3rd Test: 430am West Indies v Australia D/N @ Sabina Park, Kingston July 13-17, 2025

[simmo1]

I'm not concerned about Bazball specifically but I am concerned about CAs love for roads...

Except there hasn't been anything even close to the highways England are dishing up, in Australia for a couple of years now.

 

[yobbo84]

The scary thing is that 26 could have been 16 if Konstas could catch

 

[Twizzle]

He has improved at 3 the more time he has spent there.

Sucks he has to be put there. He really shouldnt be doing that job. Our top order options are absolutely shithouse at the moment.

he cant stay there though, if he bowls 15 or 20 overs a day and one of our openers bats like they do now he'll be out there in one or 2 overs which just doesn't work

he needs to be fresh as no 3 is supposed to be one of your best batsmen and he cant be suffering from fatigue in those conditions

I know Gilly used to keep and then open the batting, but that's 50 over games, not a test match

 

[Chins]

Smiffy to score a ton in all 5 home tests then whenever that stupid extra MCG test is then retire as the best since Bradman.

 

[Fangs]

he cant stay there though, if he bowls 15 or 20 overs a day and one of our openers bats like they do now he'll be out there in one or 2 overs which just doesn't work

he needs to be fresh as no 3 is supposed to be one of your best batsmen and he cant be suffering from fatigue in those conditions

I know Gilly used to keep and then open the batting, but that's 50 over games, not a test match

I don't like him at 3 for the same reasons as you. I want him down the order near Webster and Head. But we are lacking options and if the shield openers all have miserable starts then he might be left at 3.

If he does remain at 3 then no chance he bowls 15-20 overs. Webster and Head will have to do the work.

 

[Twizzle]

If he does remain at 3 then no chance he bowls 15-20 overs. Webster and Head will have to do the work.

I agree, the problem is Green is a very good bowler, and they are just part timers

 

[Fangs]

I agree, the problem is Green is a very good bowler, and they are just part timers

Might go to waste sadly. We had Shane Watson opening the batting after 9/10 tests. Green might have the same fate.

 

[Chins]

Might go to waste sadly. We had Shane Watson opening the batting after 9/10 tests. Green might have the same fate.

Watson was a bum who shouldn't have played a single test he couldn't bowl 10 overs an innings in and he shouldn't have ever opened.

 

[Twizzle]

 

[Fangs]

Watson was a bum who shouldn't have played a single test he couldn't bowl 10 overs an innings in and he shouldn't have ever opened.

The example is relevant.

Watson did play test cricket and did bat in the top order. He was bowling in test cricket up until he got dropped. Green hasn't even bowled an over in tests in 2025 since he moved to 3.

It could be that Green follows the same path as Watson. I'll back him to have a higher batting average but their test records are near identical at this point.

I wouldn't call Watson a bum. Very good cricketer. But he shouldn't have batted top 4. I don't think Green should either but if shield doesn't yield anything from his competitors he probably stays at 3.

 

[Bazal]

Except there hasn't been anything even close to the highways England are dishing up, in Australia for a couple of years now.

This is true but how much of that has been because of other factors. Even then our tracks are usually bouncier anyway, except Melbourne and Sydney. They're still good enough that England could get away badly if we let them, and we're not renowned for comebacks lately.

I hope for tracks with something in them, but I'll believe it when I see it tbh.

 

[Bazal]

Watson was a bum who shouldn't have played a single test he couldn't bowl 10 overs an innings in and he shouldn't have ever opened.

Once again, Watto being shit is probably Australia's greatest cricket myth. Watto averaged 41 as an opener before drop ins, pus attacks and T20 decks. He just kept getting himself out before tonning up the pleb. We'd kill for Watto opening with those stats in this team.

Chris Rogers never gets called a bum or a shit opener and he averaged 42 across a lot of the same years

 

[Chins]

Once again, Watto being shit is probably Australia's greatest cricket myth. Watto averaged 41 as an opener before drop ins, pus attacks and T20 decks. He just kept getting himself out before tonning up the pleb. We'd kill for Watto opening with those stats in this team.

Chris Rogers never gets called a bum or a shit opener and he averaged 42 across a lot of the same years

That's because rightfully no one rates Rogers

 

[Mr. Shaman]

To give watto a bit of gravy, he faded 7 failed DRS calls in Tests, Usman has 15.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

The scary thing is that 26 could have been 16 if Konstas could catch

And Starc would’ve had like 8/5.

 

[icewind]

Watson was a bum who shouldn't have played a single test he couldn't bowl 10 overs an innings in and he shouldn't have ever opened.

From 2009 to 2013, around the time of Watson's opening stints, test openers around the world averaged 36.55 compared to his 41+. Grab a napkin son, your dribble is showing.

 

[Rod]

As a Kiwi, devastated that you couldn’t finish them off for 25

First they got out of jail at 21/9 in South Africa, now the dropped catches today.

The Aussies really want us to keep this record lol.

 

[Marshall_magic]

As a Kiwi, devastated that you couldn’t finish them off for 25

It’s almost a double Sydney Thunder from a few years back.

 

[Marshall_magic]

From 2009 to 2013, around the time of Watson's opening stints, test openers around the world averaged 36.55 compared to his 41+. Grab a napkin son, your dribble is showing.

Watson was a decent opener, my issue with him was he never seemed to settle. Whether he was on 2, 22, 52 or 92 there was always a real chance he’d get out next ball. His conversion rate of 50s into 100s reflects this (4 centuries after reaching 50 on 28 occasions). You want your openers to really go on with a start and he rarely did.

That said we were really unspoiled for choice with batsmen in general during those years let alone openers. Clarke proper carried us, it’s no surprise he had a dodgey back.

 

[Chins]

Watson was a decent opener, my issue with him was he never seemed to settle. Whether he was on 2, 22, 52 or 92 there was always a real chance he’d get out next ball. His conversion rate of 50s into 100s reflects this (4 centuries after reaching 50 on 28 occasions). You want your openers to really go on with a start and he rarely did.

That said we were really unspoiled for choice with batsmen in general during those years let alone openers. Clarke proper carried us, it’s no surprise he had a dodgey back.

Clarke the merkin is the reason Katich wasn't opening