2nd Test, Australia vs South Africa, 22-26 Nov - Adelaide Oval

[The Red Baron]

After the 1st test ended in a draw, both teams will take some time off and be back into it at the Adelaide Oval. A pity that the second day was washed out at the Gabba, otherwise one team would have headed to Adelaide with a win under their belt.

The Aussies are looking reasonably sharp. Still some issues with the top order, and other issues with the bowling. The Gabba pitch didn't offer too much to the bowlers, and Adelaide is traditionally a batting friendly wicket. Therefore, will both teams be examining their bowling stocks, and look for some variety?

Personally, I feel that Australia will go into this game with a slight psychological edge. They scored more than SA at the Gabba, and actually managed to bowl SA out in the first innings (although SA were a man down). However, we can't underestimate the South Africans, they are the number 1 test side for a reason. Their quick bowlers will be desperate to make amends for Brisbane. Especially Steyn. He looked a bit down, but Morkel bowled really well for little reward. For the Aussies, Siddle tried hard, Hilf didn't get any swing, but Pattinson is looking quite good and has to be the pick of the bowlers from both sides after the 1st test.

Having said all that, I don't think the bowlers from either team will get on top until they go the the WACA. But the team that bowls the best in Adelaide should take the honors. Big scores await is my prediction!

 

[PaarlBok]

I would have settled for a draw in the first test or a drawn series. Cricket Bokke have to play as much spinners as possible in the second test. Expecting Tahir and Faf to get their chance. Dunno when our lot will realise that you simply cant play any test without spinners. Both Tahir and Faf are leg spinners and should patch up our bowling balance. Rudolph is also a waiste of space in our team. He simply cant produce on test level and maybe Robin Petersen or our reserve wickey in his place. Robin is a off spinner and playing the wickey will free up AB who can concentrate on his batting and is an above average fielder.

 

[mark_s]

I'd like to Starc come into our team for the variation (and awkedness) he offers b ut I cant work out who to drop out of Siddle or Hilfenhaus, maybe Ben.

On the batting side, I still have lots of doubts about Warner. I hope I am wrong but its easy to see lots of small scores and the occaisional flashy century which isnt good enough for an opener.

In saying that, I predict the selectors will make no changes for the Aus team.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Hilfy would be the more likely to go I think. Lyon must play obviously, so we're left with four quicks in three selections. This is also assuming that Watson won't be right to play.

 

[disco]

I wouldn't change anything from the Gabba other than Watson coming back in. I thought the Aussies where the better side overall.

 

[No4918]

SA were unlucky to lose Duminy. From what I hear he is a very handy spinner and they would certainly have been counting on him getting plenty of overs.

Hilfenhaus for Starc will probably be the only change with Aus. I personally would drop Siddle as he and Pattinson are the more similar bowlers. Probably won't be decided until the pitch inspection on the day before or that morning again either way.

 

[GaffaCHinO]

Johnson is in great form atm and has a very good record against SA. Could be a smokey.

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[disco]

Yeah I've changed my mind I would play Starc if Watson returns.
Siddle to be dropped as Hilfy is a better swing bowler.

Tough choice as I really like Siddle.

 

[disco]

Johnson is in great form atm and has a very good record against SA. Could be a smokey.

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No thanks. The WACA maybe but only if we had a stack of injuries which is possible with Australian sporting teams.

 

[Braveheart81]

I'd like to see Starc brought back into the side. I think he needs to go well against Victoria at the SCG in the current shield game. Some variation in our attack would have been great.

I would put Warner down to 6 in the order. I don't get the assumption that because he can smash a new ball in short form cricket he is going to be a good test opener.

Since his 180 in Perth he has made one 50 in nine innings. I'm sure he'll play a massive innings once in a blue moon but I fear he lacks the consistency as a test opener that should be our first priority.

He has excellent footwork and plays spin well. Putting him at 6 will provide a similar batsman to Symonds or Gilchrist who can come in down the order and either attack and turn a game or put their head down and try and play a long innings when the team is in trouble.

His fielding is superb and I definitely think he has the ability to keep his place in the team. I just don't think it should be as an opener.

I'm going to Adelaide for days 2 and 3. Looking forward to it. Hopefully it isn't 40 degrees or I may melt.

 

[GaffaCHinO]

No thanks. The WACA maybe but only if we had a stack of injuries which is possible with Australian sporting teams.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/cricke...-test-contention/story-fndpt0dy-1226514196020

 

[No4918]

How many more chances does Punter have? Failing in this test is is going to put a lot of pressure on. The third test could be his last. If he does go ok I still think this should be his last summer. His form isn't good enough to keep out young guys.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

The big issue up until now has been the lack of young blokes keeping the pressure on Punter and Huss. I see Khawaja made a very good hundred on a very difficult pitch on the weekend and a couple of his QLD mates are also scoring heavily. He needs to do that a few more times to prove he can consistently do at a higher level. I think he's class, but he doesn't have the record yet to back that up.

 

[The Red Baron]

You're right there TBH, no one has been applying sustained pressure on the older guys. On Khawaja, if he keeps piling on the runs it will be almost impossible to leave him out of the team. He has made a great start to the season, made 70 odd against Tassie in the one dayer the other night too. But he does need a full season of scoring runs in the shield. Young Joe Burns is a guy that looks good, but I wouldn't consider him until he has scored consistently over a couple of seasons.

It is interesting though, I used to remember blokes who would average 50+ in the shield season after season and could never crack the Aussie side. It took Hayden years to get into the Aussie team, and there were a whole host of others too, names aren't springing to mind at the moment though. By comparison, our overall batting stocks at the moment are quite thin.

 

[Braveheart81]

I agree with you both. There are very few players in Shield cricket who are scoring a lot of runs on a consistent basis. This is a major reason why Ponting and Hussey are so important because they are hard to replace.

You look at the guys who are next in line...

Phil Hughes has had a couple of goes already. I still think he will play plenty of test cricket for Australia but he needs to learn his game. His 2012/13 season has begun very well and scored plenty of runs during his stint in England a few months ago. His move to South Australia should be good for him because he will get to play half his cricket on the best batting deck in the country.

Usman Khawaja has also moved states. I think he is a very talented player but I don't see him as a future number three for Australia at this point. Australia has traditionally had a player at three who takes the attack to the bowlers. Khawaja to me isn't this guy.

Peter Forrest couldn't cement a spot for NSW and moved to Queensland. I still don't rate him and don't see him as a strong candidate to hold down a spot in the test side.

Personally I don't think Quiney is a long term option. I like his cricket but I think he is a short form player who has worked out how to make runs at Shield level by tempering his game a bit. I don't think he has the technique to be a serious test player.

In relation to Dave Warner, I'd like to see him moved down to number 6. I don't think he is a long term test opener. He just doesn't have the technique to succeed on a regular basis. It's much better having a plodder who averages 40 at the top of the order than someone like Warner who might average 40 but will do it by scoring 180 once a season and then get low scores the rest of the time.

To disgress a bit, we have a lot of left handers in the side and waiting in the wings and it takes a long time for them to really learn the key part of their game which is where their off stump is. Ed Cowan seems just about there and he is 30. Even last season he got done LBW a couple of times leaving a ball he thought was wide.

Warner still struggles with this and pushes at too many balls that he doesn't need to play at.

This is the problem Phil Hughes has had since he started. Initially he attacked everything and it worked better for him. When he tried to play more conservatively after being dumped from the team during the '09 Ashes it actually made him worse because instead of trying to cut balls missing his off stump he prodded at them and kept getting edges.

 

[The Red Baron]

Hughes really needs to work some more on his leg side play before he gets another chance at the top. From all reports, he worked on opening up the leg side during his stint in county cricket, but there is still some more work to do.

Initially, I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of Warner batting at 6. But I am starting to warm to the idea. You want a guy that can really add value at the lower end of the order, similar to what Hussey usually does for us.

I agree with your assessment of the qualities of opening batsmen. For a while now though, we have had one opener whose job was to take the shine off the ball, and the other opener would attempt to wreck the ball. Think Langer/Hayden, Taylor/Slater and the like. In Cowan we have the bloke who will hang around and take the shine off the ball, but there is compulsion to have a slogger as their partner. Warner seems to be the closest thing to the slogger, but he needs to find consistency if he wants to open. Otherwise, we should do as you suggest BH and move him to 6, or drop him to shield to work on his consistency.

Where would you slot Khawaja in the order BH? Maybe he is best suited at 4?

 

[Braveheart81]

Currently I would say that Khawaja should either be an opener or bat 4 or 5 if he is given another crack in the test team.

 

[PaarlBok]

SA team:
Team: Graeme Smith (captain), Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Jacques Rudolph, Faf du Plessis, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir.

Must be tempted to pick Pietersen who can bat and bowl off spin.

 

[PaarlBok]

Aussies unchanged
Supersport

As expected, Australian allrounder Shane Watson was nowhere near full fitness by the time the team was chosen although the decision to persevere with the unimpressive Ben Hilfenhaus over the quicker, more aggressive left armer Mitchell Starc was more of a surprise:

“He’s a few days short of being 100 per cent,” Michael Clarke said of Watson. “We’re doing everything in our power to get him right for the third test in Perth.

“We bowled really well (against India) last summer and Ben was a big part of that attack.”

South Africa: Graeme Smith (captain), Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Jacques Rudolph, Faf du Plessis, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir.

Australia Michael Clarke (captain), David Warner, Ed Cowan, Rob Quiney, Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey, Matthew Wade, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Pattinson, Nathan Lyon.

 

[The Red Baron]

I'm kinda glad that Watto was left out. I don't think he is able to command a spot on his batting alone. He is at his best when he is operating as an all-rounder, so if he isn't fit to do both batting and bowling, then he isn't fit.

Realistically, the selectors have done the right thing here. Give Watto a chance to be fully fit for Perth, while giving the guys under pressure a chance to cement their spot. If the thought of Watto potentially taking their spot doesn't spur Warner and maybe Quiney to perform, then nothing will.