The Ashes 25/26

[whufc]

The general consensus seems to be Khawaja should be dropped and ultimately you can't get any worse than at present whether you go with Head to open Webster in or straight swap for Renshaw to open.

However do we actually think Khawaja will get dropped........

I highly doubt it based on what we've seen previously with selections. I might be reading to much into it but throughout the commentary Warner was talking in a very matter of fact manner that Khawaja would stay in. Maybe Khawaja is on the same retire when you like deal as Warner was on resulting from sandpaper gate.

Khawaja has been a problem for a while now imo....

-AO day/nighter, Australia go to bat under lights 20 minutes to go and McSweeney has to face the first ball of the innings (for mine that should be the experienced Khawaja) Opposite to Trav Head who wouldn't let Weatherald face the first ball in the second innings as confirmed by Head....that's leadership
-Kohli bumps into Sam Konstas and Khawaja ends up with arms around Kohli having a laugh. Think what you like of Konstas but yeah nah.
-Khawaja chooses the F1 races over playing shield cricket
-Goes off for toilet break and stretching to only miss the right to open the batting, this after playing golf instead of doing the extra training session the day before the test.
-Then he has back spasms in the second innings.....lucky this worked for Australia.

[dedja]

Does seem to have diplomatic immunity but then again I thought Smudge was a goner not that long ago.

[Trader]

I would like to see Khawaja gone now, but I agree with you that he'll likely get another game.

I can see the selectors already, he plays for Qld, his familiarity with the gabba deck is invaluable etc.
I would hope that the one game is all he gets as a farewell though. Will be really annoyed if they keep him all series and let him play Sydney.

[Trader]

If I was Uzzie and wanted one more, I'd come out now and announce my retirement for after the gabba test. Put the selectors in a tight spot and almost force them to give you another game.

[am Bays]

If I was Uzzie and wanted one more, I'd come out now and announce my retirement for after the gabba test. Put the selectors in a tight spot and almost force them to give you another game.

Didn’t work for Healy in 1999

[Booney]

Very inconclusive.

England bat more aggressively, Trav went out there with intent and just kept finding the middle of his bat, Marnus cashed in on Head demoralisng the Poms, he'd never bat like that in a first innings or with a 300+ chase.

England had a plan to throw Boland off his game, it worked in the first dig, at the end of the day, we won the game, they didn't lose it. We took a risk, thought outside the square and it paid off, they controlled most of the game.

They lost control when we took 5/12 on day 1 then again when they lost 5/23 on day two and then again when Head took over for an hour. In a game that went for less than two days they lost control for quite a bit of it.

[dedja]

If I was Uzzie and wanted one more, I'd come out now and announce my retirement for after the gabba test. Put the selectors in a tight spot and almost force them to give you another game.

Didn’t work for Healy in 1999

There’s no standout replacement now like Gilly was back then though.

[am Bays]

Lyon is 3rd on the list of pink ball wickets (played the most with Starc)

His average is five runs better (25) than his career (30) and at a slightly better strike rate.

Not sure why you would want to drop your best spinner

He's also 38 years old and didn't field in the second innings. Get him right for Adelaide where he has taken 63 wickets @ 25.36.

Australia should beat England at the Gabba without Lyon.

If it was a stress injury rather than a contact injury I’d agree with you.

IMO he plays

[whufc]

Very inconclusive.

England bat more aggressively, Trav went out there with intent and just kept finding the middle of his bat, Marnus cashed in on Head demoralisng the Poms, he'd never bat like that in a first innings or with a 300+ chase.

England had a plan to throw Boland off his game, it worked in the first dig, at the end of the day, we won the game, they didn't lose it. We took a risk, thought outside the square and it paid off, they controlled most of the game.

They lost control when we took 5/12 on day 1 then again when they lost 5/23 on day two and then again when Head took over for an hour. In a game that went for less than two days they lost control for quite a bit of it.

With all that said you offer any test captain the chance to win the game with ball in hand and opposition needing the highest score of the test, you are taking it.

[am Bays]

If I was Uzzie and wanted one more, I'd come out now and announce my retirement for after the gabba test. Put the selectors in a tight spot and almost force them to give you another game.

Didn’t work for Healy in 1999

There’s no standout replacement now like Gilly was back then though.

Umm Matt Renshaw 309 runs at 77 with 2 tons and 1 50 in four digs in the Shield this year….

[Booney]

Very inconclusive.

England bat more aggressively, Trav went out there with intent and just kept finding the middle of his bat, Marnus cashed in on Head demoralisng the Poms, he'd never bat like that in a first innings or with a 300+ chase.

England had a plan to throw Boland off his game, it worked in the first dig, at the end of the day, we won the game, they didn't lose it. We took a risk, thought outside the square and it paid off, they controlled most of the game.

They lost control when we took 5/12 on day 1 then again when they lost 5/23 on day two and then again when Head took over for an hour. In a game that went for less than two days they lost control for quite a bit of it.

With all that said you offer any test captain the chance to win the game with ball in hand and opposition needing the highest score of the test, you are taking it.

Every day of the week!

( But the context of it being 200 on day two you'd ask what's going on )

[dedja]

If I was Uzzie and wanted one more, I'd come out now and announce my retirement for after the gabba test. Put the selectors in a tight spot and almost force them to give you another game.

Didn’t work for Healy in 1999

There’s no standout replacement now like Gilly was back then though.

Umm Matt Renshaw 309 runs at 77 with 2 tons and 1 50 in four digs in the Shield this year….

Smartarse, you know exactly what I mean, in any other universe Gilly would have debuted well before turning 28.

And you call yourself a ‘keeper!

[valleys07]

I would like to see Khawaja gone now, but I agree with you that he'll likely get another game.

I can see the selectors already, he plays for Qld, his familiarity with the gabba deck is invaluable etc.
I would hope that the one game is all he gets as a farewell though. Will be really annoyed if they keep him all series and let him play Sydney.

No longer a justifiable reason. There is another bloke with 3 shield tons to his name this summer, who shares the same experience.

There is nothing keeping Usman in the side now. Should be dropped.

[Kahuna]

Wickets taken in the first Ashes test by Country of Birth

Australia: 20
New Zealand: 5
South Africa: 5
Barbados: 2
England: 0

Stolen and posted to another site, with credit given of course!

[valleys07]

Very inconclusive.

England bat more aggressively, Trav went out there with intent and just kept finding the middle of his bat, Marnus cashed in on Head demoralisng the Poms, he'd never bat like that in a first innings or with a 300+ chase.

England had a plan to throw Boland off his game, it worked in the first dig, at the end of the day, we won the game, they didn't lose it. We took a risk, thought outside the square and it paid off, they controlled most of the game.

They lost control when we took 5/12 on day 1 then again when they lost 5/23 on day two and then again when Head took over for an hour. In a game that went for less than two days they lost control for quite a bit of it.

Yet at 1pm on day 2, they were probably 20 overs of sensible batting away from putting Australia out of the test.

Constructively analysing this test is a hard task, such was the bizarre nature of it all.

[Lightning McQueen]

The general consensus seems to be Khawaja should be dropped and ultimately you can't get any worse than at present whether you go with Head to open Webster in or straight swap for Renshaw to open.

However do we actually think Khawaja will get dropped........

I highly doubt it based on what we've seen previously with selections. I might be reading to much into it but throughout the commentary Warner was talking in a very matter of fact manner that Khawaja would stay in. Maybe Khawaja is on the same retire when you like deal as Warner was on resulting from sandpaper gate.

Khawaja has been a problem for a while now imo....

-AO day/nighter, Australia go to bat under lights 20 minutes to go and McSweeney has to face the first ball of the innings (for mine that should be the experienced Khawaja) Opposite to Trav Head who wouldn't let Weatherald face the first ball in the second innings as confirmed by Head....that's leadership
-Kohli bumps into Sam Konstas and Khawaja ends up with arms around Kohli having a laugh. Think what you like of Konstas but yeah nah.
-Khawaja chooses the F1 races over playing shield cricket
-Goes off for toilet break and stretching to only miss the right to open the batting, this after playing golf instead of doing the extra training session the day before the test.
-Then he has back spasms in the second innings.....lucky this worked for Australia.

Not sure that's my take on it but anywho, I thought he was diffusing the situation.

On the back of what happened in the first test tells me that they MUST drop him, piss poor, can't open the batting becasue his walking frame was missing a rubber foot which made it a tad wonky.

Could've ruined Weathers' career before it even started, unless your leg fell off you should be eager to get out there a do what you get paid to do.

He cannot be selected, whether they try another opener or use Head, I don't care, I've been an adbvocate for Usi for a while due to lack of replacements, but if he's not even gonna open anyway it's time to piss off.

He couldn't even last 30 overs in the field while fresh, we had nan going mid on to mid on Christmas Day 2004, she was alright to bat.

[Lightning McQueen]

Very inconclusive.

England bat more aggressively, Trav went out there with intent and just kept finding the middle of his bat, Marnus cashed in on Head demoralisng the Poms, he'd never bat like that in a first innings or with a 300+ chase.

England had a plan to throw Boland off his game, it worked in the first dig, at the end of the day, we won the game, they didn't lose it. We took a risk, thought outside the square and it paid off, they controlled most of the game.

They lost control when we took 5/12 on day 1 then again when they lost 5/23 on day two and then again when Head took over for an hour. In a game that went for less than two days they lost control for quite a bit of it.

OK, so 3 overs on day one and 8 overs on day two.

[am Bays]

Khawaja has been a problem for a while now imo....

-AO day/nighter, Australia go to bat under lights 20 minutes to go and McSweeney has to face the first ball of the innings (for mine that should be the experienced Khawaja) Opposite to Trav Head who wouldn't let Weatherald face the first ball in the second innings as confirmed by Head....that's leadership
-Kohli bumps into Sam Konstas and Khawaja ends up with arms around Kohli having a laugh. Think what you like of Konstas but yeah nah.
-Khawaja chooses the F1 races over playing shield cricket

They're not reasons why you drop him

You drop him for the simple reason of who do you think right now on current form and fitness (which you mentioned) is going to make more runs for Australia.

IMO that's Renshaw

[wenchbarwer]

Considering how long Warner avoided the chop, I can see Khawaja playing all 5 tests, sadly...

[Lightning McQueen]

Considering how long Warner avoided the chop, I can see Khawaja playing all 5 tests, sadly...

I can't. I'll be at work for some of them.