3rd Test Australia v South Africa - Sydney January 4 to 8, 2023

[lemmon]

Re: 3rd Test Australia v South Africa - Sydney January 4 to 8, 2023

Reports are that it'll be:
Khawaja
Warner
Marnus
Smith
Head
Renshaw
Carey
Agar
Cummins
Hazlewood
Lyon

Which sounds like it cements Agar as the second spinner for the India series. He's going to have to do a lot of bowling, so it'll be a good gauge of where he's at.

I'm not a fan of Agar with the red ball (three first class matches in two years and has taken his first class wickets at a worse average and strike rate than Glenn Maxwell), so would've given Swepson another crack.

Agree with GVGjr - the second spinner spot is a concern heading into an India tour.

[Bornadog]

Re: 3rd Test Australia v South Africa - Sydney January 4 to 8, 2023

Reports are that it'll be:
Khawaja
Warner
Marnus
Smith
Head
Renshaw
Carey
Agar
Cummins
Hazlewood
Lyon

Which sounds like it cements Agar as the second spinner for the India series. He's going to have to do a lot of bowling, so it'll be a good gauge of where he's at.

I'm not a fan of Agar with the red ball (three first class matches in two years and has taken his first class wickets at a worse average and strike rate than Glenn Maxwell), so would've given Swepson another crack.

Agree with GVGjr - the second spinner spot is a concern heading into an India tour.

Boland unlucky

[GVGjr]

Re: 3rd Test Australia v South Africa - Sydney January 4 to 8, 2023

Reports are that it'll be:
Khawaja
Warner
Marnus
Smith
Head
Renshaw
Carey
Agar
Cummins
Hazlewood
Lyon

Which sounds like it cements Agar as the second spinner for the India series. He's going to have to do a lot of bowling, so it'll be a good gauge of where he's at.

I'm not a fan of Agar with the red ball (three first class matches in two years and has taken his first class wickets at a worse average and strike rate than Glenn Maxwell), so would've given Swepson another crack.

Agree with GVGjr - the second spinner spot is a concern heading into an India tour.

I wonder if SA will go into the game with 2 spin bowlers? This is the game where we will miss Green the most because 2 quicks and 2 spin bowlers looks a bit light on especially if we bowl first.

It's interesting if we have resisted the temptation of moving Carey up the order for one test and playing 5 bowlers.

I guess Labuschagne, Head, Smith (who apparently got hit on the finger today) and maybe Renshaw might bowl a few overs to support if needed.

From memory Renshaw is a decent catching fieldsman as well.

[FrediKanoute]

Re: 3rd Test Australia v South Africa - Sydney January 4 to 8, 2023

Boland unlucky

Maybe. Thought he lacked real penetration. Flat wickets are not going to be his friend. I think though he should be a lock for England.

[jeemak]

Re: 3rd Test Australia v South Africa - Sydney January 4 to 8, 2023

Maybe. Thought he lacked real penetration. Flat wickets are not going to be his friend. I think though he should be a lock for England.

But isn't that what you try him out on instead of going the risk of only two seamers?

For all of the new blooding or spinning combinations, don't you want to see how the best back up bowler in the history of the game stacks up?

[Mantis]

Re: 3rd Test Australia v South Africa - Sydney January 4 to 8, 2023

Only 2 seamers in the team and one who hasn't played a competitive in 5 weeks, has played only 2 of our last 13 tests in which he has taken 2 wickets @ 83 from 74 overs.... but jobs for the boys hey.

[GVGjr]

Re: 3rd Test Australia v South Africa - Sydney January 4 to 8, 2023

Only 2 seamers in the team and one who hasn't played a competitive in 5 weeks, has played only 2 of our last 13 tests in which he has taken 2 wickets @ 83 from 74 overs.... but jobs for the boys hey.

It certainly seems like that, Hazlewood given a free pass back into the line-up ignoring the form of Boland and the potential of Morris.
The selectors reluctance to play 5 batsman supported by Carey and Agar for one test is just a bit strange especially since that would allow us to play the 3rd quick and a little extra coverage for Hazlewood.

[GVGjr]

Re: 3rd Test Australia v South Africa - Sydney January 4 to 8, 2023

Good toss to win and we are batting first.

[GVGjr]

Re: 3rd Test Australia v South Africa - Sydney January 4 to 8, 2023

Warner gone for 10.

[Bornadog]

Re: 3rd Test Australia v South Africa - Sydney January 4 to 8, 2023

Renshaw tests positive for covid

[GVGjr]

Re: 3rd Test Australia v South Africa - Sydney January 4 to 8, 2023

Bad light has stopped play. Australia in a strong position at 1 for 138.

[Bornadog]

Re: 3rd Test Australia v South Africa - Sydney January 4 to 8, 2023

Bad light has stopped play. Australia in a strong position at 1 for 138.

Bloody Sydney can't trust the weather

[Bornadog]

Re: 3rd Test Australia v South Africa - Sydney January 4 to 8, 2023

Ripper ball to get Marnus out for 79

[FrediKanoute]

Re: 3rd Test Australia v South Africa - Sydney January 4 to 8, 2023

Warner gone for 10.

200 aside on a flat track and 40+ deg heat - he cannot possibly go to India or England this year. I know he will because the selectors are loathe to make change at the top, and the perception (probably accurate) that there is little to replace him. This Summer was the perfect opportunity to try someone else at the top of the order. Maybe Head opens and Warner bats 5 or you bring in Harris/Renshaw, but form indicates that Warner is past it and his record in both India and England is so poor that he just can't be selected.

[Testekill]

Re: 3rd Test Australia v South Africa - Sydney January 4 to 8, 2023

I can't imagine Elgar can do much worse this test.