1st Test - Australia v India at Melbourne Dec 26-30, 2011

[Twizzle]

Crystal ball time. Whats a defendable total on this pitch. 220, 250?

250+ as long as its not today

day 3 is still a batting day, so we need to get them chasing 250+ on day 4 or 5 which is looking unlikely unless our tail wags again

 

[BunniesMan]

lol@ Hughes getting 1 chance

fmd

I didn't say he only got one chance. I said Hughes' 1 recent century convinced NOONE so Warners 1 hasnt convinced me either. In his 4 other innings he hasnt batted well.

 

[HowHigh]

Let's hope the 2 seniors can put on a decent partnership and get us back into the game, was looking like another <100 collapse

 

[Sam_the_man]

Haddin is due a decent innings. 250+ isn't beyond the realms of possibility.

 

[El Diablo]

Cowan's dismissal today aside, his approach is exactly what Australia need in an opener IMO. If he is able to consistently replicate innings like his first, a Cowan/Warner opening partnership might not be so bad for Australia, for now at least.

i wouldn't get too excited about him off one innings

only has a first class average of 39 and before the last two seasons would have been much lower

he's also 29

 

[Meth]

i wouldn't get too excited about him off one innings

only has a first class average of 39 and before the last two seasons would have been much lower

he's also 29

I hear you.

I definitely don't think he's the next Hayden. I guess, for me, it was just refreshing to see that sort of patient, considered approach to Test match opening.

Like I said, IF (and I understand that it really all hinges on this, and maybe whether he minds if his skipper doesn't stick around for the team song) he is able to replicate his first innings, he wouldn't be at all bad to serve as a reminder that Test cricket is best not approached in the same way as T20

 

[BunniesMan]

Hughes and Khawaja are still my longterm opening partnership. Hughes minus his current flaw is better than Warner. Khawaja is a much younger much more higher potential version of Cowan.

If they both score runs in 1st class cricket (here and/or county cricket) I'd have them picked for the first test of next summer.

Warner and Cowan as good depth/injury cover.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

Just checked the score....81/4 already..lol oh my.

If they get Ponting out, they'll run through the rest of the lineup.

 

[El Diablo]

Hughes and Khawaja are still my longterm opening partnership. Hughes minus his current flaw is better than Warner. Khawaja is a much younger much more higher potential version of Cowan.

If they both score runs in 1st class cricket (here and/or county cricket) I'd have them picked for the first test of next summer.

Warner and Cowan as good depth/injury cover.

you still have a massive hardon for Hughes :crazy:

 

[El Diablo]

If they get Ponting out, they'll run through the rest of the lineup.

Dravid will get a century, Laxman will probably get one too.

 

[Meth]

Hughes and Khawaja are still my longterm opening partnership. Hughes minus his current flaw is better than Warner. Khawaja is a much younger much more higher potential version of Cowan.

If they both score runs in 1st class cricket (here and/or county cricket) I'd have them picked for the first test of next summer.

Warner and Cowan as good depth/injury cover.

Hughes would have to do something extraordinary to pay back the debt he owes for the chances he has spent.

Khawaja should get another shot

 

[beads6]

Horrible batting from the Aussies. Warner went at one he shouldn't have Cowan left one he shouldn't have and Marsh got bowled by one he should have hit for 4. Clarke got done by a good one but he could have played it better.

 

[beads6]

I'd love to see Hussey and Punter make big tons. Regardless of the runs they make this series they still need to be fazed out of the side.

 

[Meth]

The dilemma Australia faces is that they are at the stage where they don't really have proven performers with years ahead of them. The selectors will need to pick a horse and back him, even through turbulent learning curves. The challenge is picking the right horses to back.

To me, Khawaja looks like a good horse. Hughes, not so good. Marsh, debatable.

 

[BunniesMan]

you still have a massive hardon for Hughes :crazy:

I wouldn't phrase it in such a homoerotic way but yes nothing this season has made me think he isn't the long term answer.

People keep forgetting almost every good batsman of the last 30 years has been dropped. Some more than once. Some for years.

Hughes would have to do something extraordinary to pay back the debt he owes for the chances he has spent.

Khawaja should get another shot

Hayden, Langer, Waugh, Martyn. All deathridden at one point. Some dropped for half a decade or more, one averaged below 40 for his first 50 tests. All ended up scoring thousands upon thousands of runs for us.

I absolutely agree Khawaja should get another go. If they both perform at 1st class level, they're in my team for the Brisbane test in 2012.

 

[aussies1st]

Watson has made it easier, I'd be sticking with our top 3 for this test series at least. Marsh was promising early on, average this match, Warner showed he could bat when the rest fell around him, average effort this match and Cowan was a welcome change in the first innings but questions remains on can he keep out the good balls.

 

[beads6]

Gee the muppets who comment on foxpsorts are pathetic..

 

[beads6]

Watson has made it easier, I'd be sticking with our top 3 for this test series at least. Marsh was promising early on, average this match, Warner showed he could bat when the rest fell around him, average effort this match and Cowan was a welcome change in the first innings but questions remains on can he keep out the good balls.

Agree on all counts, don't forget Marsh has played one 20/20 knock in over a month and looked seriously rusty. he will come good.

 

[some11]

Gee the muppets who comment on foxpsorts are pathetic..

Like youtube comments, dont bother reading.

 

[Red Bear]

The dilemma Australia faces is that they are at the stage where they don't really have proven performers with years ahead of them. The selectors will need to pick a horse and back him, even through turbulent learning curves. The challenge is picking the right horses to back.

To me, Khawaja looks like a good horse. Hughes, not so good. Marsh, debatable.

I think we've been using this as an excuse not to drop Ponting, when we could easily take a punt (pardon the pun) on a well qualified younger bat such as Khawaja, back him over a formerly great but currently past his peak batsmen.