Anyone want to hazard a guess at the Australian team for the 1st Test in Rawalpindi starting on Friday.
Having seen a pic of the pitch it looks like a dry flat road, no grass whatsoever.
I daresay it might break up late in the piece and possibly worth taking 2 spinners in?
A possible line up leaving Starc out who I dont think will be suited to this type of wicket, Boland & Hazlewood is a toss up although Hazlewood has had no red ball cricket for 3 months or so, whilst Agar & Swepson is also a toss up but thinking Agar’s experience might give him the nod.
Warner
Khawaja
Labuschagne
Smith
Head
Green
Carey (wk)
Agar
Cummins
Boland
Lyon
Looks like a good team for the expected conditions BH. I would still be tempted to play Hazlewood ahead of Boland or Agar because of his record of success over a long period on a variety of wickets. If the pitch is flat though, they are going to need an attack that can get through 120 overs so it may be that Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne may have to contribute some overs as well. Cam Green will also be able to bowl more overs so Cummins will be able to swing his bowlers around a bit. The batting pretty much picks itself, I note that Pakistan have a few problems with their pace attack including Haris Rauf who was lined up to make his test debut before getting COVID. This will be a very interesting series and as always it will come down to whether the Aussie batsmen are able to handle spin on sub continental wickets. They have failed miserably on previous tours of India particularly.
we’ll have to go in with two spinners - the ball will be buggered after 20 odd overs and the second spinner would be nice of it was going the other way instead of Lyon only offspin
Pakistan will go in with multiple spinners I’d bet
Key could be reverse swing too but we’ll have to bat well for sure
I cannot believe they went in with only 1 specialist spinner (Pakistan are playing 3).
0/80 odd is the result just before lunch Day 1.
Langer’s experience in these conditions having scored a century on the last Test tour there in 1998 might have been handy after all…I am not sure what Ronald McDonald’s credentials in Pakistan are?!
Pakistan are off to a good start( 1-155)..
Got a feeling it’s going to be a long tour for Australia..Already team selection problems.And the players are in control..So not sure how this will work.
paying a hefty price for not including another spinner already - Lyon just isn’t enough I’d have gone with Agar because he’s more than a handy bat
Not even a shred of imagination to be seen
Turned into a yawn fest, must be an absolute plonker of a wicket. Even the Paki’s 3 world class spinners couldn’t do much damage with Australia’s reply of 2/271 before rain ended play. That’s not a great wicket, it’s a boring batters practice wicket with no hope of a result. We want 5 days of bat v ball with innings in the 300-350 range with the result on the afternoon of the 5th day, not this soul destroying run fest that does nothing to promote the virtues of test cricket. Whoever prepared that pitch should be sacked.
Can anyone help me out, I reckon Lyon has a real poor record on the sub continent? Why is he our spinner there?
Sure he is good in Australia where he gets overspin and bounce, but his second innings record around the world when the pitch slows down and looses its bounce is poor.
concedes a hell of a lot of runs too but the selectors must see different I guess - part time spinners aren’t going to win all that many matches either so it’ll be interesting to see how they pick the next side
Spot on PH Gary The Goat is pretty ordinary on the sub continent which are supposed to be wickets more favourable to spin bowlers.
For mine I would drop him and Starc and probably Hazlewood for the next Test and go with Cummins (he is Captain so cant be dropped) and Boland with support from Green as the seamers and play Swepson and Agar as our spin bowling combination.
Lyon has had many chances to perform on the sub continent and has never delivered!
the left arm finger spinners seem to go well on the sub continent, hell the Kiwi’s bought that bloke in for 1 test earlier this year - he took 10 wickets and they haven’t played him since.
BH i was thinking the same thing. These big quicks that bang it in dont do well on the sub continent, Bowland would be ideal there bustling in with his quick arm action. He would get any reverse swing if its there. I also agree after watching Marnus roll his arm over a leggie is a must, but the players have the power so im sure if a selector chooses that side he will be mysetriously sacked in the not to distant future.
Apparently “Ronald” McDonald the current interim coach commented after Day 1 to wait until Day 5 before making comment on the selections.
He could turn it to be as a big a clown as his namesake…any one with half a cricket brain knew selecting 4 seamers and an offie who struggles on the sub continent was a mistake!!!
No chance of Lyon being “rested” he is one of the protected ones who lead the charge to get rid of Langer who was obviously such a nasty bully making them train hard and stick to team values like teamwork, pride and loyalty.
Wont lose a wink of sleep if they don’t win a match on this tour. then a gain if the Paki’s serve up this type of pitch in every test, there’ll be 5 draws … yyyaaawwwwwwnnnnnn.
congratulations McDonald - coached the team to an unwanted Australian record
most runs for least wickets ever
poor selections too , Agar or Swepson should have been included for balance
If Australia want to compete in this series they will need to roll the dice a little bit. The team they took into this 1st game was pretty much the ashes combination suited to Australian conditions. They were totally outplayed in this match and really the docile pitch saved them. They may not be so lucky in the last two which from all reports are more conducive to spin. Horses for courses is the key here and I think the selectors have to find a way to include 3 spinners in the team for the 2nd test. Only 2 pace bowlers, Cummins would obviously be one and I would have Boland in next test as his skiddy style would suit the pitches better. One thing that could make this happen is to bring Inglis in as the keeper in place of Carey who hasn’t set the world on fire with either bat or gloves. Inglis is capable of batting at 6 which means that Green would go out. He didnt bowl much in the last game anyway. So in this scenario Agar would bat 7 as the all rounder followed by Cummins, Lyon, Boland and Swepson.
Leaves our batting a little thin down the back end but I think Australia need to take a risk in order to win a test. You can be sure that the home side will be stacking their team with spin.
If we can win the toss and score 350 - 400, this bowling attack is capable of putting the Pakistanis under pressure on a turning deck. It may not work but hey anythings got to be better than the 4 wickets for 700 odd that they took in the first match.
Mike I like your thinking re-selection for the next Test.
It was complete and utter arrogance on Cummins, Bailey, McDonald behalf to go in to this 1st Test at Rawalpindi with the same old side we turn out here every Test in our own backyard.
The conditions over there are not conducive to that bowling attack including an off spinner who the Pakis, Indians, Sri Lankans etc can play on their ear on their home tracks.
We could also drop Head and bump Green up to 5 and or pick M.Marsh and still have the 3 spinners (though I would just drop Lyon) giving us that seamer back up if totally necessary.
Head was the only top 6 batsman from either team who failed in that 1st Test!
Looks a well balanced team BH, but unfortunately Lyon appears to be undroppable. Cummins was quoted as saying that Lyon bowled well in the first test and created some chances that were not taken. With figures of 1 for 260 in the match compared with one of the Pakistani spinners who snared 6- 100, you would hate to see Lyons figures if he was bowling badly!
