Changes for the next test

[gadj1976]

Despite being no 1 in the world, I see us as being in a rebuilding phase, post Warne, Gilchrist and McGrath. So why not blood blokes who can take us back to the level we were at. Hayden isn't going to get any better, so why not give a young bloke a chance? Hughes or Rogers?

Leaving the team 'as is' apart from Krejza was a joke IMO. Time to do the AFL thing and say 'we're rebuilding' out loud. Mind you that would take some ballz to do and I can't see Hilditch et al doing it in the near future.

[westozfalcon]

Katich
P Hughes# (Time to test some young Guns. What better time than on his home deck)
Ponting
Clarke (time to step up the order and assume more responsibility)
Hussey (Performs better at 5 or 6 )
Watson (At least he can bowl too. Replacing Symonds who is not good enough to play purely as a batsman at Test level)
Haddin
Krezja (An attacking spinner for a spin-friendly wicket)
Johnson
Hilfenhaus
Siddle


#Hayden will play but shouldn’t. For him this is one series too many no matter what he scores in the 2nd innings in Melbourne.

[NFC]

Well for starters Rogers instead of Hughes. Rogers is in form with the bat and Hughes is just starting out. When 7 players are living or currently come from NSW with Australian Contracts and considered for the Test team there is a problem.

Yeh that would be right, lets be ultra conservative as usual.

[Killa]

If lee is out of next test but expected to miss maybe watson which adds an extra batsman what lee was doing well or bollinger because two left handers more rough for hautiz to bowl.

If Symonds is injured as well i would look at hussey or punt out of left field if we are 2-0 down maybe some one like smith who can spin the ball and can bat. This bloke was the spinner in the aussie u/19 world cup team last year.

[panther]

Im going to name the teams on form and fitness only and who deserves a spot.

australia

1 katich
2
3 ponting
4 hussey
5 clarke
6
7 haddin
8
9 johnson
10
11

south africa

1 smith
2
3 amla
4 kallis
5 devilliers
6 duminy
7 boucher
8
9 harris
10 steyn
11 ntini

Looking at the shoe ins for Australia one can only say that the batting is still very good, a very good keeper batsman, but an attack that is lacking penetration with the older ball.

Stuart Clark is missed

South Africa are a better team because they select 5 frontline bowlers, Australia need Clark and Watson in the team[or symonds fit enough to bowl] to have more depth.

Australia also needs a tall bowler who gets bounce and can bowl long spells with the old ball and if he was younger that could have been Dorey

Australia before the second test in melbourne in the last 7 tests against the second and third ranked teams [ south africa and india ] have not won a test match, thats the last 6 tests v India and 1 against south africa.

[Punk Rooster]

why is Haddin a walk-up start?
His glove-work is not of a high standard.

[aceman]

why is Haddin a walk-up start?
His glove-work is not of a high standard.

Because there is currently noone any better in Aust. That's a fair enough reason IMO.

[rod_rooster]

why is Haddin a walk-up start?
His glove-work is not of a high standard.

Because there is currently noone any better in Aust. That's a fair enough reason IMO.

That's not true IMHO. There are better wicket keepers going around just none can bat anywhere near as well as Haddin. Hartley is a better keeper and Paine is as well. Even Manou would be at least the equal if not slightly better with the gloves. None are near the standard with the bat as Haddin though. If the best wicket keeper was selected Haddin wouldn't be it but he plays as he really is an extra batsman in the lineup.

[locky801]

why is Haddin a walk-up start?
His glove-work is not of a high standard.

Because there is currently noone any better in Aust. That's a fair enough reason IMO.

That's not true IMHO. There are better wicket keepers going around just none can bat anywhere near as well as Haddin. Hartley is a better keeper and Paine is as well. Even Manou would be at least the equal if not slightly better with the gloves. None are near the standard with the bat as Haddin though. If the best wicket keeper was selected Haddin wouldn't be it but he plays as he really is an extra batsman in the lineup.

And at the minute we really need that extra batsman IMHO

[Dogwatcher]

Hayden
Katich
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Symonds
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
HiLF
Siddle

In my opinion Symonds should be out and North or David Hussey.

Most definately would be our worst bowling attack for a decade at least (and probably our worst overall also)[/quote]

Are you saying worst bowling attack ever?

[The Ash Man]

My pipe dream team:

Hughes
Marsh (yeah, Katich can stay but this is my pipe dream team!)
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Hussey
Watson
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Hilfenhaus

Who is going to do all the bowling?
2 quicks, 1 spinner then all-rounders?
Need another quick as a first change bowler IMO

[rod_rooster]

why is Haddin a walk-up start?
His glove-work is not of a high standard.

Because there is currently noone any better in Aust. That's a fair enough reason IMO.

That's not true IMHO. There are better wicket keepers going around just none can bat anywhere near as well as Haddin. Hartley is a better keeper and Paine is as well. Even Manou would be at least the equal if not slightly better with the gloves. None are near the standard with the bat as Haddin though. If the best wicket keeper was selected Haddin wouldn't be it but he plays as he really is an extra batsman in the lineup.

And at the minute we really need that extra batsman IMHO

I agree with that particularly as we don't really have a bowler who requires a brilliant keeper like a Warne did for example.

[brod]

No thoughts of two spinners for the SCG ?

[CoverKing]

No thoughts of two spinners for the SCG ?

On this, with symonds injury and lee's injury, assuming they both are not fit i would not play them.
My side:

Katich
Hayden (i think they will play them no matter what, but if they drop him, bring in hughes, im sick of seeing punts taken with bowlers but not batsmen, its his home deck give him the next 10-15 years to dominate)
Ponting
M.Hussey
Clarke
D.Hussey/M.North (either/or i would be happy they are great in form players and can help with handy spinners)
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Siddle
Hilfenhaus

I would like to see Bracken play, but obviously he has been ruled out for the last couople of years as only a ODI bowler, he would bring much needed swing, experience and has a good record against south africa in the 50 over format.

[cyclops]

one thing for sure symonds should never have played this test with this injury,and someone please explain to me why the hell he is not fielding at 1st slip instead of hayden,hayden use to field in the gully years ago yet we have symonds hobbling after balls hit thru cover.im not convinced of watson as a batsmen but i think he needs to replace symonds,and as much as i hate saying it see ya later haydos and give young hughes a crack at his home ground,and hauritz isnt the rite way to go imo,bring krezra or sum1 who actually spins the ball in to the team and hilf for lee,even if lee wasnt injured he should be dropped.

[rod_rooster]

one thing for sure symonds should never have played this test with this injury,and someone please explain to me why the hell he is not fielding at 1st slip instead of hayden,hayden use to field in the gully years ago yet we have symonds hobbling after balls hit thru cover.im not convinced of watson as a batsmen but i think he needs to replace symonds,and as much as i hate saying it see ya later haydos and give young hughes a crack at his home ground,and hauritz isnt the rite way to go imo,bring krezra or sum1 who actually spins the ball in to the team and hilf for lee,even if lee wasnt injured he should be dropped.

I reckon Hauritz has bowled well this Test particularly on day 2. He has bowled much better than Krezja did in Perth and he actually has some control. The fact he was able to keep it tight put pressure on the batsmen was important and is something Krezja is unable to do. I'm by far from a huge fan of Hauritz but at the moment he is a better option than Krezja IMHO. Krezja has more potential but right now Hauritz is ahead of him.

[cyclops]

i agree hauritz bowls alot tighter but for me doesnt take wickets unless the batter makes stupid mistakes,he never looked like dismissing steyn or the other bloke yesterday.

[Thiele]

Symonds has to go

[brod]

Symonds has to go

Next thing youre going to say is that the sun will go down tonight....................STATE THE OBVIOUS

[FD88]

In: Hilfenhaus, D. Hussey

Out: Lee, Symonds

We'll romp the third test in