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

[frankrizzo]

I can't see how it helps much, clarke at 5 making tons of runs is one of the few good things we have going.

Moving him up won't help much unless we clone him and leave a second clarke down the order, you can hide a few flaws in a team you can't hide an entire batting lineup behind one bloke.

 

[Kim Hagdorn]

They may as well give Smith a shot he can't do much worse.

 

[Marshland]

I find it unbelievable that the majority on here are actually advocating for Hughes to retain his spot for the third test, or the first Ashes test. Please, he's been shown up and found out to be an utter failure at the international stage, and it should be alarm bells for all of those who vouch for picking bats after scoring heavily in the Shield - clearly there's something wrong with the system if it is producing bats who average over 50 without seeming to be adept against good bowling of any kind. It's one thing bashing the Sri Lankans and West Indians at home, tours of India and England away are never going to see the likes of Hughes and his ilk succeed. Run a red pin through him for the time being please.

 

[Footy Smarts]

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.

What a ridiculous argument.

First of all he came on to bowl at 1/111 for the first time with Vijay and Pujara both well set. That's very tough for a guy on debut. It took him 13 overs to get a wicket but people want to drop him and keep Doherty who bowled 42 overs without looking remotely threatening until he finally picked up 3 of the bowlers.

Secondly what has Kohli's innings got to do with anything? Maxwell picked up Vijay with turn and bounce when he was defending. He picked up Kohli by beating him in flight and turn. He picked up Dhoni who trued to put him out of the ground but Dhoni would try that against Maxwell regardless of what the bloke at the other end was doing. Even if you think Kohli's innings changed the way others played it could only possibly have helped Maxwell in picking up Jadeja. So he still picks up 3 batsmen and is our best bowler and should've had Ashwin first ball off his gloves too.

Your argument reeks of trying to look for any excuse to deny Maxwell credit. He bowled well and deserves to keep his spot unless the next pitch is a seamer's paradise which obviously it won't be.

 

[frankrizzo]

fair enough i guess i am being harsh on the spinners due to the dumping of lyon(somehow his vital wickets of people like kohli and tendulkar are judged as pointless by many).

I would concede maxwell bowled better when india were looking to hit out or get out but i still maintain his bowling on the second day was poor, who knows which one of the days is the more accurate representation of his ability.

I actually wasn't one of those calling for him to be dumped after 1 match anyway, his role still does seem confusing though he was picked as a spinner mostly because he can bat at 8.

They need to decide if he is a potential lone spinner or just a batsmen who can bowl, the real concern is when the game was still up for grabs clarke bowled maxwell for just 8 overs.

With lyon as the only spinner clarke bowled him and bowled him, he was offered no respite even when dhoni was savaging the bowlers if maxwell is going to be in the running for that role he needs to be able to bowl a lot more when the game is still a contest.

 

[TassieEagle]

Clarke moving up the order is great really. Means coming in at 2/20 and in some trouble as opposed to 3/30 and almost inning over.

 

[DeeWong6996]

1. Cowan
2. Warner
3. Clarke
4. Watson
5. Khawaja
6. Wade
7. Henriques
8. Johnson
9. Siddle
10. Lyon
11. Doherty

Two spinners and three seam bowling options. Three may be a bit high for Clarke but we simply can't afford another collapse or two at the top of the order.

Alternatively...
1. Cowan
2. Watson
3. Warner
4. Clarke
....

Think that would work. Watson is reinstated but not at the expense of Cowan. Warner is at three not because of a few fruitless innings, but because he is one of our better batsmen who can prevent a collapse like Pup.

 

[frankrizzo]

After fighting him on it for so long i just can't see clarke and mickey backing down and letting watto open.

He may be VC but it's pretty clear he doesn't share a close relationship with the skipper or coach, it's also no guarantee it wold fix anything, maybe watto is better as an opener and maybe he's just a limited test bat who had a brief purple patch.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Watson's test career average is 36. 2 centuries in SEVENTY THREE innings. Why is he an untouchable elite while Hughes gets dropped after having a brilliant Test and ODI series at home, and struggling in what is probably his first EVER Indian tour. Test, T20, IPL anything. Has he ever batted here before?

Would love to know who Watson gets pictures of that we talk about adjusting our entire batting order to accommodate him despite 73 innings of mediocrity.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

I guess Watson's last century was in Mohali, as an opener, so there is that justification; but I'm one who thinks he was simply in better form back then and not necessarily a better opener.
The only reason he would stay in the team (if he hasn't come home) is through the lack of options. Much like Cowan and Hughes really.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Why is Watson coming home with two Tests left? Is he injured or something?

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Why is Watson coming home with two Tests left? Is he injured or something?

Word before the tour started was he would be coming home before the third Test for birth of his kid.
If I was him I'd be coming home before losing a spot on the Ashes tour.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Word before the tour started was he would be coming home before the third Test for birth of his kid.
If I was him I'd be coming home before losing a spot on the Ashes tour.

That's ok then. I was thinking it was some nonsense about giving him a rest before the Ashes. Despite the fact he'd be going back to India for the IPL. Wouldn't surprise me about golden child Watson.

 

[MisterMarcus]

Watson is just about due to pull a hammy or throw his back out or spontaneuously combust.......probably won't be playing Ashes anyway.....

 

[TassieEagle]

Watson is just about due to pull a hammy or throw his back out or spontaneuously combust.......probably won't be playing Ashes anyway.....

DVT on the flight home

 

[scoremachine]

My team-

E.Cowan
D.Warner
S.Watson
M.Clarke
U.Khawaja
M.Henriques
M.Wade
G.Maxwell
M.Johnson
J.Pattinson
N.Lyon

The batsman i considered dropping was out of Hughes & Watson, in the end Watson did show some form in the warm up games whereas Hughes hasn't looked like getting any runs in India at all. If Khawaja can somehow score a couple of good 50's or even a 100 it would give him a huge confidence boost.

Siddle has bowled a lot of overs but just hasn't looked threatening at all, he has kept it pretty tight but we need wickets over here as India's batsman will bat all day if they have to. Johnson is far more likely to get wickets in these conditions i feel with his extra pace, may as well give him a go. And Lyon can replace Doherty who should have never played in the first place.

If we can get a couple of early wickets then get some pressure around the bat with Lyon & Maxwell bowling then you never know what could happen. Our batsman simply have to post a large score 400+ in the first innings to give our bowlers a chance.

 

[The_Reaper]

When exactly is Watson coming home?

 

[lewigie]

Watching the news, Michael Clarke seemed ****ing pissed off. Good on him.

Michael Vaughan's tweet was actually pretty funny too.

 

[bird_man]

Maxwell was our best bowler. How can we drop him? Lyon should come back in for Doherty. Hughes and Watson out. I guesss that leaves us with Smith and Khawaja... Holy shit.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Maxwell was our best bowler. How can we drop him?

That's like going to the doctors and being told you have cancer, a broken arm, and a cold; and then telling the doctor to cure the first two but leave the cold untreated.

 

[rickyp]

That's like going to the doctors and being told you have cancer, a broken arm, and a cold; and then telling the doctor to cure the first two but leave the cold untreated.

I get your point, but surely that's what most people would say?

 

[Footy Smarts]

That's like going to the doctors and being told you have cancer, a broken arm, and a cold; and then telling the doctor to cure the first two but leave the cold untreated.

Hardly. He got 4 of India's top 7 at an average of just over 30. If everyone had bowled that well we would've bowled them out for under 300 which would've been a very good effort. Not bad for a bloke on debut who barely bowled in the warm-up games.

On these pitches we have to play 2 spinners and Maxwell is the best performed in the series so far. Dropping him is just silly.

Also if you're dropping Maxwell but keeping Doherty (which I assume is the choice) it's more like worrying about the cold but forgetting the broken arm. Going by their performance in the last match as well as previous first-class form the choice is a pretty simple one.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Hardly. He got 4 of India's top 7 at an average of just over 30. If everyone had bowled that well we would've bowled them out for under 300 which would've been a very good effort. Not bad for a bloke on debut who barely bowled in the warm-up games.

On these pitches we have to play 2 spinners and Maxwell is the best performed in the series so far. Dropping him is just silly.

Also if you're dropping Maxwell but keeping Doherty (which I assume is the choice) it's more like worrying about the cold but forgetting the broken arm. Going by their performance in the last match as well as previous first-class form the choice is a pretty simple one.

If Maxwell doesn't make runs, he shouldn't play. Lyon is a better bowler. You shouldn't play both as I don't see the point in having two right arm offies of questionable class in the same attack.

 

[LukasTheGreat]

I still don't see the appeal in Maxwelltown, if he played for WA noone would know he existed

 

[Sprout]

They may as well give Smith a shot he can't do much worse.

Oh yes he can.