Aussies team require changes....

After two huge defeats in the first two test matches, a big question arises on the issue of selection and batting order. Though warner exposed a bit of confidence in the first inning of chennai test, but was shattered in all three innings. Cowan batted well today and stayed at the wicket for more than 3 hrs. Watson is also not in full grip, and for Hughes he is a talented one and could be the trumpcard fo the ashes, but his followthrough against spin is pathetic. For Clarke he should bat higher at 4, becuz,he is the only one little comfortable here and at 5 he is followed by a w/k and tail enders. Chosing doherty ahead of lyon was again a surprising decision because though he failed to put a mark in the first test but I will rate him little over doherty. Maxwell is a talented fellow he should get some more chances. Rest all depend on what selectors think but according to me aussies team should be like this
Warner
Cowan
Watson
Clarke
khwaja
Wade
Henriques
Maxwell/smith
Lyon
Starc
Pattinson



Lyon
th

I just don't get what has happened to Australia.

Sure there are new players, but if they are the best there is then they need to apply themselves more.

I realise you aren't just going to find a Warne behind every Kangaroo shack, but it still requires a balanced bowling attack.

And for the batsmen, if they can't apply themselves than it really doesn't matter who bowls for them, does it?

They've gone from a team packed with matchwinners to one.

There back ups are not much better.

My team for the 3rd test would be:

Warner
Watson
Cowan
Clarke
Khawaja
Wade
Henriques
Johnson
Starc
Lyon
Pattinson

Australia's back-ups are simply not suited to Indian conditions and would also struggle.
They did very well against the Lions - but this series isn't being played in Tasmania or Victoria.

Hughes is obviously teetering on the verge of being dropped but I'd still prefer him to Cowan at a venue like Mohali. However, it's just about confirmed that Khawaja and Smith will come into the team for the 3rd Test.

The players are being ripped to shreds here by people like Damien Martyn and even Richie Benaud has criticised John Inverarity -as well as the press and the fans having a few things to say. But it's the players (bar Clarke and Pattinson & Henriques at times) who have capitulated to India with a reckless respect for the bowling, poor shot selection, impatience at the crease and a lack of fighting spirit... but then again, that last one has been well & truly whacked to the fence as well and it will take something special to reverse the slide.

Hughes could be a match winner in the upcoming ashes but,I fear his form here in India may force the selectors to think of a replacement. He is a prolific batsman when bowl will come to bat easily against pacer but his temperament against spinners is pathetic.

He's been completely hopeless, kumar.
That's why even if Mohali favours seam bowling a little more, your guys will bowl spin to him. Will only take a few balls, right?

I too agree wid you LB. MS will give the bowl to tweekers as soon as he will come to the crease no matter it is mohali or perth. And ya Australia is losing a talent here. he is very good against fast bowlers and I hope he will pile on huge runs in ashes. Here they should try khwaja over him.

Hughes still gets a lot of love among fans and pundits , and has seemingly retained "Golden Boy " status with the selectors , for a fellow who frankly has done almost nothing in Test cricket since his first couple of matches against SA...

It was a great start against a strong team (0 ,75, plus two centuries ! ) but it has to be said he just hasn't lived up to it at all - opponents seem to have worked him out and apart from isolated innings against NZ and Sri Lanka he has not really looked a Test batsman.

In theory he might do better away from spin friendly surfaces , but given his problems against quality pace (the Australian selectors were not even game to pick him against SA this summer ! ) one has to ask : if he needs a tailor made set of conditions/opponents to succeed , are there not better prospects for a place in the Australian XI ?

He must be dropped , and if I were Inverarity I would be making him really earn a recall.

The "Golden Boy" tag is a bit rich I wonder who gave him that tag - Damien Martyn?

What annoys me is the fact that he seems incapable of adjusting his game to varying conditions. It's full throttle or bust. In this day and age that is not good enough - you need some sort of 'cricketing brain' which he obviously lacks.

That should have been a condition of his re-entry into the team and they should have taken him aside before the tour (preferably in a place like Darwin or Cairns for a week or 3) and hired Murali or Warne to drill some sense into him. Too late now. I can't believe nobody has told him/taught him how to effectively play spin at this level.

Fredye Flintoff and Steve Harmison worked Hughes over in England after that fine start to his test career. He kept fishing outside off and nicking to slips. When he was brought back against New Zealand he batted like Chris Martin!. In fact he was caught guptill of the bowling of the Fantom in every innings without troubling the bowlers much. And now he has massive issues against spin despite being given a soft landing against Sri Lanka after being shielded from Steyn and Philander. Can't play pace, can't play spin. Yet he's expected to be the best thing since Bradman!.
Someone like Shaun Marsh, in my view got a rather rough deal from the Australian selectors. He had one atrocious series against the Indians and he was done. Khawaja never was given a decent run with a fixed batting position. Even Markus North could grit it out with greater regularity despite inconsistency being his problem.
Perhaps Hughes will eventually know his game better and expand his range of shots and improve his defensive technique. But at the moment he's far more hype rather than any real substance

This is the current aussie side:

Cowan
Warner
Hughes
Clarke (c)
Watson
Henriqes
Wade (wk)
Maxwell
Pattinson
Siddle
Doherty

now in an ideal world with everybody available and fit this is the side I would go with

1.Cowan
2.Jacques
3.Clarke (c)
4.Watson
5.Burns
6.D.Hussey or Voges
7.Paine (wk)
8.Lyon ( even though im a fan of Hauritz)
9.Siddle
10.Pattinson
11.Cummins

12th man: Starc

I agree with msp re Marsh, had one poor (actually dreadful) series, was dropped like a hot potato and never seen again since. Maybe deserves another chance. Certainly couldn't do much worse than Hughes is doing right now.

Anyway for the third Test we're likely to see
Warner
Cowan
Hughes
Clarke
Smith (I guess, never a n°5 but they don't have any other options do they?)
Wade
Henriques (has done a decent job so far)
Siddle
Starc
two others: anyone's guess TBH on this one, Maxwell I think is a decent cricketer and could get another chance, Lyon was slapped around in the first Test but is still a decent option.

I think Australia's selection was pretty muddled throughout on this tour, they picked basically three bits-and-pieces guys in their squad, dropped Lyon after one bad performance despite him having done little wrong before then, Watson is stuck at n°4 which just isn't a natural position for him, etc.

After today's drama, Watson and Pattinson have to be replaced in the playing side. Sense seems to be running short with Arthur and Clarke, so I won't be surprised to see Lyon sitting out and Doherty playing.
Philip Hughes apparently wrote a masterpiece of an essay on the technique to play spin, and seems the management is suitably impressed!!.

MFC perhaps they could consider playing both Wade (subject to fitness and availability) and Haddin. Both are capable bats. Really don't see Steve Smith as a number 5.

wade is injured that's why haddin is flying out!

Wade bowled some fairly whippy medium pace against SA too, didn't he?

it's an option, but I'm not sure Wade and Haddin are better batsmen than Smith, who also adds a bowling option and is of course a fantastic fielder. I think TBH it's a mess, they just didn't bring enough frontline batsmen with them for my liking.

But Smith doesn't bowl a great deal anymore does he? I've read reports that he has really lost his art of legspin and he played most of his first class cricket this season as a batsman.

The drama that is going on is really going to sink the aussies ship here in india. What type of report arthur is asking for. And even if phil gives a impressive report whether it would solve his problem against spin. Dude it is cricket. They should work hard on the field rather on paper. I have,not seen an Aussies side so depressed. Aussies are known for their fight back game but if watson and pattison on bench australia is for sure going to lose the rest of the matches. I fear this could be a massive debacle before Ashes this year. And what type of report Arthur is demanding from jhonson and khwaja when they have not played a match here. Arthur is nt going the right way. Had watson and pattinson being dropped a conflict will arise in the team.

For the line up they should stick with henriques and maxwell at no. 7 & 8 rather trying smith, and I hope lyon to be back in the side. Lyon though was failed in the first inning but his spin may create problems for indians later when the bowl is old. If watson it to sit out phil will surely be in the line up with khwaza may get a chance to bat at no. 5 down to clarke. I hope aussies will go with three fasters but had jhonson and pattinson shown d door doherty and lyon will both be in the line up and I don't think doherty is going to trouble indians in any way.

Mad for Chelsea wrote:Wade bowled some fairly whippy medium pace against SA too, didn't he?

it's an option, but I'm not sure Wade and Haddin are better batsmen than Smith, who also adds a bowling option and is of course a fantastic fielder. I think TBH it's a mess, they just didn't bring enough frontline batsmen with them for my liking.

wade is injured! They wont both play

Wow massive implosion by the Aussies

With only 12 fit players available there could be 3 "all rounders" in their line up in Mohali.

13 if you include Haddin.