2023 Tour of India

[Bornadog]

Re: Tour of India speculation

Hazelwood not available for first test due to achilles injury. I bet he doesn't end up playing the series, as achilles take awhile to mend.

[jeemak]

Re: Tour of India speculation

Hazelwood not available for first test due to achilles injury. I bet he doesn't end up playing the series, as achilles take awhile to mend.

Replace him with Agar!!!!

[GVGjr]

Re: Tour of India speculation

Replace him with Agar!!!!

It will be Cummins, Boland and Morris if Green can't bowl.
Murphy said to be ahead of Agar if we go with two spinners.

[lemmon]

Re: Tour of India speculation

I'd have Boland ahead of Hazlewood anyway I think in Indian conditions (Hazlewood has a bowling average of 33 and strike rate of 79 in India). Would potentially even put Josh on ice until the Ashes.

A bit of chat about whether Green plays as a specialist batsman. It's a really tough call, especially when you add in Green's work in the gully, but Handscomb is probably our best fielder under the lid in close - a super important position in India.

[GVGjr]

Re: Tour of India speculation

I'd have Boland ahead of Hazlewood anyway I think in Indian conditions (Hazlewood has a bowling average of 33 and strike rate of 79 in India). Would potentially even put Josh on ice until the Ashes.

A bit of chat about whether Green plays as a specialist batsman. It's a really tough call, especially when you add in Green's work in the gully, but Handscomb is probably our best fielder under the lid in close - a super important position in India.

There is a lot to consider for the number 6 but it has to fall to Green doesn't it? If there was no speculation to replace him in the 11 there shouldn't be now just because he can't bowl for one test. I agree Handscomb would be an ideal bat pad fieldsman but unless the selectors had some doubts with Green beforehand I can't see that they would drop him.

[lemmon]

Re: Tour of India speculation

Steve Smith has said that Green has yet to face quicks in the nets and is all but ruled out.

Also seems like Renshaw is favoured to hold his place over Handscomb for the 6 slot. I'm a big wrap on Renshaw but it's the wrong call for mine. That makes it 5 left handers in our top 7, and you lose out on Handscomb's fielding in close. I'd have gone with Handscomb as the horses for courses choice.

Reckon we'll look like:
Warner
Khawaja
Marnus
Smith
Head
Renshaw
Carey
Agar
Cummins
Boland
Lyon

[dog town]

Re: Tour of India speculation

Steve Smith has said that Green has yet to face quicks in the nets and is all but ruled out.

Also seems like Renshaw is favoured to hold his place over Handscomb for the 6 slot. I'm a big wrap on Renshaw but it's the wrong call for mine. That makes it 5 left handers in our top 7, and you lose out on Handscomb's fielding in close. I'd have gone with Handscomb as the horses for courses choice.

Reckon we'll look like:
Warner
Khawaja
Marnus
Smith
Head
Renshaw
Carey
Agar
Cummins
Boland
Lyon

Surely Handscombe is at least 12th man? His catching during the last tour of India was worth wickets in every innings.

Renshaw looked to have the right temperament for Indian conditions last time. Can use his feet, can sweep and has a big reach. Obviously a very different player again now so will be interesting to see how he goes.

[GVGjr]

Re: Tour of India speculation

Steve Smith has said that Green has yet to face quicks in the nets and is all but ruled out.

Also seems like Renshaw is favoured to hold his place over Handscomb for the 6 slot. I'm a big wrap on Renshaw but it's the wrong call for mine. That makes it 5 left handers in our top 7, and you lose out on Handscomb's fielding in close. I'd have gone with Handscomb as the horses for courses choice.

Reckon we'll look like:
Warner
Khawaja
Marnus
Smith
Head
Renshaw
Carey
Agar
Cummins
Boland
Lyon

It probably doesn't factor in but does having so many left handers in the team work against Renshaw vs Handscomb?
I wish Agar had a bit more variety in his bowling but we will be asking a lot from Lyon to bowl India out twice in a test.

I read that Smith gas 7 if the last 10 centuries by Australian batsman against India. Labuschagne, Warner and Maxwell have the other 3.
We will need to a good spread of batting performances to counter India in India.

[Axe Man]

Re: Tour of India speculation

I'm not at all sold on Agar but get the attraction with left arm orthodox having a good record on the first test ground and India having mostly right hand batsmen. No Starc means no footmarks for Lyon to the righthanders as well. Hopefully Head can provide some decent support with the ball. Murphy still a chance to play ahead of Agar apparently.

Khawaja, Marnus, Smith and Head and Carey are a decent batting group. Warner would shock if he made a meaningful contribution. Hopefully he can surprise but I'm not counting on it. Renshaw/Handscomb a little unknown at this stage and may only get 1 test if Green is back for the second test.

[lemmon]

Re: Tour of India speculation

It probably doesn't factor in but does having so many left handers in the team work against Renshaw vs Handscomb?
I wish Agar had a bit more variety in his bowling but we will be asking a lot from Lyon to bowl India out twice in a test.

I read that Smith gas 7 if the last 10 centuries by Australian batsman against India. Labuschagne, Warner and Maxwell have the other 3.
We will need to a good spread of batting performances to counter India in India.

It absolutely should for mine - that's predominantly why I'd be going for the right-handed Handscomb over the left-handed Renshaw. Ashwin is bad enough but Axar Patel is an absolute monster in India - I'd be doing anything that I could to throw those two off including maximising right and left handed batting combinations.

You'd normally think the right-handers would be more susceptible to the left-handed orthodox bowler but Patel is a different beast - some spin, some don't and he's always nagging away at the outside edge. Would be horrendous to face over there.

[Axe Man]

Re: Tour of India speculation

Appears the Indians are doctoring the pitch in an even more blatant way than usual - watering and rolling most of the pitch but leaving the area outside a left handers offside alone. Pure coincidence we are stacked with left handers and they are not.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: Tour of India speculation

Appears the Indians are doctoring the pitch in an even more blatant way than usual - watering and rolling most of the pitch but leaving the area outside a left handers offside alone. Pure coincidence we are stacked with left handers and they are not.

I really hate that. It actually undermines how good a cricket team India is. They have beaten us on our conditions. They don't need to doctor the wickets...and yet they always do.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Tour of India speculation

I really hate that. It actually undermines how good a cricket team India is. They have beaten us on our conditions. They don't need to doctor the wickets...and yet they always do.

Can't we just have an independent team from the ICC charged with implementing/enforcing a governance / policy framework around ground preparation?
Ridiculous!

[lemmon]

Re: Tour of India speculation

I really hate that. It actually undermines how good a cricket team India is. They have beaten us on our conditions. They don't need to doctor the wickets...and yet they always do.

Agree with that. I don't mind creating pitches to suit your attack and maintain the identity of a ground - I think Australia should be doing more of it - but blatantly doctoring one side of the wicket is taking things too far.

Does it bring Swepson into the conversation? You could imagine a big-spinning leggie like Warne or Macgill coming around the wicket to right-handers, bowling into the same areas and being a handful. Obviously hard without seeing the pitch, but when there's not much between Agar, Murhpy and Swepson, I'd be starting to think leggie if there's something for him to exploit.

[GVGjr]

Re: Tour of India speculation

We need to go into this game with 2 pace men and 3 spin bowlers given we don't have Green.
I don't think we can win with any other combination

Warner
Khawaja
Labuschagne
Smith
Head
Carey
Agar
Cummings
Lyon
Boland
Murphy