Aussie test side.

So australia win the series against sri lanka 1-0 with 2 tests rained off, im suprised about their series win, but there are still some areas where australia need to address..

1)Shane Watson- is he really suited to opening, is his technique suited to opening...
2)Phil Hughes- scored 100 in 2nd innings, first time he passed 50 in the whole series, not sure whether he is a test opener
3)Shaun Marsh- looks a class act, and has cemented his place in the side.
4)Ricky Ponting- Is his time nearly up, with marsh batting 3 and khawajla waiting in the wings..
5)Michael Clarke- Finally got a hundred after a long wait, but captaincy less than inspiring
6)Mike Hussey- Will be in the side for a lot longer
7)Brad Haddin- awful series with bat, tim paine waiting in the wings
8)Mitchell Johnson- Handy but questions still remain over whether consistent enough
9)Nathan Lyon- Solid start to test career, but you would think haurtiz is better.
10)Trent Copleand- early days
11)Ryan Harris- stand out for aussies in series.

Personally I only feel Haddin and Ponting only have a few series' left. Paine, Khawaja, Warner ect not to far behind.

I would also have Watson 3 and Hughes and Marsh opening.

My personal side

1) Hughes
2) Marsh
3) Watson
4) Clarke
5) Hussey
6) Khawaja
7) Paine
8) Johnson
9) Harris
10) Copeland
11) Lyon

Australis main selection issue lie in their batting.

i think it would be harsh to move marsh up to open straight away, let him settle in the side first, and i wouldnt kick ponting straight out of the side, maybe one or 2 more series.

That's just my personal side, Ponting will given a few more series' most definitely.

Marsh has did well at the top in one-day Cricket no reason he can't in Test.

haddin struggled badly against sri lanka and has struggled for some time now, his time must surely be up soon.

I never thouggt i would say this but i agree with everything cf has said on this thread except that i feel haddin still has a lot to offer.One bad series doesnt make him a bad player.he was brilliant in the ashes and also in the wc.
i still think punter has another 3 yrs left in him.
apart frm that i agree.

they need someone with the mental toughness of a steve waugh, clarke looks like his confidence could break any second, with the bat or captaincy.

But Shanky, Paines been scoring runs on a consistent basis. If Haddin struggles in any more series' I can't see him lasting much longer.

Cf
mike hussey would have been that guy but he is too old to be a long term captain.

Liam_Main wrote:But Shanky, Paines been scoring runs on a consistent basis. If Haddin struggles in any more series' I can't see him lasting much longer.

agree

Agree with that liam.
haddin deserves the next 2 series though and i think he will come good.

callum ferguson cant be far away from the test squad either

also hazlewwod,starc and pattinson will be the seamers in a few years.

Agree with most of what cricketfan says apart from Clarke's captaincy, which I found to be if anything too creative at times.

Haddin must surely be done, he had a fairly poor WC from what I remember, and Paine looks a solid batsman and decent keeper (my bro who is a keeper says he is a better keeper than most in international cricket, including Haddin).

Ponting I think will do better at 4 than he has done recently at 3. I'd leave him in there for now, with Khawaja next in the frame.

I don't know what the obsession with moving Watson down the order is, it seems borne out of a belief that he doesn't play the way openers should play. We had the same thing with Trescothick for a while. He has so far done well in all countries, has a healthy average as an opener. I believe one of the reasons for his poor series with the bat was that he was asked to bowl a lot more than usual.

Hughes is talented and mightily so, but needs to start scoring consistently. Khawaja or Marsh could easily open so he's under pressure for sure.

Bowling department, Hauritz vs Lyon is much of a muchness IMO. Harris has done enough to cement his place for the near future. Siddle is a good bowler, Copeland looks solid, but I do fear his lack of pace may expose him on quicker wickets. Johnson is a match-winner, and always gets wickets no matter how badly he bowls. I would have him in my team any day.

in the seam bowling, hazlewood and pattinson look good prospects for the future as well.

shane watson's batting will start to decline, because he is constantly being asked to bowl more, therefore do the selectors consider dropping him down the order, and ask marsh to open, put watson at 6, and everyone go up 1.

I would Watson as low as 6, 4 at lowest. There's no real major signs as of yet that his bowling's effecting his batting.

85 runs in 5 innings in sri lanka,....

as he was bowling 15-20 overs in an innings and then having to straight away put the pads on.

That was just in Sri Lanka. I don't recall him struggling in any other series' where he's been required to bowl a lot.

I do think could be more suited to 3 or 4 though.

i like him opening, but its the view from a lot of people, that he is better suited down the order.

Comparing his averages at 6 with as an opener it has always been a strange theory IMO. His technique is actually more suited to opening as well (bit stride or lunge at times means against spin...).

Ponting will benefit from moving down to 4 also. Eventually Kawaja will slot in there. The big question-mark for me is whether Hughes can prove to be an opener, and who replaces Hussey when he's finished.

and where does marsh fit in to this? he is off to an amazing start to his test careeer.

Probably time for Australia to ditch Johnson, with exciting prospects like Starc. Pattinson, Cummins and Hazelwood around, Australia don't need Johnson.

cf

In your original post you claim 'Phil Hughes- scored 100 in 2nd innings, first time he passed 50 in the whole series, not sure whether he is a test opener'

How'd you figure that one way? 3 Test hundreds and a Test average a shade under 40. He has honed his technique since his debut and is now comfortable of front and back foot.

Liam_Main wrote:Personally I only feel Haddin and Ponting only have a few series' left. Paine, Khawaja, Warner ect not to far behind.

I would also have Watson 3 and Hughes and Marsh opening.

My personal side

1) Hughes
2) Marsh
3) Watson
4) Clarke
5) Hussey
6) Khawaja
7) Paine
8) Johnson
9) Harris
10) Copeland
11) Harris

Australis main selection issue lie in their batting.

Ryan Harris' knees are so bad he is unable to last a 3 match series - yet you want to select him twice!!

Oh and David Warner? In the test team? There is possibly more chance of Richie Benaud being called up.

i cant believe greg chappell told mike hussey to retire just before the ashes series, now how silly must he look!

LondonTiger wrote:

Liam_Main wrote:Personally I only feel Haddin and Ponting only have a few series' left. Paine, Khawaja, Warner ect not to far behind.

I would also have Watson 3 and Hughes and Marsh opening.

My personal side

1) Hughes
2) Marsh
3) Watson
4) Clarke
5) Hussey
6) Khawaja
7) Paine
8) Johnson
9) Harris
10) Copeland
11) Harris

Australis main selection issue lie in their batting.

Ryan Harris' knees are so bad he is unable to last a 3 match series - yet you want to select him twice!!

Oh and David Warner? In the test team? There is possibly more chance of Richie Benaud being called up.

Typing error meant to put Lyon.

Why not Warner? Very high first-class average and in his last first-class match he made 211. He looks to be scoring runs consistently and quick. Deserves a run in the side sooner or later.

Marsh has to play against south africa after the stunning series he has just had...

i also think Haurtiz will come back against south africa now his injury has cleared up

After a single season of First class cricket - I reckon it is still too early to say whether Warner can overcome the huge flaws in his game.

I have to be honest I had not realised that he had done quite as well as he had - but looking at him bat I still reckon Australia are in dire straits if he is their opener.

As to Watto - if he does not open - and he has been a success there, he needs to drop down to 6 so he can bowl more.

Punter probably only has one or two series left max, hussey wont be around for much longer, so one would assume that marsh and khawajla would be in the squad or the line up for a while.

cricketfan90 wrote:Punter probably only has one or two series left max, hussey wont be around for much longer, so one would assume that marsh and khawajla would be in the squad or the line up for a while.

Why do you feel that?

because he is 36 i think, so i doubt he will be around for longer than 2 years.

cricketfan90 wrote:because he is 36 i think, so i doubt he will be around for longer than 2 years.

2 years is long enough IMO.I personally think he will be there for the back to back Ashes in 2013.

its good to see shane watson actually playing now, and not being on the injury table all the time

The series in sri lanka showed that its time for Tim Paine to be put in the side, and haddin needs to go back to shield cricket and find some form.

Marsh should bat 3, where he looks comfortable. Hussey and Ponting, although ageing, are both tremendous athletes so have that going for them, but after a while your hand-eye coordination begins to go. It will probably harm Hussey less than Ponting as the latter is a more instinctive player, but neither will be around in 4 years time say. Khawaja will replace one of them, Australia will be hoping to find a young batsman to replace the other.

khwajala will prob bat 6, now, replacing hussey is going to be a tough job for the aussies

i think maybe warner may come in, but still lower down the order and work his way up, thats what australia usually do with their batsman, punter started at 6, and worked his way up to 3

Warner would be intresting in the test side, the run rates would certainly boost, but would he last long?

Actually I think Callum Ferguson is a good shout for a middle-order player as well. Could be Hussey's replacement eventually?

callum ferguson is rated very highly, i think his development was hindered by the severe knee injury he suffered at the last champions trophy. before that he was an instant pick in the limited overs side, but in his absence, guys like white and marsh stole a march.

Pat cummins looks like a great prospect bowling 90-95mph at the age of 18 incredible!

and callum ferguson should be in the test side batting 6.

testing times for australia now, though, they have these youngesters coming through, but the aussie selectors have to give them, a chance and a long run in the sides.Not do what they did with all the spinners.

also australia need to start taking 20 wickets in a test match on a consistent basis, but do they have the bowling attack to do that?