4th Test: Australia v India at Adelaide Jan 24-28, 2012

[Matt23]

A half fit weed :arrow: most of the pea hearts masquerading as team India.

 

[TheParraboy]

In all seriousness, I think India will win this test. Their batting will finally fire up on a flat deck, our middle order is very up and down.

Indian fans will rejoice and reclaim that team India are indeed the rightfull no1 test nation

series 3-1

Cheers

 

[Patorick]

Ojha must play.

#Surrey

 

[Red&BlackBear]

I wouldn't make changes. I'd give one more test to Marsh and Haddin, however if they fail then they won't be heading to the W.I. tour. Watson and Wade to be the players to come in for Shaun and Brad for the W.I. Tour. Unless either Hussey and/or Ponting retire after this test, then it should be Khawaja and next in line to also make the squad.

On this current test, I think we might reach the 5th day. Tendulkar might score his 100, Haddin might be playing his last game, Lyon to play, Siddle to potentially be rested with Hilfy, Harris and Starc bowling. Warner to get a half century, Hilfy to continue to get wickets and Australia to win... Hopefully.

 

[hineyrulz]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket...-and-brad-haddin/story-fn2mcu3x-1226244809211

Hughes also scored a 100 in Sri Lanka :whistle

 

[Mr Angry]

They need to start blooding young blokes, simple as that.

 

[Twizzle]

Not sure it will be as simple as Starc being a bit further down the pecking order.

They talk alot about balance and needing a left armer, also if anyone should be rotated it should be Harry, he is lucky to get through 2 games in a row.

Either selection would not surprise.

 

[beads6]

I am all for Starc playing in Adelaide. Seems to good of an opportunity to get overs into him at test level. Harris could be rested but so could Siddle or Hilfy. If Harris is fit we play him because he won't be in our best side going forward.

 

[Valheru]

Lyon in for one of the quicks is the only change that should be made. Even if Watson is fit (unlikely) there is no point playing him in the dead rubber, give him more rest.

I want Haddin gone as much as the next bloke but may as well just leave him there for his “one last chance”. I just hope he doesn’t have a blinder preventing change for the next test.

Marsh also deserves another chance but I think the writing is on the wall for him regardless of whether he does well or not given Watson will return soon.

 

[aussies1st]

Haddin is done regardless of what he does in this match. Too little to late from him, at least Hussey and Ponting performed when the series was live and they backed up it in the next match.

 

[Chip Bayless]

Agree aussies1st, win, lose or draw - Brad Haddin is playing his last Test.

As for the bowling at Adelaide, Lyon will come in and it comes down to Starc or Harris. I wrote before the third test that would be behind Starc ahead of Harris. Not too discredit Harris, I like the upside on Starc and his left arm offers variety. Harris is currently the better bowler, though as most are saying, can you rely on him fitness wise? He is potentially a risk minus a genuine all-rounder.

 

[yappy]

Absolutely agree on the swansong for Haddin. Hopefully he can go out a winner, bang a quick 50 and call time with Wade taking over from the ODIs.

On Starc playing though, nope. Yes he got some lovely shape at the WACA with a nice helpful breeze. Reminded me very much of another left arm quick named Mitchell at the WACA with a helpful breeze. It doesn't make him someone you'd want to trust as part of a three man pace attack on an Adelaide highway. He's improving, he has great potential, but he's a long way away from genuine test quality yet. I can see Hilf or Siddle (or both) breaking down from having to bowl a mountain of overs to cover Starc getting pounded in Adelaide. Lyon will replace Starc and that's as it should be.

Playing Harris has it's risks, but he hasn't had too much work to do so he should be fine before we wrap him back up in cotton wool for the Windies tour. I do like the thought of playing Christian in place of Marsh just to give a little more cover on the flat deck but it won't happen. I just hope that if Marsh is going to play (and he will) that he doesn't score some cheap runs on a 500 each first innings pitch and paper over the cracks in his game.

 

[woodyk2]

Surely theres got to be better spinners than Lyon?

 

[Horrie Is God]

Harris was our only bowler who looked like getting a wicket in the Adelaide test against the Poms..

 

[yappy]

Harris was our only bowler who looked like getting a wicket in the Adelaide test against the Poms..

Tbf to Siddle, he's a different bowler now, and Hilfenhaus is transformed. I always liked their stamina and energy, but hated that they bowled so much loose or just easily left shit. Both have if anything improved the physical side of the equation and markedly reduced the number of soft or lose balls they deliver.

Not saying that if Adelaide is it's usual batting paradise that they won't do it tough, but I'd be fairly confident that they could at least keep a lid on it and keep it tight, which they couldn't do last year.

Starc on the other hand would be offering up 4+ an over and without that lovely WACA breeze to bring it back into the right handers, well ...

 

[Horrie Is God]

Tbf to Siddle, he's a different bowler now, and Hilfenhaus is transformed. I always liked their stamina and energy, but hated that they bowled so much loose or just easily left shit. Both have if anything improved the physical side of the equation and markedly reduced the number of soft or lose balls they deliver.

Not saying that if Adelaide is it's usual batting paradise that they won't do it tough, but I'd be fairly confident that they could at least keep a lid on it and keep it tight, which they couldn't do last year.

Starc on the other hand would be offering up 4+ an over and without that lovely WACA breeze to bring it back into the right handers, well ...

Hilfy & Sidds are 2 completely different bowlers compared to last year....

They should genuflect in front of McDermott idols 5 times a day..

 

[Chip Bayless]

Absolutely agree on the swansong for Haddin. Hopefully he can go out a winner, bang a quick 50 and call time with Wade taking over from the ODIs.

On Starc playing though, nope. Yes he got some lovely shape at the WACA with a nice helpful breeze. Reminded me very much of another left arm quick named Mitchell at the WACA with a helpful breeze. It doesn't make him someone you'd want to trust as part of a three man pace attack on an Adelaide highway. He's improving, he has great potential, but he's a long way away from genuine test quality yet. I can see Hilf or Siddle (or both) breaking down from having to bowl a mountain of overs to cover Starc getting pounded in Adelaide. Lyon will replace Starc and that's as it should be.

Playing Harris has it's risks, but he hasn't had too much work to do so he should be fine before we wrap him back up in cotton wool for the Windies tour. I do like the thought of playing Christian in place of Marsh just to give a little more cover on the flat deck but it won't happen. I just hope that if Marsh is going to play (and he will) that he doesn't score some cheap runs on a 500 each first innings pitch and paper over the cracks in his game.

Good post.

I like Starc getting invaluable experience in a dead rubber whilst managing Ryan Harris. I don't want to wrap Harris in cotton wool, though easy does it before the Windies in my opinion. If we do play Harris, which as I alluded to is likely, an all rounder in the side musts be considered. Kills two birds with one stone, gives Christian a chance as he backs up Harris offering Clarke another option. This is unlikely given the selectors will give Marsh another chance to make a claim for spot in side. I don't disagree with this. We must persist with Marsh.

Your assessment on Starc at the WACA is spot on, the breeze assisted him greatly though his upside in potential is high and I hope comparisons to Johnson cease as it only hurts him. I think Starc can be a better bowler than Johnson ever was. I am not sure Starc copping some treatment is a bad thing in a dead rubber game. It will test him mentally and accelerate the learning curve. We will see what he has got. Flogging two veteran quicks if only to protect a youngster makes no sense to this cricket fan.

The only change will be Lyon for Starc.

 

[Twizzle]

Surely theres got to be better spinners than Lyon?

there is but I thought he ran over Hildich's dog or something

now Hildich is gone they will probably stick with Lyon till he f**ks up

cant understand how a bloke with half the first class bowling average of everyone else cant get a look in

 

[aussies1st]

Adelaide is essentially the final point on the checklist to showing they can perform anywhere. So far they have performed well on even decks but Adelaide will be a batting deck so how they go on this will go along way to showing how they will go in the return series in India.

 

[Red&BlackBear]

I'd rest Siddle, he has played every test since Sri Lanka so surely if anyone needs a breather in a dead rubber it's him.