Third Test: Australia Vs India @ Mohali (Mar 14-18 Thurs-Mon)

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Team I would go with as this point in time before Shield performances.

Warner - Still the best Opener we have.
Cowan - Hasn't been pretty, is not making enough runs but been better than others and has seen off the new ball.
Bailey - Can play spin and most importantly can fight and has proved himself internationally.
Clarke (C) - Needs to move up the order but i wouldn't play him at 3 as that's basically opening and he's worth too much to risk.
Voges - In form, has proven he can play internationally, is in the top 10 bats in the shield over the last 3 years. Can also play spin.
Henriques - He earnt his place on performance in the first test with His batting. Didn't bowl badly this test either.

Wade - Hasn't kept badly and hasn't batted any worse than any other batter. Deserves to keep his spot.
Maxwell/Okeefe - I don't want to do this at all but he's looked more dangerous than any spinner we've had so far.
Johnson - Siddles not giving us much, Johnson may, worth a try so we may as well rest Siddle for the ashes.
Pattinson - We can technically still draw the series. After we loose the next one i don't really care if we rest him. He's been a star.
Lyon - Im livid we dropped him in the first place won't help his confidence, is better than doherty even though he will still struggle.


This team probably still wouldn't win but i can't see them doing any worse.
 

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Marshland said:
According to online hearsay, Mohali is supposed to be a harder surface and support a bit of seam, at least early on. Can anyone confirm?
Click to expand...

correct, is quite far north in india and as a result has a climate which is quite different from the south, so the pitch can be similar to ones found in south africa or australia.

however, i would put my house on the groundsman selective watering the track as we speak
 
We definitely need to look at the side and find something different for the next test, there are clear batting deficencies that need to be addressed and it is clear that regardless of what CA think of some players they just aren't up to it.

Warner - still like him opening is third on the averages despite not being at his best.
Cowan - is starting to show more and is at least being patient. May not be the best opener we will ever have, but is definitely better than any of the other options.
Khawaja - has to be given a chance, Hughes has been terrible and must go
Clarke - finally accepting the fact he should be higher up the order.
Wade - whilst I wouldn't normally have him bat in this spot i don't believe in flying someone in cold for the next test. Would return him to 6 or 7 before the Ashes
Henriques - still not sure he is up to it, but offering much more than Watson
Maxwell - there is absolutely no way that the next two test aren't played on similar pitches
Johnson - agree with Patronij1 Siddle hasn't done much so why not rest him for the Ashes, also give a chacne for Johnson to either win a spot on that tour or lose it, but something has to change.
Pattinson - is a must if we want to win. If they don't play him he should be sent home immediately.
Lyon - still can't work out why they dropped him.
Doherty - whilst he mightn't be the best spinner going around we need to take 20 wickets somehow.
 
Warner - Best opener we've got.
Cowan - Second best opener we've got.
Hughes - I know he hasn't performed, but he's also had some bad luck. It's not like he's constantly getting out in the same manner, like his previous runs of bad form. Need to stick with him.
Clarke - Nothing for it but to move up to 4. Hell, we could move him to three and swap him with Hughes if necessary, though I think exposing Hughes to as much pace as possible and showing some consistency with him will be important.
Smith - Decent against spin, which is more than Khawaja can offer at present.
Henriques - Best allrounder we've got, and on debut looked almost as comfortable against spin as Clarke does. Been unlucky to only pick up the one wicket, but he keeps it tight and can move it both ways. Seems like a really good bowler to have bowling at the other end.
Wade - Self-explanatory.
Maxwell - Better than Doherty, can also bat and field.
Johnson - He's a good subcontinental bowler, let's see what he can do.
Pattinson - Self-explanatory.
Lyon - Best spinner we've got.

Some may not like the idea of Smith at 5, but he's a genuine top-order batsman for NSW, coming in at 3 or 4 depending on who's in the team. To be honest, you could probably bat Smith, Henriques and Wade in any order from 5-7, but I think this is the most sensible.

Also, this is just going off the squad named. Would select O'Keefe in Maxwell's place and probably Voges in Smith's place if I could.
 
It wouldn't be a case of flying someone in cold. These guys have been playing Shield, and there is a full round of three concurrent Shield matches to be completed before the next Test. An SoS at this point is quite viable. Voges, Bailey and SOK would all be good additions to the squad. Doherty doesn't take wickets, Hughes is useless against spin, and Watson isn't a great player of spin either. With him not bowling, and not making runs, he's not likely to give us much of anything this tour. I'd have him back for the Ahses, though. Ditto Hughes.

Edit to add, the post directly above mine is the side I'd pick if I wasn't allowed to use players outside the current squad.
 
Assuming Watson comes home, and there are no replacements:

Warner
Cowan
Khawaja
Clarke
Henriques
Wade
Smith
Pattinson
Johnson
Siddle
Lyon

I threw up a little in my mouth being forced to name Johnson and Smith. Such a terrible squad to begin with, its impossible to get eleven near-worthy players from it.
With Hughes virtually unpickable (unfortunately, I don't have a problem with him being in the squad, it just hasn't worked).

ffs, just fly over O'Keefe and any replacement batsman in any sort of form (Doolan or Voges maybe). Smith is there as a back-up batsman but could well come in at number nine among that lot; and its not like most of them are performing with the willow either.

Actualy, no, Hughes stays. I can't back Smith as being more likely, not even against a guy with Hughes' current run (or complete lack of) against spin.
 
The manner in which Hughes got out in the last test was damning.

He'd just watched Warner get bowled around his legs, what does he do, attempts to sweep, gets bowled around his legs.

He is not a test match player.
 
Howard Littlejohn said:
Assuming Watson comes home, and there are no replacements:

Warner
Cowan
Khawaja
Clarke
Henriques
Wade
Smith
Pattinson
Johnson
Siddle
Lyon

I threw up a little in my mouth being forced to name Johnson and Smith. Such a terrible squad to begin with, its impossible to get eleven near-worthy players from it.
With Hughes virtually unpickable (unfortunately, I don't have a problem with him being in the squad, it just hasn't worked).

ffs, just fly over O'Keefe and any replacement batsman in any sort of form (Doolan or Voges maybe). Smith is there as a back-up batsman but could well come in at number nine among that lot; and its not like most of them are performing with the willow either.

Actualy, no, Hughes stays. I can't back Smith as being more likely, not even against a guy with Hughes' current run (or complete lack of) against spin.
Click to expand...

Smiths decent against spin
 
Posted in other thread too. I've approached this slightly differently I see.

Assuming no replacements, and a turning pitch
Watson
Cowan
Usman
Clarke
Warner
Smith
Wade
Moses
Pattinson/Siddle, which ever is fit and hasn't lost all will to live.
Doherty
Lyon

3 spinners, play India at their own game. If the pitches continued to be prepared like this no point breaking another of our quick bowlers. Moses and fast bowler x and open the bowling and then straight to the spinners. Doherty looked like he can hold down an end, I think most agree that Lyon should play the next Test, and Smith strengthens the batting, and bowls over the wrist spin for variation.
I would drop Hughes, and Usman looks like the next in line, he can bat three. Drop Warner to five and bat Watson in the position that he seems to be most at ease with. I'm also happier seeing Wade at 7 even if it is only Smith batting above him.
Not sure how often you'd see an Australian team like this outside of the sub continent, but plan A sure as shit isn't working.
 

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BarneyBent said:
Henriques - Best allrounder we've got, and on debut looked almost as comfortable against spin as Clarke does. Been unlucky not to pick up a wicket yet, but he keeps it tight and can move it both ways. Seems like a really good bowler to have bowling at the other end.
Click to expand...

Good write up but Moises did take a wicket in the first test.
 
Warner
Cowan
Hughes (one more test to show something against spin)
Clarke
Khawaja (has to be given a go - not convinced he'll be an improvement but you gotta give him a chance)
Henriques
Wade
Pattinson
Johnson
Lyon
Doherty
 
Hughes and Watson are guys I want in the team long-term, but neither one is likely to contribute anything to this tour. Tell Hughes he'll be picked for the first Ashes Test and then send him home to prepare. Tell Watson we need him as either an all-rounder or a specialist batsman who can make hundreds. Have him go home to figure out which it's going to be before the Ashes begins.

For this series, to salvage something, we need batsmen who are adept at playing spin, and can really apply themselves early in their innings. Vijay and Pujara showed us what is required. Bailey fits this bill. Voges is in form and has international experience (those things are true of Bailey as well). Smith is quite good against spin, where Usman is not. SOK's style of bowling would suit the wickets we're playing on, and he's more of a wicket taker than Doherty is.

Cowan
Warner
Bailey
Clarke
Voges
Smith
Wade
Henriques
SOK
Pattinson
Lyon

Can't do any worse, and gives some guys chances to show us what they can do in difficult circumstances. 3 - 6 are all good players of spin. Wade showed some application in the first innings, batting with Clarke. With him at 7, Moises at 8 we bat deep. SOK and Patto are handy with a bat, and Lyon can hang around. This side would be a lot more likely to really make the Indians work for their wickets than the current one. Siddle and Starc do not look like taking wickets, so their overs might as well be bowled by Henriques who can give us some vlauable runs. Smith, Voges, Clarke and Warner can all chip in some overs if needed. Lyon looked like he was learning as he went in the first Test, which is why it was so mystifying that he was dropped for the second Test. I'd consider Maxwell ahead of Smith, since he did take 4 quality wickets (eventually), but his style of batting has about 0 chance of success on this tour, he has no defence (with bat or ball). I don't think he gets a bowling spot ahead of SOK or Lyon, and we can't afford to weaken our batting so he misses out for mine. Not a Test player yet, should really not even be in the squad.
 
So the majority of people want to drop our best bowler from the last test? Why? Surely Maxwell's bowling was about the only positive to come out of the test considering he got 3 good batsmen and Jadeja out. He would have had 5 if Cowan could catch too.

If people are complaining that players aren't getting picked on performances why are they wanting our best performed bowler from the last test dropped?

The only bowling change I'd make would be Lyon for Doherty. 3 tail-end wickets doesn't mask the fact he was completely ineffectual against the good batsmen. As for the batting they could do anything really. Apart from Clarke none of the top 5 deserve their spots but the replacements are basically non-existent. Frankly whatever they do with the batting will likely be similar to any other option so I'm not fussed by it.
 
Footy Smarts said:
So the majority of people want to drop our best bowler from the last test? Why? Surely Maxwell's bowling was about the only positive to come out of the test considering he got 3 good batsmen and Jadeja out. He would have had 5 if Cowan could catch too.
Click to expand...

err when the game was actually still alive maxwell was getting belted for nearly 6 an over.

Kohli for some strange reason was stonewalling which forced every new bat to come in and start trying to up the rate.
 

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Third Test: Australia Vs India @ Mohali (Mar 14-18 Thurs-Mon)

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