mark_s
Chilla Wilson (44)
So the NZ series has been split and its back to square 1 for Aus. Player changes are needed and changes shall come. We have got ourselves into a bad spot though with no more first class games in Aus until after the Indian test series is finished, other than the 2 chairman XI games for which development squads have been picked. PLayers will need to be picked on past glories or on what every they can produce in the domestic big bash or suburban games. A far from ideal situation, even one more round of shield matches would have been very helpful now.
At the top of the order, Warner has done enough to be retained for the boxing day test. Yes the luck fell his way in the 2nd innings in hobart but thats cricket, ride it while you can. Hughes and Khawaja will make way for Watson and S March, assuming the later two are confirmed as fit/recovered.
I think the selectors will resist more changes to the middle order for the boxing day test. They will want to see how 4-7 bat with a (potentially) better contribution from 1-3. In any event, they will be worried about too many changes too soon. There are still big issues here though other than Clarke. Here are Ponting, Hussey and Haddin's test averages in 2011 so far:
Ponting: 27
Hussey: 42, but this is inflated by the 2nd test in sri lanka where most aussies got amoungst the runs (except ponting who was injured) and the game petered out into a high scoring draw. Leaving that test out bring Hussey's average back to 37 which I think is more representative.
Haddin: 22
So thats a combined average of 85 runs per test from positions 4, 6 and 7. Way too low. Whats worse, they tend to fail together. In 8 out of the 13 2011 test innings these three players combined for an aggregate of 45 runs or less. In the other 5 innnings, the combined for an aggregate of 150 runs or more. Its feast or famine, with too few feasts.
The cards of all 3 players are marked barring some dramatic and immediate form reversals. On the surface, Hussey would seem safest but all of his runs came in Sri Lanka, his average from the other test innings in 2011 was only 14. Both Haddin and Ponting show marginal more consistency.
All 3 will probably start in Melbourne. It would take someone to really stand up in the chairman XI games, both of which are shortened games. Its hard to see it happening.
Bowlers are more settled with only Starc under pressure. I think he will be dropped, unless the selectors love affair with left armers clouds their judgement, again. Hopefully Cutting will be fit for boxing day but its shuffling deck chairs while our batting is so poor.
At the top of the order, Warner has done enough to be retained for the boxing day test. Yes the luck fell his way in the 2nd innings in hobart but thats cricket, ride it while you can. Hughes and Khawaja will make way for Watson and S March, assuming the later two are confirmed as fit/recovered.
I think the selectors will resist more changes to the middle order for the boxing day test. They will want to see how 4-7 bat with a (potentially) better contribution from 1-3. In any event, they will be worried about too many changes too soon. There are still big issues here though other than Clarke. Here are Ponting, Hussey and Haddin's test averages in 2011 so far:
Ponting: 27
Hussey: 42, but this is inflated by the 2nd test in sri lanka where most aussies got amoungst the runs (except ponting who was injured) and the game petered out into a high scoring draw. Leaving that test out bring Hussey's average back to 37 which I think is more representative.
Haddin: 22
So thats a combined average of 85 runs per test from positions 4, 6 and 7. Way too low. Whats worse, they tend to fail together. In 8 out of the 13 2011 test innings these three players combined for an aggregate of 45 runs or less. In the other 5 innnings, the combined for an aggregate of 150 runs or more. Its feast or famine, with too few feasts.
The cards of all 3 players are marked barring some dramatic and immediate form reversals. On the surface, Hussey would seem safest but all of his runs came in Sri Lanka, his average from the other test innings in 2011 was only 14. Both Haddin and Ponting show marginal more consistency.
All 3 will probably start in Melbourne. It would take someone to really stand up in the chairman XI games, both of which are shortened games. Its hard to see it happening.
Bowlers are more settled with only Starc under pressure. I think he will be dropped, unless the selectors love affair with left armers clouds their judgement, again. Hopefully Cutting will be fit for boxing day but its shuffling deck chairs while our batting is so poor.