Australian Cricket Season 2018-2019

[Pushka]

Cricket must be the only game where there is a result pending, you can’t play because it’s raining, the rain stops, and so let’s take our lunch break early.

 

[JohnK]

Every result still possible.

The hit and giggle stuff should not be called cricket. Perhaps paddle ball.

 

[CaptJCool]

coughmins edges to first slip

Out for a highest Test score of 63.

EDIT. Swing and a glove

Lasted 22 minutes for those of you playing along at home with guess how long it’ll last

All over. 137 run winner

 

[OZDUCK]

It would have been a travesty if Australia were able to get a draw because of the weather. India absolutely deserved to win.

For the next test I would drop Finch and bring in a "true" opener. At the moment the best candidate appears to be Joe Burns. Mitch Marsh should be dropped and replaced by Glenn Maxwell. Marnus Labuschagne is also being mentioned but as I have never seen him play I really can't comment on his abilities. I assume that the SCG is still conducive to spinners?

As has been discussed, the current scheduling doesn't really allow anyone to make a big play for a call up because of the proliferation of meaningless backyard style cricket matches. In case it was not obvious, I seriously dislike 20/20 cricket and do not watch it.

 

[drron]

And why play Finch as an opener when he bats 5.6 for Victoria and only opens in the BBL.

 

[VPS]

Marnus Labuschagne is in the squad otherwise unchanged so looks like no Maxwell or Burns

 

[rock86]

Marnus Labuschagne is in the squad otherwise unchanged so looks like no Maxwell or Burns

Urgh, do the selectors live another planet?

When they're still not even selecting the best players for the Test squad what do they expect. Is it un-Australian to not even care if we lose 3-1? The selectors need the chop as well.

 

[Pushka]

The selectors decisions are baffling to say the least. They are messing with Maxwells head as an example. Told him not to play county cricket to keep him refreshed then wasnt picked in the UAE series. They play a lower order batsman as an opener. Select a guy whom no one really knows because he isn’t proven.

 

[rock86]

Poor Tim Paine, I really doubt he believes some of the stuff he has to say as captain at present, especially the following:

"We've got the best group of players available to us at the moment and we'll pick the best combination out of that group that we think will win this last Test."

No you most certainly don't, but he really can't say, "the selectors and coach have their favourites and don't want to pick the best options, so I just have to deal with it".

"As we've said all along, we know Mitch at his best can offer a lot to Australian cricket," Paine said. "We just need to make sure he's at his best more often than not and like the rest of us the gap between his best and his worst gets smaller all the time."

If his best & his worst is getting smaller, what a worry, especially when in his last seven matches he's only produced an amazingly shocking 129 runs @ 9.2, but he can't really say "He's JL's illegitimate son, so we're stuck with him no matter how poorly he continues to play".

 

[cove]

So we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

 

[Pushka]

So we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Umm, we weren’t really ever in the play for a win.

 

[turtlemichael]

Marnus Labuschagne is in the squad otherwise unchanged so looks like no Maxwell or Burns

The Australian team has always been a hard club to get into but an even harder one to get out of.

 

[love_the_life]

The Australian team has always been a hard club to get into but an even harder one to get out of.

Like the Hotel California?

 

[Scarlett]

Marnus Labuschagne is in the squad otherwise unchanged so looks like no Maxwell or Burns

Is it Stupidity or Idiocy that is doing the same thing over and again but expecting a different result?

 

[Scarlett]

Are the selectors really going to replace a batsman with a mediocre first class with another batsman with an even worse first class average?
Khawaja and S.Marsh are the only two in the top 6 with first class averages over 40: which at least indicates they have a technique and temperament that may be suitable in Test cricket. The others are mediocre FC batsmen whose presence demeans the Baggy Green. Imagine how Stuart Law or Martin Love must feel these days...

Glenn Maxwell and Matthew Wade both have FC batting averages above 40. Joe Burns I think is there or very close too. Why are they not playing?

 

[Scarlett]

And while I'm all p!ssed off: Justin Langer is a nice guy, but after a couple of years as batting coach, and now head coach of the National team, who other than Steve Smith has improved as a batsman in the last 5 years? (players in other nations teams only, apparently...)

 

[VPS]

Is it Stupidity or Idiocy that is doing the same thing over and again but expecting a different result?

Both I think

 

[rock86]

Are the selectors really going to replace a batsman with a mediocre first class with another batsman with an even worse first class average?
Khawaja and S.Marsh are the only two in the top 6 with first class averages over 40: which at least indicates they have a technique and temperament that may be suitable in Test cricket. The others are mediocre FC batsmen whose presence demeans the Baggy Green. Imagine how Stuart Law or Martin Love must feel these days...

Glenn Maxwell and Matthew Wade both have FC batting averages above 40. Joe Burns I think is there or very close too. Why are they not playing?

Completely agree.

Burns has averaged around 53 for the last season and a half, and as you said, can't even get a look in.

Ed Cowan was fairly riled up after the match and he said that he's sick of hearing the line that is sprouted out by JL and the rest of the team that "this lot is the best we've got", which he pretty much said rubbish.

But the other commentators then said that if the selectors made a few changes now then it's really them admitting they were wrong, and 'good luck with them doing that' was the consensus.

 

[rock86]

I was just reading a cricket.com.au interview with Ponting and he thinks the top 6 will be the following since they brought Labuschagne into the squad.

Harris
Khawaja
SMarsh
Labuschagne
Head
MMarsh

If that is the case I'm India will roll us for less then 150, because that batting order isn't even close to our best even with no Smith and Warner - how do these selectors keep a job.

I'm now at the point being so baffled and angry regarding terrible and their 'favourites' selections, that I have just about stopped caring whether they win the next test, and it's not even the players fault because as if they're going to say no to a baggy green.

 

[turtlemichael]

I think it is hard to believe that, according to Ponting, both Marsh bros will front up again. Burns' Test average is mid-30's and in recent times (for him, 2016 and Wanderers earlier this year) it has been poor. However, he is in good form now. That can not be said for many of the others. I'd probably pick him but not with a lot of conviction that it would change very much for this team.

I do not know how Glenn Maxwell has soiled the coughy's cage but it must be bad (attitude/temperament?). He has at least had moderate success against subcontinent teams in the subcontinent and has never been tried anywhere else at Test level. I guess, like Burns, he is not a West Australian.