Your team for the third Test

[Scotty_WCE]

Australia are at a very low point. Apart from Day 1 in Perth we've being completely dominated by South Africa.

There will be a huge amount of discussion about the team for the next Test. Many players are underperforming and there is a general consensus that the team needs a shake-up.

So, imagine you're Rod Marsh or Mark Waugh. Put your selector's cap on, and tell me your XI for the third Test in Adelaide.

Note: Shaun Marsh will still be unavailable due to injury.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Warner
Khawaja
Smith
Bancroft
Patterson
Maxwell
Handscomb
Starc
Hazelwood
Lyon
Zampa or Swepson

 

[Jayden35]

Warner
Bancroft
Khawaja
Smith
Patterson
Handscomb
Agar
Starc
Hazelwood
Sayers
Behrendorff

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Agar. Damn. I knew I was forgetting someone. Behrendorff wouldn't be a bad pick either.

 

[Wookiedragon]

Warner
Bancroft
Khawaja
Smith
Patterson
Handscomb
Agar
Starc
Hazelwood
Sayers
Behrendorff

5 debuts in one test! Will be interesting to see who they go with.

They should make the lot of them play the next shield game which is Friday to Monday. Not like any of them had much time in the middle - other than when they were fielding!

 

[Wookiedragon]

Warner
Khawaja
Smith
Bancroft
Patterson
Maxwell
Handscomb
Starc
Hazelwood
Lyon
Zampa or Swepson

Four debuts Chris! Gee at that rate, you and I may get a run.....

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Four debuts Chris! Gee at that rate, you and I may get a run.....

I wish. However my right knee will have something to say about it lol. Still, I reckon we'd hold up an end.

Bet Michael Clarke and Mitch Johnson are happily retired.

 

[Jayden35]

yeah I think Agar has got what it takes to be the no 1 spinner and very handy with the bat and Behrendorff has been really close for years and I think it needs to be about the blooding that next generation.

 

[Scotty_WCE]

This would be my tentative team:

David Warner
Cameron Bancroft
Usman Khawaja
Steve Smith *
Peter Handscomb
Glenn Maxwell (1)
Matthew Wade +
Ashton Agar
Mitchell Starc
Josh Hazlewood
Jackson Bird (2)

(1) Or Mitch Marsh/Hilton Cartwright (depends on whether you want 4 seamers or 2 spinners in a D/N game; Cartwright would be a massive gamble but has a good record)
(2) Or Jason Behrendorff/Chadd Sayers (happy with any of the three, Bird gets the nod due to not wanting too many debutants in one match)

My team is subject to change as the week goes on though!

 

[Paddy K]

Warner
Bancroft
Khawaja
Smith
Ferguson
Stoinis
Nevill
Agar
Starc
Hazlewood
Bird

 

[220]

What about Stephen O'Keefe his first class batting average is 3 better than Agars and his bowling average 13 better.

 

[Scotty_WCE]

What about Stephen O'Keefe his first class batting average is 3 better than Agars and his bowling average 13 better.

Agar is clearly a better batsman than O'Keefe. Agar is also more than 8 years younger than O'Keefe.

 

[220]

Agar is clearly a better batsman than O'Keefe. Agar is also more than 8 years younger than O'Keefe.

Based on what? one innings of 98 on test debut. Like I said O'keefe has scored 1849 first class runs at 29.34 v's Agar with 1427 at 26.92
If you were going to pick either it would be as a bowler and O'keefe has 215 first class wickets at 23.44 v's Agar with 111 at 39.42
Agars test bowling average is 124 O'Keefe 35.6

 

[The Mad Hatter]

I've heard a few rumours about SOK. The picks are:

* He's a from the FIGJAM school (see: Brad Hodge).
* He's a pr!ck to team mates.

But you know what? IDGAF. If he's good enough, then harden up princesses.

And can't be any worse than what has been served up for the last few months.

At the money these 'professionals' now earn, the Aust Test team should be gutted and rebuilt.

I'd only keep Starc, Hazlewood, Smith and Warner...with Lyon and Khawaja in the 2nd tier.

That leaves 3-4 batting spots, a WK spot and 2 bowling spots up for grabs.

After SL, heads should have rolled. They didn't really. So now, after another humiliation and Pakistan, India and Bangas to come, you could conceivably say we might not win a test this year. England awaits next summer. Rebuild now I say.

 

[Scotty_WCE]

Based on what? one innings of 98 on test debut. Like I said O'keefe has scored 1849 first class runs at 29.34 v's Agar with 1427 at 26.92
If you were going to pick either it would be as a bowler and O'keefe has 215 first class wickets at 23.44 v's Agar with 111 at 39.42
Agars test bowling average is 124 O'Keefe 35.6

Based on watching them both play, actually. Agar's technique is significantly better. Agar bats higher in the order than O'Keefe, and Agar averages more runs per match than O'Keefe; 34 vs 29. Agar even batted at 5 in the last Shield game; when O'Keefe bats at 5 I may reconsider my opinion

Also, you dismiss Agar's 98 as "one innings" then quoted his Test bowling average, which is based on the much larger sample size of two Tests. You can't have it both ways!

 

[220]

Chris

I think your pretty right with just about every point, onya

 

[220]

So where are you getting Agars first class average from? Pretty much irrelevant anyway as regardless of if he averages 26, 34 or the same as SOK neither will be picked as a batsman. Doesn't matter how you look at it a first class bowling average of nearly 40 is average at best.

 

[Matty76]

If even WE can't agree on the spin bowlers spot...........

Maybe give GOAT a chance to strut his stuff on his own pitch.

Anyway, with any luck the f**king lights will go out and we might get an abandonment!!

 

[cricketmad1212]

S Marsh (if unfit then Bancroft)
D Warner
U Khawaja
S Smith
K Patterson
M Wade
M Henriques
M Starc
C Sayers
S O'Keefe
J Hazlewood

 

[Scotty_WCE]

So where are you getting Agars first class average from? Pretty much irrelevant anyway as regardless of if he averages 26, 34 or the same as SOK neither will be picked as a batsman. Doesn't matter how you look at it a first class bowling average of nearly 40 is average at best.

The 34 vs 29 is runs per match, not innings.

I agree that neither will be picked as a batsman; however, if Agar was picked it would be as a bowling all-rounder and hence batting ability does come into it.

On their bowling averages: O'Keefe's average is strengthened greatly by the fact his home ground, the SCG, is well-known to be the best ground for spinners in Australia. On the contrary, Agar's average is relatively high because the majority of his games are played at the WACA, which takes the least spin of any Australian ground (to illustrate this, Keshav Maharaj was a couple of weeks ago the first ever specialist spinner to make his Test debut at the WACA).