So what would people side be? I'd go with 1.Cook 2.Carberry 3.Bell 4.Pietersen 5.Ballance 6.Root 7.Prior 8.Bresnan 9.Broad 10.Swan 11.Anderson
1. Cook 2. Carberry 3. Pietersen 4. Bell 5. Root 6. Bairstow 7. Prior 8. Broad 9. Swann 10. Tremlett 11. Anderson
There is no way KP should or will bat at 3. Firstly he hates batting 3 and second you want your best batsman coming in at 4.
You can have your best batsman coming in wherever you want. Traditionally in a test match the best batsman comes in at 3, not sure where you got 4 from. Bob Willis thinks Pietersen should bat at 3. It's a matter of opinion. There isn't exactly a clear candidate, so I think the best thing to do is shift the middle order up one with Bairstow coming in at 6. If Pietersen is a team player he'll understand it will benefit the team and be happy with it.
I'd swap Bell and Pietersen around. Including Bairstow as a specialist batsman bolsters the bating but doesn't leave a medium pacer [like Trott can do] as backup. We have Root and Pietersen who can both put in a few overs, but part time spin is no good if we have a flat bouncy pitch, so maybe it's time for Ben Stokes to step up to the mark as an allrounder
Firstly, there's absolutely no chance of KP batting at 3, so there's little point even suggesting that he should. Secondly, the Adelaide Oval now appears to be a bit of a road for pace bowlers. Not only therefore are they likely to achieve little success, but also the Perth test immediately follows this one - and Christ do we not want to be going into that test with a tired seam attack! I can't see it happening, but I would therefore bite the bullet and play two spinners. Start with Monty (and his figures vs those of Finn and Rankin overnight will have done him no harm). I guess if the selectors decide to replace Trott with Stokes, then playing Monty becomes more of a possibility, as it would still leave us with three seamers (even in the sub-continent, we loath going into tests with only two seamers). But I'm expecting Ballance to get the nod (and arguably rightly so, especially given Prior's awful form with the bat in that middle order). Will Bresnan be fit enough to bowl a significant number of overs (as expected)? Will Tremlett have any impact on a pretty lifeless wicket, considering that he averaged just 80mph at Brisbane? And indeed, will his body last all those overs, considering his injury record? Will either Finn or Rankin not be taken at 4 or 5 runs per over, on said lifeless wicket? Will playing either immediately rule them out of the following Perth test, where their extra height and pace could be of the upmost importance? Cook Carberry Bell KP Root Ballance Prior Broad Swann Anderson Monty I'm not really fussed if it's Bell or Root at 3. I think both are more suited to slightly lower down the order. But clearly needs must.
And even that is only a relative recent thing - Clarke has often batted 5 for Australia, and I believe has a higher average at 5, than at 4. But with no Ponting or Hussey these days, they can't really afford to have Clarke at 5 now.
I think Rankin has generally been fairly tight actually, certainly not as expensive as Finn. The problem for me is he seems to lack the ability to take wickets. On batsmen, I agree your best batsman can bat anywhere really. There's plenty of examples of best batsmen not going in at 4. Discounting great openers, Bradman was famously a number 3, Sobers 6 (although to be fair he was an all rounder). Border and Steve Waugh were down at 5 and 6 most of their careers. Viv Richards batted more at both 3 and 5 than he did at 4, Lara was primarily a 4 but got his biggest scores at 3, Ponting batted at 3 most of his career. Still, Pietersen likes 4 and, having not been that keen to move there from 5 in the first place, I would be astounded if he came in at 3.
I am fed up with all this talk of sledging, especially when they say it is part of the game. It isn't. Players may do it during a game of cricket, but it is not part of the game. That's like saying eye gouging is okay because it is part of the game of rugby. Was looking forward to the Ashes, but this is just ruining it.
The way the Australians have approached this Ashes tour from the moment they lost the last Ashes Series has been nothing short of disgusting. Sledging on the pitch is one thing - but going at it in the press constantly since, now their public announcers and commentators acting as they have been; never mind Warner. It reminds me of the level of gross hostility that surrounded the 2003 Rugby World Cup and the behaviour of Australians then - from their Prime Minister at the medal ceremony down to the fans barracking the England Team all night before the game as they tried to disturb their sleep and the Aussie police stood by and did nothing.
The problem is that it is on overnight...haven't got over the shock of turning on the tv every morning of the last Test. If the Aussies win again we will have to kill them, because they are the worst winners in the world.
Yes have to agree. Failed to get up early a couple of times and on the occasions I did wished I hadn't. Just hope Carbs keeps his place and dispatches Johnson!
Rumours are that we are going to play 2 spinners. Big gamble as if it doesnt spin we will pretty much be playing with 10 men the whole Test. I would bring Bres in at least he can score runs as well as take wickets, KP and Root can share second spinner duties if required.
