West Indies tour 2025

[Sedat]

Our 4 main bowlers have had a terrific career together. 550 test wickets when playing together and fairly evenly spread out.
Australia has been so successful over their journey and it's largely due to the way the bowlers have applied themselves.

Honestly, Australia's bowling lineup has hidden a multitude of sins in the batting order for a good 2-3 years. And the West Indies batting order on the weekend is just about the worst I've ever seen watching test cricket for almost 50 years. It's a shame for them as they have 2 outstanding young fast bowling prospects, but they are never going to have a decent total to defend with that putrid batting order.

[GVGjr]

3 down for 51 after a reasonable start. 1 for 47 to 3 for 51

[Axe Man]

Saved by Webster and Carey again.

Losing 3/3 after a solid start was disappointing. Khawaja a bit stiff with a ball that jagged back a long way and was just clipping the bails. Konstas with an inevitable nick playing at one he didn't need to. At least he looked better than the first test but it's a dangerous game he plays for an opener. Smith with a poor shot so early in his innings.

[GVGjr]

Konstas had a mixture of good strokes and poor ones and he went out with a soft feather to the keeper. We had just lost Ussie so no game awareness
Khawaja looked very limited but it was a great delivery that got him
Green solid but dropped on 25 and out for 26 chasing a wide delivery when it was just on the stroke of lunch. No game awareness.
Smith out to a reckless shot. Uncharacteristic shot.
Head looked okay
Webster solid performance
Carey as above

[lemmon]

This is the big frailty in Konstas' game - he chases with his hands and the front foot comes straight down the wicket. Ian Bishop and co were very hung up on the one that ducks in giving him trouble (and to an extent it does, because he wants runs through cover), but that big swish outside off is where I've seen him get out very regularly.

It's something a young Michael Clarke battled with a lot as well.

[GVGjr]

Alzarri and Shamar Joseph were closing the game on our lead with some good hitting until Lyon got Alzarri.
8 for 225

[GVGjr]

Windies were all out for 253
Australis are 1 for none with Konstas out on the 4th ball.

[GVGjr]

Now 2 wickets down for 4 runs. That 33 run lead might come in handy

[lemmon]

More patterns in the dismissals - Konstas with his feet on middle and leg but hands way outside the line of his body.

Khawaja got a good one again but we're seeing the same flaw repeating there too. He's almost exclusively a back-foot player now, probably because he's camping back to try and compensate for some slowing reflexes. The two dismissals have been good length balls where his weight needs to be coming out towards the bowler, not going backwards, even if he's never been a guy to get a stride forward. Carse will love watching that vision.

The batting is bad, but this is the time to work out that's the case, so I think it's a valuable exercise. I think Konstas has two innings to make a score or he won't be at Perth. If I was a selector, that score would need to be a century - the technical mistakes we're seeing are too pronounced to keep picking him unless he makes an unassailable case in the form of runs.

Khawaja will be there because they won't want a completely untried pair for the Ashes, but geez, he's long odds to get to the fourth Test at the MCG. England have a battery of tall and quick guys who are made for exploiting Khawaja's issue - I think we're looking at a player who's done.

[jeemak]

Konstas bats like I dance. All upper body and arms.

[Bornadog]

Konstas bats like I dance. All upper body and arms.

Time to ditch the Konstas experiment, he is not ready for test cricket

[whythelongface]

Time to ditch the Konstas experiment, he is not ready for test cricket

problem is there is no solution. Both Ussie and Konstas are struggling. I still think we are better off with Marnus as an opener. Has the temperament but again has poor form. Our top 3 is a real concern and we need to fix.

Green needs to drop down the order but that is unlikely given Webster’s rise thus we are stuck with him at # 3. Although if this doesn’t work it may be at Green’s expense for the short to medium term.

we are in a conundrum.

[lemmon]

problem is there is no solution. Both Ussie and Konstas are struggling. I still think we are better off with Marnus as an opener. Has the temperament but again has poor form. Our top 3 is a real concern and we need to fix.

Green needs to drop down the order but that is unlikely given Webster’s rise thus we are stuck with him at # 3. Although if this doesn’t work it may be at Green’s expense for the short to medium term.

we are in a conundrum.

We're headed for another early season bat-off. You feel like whoever gets early Shield and Australia A runs will get a spot.

[GVGjr]

Konstas bats like I dance. All upper body and arms.

I'm getting Elaine Benes vibes

[GVGjr]

More patterns in the dismissals - Konstas with his feet on middle and leg but hands way outside the line of his body.

Khawaja got a good one again but we're seeing the same flaw repeating there too. He's almost exclusively a back-foot player now, probably because he's camping back to try and compensate for some slowing reflexes. The two dismissals have been good length balls where his weight needs to be coming out towards the bowler, not going backwards, even if he's never been a guy to get a stride forward. Carse will love watching that vision.

The batting is bad, but this is the time to work out that's the case, so I think it's a valuable exercise. I think Konstas has two innings to make a score or he won't be at Perth. If I was a selector, that score would need to be a century - the technical mistakes we're seeing are too pronounced to keep picking him unless he makes an unassailable case in the form of runs.

Khawaja will be there because they won't want a completely untried pair for the Ashes, but geez, he's long odds to get to the fourth Test at the MCG. England have a battery of tall and quick guys who are made for exploiting Khawaja's issue - I think we're looking at a player who's done.

Good summary. I have hopes for Konstas but he is feeling the weight of expectation and looked troubled heading back into the room. That's not a good sign.
Khawaja has copped a couple of good deliveries but he doesn't appear to have an answer for it. As you say, England will look to exploit that.

This is where we need Green to stand up.

I really hope a batter or two gets off to a fast before we face England. The likes of Marnus, McSweeney, Sangha and Renshaw could all be considered.