is the australian team imploding ?

[bayman]

sorry couldn't help myself but with champions players of mcgrath, warne & gilchrists ability & to a lessor extent martyn, has the team 'imploded' or shall we say gone backwards in ability ? i think so infact i think we are right back into the pack

[rod_rooster]

As good as we have been for the past 10 - 15 years we still have only beaten India in India once. Even then it was a struggle. India at home are a very very tough side to beat. The Aussies are nowhere near as good as they were but i wouldn't write us off yet.

[mal]

Not yet BAYMAN
Put the Indian wimps on our bouncy tracks and Im sure we would beat them [we did last series]

[rod_rooster]

Not yet BAYMAN
Put the Indian wimps on our bouncy tracks and Im sure we would beat them [we did last series]

Also Dravid, Ganguly, Tendulkar and Laxman are all just about finished. Future for them is doubtful once those guys go.

[CoverKing]

When those four older fellas go i think they are going to unearth a couple absolute guns! Rohit Sharma should already be in that side replacing Laxman or Dravid in my opinion. Sharma is an out and out star i believe! he will be one to watch for the future. he has played consistantly well for a while in both 2020s and ODIs! and yes i know its not test match cricket, but he has played well in every circumstance! they also have kohli coming up the ranks, and i think they won the last under 19 world cup! there future looks very strong, and i think australia may struggle even at home in the next home series against the indians!

[Adelaide Hawk]

As good as we have been for the past 10 - 15 years we still have only beaten India in India once. Even then it was a struggle. India at home are a very very tough side to beat. The Aussies are nowhere near as good as they were but i wouldn't write us off yet.

Yes, I have learned the lesson many times over the years not to judge Australian players on performances in India. I'll reserve judgement until after the 2nd Test here in Australia this summer.

[Dogwatcher]

As good as we have been for the past 10 - 15 years we still have only beaten India in India once. Even then it was a struggle. India at home are a very very tough side to beat. The Aussies are nowhere near as good as they were but i wouldn't write us off yet.

Yes, I have learned the lesson many times over the years not to judge Australian players on performances in India. I'll reserve judgement until after the 2nd Test here in Australia this summer.

Two very good comments there.

[Rik E Boy]

Not yet BAYMAN
Put the Indian wimps on our bouncy tracks and Im sure we would beat them [we did last series]

Yeah that Tendulkar only averages 55 against us. Bloody hopeless in Australia.

regards,

REB

[MightyEagles]

It's all apart of the TRAP. A trap to get the other countries believe that they are gaining on us, then when we play them, boom we beat them.

[MADDOG3]

This is exactly what the press were saying back in the 2005 Ashes. Though admittedly we don't have Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist, Dizzy and Langer anymore.

India aren't exactly out of the woods themselves. Greatness is achieved over years and not in single Tests. They've just come off a horrible defeat in Sri Lanka.

Back in our own backyard, clearly we are missing a Test-quality spinner. I had great confidence that Bryce McGain could fill that role until he got injured. Also, if Symonds is not available, we need to pick six batsmen. White is not a Test-quality player and Watson is very borderline.

Above all, we need to get our selection right. Our selectors aren't making the right decisions at the moment.

[Killa]

Australia are batting without leadership where you help inexperience batsman in tests.

White reminds me of symonds in earily part of his international career, where he struggled to make runs.

White will play the next test and the next after that.

And expect big changes in the first test in australia. Like hayden may play his last test at home, hussey may make his debut with his brother to open and move to 5 and clarke to 4. Symonds needs to come back in at 6. The bowlers will be lee, clark, johnson and what you need like. gabba play the extra fast bowler like bolly, sidde, tait. then on decks likely to spin more you play a spinner. Do you cullen let him develop in an aussie team if casson is still injured or still unfit to play test.

[NFC]

As good as we have been for the past 10 - 15 years we still have only beaten India in India once. Even then it was a struggle. India at home are a very very tough side to beat. The Aussies are nowhere near as good as they were but i wouldn't write us off yet.

Thankyou! This is getting out of hand. India have always been tough to beat at home and this is one of the strongest Indian sides in many years. And on top of that we have a very young and inexperienced side. We're no longer the team we were, but tto write us off is ridiculous.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Courtesy of the best 1st class cricket competition in world cricket (the Sheffield Shield), Australia will always have 12 players more than capable of being competitive at Test level.

We have just witnessed the greatest cricket team of all time, and comparisons with what we have been is simply a waste of time. As has been said, we have never fared terribly well in India, so we will have to wait and see how the next generation of cricketers in the Baggy Green perform.

[Rik E Boy]

Australia are batting without leadership where you help inexperience batsman in tests.

White reminds me of symonds in earily part of his international career, where he struggled to make runs.

White will play the next test and the next after that.

And expect big changes in the first test in australia. Like hayden may play his last test at home, hussey may make his debut with his brother to open and move to 5 and clarke to 4. Symonds needs to come back in at 6. The bowlers will be lee, clark, johnson and what you need like. gabba play the extra fast bowler like bolly, sidde, tait. then on decks likely to spin more you play a spinner. Do you cullen let him develop in an aussie team if casson is still injured or still unfit to play test.

This developing of cricketers in the test side is just nonsense. If you are as good as Shane Warne yeah, sure , develop him in the test side but if you are a mere mortal then you need lots of overs in the Shield. White bowled just 84 overs last season. Australia are doing what England did in the 2007 Ashes series when they selected Ashley Giles...'oh well, he won't take wickets but he might make 20 batting at number 8!'

Andrew Symonds has more talent in one of his dreadlocks than Cameron White has in his whole body. The spinners available aren't good enough to represent Australia and therefore they should not be selected, let alone for the next two tests. We need our bowlers to take wickets. If a spinner isn't effective his only value is to provide variation and that can be done by Pup or even Simon Katich. Clark for White is the selection move for mine.

regards,

REB

[Killa]

White will play next test because the wicket is suited to that type of bowling just ask kumble, he pick up a 10 for in an innings one day.

The thing is white is bowling well for a part timer but he has a lot of work to do. For spinners they need presser at the other end as well. If there is no pressure no bowler will take wickets. Changes for next test may be lee for clark if available and why not play bollinger, see if he has got it. I think it is waste of time playing lee at the moment because he is not ready to play test and it is the same to hayden. May be they should be playind SS to get a bit of form for the start of the summer, not getting there mental state getting kicked out of them.

[Lightning McQueen]

What gets me the most is that Shane Warne was around for a long time, during this time, the only players we blooded to replace him was Brad Hogg & Stuart MacGill, both were only a couple of years younger than him.

Warney goes, then the other two retire not long after so we think that a 34 year old in McGain can fill the void. Why the hell didn't we make the most of the opportunity 10 years ago when every 2nd kid in the country was trying to be a leggie,we've missed the boat and with the departure of Hayden (almost 37), Lee (almost 32), Ponting (almost 34) and Hussey (33) over the next couple of years, we are starting to look vulnerable.

On top of this, we have Haddin (30), Jacques (29), Katich (33), Symonds (33) and Hodge (33), we need to start rushing through the likes of Shaun Marsh, Luke Ronchi and any other younger lads that look to be future potential.

Very reminiscent to the Windies in the 80's, nothing coming through, gradual retirements then almost a full-team re-build.

[Killa]

What gets me the most is that Shane Warne was around for a long time, during this time, the only players we blooded to replace him was Brad Hogg & Stuart MacGill, both were only a couple of years younger than him.

Warney goes, then the other two retire not long after so we think that a 34 year old in McGain can fill the void. Why the hell didn't we make the most of the opportunity 10 years ago when every 2nd kid in the country was trying to be a leggie,we've missed the boat and with the departure of Hayden (almost 37), Lee (almost 32), Ponting (almost 34) and Hussey (33) over the next couple of years, we are starting to look vulnerable.

On top of this, we have Haddin (30), Jacques (29), Katich (33), Symonds (33) and Hodge (33), we need to start rushing through the likes of Shaun Marsh, Luke Ronchi and any other younger lads that look to be future potential.

Very reminiscent to the Windies in the 80's, nothing coming through, gradual retirements then almost a full-team re-build.

That is well said

May be they need to force hayden out after the first home test at the gabba and bring in a marsh and maybe we need to use the 20-20's to blood new players like india have done then put them through on to one dayers then test so the have expirence.

[Dogwatcher]

I was a bit surprised Hayden was picked for this tour after that time off with injury.
Would've been the perfect time to set up a base for Katich/Jacques to develop a partnership that will hold for next few years.
But I definitely believe, with Hayden struggling and Jacques injured, it's time for Marsh to come in.

[rod_rooster]

You guys crack me up

Drop Lee, drop Hayden hey Ponting hasn't made a hundred for a couple of innings lets drop him too. FFS how fickle people can be and how quickly people forget the achievements of some truly wonderful cricketers. How many times does it have to be pointed out that even when Australia were at their peak they still struggled in India. It is a very tough place to win and to perform in. Just go back and have a look at some of the teams and players who struggled in India and then tell me if they should have been cast aside after a poor tour. You don't write players off because of a couple of poor Tests particularly those guys who are proven performers over many many years and at an extrodinarily high level.

[hearts on fire]

Exactly Rod, if we are going to drop anyone it's gotta be White or Watson.

Anyone remember when Ponting was out of form last summer, then he cracked that big hundred in Adelaide? You wait and see, Hayden will do very much the same here in India.