4.Clarke (c)
5.Hussey
6.Watson
7.Haddin
8.Siddle
9.Cummins
10.Lyon
11.Pattinson

Harris 12th

I'd drop Watson down the batting order (due to injury concerns), and give Marsh & Khawaja the chance to open the batting for Australia. Cummins & Pattinson to open the bowling for Australia with Siddle & Watson at first change bowlers, Lyon to provide the spin option for Clarke.

 

[FRUMPY]

1. Marsh
2. Khawaja
3. Ponting
4. Watson
5. Clarke
6. Hussey
7. Haddin
8. Siddle
9. Pattinson
10. Cummins
11. Lyon

No way Harris will be fit enough by boxing day test, and even if he is he will break down again. This guy just cant last 5 days, let alone a whole series.

I would drop Watson down the order straight away. Hughes will probably hit a tonne and make the cut but if he has 2 soft dismissals outside off then he should be dropped.

 

[Rumblah#16]

Khawaja
Marsh
Ponting
Watson
Clarke
Hussey
Haddin
Siddle
Pattinson
Cummins
Lyon.

Harris in for Siddle after he has proven his fitness, Paine in for Haddin as soon as his finger has healed. Warner further away from Test cricket, would be fourth or possibly fifth in line with Khawaja, Marsh, Hughes and Watson ahead of him.

 

[Cousin Jed]

Cummins will be missing all the test matches as well as Johnson

http://cricket.com.au/news-display/Cummins-to-miss-most-of-Indian-series/26295

 

[nicko99]

Patrick Cummins’s return to cricket has been delayed due to bone stress injury in his heel. Not back until mid-Jan

 

[Rumblah#16]

Ouch.

 

[aussie1st]

We better start praying Starc gets better or the selectors see some sense. Siddle and Johnson were bad together, Starc and Siddle look like they will be the same.

 

[eth-dog]

FAULKNER!!!!!¡! Please

 

[BarneyBent]

I would have thought mid-Jan was very optimistic for stress fractures of the foot.....

Thankfully, another left-armer has burst onto the scene and is taking wickets at will, meaning we won't have to persist with Starc if he keeps spudding it up. Even better, he's from NSW, which will keep this board nice and agitated. Josh Lalor, step up!