Australian tour of India 2017

[bennymacca]

Thought I would start a new thread

A cricket writer for wisden India has named the XI that Australia should play in the first test

Its hard to argue with him tbh.

Even though most of us think Glenn Maxwell is a tool, its hard to argue against his selection in India. Plays spin well, has played in the conditions before, and is a decent enough bowling option for the third spinner.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/aus ... xSportsAus

[bennymacca]

In case you cbf reading the article, this is the squad he picked

I like it tbh. Would take jackson bird instead of Mitch Marsh though

The XI I’d pick for Pune: Matt Renshaw, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (capt), Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill (wk), Mitchell Starc, Steve O’Keefe, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.

The other five: Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, James Pattinson (my bolter), Ashton Agar, Travis Head.

[DOC]

I like his selection of Nevill, noting that England's poor wicket keeping gave India 600 over three tests!

IS that right? If not Maxwell! who else? I like Head.

[Gozu]

I would've gone with Fawad Ahmed. Practically a local knows the conditions well and has almost no future in Test cricket so run him into the ground over there horses for courses. Lyon needs a break I think.

Fine with burning Maxwell over there too.

[Grahaml]

Mitch Marsh has a first class record a guy batting 7 would be disappointed with and that a number 6 would be trying to hide. At best he's a guy who might boss around some quicks if you need runs in a hurry. If he strides out with us 4/100 on a turning deck then his best chance will be to sneak a few extra runs while the Indians p!ss themselves laughing.

Maxwell, Head, Cartwright and heck, even Ponting, Chapell or Bradman would make them think. Reckon Maxwell has the ability, just got to stop trying to out think the bowler and just play the ball on merit.

This all rounder obsession is ridiculous. I don't know of any side that had long term success with an all rounder that wouldn't hold their spot on the merits of one aspect alone. Imran, Dev, Hadlee, Wasim and Miller all batted above 8 a lot. They would've played just as much batting 11. Kallis and Sobers wouldn't have missed much had they not known how to bowl. Reckon you'd be hard pressed to find a side that did well for long with a bloke who only played because he did a bit of both.

[whufc]

Im not sold on Maxwell playing unless its as the second spinner and a handy number 7 at highest.

Absolutely no way he can bat in the top 6 for mine.

Imho you need someone in India who can not only play spin but can also play long innings. You do not win a test in India without hitting a score of over 400 at some point which requires at least one batter to be able to bat for some serious time.

Having only hit five 100's in 75 innings at shield level (his average of 39 at a strike rate of 75) suggests his only lasting 50 balls an innings at shield level which just isnt enough for batsmen in India.

The 16 man squad i would like to see is

Renshaw
Warner
Khawaja
Smith (would almost consider batting him at 3)
Handscomb
S.Marsh
Maxwell
Neville
Starc
Hazelwood
Lyon

others in squad:
O'Keefe
Bird
Head
Agar
M.Marsh

[The Dark Knight]

In case you cbf reading the article, this is the squad he picked

I like it tbh. Would take jackson bird instead of Mitch Marsh though

The XI I’d pick for Pune: Matt Renshaw, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (capt), Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill (wk), Mitchell Starc, Steve O’Keefe, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.

The other five: Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, James Pattinson (my bolter), Ashton Agar, Travis Head.

Good squad, would be ideal if they went with something like it. I like Maxwell in there, he's the best spinning allrounder Australia has, better cricketer than Agar. Can't forget about his fielding aswell.

Couple of issues though-
They can't pick Mitch Marsh. Done nothing lately to demand selection.

I doubt Pattinson would be ready for test cricket again by the time the squad is selected though?

And as shown in the BBL there's question marks over Head being able to play spin well enough.

[LaughingKookaburra]

Doesn't matter who we send over we will get smashed 3-0 inside 4 days in each Test and India are rubbish. I really wish India put these teams out 10-15 years ago we would have won 3-4 series in a row over there.

[whufc]

Doesn't matter who we send over we will get smashed 3-0 inside 4 days in each Test and India are rubbish. I really wish India put these teams out 10-15 years ago we would have won 3-4 series in a row over there.

Tend to agree.

Even if the selectors get it right, even if the coin toss goes our way in each test, even if we get a few lucky decisions, even if our guys play to their best its almost impossible seeing us even being able to draw the series.

No matter what combination of bowlers we put together how the hell are we going to take 20 wickets on their decks.

[stan]

Doesn't matter who we send over we will get smashed 3-0 inside 4 days in each Test and India are rubbish. I really wish India put these teams out 10-15 years ago we would have won 3-4 series in a row over there.

Really I think they are at there strongest. There batting is very good and goes deep. There pace bowling is average but they will likely only play 1 or 2 and the 27 spinners.

The key is if we can also.make a stack of runs and blanket Ashwin. He'll bowl and be the man with Jadeja being his second fiddle.

[batmanbegins]

Doesn't matter who we send over we will get smashed 3-0 inside 4 days in each Test and India are rubbish. I really wish India put these teams out 10-15 years ago we would have won 3-4 series in a row over there.

Really I think they are at there strongest. There batting is very good and goes deep. There pace bowling is average but they will likely only play 1 or 2 and the 27 spinners.

The key is if we can also.make a stack of runs and blanket Ashwin. He'll bowl and be the man with Jadeja being his second fiddle.

I agree with Stan, their incredibly strong and better then they have ever been. Their fast bowlers are actually pretty handy at home, yadav and shami get the ball to reverse and at good pace. Ashwin is phenomenal, jadeja is a flog but he's very good in india and they bat incredibly deep.

[Lightning McQueen]

Im not sold on Maxwell playing unless its as the second spinner and a handy number 7 at highest.

Absolutely no way he can bat in the top 6 for mine.

Imho you need someone in India who can not only play spin but can also play long innings. You do not win a test in India without hitting a score of over 400 at some point which requires at least one batter to be able to bat for some serious time.

Having only hit five 100's in 75 innings at shield level (his average of 39 at a strike rate of 75) suggests his only lasting 50 balls an innings at shield level which just isnt enough for batsmen in India.

The 16 man squad i would like to see is

Renshaw
Warner
Khawaja
Smith (would almost consider batting him at 3)
Handscomb
S.Marsh
Maxwell
Neville
Starc
Hazelwood
Lyon

others in squad:
O'Keefe
Bird
Head
Agar
M.Marsh

Why?

[whufc]

The old school your best bat bats at 3.

His the bloke who plays spin by far the best, i can see him coming in at 2/10 on a few occasions with Renshaw and Khawaja out early. Both Renshaw and Khawaja have huge question marks about their ability to play spin. TBH ill be surprised if both of them see out the series in India.

His the bloke that most likely can hit the "BIG" hundred in India.

I understand why they would be extremely reluctant to move him but i think in Indian conditions he is by far the best number 3 batsmen we have with.

[LaughingKookaburra]

Don't agree they are at their strongest now. I know who I would rather bowl to when you compare their top 6 now to these names;

Sehwag
Gambhir
Dravid
Ganguly
Tendulkar
Laxmann

[stan]

The old school your best bat bats at 3.

His the bloke who plays spin by far the best, i can see him coming in at 2/10 on a few occasions with Renshaw and Khawaja out early. Both Renshaw and Khawaja have huge question marks about their ability to play spin. TBH ill be surprised if both of them see out the series in India.

His the bloke that most likely can hit the "BIG" hundred in India.

I understand why they would be extremely reluctant to move him but i think in Indian conditions he is by far the best number 3 batsmen we have with.

Renshaw is a big lanky bastard. If he can use his lanky-ness to his advantage and sweep well then he could find some sucess out there. Who knows, I think the kid has potential and is worth taking the chance on him. Hes 20 years old, values his wicket. Why not?

[Aerie]

Is there any possibility of Handscomb keeping (just for this series) or is that too much to ask in India? If not, Wade in for S.Marsh at 6 and I'd go with 5 specialist bowlers.

Warner
Renshaw
Khawaja
Smith
Handscomb (wk)
S.Marsh
O'Keefe
Starc
Hazlewood
Bird
Lyon

12. Wade
13. Sayers
14. Maxwell
15. Cartwright
16. Pattinson

[Lightning McQueen]

I like his selection of Nevill, noting that England's poor wicket keeping gave India 600 over three tests!

IS that right? If not Maxwell! who else? I like Head.

Don't we all?

[The Bedge]

Don't think they'd put the pressure of keeping on Handscomb in India just yet - Wade will go.. interesting listening to commentators they also attribute the Aussie winning form to the return of Wade

Sayers will be cut from the squad, reckon they'll pick 4x spinners - they'll pick a Swepson or/and Agar just because bloody Shane Warne has opened his pie hole.

Maxwell and both Marsh boys will also be in the mix i suspect.. maybe a left field selection of Cummins as the back up quick.

[Lightning McQueen]

Is there any possibility of Handscomb keeping (just for this series) or is that too much to ask in India? If not, Wade in for S.Marsh at 6 and I'd go with 5 specialist bowlers.

Warner
Renshaw
Khawaja
Smith
Handscomb (wk)
S.Marsh
O'Keefe
Starc
Hazlewood
Bird
Lyon

12. Wade
13. Sayers
14. Maxwell
15. Cartwright
16. Pattinson

We don't need 3 pacemen over there and that is a very long tail. O'Keefe is no number 7 when you consider that Gilly was our #7 not so long ago.

[Lightning McQueen]

Don't think they'd put the pressure of keeping on Handscomb in India just yet - Wade will go.. interesting listening to commentators they also attribute the Aussie winning form to the return of Wade

Sayers will be cut from the squad, reckon they'll pick 4x spinners - they'll pick a Swepson or/and Agar just because bloody Shane Warne has opened his pie hole.

Maxwell and both Marsh boys will also be in the mix i suspect.. maybe a left field selection of Cummins as the back up quick.

Cummins aint left field, he gets a token ride for half passing a fitness test.