Australia v West Indies Series

Australia Squad:

Michael Clarke, George Bailey, Ben Cutting, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Phillip Hughes
Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Johnson, Clint McKay, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Mathew Wade

West Indies Squad:

Darren Sammy, Dwayne Bravo, Tino Best, Darren Bravo, Johnson Charles, Narsingh Deonarine, Chris Gayle,
Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Devon Thomas

1st ODI, Fri Feb 1, WACA
1120 (local), 1420 EST, 0320 GMT

2nd ODI, Sun Feb 3, WACA
1120 (local), 1420 EST, 0320 GMT

3rd ODI, Wed Feb 6, Manuka Oval
1420 (local), 0320 GMT

4th ODI, Fri Feb 8, SCG
1420 (local), 0320 GMT

5th ODI, Sun Feb 10, MCG,
1420 (local), 0320 GMT

Only T20, Wed Feb 13, 'Gabba
1835 (local), 1935 EST, 0835 GMT

Warner fractured his thumb today (they are calling it very minor) so he will not be playing in this series and may be in doubt for the India tour now.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-west-indies-2013/content/story/602712.html

Time for my rant....

1) Devon Thomas is NOT the best wicketkeeper/batsman in the region. He's not even the fans' choice, so God knows why the selectors love him so much!

http://www.windiesfans.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5851

2) Quite a few players in this squad are good T20 players, but mediocre 50-overs players. There are too many bits-and-pieces players in the squad.

3) It's good to see Sarwan back, but I would've preferred to see him play a full season of four-day cricket for Guyana, rather than throw him into the deep end with this tour. His selection smacks of desperation, after Samuels was ruled out with injury.

4) Tino is fast, and can bully batsmen from the minnows, but he's a runs-truck against batsmen from the stronger teams.

I don't have much expectations for this tour, but just winning one ODI would make me happy....

I think Best is a poor one-day bowler to be honest: Yorkshire signed him a couple of years ago, and it didn't take long before he was dropped!

However, I think WI can be optimistic about this series. With Australia's instability, I think WI are at least as good man-for-man:

Gayle > Khawaja
Powell < Hughes
Sarwan < Clarke
DM Bravo = Bailey
DJ Bravo > Finch
Pollard > Maxwell
Thomas < Wade
Sammy > Johnson
Russell < McKay
Roach > Starc
Narine > Doherty

That's very unscientific, but comes out 6-4 in WI's favour.

Australia have made a right mess of their ODI team with so many different players in and out that you lose track. I accept that resting is fine, but with Australia I get the sense that neither they nor the viewer knows who is actually in the best XI. And with Finch, Maxwell and Wade they don't look particularly strong from 5 down to me.

I agree that WI have a lot of T20 specialist type players, and that their main weakness is that they aren't very good at keeping wickets in hand. But with Sarwan now in the top three along with Gayle they have a better chance. The bowling is of slight concern - can Narine cut it in Oz? Are they short of a specialist or two?

Shiv, when does the 4-day series end... how many games will he miss?

I'm sort of in between the two of you, more confident than shiv is for WI and slightly more confident about Australia than Shelsey.

Australia definitely has its weaknesses and now with Warner gone they'll have to shuffle things around again. The Windies certainly have more international match experience as a group and contain more game-clinching players. Wade and Finch will have to step up. Maxwell shows a lot of promise but is still a rookie at this level.

If Gayle, Pollard get going and are supported well by Sarwan and co., then it could spell great danger for Oz. Narine should be more acclimatised/geared up to produce better results than he did in the BB, Roach is always dangerous and with our fragile batting of late could create havoc. It could be a 3-2 series win for either side, imo. Favouring WI at the moment.

Shelsey93 wrote:I think Best is a poor one-day bowler to be honest: Yorkshire signed him a couple of years ago, and it didn't take long before he was dropped!

However, I think WI can be optimistic about this series. With Australia's instability, I think WI are at least as good man-for-man:

Gayle > Khawaja
Powell < Hughes
Sarwan < Clarke
DM Bravo = Bailey
DJ Bravo > Finch
Pollard > Maxwell
Thomas < Wade
Sammy > Johnson
Russell < McKay
Roach > Starc
Narine > Doherty

That's very unscientific, but comes out 6-4 in WI's favour.

Australia have made a right mess of their ODI team with so many different players in and out that you lose track. I accept that resting is fine, but with Australia I get the sense that neither they nor the viewer knows who is actually in the best XI. And with Finch, Maxwell and Wade they don't look particularly strong from 5 down to me.

I agree that WI have a lot of T20 specialist type players, and that their main weakness is that they aren't very good at keeping wickets in hand. But with Sarwan now in the top three along with Gayle they have a better chance. The bowling is of slight concern - can Narine cut it in Oz? Are they short of a specialist or two?

Sammy better than Johnson? Roach a better OD bowler than Starc? Agree with the rest though.

Just heard on the news this morning - Mike Hussey officially backing Usman Khawaja to "take his spot" in the Test team.
It's about time someone stood up and said the right thing.

Yes, I think Roach is better than Starc (at the moment, and not by a huge amount).

Sammy is a better contributor to the team than Johnson. Quite often scores important runs, and is a very useful one-day bowler (Econ 4.59). Test cricket is a different matter.

Test team for the tour to India will be announced in 3 hours (11:45am here)
Shane Warne being called "deluded" for his latest comments.

He reckons Mickey Arthur should step aside (!) and Stephen Flemming should be the coach. As much as I like Flemming I believe Arthur is a great fit for an Australian coach. I've had a good feeling about him since day 1.

Watson didn't do himself any favours (for Test/ODI selections) yesterday scoring only 6 runs in NSW's loss to WA at the SCG.

Surely Watson has to play (although knowing Inverarity anything could happen...).

Big questions I think will be which second spinner goes (if any) and which quicks they pick.

I'd like to see O'Keefe given a chance, however I think they'll go with Doherty to pair with Lyon. Has to be a left arm orthodox - like Monty. They'll need to be as confident and aggressive as Monty too or it could be carnage!

As for quicks it will be Johnson, Siddle, Starc, Bird and Pattinson. Henriques will probably go too.

Shelsey93 wrote:Yes, I think Roach is better than Starc (at the moment, and not by a huge amount).

Sammy is a better contributor to the team than Johnson. Quite often scores important runs, and is a very useful one-day bowler (Econ 4.59). Test cricket is a different matter.

Johnson: 181 wickets in 116 matches, average 25, e/r 4.84. Averages 17 with the bat at a s/r of 92.

Sammy: 64 wickets in 87 matches, average 43, e/r 4.59. Averages 21 with the bat with a s/r of 101.

Personally, I'd rather have Johnson in my team.

Me too. Plus the fact he keeps hitting the target (fingers as well as stumps!)
Less of those really wayward deliveries too - which is a good sign.

Mitch J could really be organizing some real royal mess from time to time and could be a more effective sprayer rather than a bowler, but there is no comparison between him and Darren Sammy, not in terms of stats, not in terms of impact.

Hope Chris Gayle will be back to his best, after a rather quite tour of Bangladesh.
It a challenge for Sarwan. His record in Australia isn't the greatest, and he has come in for an in form Marlon Samuels.

Brilliant start from Australia.
Starc arguably the best quick/swing bowler in the world at the moment.

WI 20/5

39/7...
Johnson just coming on to bowl his first spell.

68/9 after 23 overs.

West Indies all out for 70 in 23.5 overs. Their lowest ODI score v Australia. (it beats the 87 from 25 years or so ago)

Starc gets his 5fer - 5/20 off 6.5 overs, 2 maidens. McKay 3/10 off 7 overs, 2 maidens. Faulkner 2/14 off 5.

18 runs off the 1st over in reply. Maxwell getting stuck in early.

Faintest of nick off Finch's bat. Appeal went up - obvious sound but given 'not out' by Reiffel.

WI go to 3rd umpire and hot spot didn't show up. Given out correctly by the huge audio sound.

(need to be careful with these Victorians....they tend to look after one another!)

Linebreaker wrote:Shiv, when does the 4-day series end... how many games will he miss?

I'm sort of in between the two of you, more confident than shiv is for WI and slightly more confident about Australia than Shelsey.

Australia definitely has its weaknesses and now with Warner gone they'll have to shuffle things around again. The Windies certainly have more international match experience as a group and contain more game-clinching players. Wade and Finch will have to step up. Maxwell shows a lot of promise but is still a rookie at this level.

If Gayle, Pollard get going and are supported well by Sarwan and co., then it could spell great danger for Oz. Narine should be more acclimatised/geared up to produce better results than he did in the BB, Roach is always dangerous and with our fragile batting of late could create havoc. It could be a 3-2 series win for either side, imo. Favouring WI at the moment.

Here's the WIndies domestic season....

http://www.espncricinfo.com/west-indies-domestic-2012/content/match/fixtures.html?country=4;season=2012/13

It runs to May 7, so Sarwan has a chance to recover his four-day form after a disastrous tour of Australia....

Shocking collapse, but not totally unexpected....

Only 2 hours 56 mins, around 32 overs and it's all over. Ruthless performance.

That was less than a T20 match even.

In fact, it's so early still.... they should put on an exhibition T20 match for those who managed to get out to the ground expecting to see 100 overs.

Cheers Shiv.
So pretty much slap bang in the middle of your 4-day and super 50 season.
Same as us with the SS and Ryobi Cup going into the run for the finals.

that was a pathetic effort from the west indies, a real horror show!

well bowled Mitchell Starc!.....again!

What a pathetic effort from the West Indians.

Yes Starc was fantastic, but they might as well have stayed at home if they are gonna play like that.

Maxwell, looks village at times, but can seriously smash it.

Pathetic performance from the West Indies, but ruthless from Australia, reminder of the past.

The West Indies had Australia on the ropes early in the 2nd ODI in Perth. Some stunning catches in the infield had them reeling at 98/6 in the 23rd over. However Bailey produced a brilliant knock of 125*(110) which allowed Australia to reach 266/7.

The early dismissals of Gayle, Sarwan and Darren Bravo had WI again teetering on the brink - thanks to Starc, however a 126-run partnership between Pollard and Dwayne Bravo seemed to put them in a great position.

Then Maxwell and Starc (hat-trick, second 5fer in 2 games) hit back and removed the remaining batsmen in the next 12 overs to restrict the West Indians to 212.

Next game in Canberra (their first International D/N match) is on Wednesday.

One of the main differences between the two sides...when Australia are on the ropes, they bounce back, but when the Windies are on the ropes, they fold....

Can't believe Maxwell went for $1m in the IPL auction.
He got smashed for 4 consecutive 6s by Narine... but he did get 4 wickets after failing with the bat.

A quite brilliant innings by George Bailey. He's not everyone's cup of tea, but I have a lot of respect from him. Gives everything he has whilst wearing the Australian jersey. No one can fault his dedication. Quite surprised he's not in the Test squad for India.

Mitchell Starc continues to mesmerise with the ball. Second Australian after Ryan Harris to take consecutive ODI 5 wicket hauls. Only Waqar had taken 3 in a row, the way Starc is bowling he could match him.

Maxwell took a pounding but showed courage to continue tossing the ball up. Looks to be a very fine all round prospect.

Agree with you on Bailey, Gerry. A lot of people (including myself) initially queried the logic behind his appointment as T20 captain. But since coming into the one-day sides he's proved himself to be a gritty player with perfectly decent ability. I think it would have been far more logical to bat him at 6 in the Test side that Wade/ Smith/ Maxwell/ Henriques.

Starc continuing his top form. Cut out the atrocious spell that he bowls too regularly, and he can quickly become world class, especially in one-dayers.

Wade averages 42 in Test cricket. Has 2 test hundreds in 11 Tests, about the same as the "world class" Shane Watson has in 38 Tests. No idea why people have such a downer on him. He has a far better record than Haddin.

To me Wade looks a bit frenetic, and is a little clumsy with the gloves.

However, with his 2 100s he deserves to keep his place.

But he is a free-flowing batsman, of which Australia have plenty. By promoting him to 6, that would presumably mean another free-flowing player at 7. I would expect that line-up to have a few issues in England, with only Cowan and Clarke posessing the type of games enabling them to stick it out.

I don't think Bailey would be a silver bullet, but I think he'd be a better pick than some that are going.

I'd pick Alex Doolan. Averages 58 in the Shield this season and is said to be techincally sound. Also scored 161 for Aus A against the touring SA side in the warm up game last November. Better than picking someone who averages 28 in the Shield this season.

3rd ODI underway in Canberra.

Manuka Oval is a nice big ground (bigger than MCG apparently), pitch looks true with plenty of grass. Very warm & dry day there.

Australia won the toss and are batting. Currently 115/1 after 22 overs.

Watson out for 122

207/2 after 35

Windies need 330 to win.

Good total, should be an interesting chase

Gayle has pulled a muscle in his side and will bat down at No. 7

Thomas & Powell ( ) started slowly but the runs are now coming. 43/0 after 7 overs.

Good innings from the Bravos then a bit of a collapse losing Gayle and Pollard in quick succession.

WI 281/8. Russell mistimes one off McKay. 49 off 24 required.

Massive 6 from Sammy. 41 runs need off the last 3 overs.

Faulkner bowls Narine with his 1st ball of the 47th.

All over. WI all out for 290.

James Faulkner has been fined for getting carried away with his dismissal of Gayle.

I think that was a good move by the ICC. There's a line when it comes to celebrating and sometimes the bowler can be far too 'over the top'.

Yeah, Faulkner got way too carried away there...but Maxwell may be in trouble for that tweet.

Another inept batting performance by the Windies, Pollard aside....

Amazing innings from Pollard to hold it together.
WI looked shot at 55/6 then 98/7.

Finch out lbw despite referring it to the 3rd umpire.

What tweet was that, shiv? Missed it.

Australia cruising along........ but now Watson can't get out of the way and edges one off Best to Thomas.

Struggling get interested in this series. It seems a bit of an "add on" to the international season - nothing much at stake , WI don't seem fully switched on , Australia using it to try out fringe players...

I guess it keeps the sponsor happy , but to me it is high on the list of pointless one day "contests"

Me too. I've been following this since the late 70s when I was youngster. I'm struggling to rekindle that certain feeling I used to have (watching us getting thrashed by the Windies ) and going out to the games.

Beautiful day/evening here but Kerry "Skull" O'Keefe turned me off at about 2:25 pm when I was listening to the radio in the car and he was banging on about the dead rubber syndrome and the fact that a local player like Starc was being rested. He even called us 'fickle'! He's probably right...

That's a cracking knock from Pollard. He is really coming on as a ODI batsman. And that catch to get Maxwell the other day... Brilliant.

Another solid, professional win for Aus, very comfortably, in the end though.

Last game of our International season at the MCG on Sunday.

I'm still a little worried about our chances in India with all these changes to the Test side. You can never be certain of the line up and surely that has to be a huge disadvantage?