Team for 3rd Test vs India

[Bring back John Fifita]

What's your team / changes?

Stats FYI

2nd Test at MCG Aust Batting Aggregates (Average in brackets).

Burns 4 (Avg 2.00)
Wade 70 (Avg 35)
Labuschagne 76 (Avg 38)
Smith 8 (Avg 4)
Head 55 (Avg 27.5)
Green 57 (Avg 28.5)
Paine 14 (Avg 7.00)
Cummins 31 (Avg 15.5)
Starc 21* (Avg 21.00)
Hazlewood 14* (Avg 14.00)

* - includes not out innings

Series Batting Aggregates (Average in Brackets)

Burns 63* (Avg 21.00)#
Wade 111 (Avg 27.75)#
Labuschagne 123 (Avg 32.25)#
Smith 10* (Avg 3.33)#
Head 62 (Avg 20.66)
Green 68 (Avg 22.66)
Paine 87* (Avg 29.00)
Cummins 31 (Avg 10.33)
Starc 36** (Avg 18.00)
Lyon 33 (Avg 11.00)
Hazlewood 22* (Avg 11.00)

* - includes not out innings
** - includes 2 x not out innings
# - batted 2nd innings @ Adelaide.

____

 

[Tommy Smith]

Nice little aggressive knock here from ol Gill...

 

[Tommy Smith]

Hey wrong thread.

I've been duped! Screw you BBJF.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Stats make for ordinary reading, but we've won a test in the series so the situation isn't completely dire

Mine for what it's worth / debate / banter / "Lol"

Warner
Harris
Labuschagne
Smith
Wade
Green
Paine
Starc
Cummins
Lyon
Hazlewood

If Warner is not yet fit - Shift Wade back to open and bring in Shaun Marsh to plug a gap at 5. Inclined to leave Pucovski for now unless he's 100% fully recovered from his head knock. Even then - he hasn't batted since been cleaned up by India in the first A game. I prefer him at 5 if he's got no dramas.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Hey wrong thread.

I've been duped! Screw you BBJF.

Haha.

 

[Tommy Smith]

Fwiw,

Pucovski
Warner (Darsh)
The Saffa with really close eyes
Smudger
Khawaja
Green
Paine
Cummins
Starc
Lyon
Hazlewood

 

[Eelectrica]

Burns, Head out. Warner, Pucovski in.
Open with Warner and Wade.

I wouldn't be opening with Pucovski in his first game agsinst this attack. Wade hasn't been god awfully bad opening.

Bring in Harris if Warner still not good to go. Khawaja didn't exactly fill himself with glory last time India were in town. Harris been in form and was ok last time.

 

[Wizardman]

Warner
Harris
Labs
Smith
Pukovski
Wade
Paine
Cummins
Starc
Lyon
Hazelwood

 

[BuderusIsaBeast]

Warner
Pucovski
Labs
Smith
Wade
Green
Paine
Cummins
Starc
Lyon
Hazlewood

If Warner is fit he comes straight in for Burns. If Pucovski is cleared he also comes in for Head. I would give Head another test if one of Pucovski/Warner isn’t cleared. Worse case and Warner and Pucosvki can’t play, Harris comes in for Burns.

 

[BuderusIsaBeast]

Warner
Harris
Labs
Smith
Pukovski
Wade
Paine
Cummins
Starc
Lyon
Hazelwood

No Cam Green??

 

[lockyno1]

Pucovski
Warner
Lab
Smith
Wade
Green
Paine
Pattinson
Cummins
Lyon
Hazelwood

Notes: Taking a chance on Pattinson, think we need to change it up. Lengthens the batting too.

Head is average, Wade has looked better.

 

[JJ]

I’d go
Warner
Harris
Saffer
Smith
Pucowski
Green
Paine

 

[edabomb]

Is Pattinson fit? Get him in for Green.

 

[Canard]

Any news on the venue lads?

 

[lockyno1]

Is Pattinson fit? Get him in for Green.

And weaken our batting more? You have got to be kidding me!

 

[The Mad Hatter]

If this test is not played in Sydney, it’ll be the first time in 25 years I haven’t attended.

Tests at Sydney are my Mecca, my Vatican, my Jerusalem, my Shangri-La.

And yes...I understand the bigger picture, first world problems etc but...

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Warner
Lauba
Smith
Green
Wade
Paine
Patto
Cummins
Haze
Starc
Lyon

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

If this test is not played in Sydney, it’ll be the first time in 25 years I haven’t attended.

Tests at Sydney are my Mecca, my Vatican, my Jerusalem, my Shangri-La.

And yes...I understand the bigger picture, first world problems etc but...

It’d be a very sad day indeed. I booked tickets to fly in for it and only a few days later - Wuhan Flu strikes again. But yes the bigger picture.

Hopefully all can go ahead though.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Is Pattinson fit? Get him in for Green.

He’s fit alright. I wouldn’t do that replacement myself but this bloke - in almost any other era for Australia, and almost every other test side in the world, would get a start.

I just can’t drop him for any of our quicks though myself - who’ve IMO been great for the overwhelming majority of the series, apart from the latter part of day 2 where they looked a bit shagged.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

I think they'll go Warner and Pucovski if both are fit.

If you pick Green for the first 2 tests you've got to stick by him.

From what I saw in the 2 tests with the bat was a 21 year old trying to do the best he could and being very tense. He started to relax more in his 45 in the MCG 2nd innings. He needs time to get used to test cricket. And of course coming in at 4/300 would help that rather than 4/f**k all.

Bowling wise he looked like he was going through the motions, only chipping in for a few overs to give the main guys a rest. He's got to be utilised better than that and encouraged to bowl like a real member of the attack rather than someone just chipping in.

That's been the main problem with Australia's search for an allrounder post getting reamed by Flintoff in 2005. Flintoff was a bowler who was more than just chipping in, he was a mainstay of their attack. Same with Stokes, the philosophy with the selectors of helping out the other bowlers whilst being handy with the bat is wrong, if you're going to pick an allrounder you're expecting them to take wickets and score runs. I fear Green will be wasted by the selectors.

Then it's a choice between Wade and Head. Head is better but he continues to get out the same way, playing away from his body at a wide one and edging to the cordon after getting a start. He looks lazy and complacent in the field too.
Wade is a chump but he's an Aussie chump, and selectors like guys who get into people's faces, are willing to bat anywhere and generally be a pest. But the guy has only past 50 9 times in 59 attempts and is not a test player.

So I go Head with a very swift reminder that he's got to score. And he bats 5. If he can't bat higher than 6 then he's a state cricketer.