2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Australia @ Galle Feb 6-10, 2025

[TheParraboy]

FFS Head out

1/38

 

[King-Gutho94]

Lol Marnus is on a hiding to nothing here

 

[Incorrect]

Did I just see Gladstone Small waving a Sri Lankan flag in the crowd??!!

 

[TheParraboy]

Shame this isn't a 3 test series

 

[Marshall_magic]

Lol Marnus is on a hiding to nothing here

Down on form and confidence and coming in with 40 odd to win. Best case scenario he scores 25*

 

[Marshall_magic]

Down on form and confidence and coming in with 40 odd to win. Best case scenario he scores 25*

26* I stand corrected

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Australia win by 9 wickets, win series 2 nil.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Ahhh Ch 7
Go from streaming live cricket to steaming piles of shit.
Until WTC final…

 

[undertaker]

So, Smudge retains his unbeaten record as fill in test captain.

In the 9 tests where he's filled in - 3 during the 2014/15 BGT when Clarke got injured, and 6 since Cummins became captain in 2021 - Smudge has won 6 and drawn 3.

The 3 draws (all against India at MCG, SCG and Ahmedabad) were on high-scoring roads.

 

[undertaker]

Ahhh Ch 7
Go from streaming live cricket to steaming piles of shit.
Until WTC final…

Still 2 ODIs to go on Wednesday and Friday, that will also be broadcast on Ch7.

Unfortunately, Amazon Prime currently has exclusive broadcasting rights in Australia to all ICC events (until end of 2027), which includes the WTC Final.

Although, according to this article, Ch7 have recently been in negotiations with Amazon Prime to share the broadcasting rights for the upcoming WTC Final. Hopefully, there will be an 11th hour agreement that will allow fans in Australia who don't have Amazon Prime to watch what should be a quality test match:

Why the Sri Lanka-Australia series could be the start of more free cricket on TV

Seven is now likely to bid for the chance to broadcast the 2027 series in India.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Twizzle]

Manus finally contributed, he'll be in the WTC team now

 

[undertaker]

Manus finally contributed, he'll be in the WTC team now

Barring injury, Marnus will definitely be selected for the WTC Final.

Marnus is one of 8 players in Australia's test squad from the recent BGT that has played 50+ tests (alongside Head, Cummins, Hazlewood, Khawaja, Starc, Smith and Lyon). Given that the selectors have already blooded 5 debutants over the past 7 tests - McSweeney, Konstas, Webster, Inglis and Connolly - they won't want to tinker with the lineup too much for a marquee test.

You'll find that the starting XI at Lord's will be:

Khawaja
Konstas/Inglis*
Labuschagne
Smith
Head
Carey
Webster/Green*
Cummins (c)
Starc
Lyon
Boland/Hazlewood*

Regarding the *:

- despite the push in the media for Boland to be an automatic starter in the Australian Test XI off the back of his outstanding form in the BGT, Hazlewood is a shoo-in for the WTC Final if he can prove his fitness. V I C T A R D S have a short-term memory. Hazlewood took 35 wickets @ 13.60 last year, so he ain't going anywhere if he remains injury-free.

- whether Green gets selected will heavily depend on how much match practice he can get over the next 4 months. If he can't prove his fitness and still has back niggles, the selectors will take the conservative option with Webster as the all-rounder.

- Konstas/Inglis is the 50/50 selection of the three*. It's hard to know which way the selectors go on this. If Konstas is the opener who partners Khawaja, Head will drop back to #5 in the batting order. If Head remains as opener, Inglis will be #5.

 

[Fangs]

Honestly Webster has impressed as has Green. And we know Head works at the top of the order. Slightly left field but we pick two all rounders again once Green is fit.

The issue it creates is we aren't blooding a long term opener which has been a problem for a while time now. Head is a nice secondary option but the home summer should see some youth at the top.

 

[Chins]

Honestly Webster has impressed as has Green. And we know Head works at the top of the order. Slightly left field but we pick two all rounders again once Green is fit.

The issue it creates is we aren't blooding a long term opener which has been a problem for a while time now. Head is a nice secondary option but the home summer should see some youth at the top.

Its not left field. Green is the best young bat in Australia

 

[Fangs]

Its not left field. Green is the best young bat in Australia

Two all rounders is left field in a test side. Especially Australian teams.

But only slightly left field because we've done it before with Green and Marsh and it was a success.

 

[Chins]

Two all rounders is left field in a test side. Especially Australian teams.

But only slightly left field because we've done it before with Green and Marsh and it was a success.

Green makes the side even if he never bowls again imo

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Green makes the side even if he never bowls again imo

Well seeing he averages 36 in test cricket he's a lock in the modern era.

 

[Fangs]

Green makes the side even if he never bowls again imo

I'd prefer to treat him as an all rounder. He is a good bowler.

The benefit of him and Webster is that neither will break their back bowling for us. And our ageing attack which will 99% be our front line Ashes squad will have the support of Green/Webster with the ball.

All that said I think Webster is unlucky and misses out. We need to blood a long-term opener. It needs to start in 2025.

 

[Chins]

Well seeing he averages 36 in test cricket he's a lock in the modern era.

His problem is in his head I believe and not the same types of problems Mad Maruns has

 

[Twizzle]

I'd prefer to treat him as an all rounder. He is a good bowler.

The benefit of him and Webster is that neither will break their back bowling for us. And our ageing attack which will 99% be our front line Ashes squad will have the support of Green/Webster with the ball.

All that said I think Webster is unlucky and misses out. We need to blood a long-term opener. It needs to start in 2025.

Green bowls at 140 ks and Webster at 125ks, big difference, I just wish Green would pitch the ball up more, say at bail height, most of his balls are at glove height and he wastes the ball for mine