Your team for the third Test
- Thread starter Scotty_WCE
- Start date
Scotty_WCE
West Coast card collector!
My XI for the third Test, updated after Day 1 of the Shield.
David Warner
Usman Khawaja
Steve Smith *
Peter Handscomb
Kurtis Patterson
Glenn Maxwell
Matthew Wade +
Mitchell Starc
Josh Hazlewood
Chadd Sayers
Jackson Bird
IN: Kurtis Patterson, Chadd Sayers
OUT: Cameron Bancroft (out of form), Ashton Agar (injured)
Only 7 wickets were taken by spinners in last year's day-night Test, so with Agar injured and Lyon and O'Keefe both struggling so far in the Shield, I'm now leaning towards going in with 4 quicks and using Maxwell as the spinner.
Khawaja to open for one Test before S Marsh comes back, with no openers in form. Opens up another spot in the middle-order which I've used to give Patterson a shot.
David Warner
Usman Khawaja
Steve Smith *
Peter Handscomb
Kurtis Patterson
Glenn Maxwell
Matthew Wade +
Mitchell Starc
Josh Hazlewood
Chadd Sayers
Jackson Bird
IN: Kurtis Patterson, Chadd Sayers
OUT: Cameron Bancroft (out of form), Ashton Agar (injured)
Only 7 wickets were taken by spinners in last year's day-night Test, so with Agar injured and Lyon and O'Keefe both struggling so far in the Shield, I'm now leaning towards going in with 4 quicks and using Maxwell as the spinner.
Khawaja to open for one Test before S Marsh comes back, with no openers in form. Opens up another spot in the middle-order which I've used to give Patterson a shot.
Wookiedragon
OzCardTrader
Glenn Maxwell was dropped from the Victorian team for the first shield game of the season & was back playing grade cricket. He has now only played one game (before this round) - if he can not make the Victorian team, not sure how he could be considered for the test team.
That being said, they played Jon Holland in Sri Lanka when again he struggled to make the Vic shield team, with Fawad Ahmed often chosen over him.
That being said, they played Jon Holland in Sri Lanka when again he struggled to make the Vic shield team, with Fawad Ahmed often chosen over him.
Quite like this side, my only suggestion would be to drop Bird as he is 30 in a few days and hasn't taken more than 3 wickets in an innings for his last 10 innings of domestic cricket. Who's fit and better, good question though lol
I think for a smokey as an all-rounder , Jack Wildermuth would be worth a crack, he's only 23, but its time for youth, not the oldies who keep failing.
Scotty_WCE
West Coast card collector!
I suspect Maxwell not playing in that first game may have had something to do with his attempted move to NSW just before the start of the season, as opposed to ability/form. I'm not entirely convinced about him but we don't have a lot of batting all-rounders who bowl spin - and there's no doubt about his talent, just his temperament.
I watched Bird bowl at the WACA yesterday, and his first spell was a ripper. Very unlucky not to take two or three more wickets. After that when the ball wasn't doing as much he was much less threatening though. I do see your point, but as you said I'm not sure there's a better option at the moment!
Scotty_WCE
West Coast card collector!
I read somewhere Sunday afternoon, after all of the Shield games have been completed.
Scotty_WCE
West Coast card collector!
Yeah, I think they said the players will fly to Adelaide on the Monday. Maybe they'll move the training session back a day?
Scotty_WCE
West Coast card collector!
My XI for the third Test, updated after Day 2 of the Shield.
David Warner
Usman Khawaja
Steve Smith *
Peter Handscomb
Kurtis Patterson
Glenn Maxwell
Peter Nevill +
Mitchell Starc
Josh Hazlewood
Chadd Sayers
Jackson Bird
IN: Peter Nevill
OUT: Matthew Wade
Wade didn't do anything with the bat for Victoria today, so Nevill comes back in, at least temporarily. Nevill also batted well in the pink-ball Test last year. However, he would definitely be wanting some runs tomorrow. Patterson will also have the chance to really put his hand up tomorrow after a solid start today. Maxwell's spot is hanging by a thread, but I really can't see any better spin-bowling all-rounders at the moment. Very bad time for Agar to get injured.
David Warner
Usman Khawaja
Steve Smith *
Peter Handscomb
Kurtis Patterson
Glenn Maxwell
Peter Nevill +
Mitchell Starc
Josh Hazlewood
Chadd Sayers
Jackson Bird
IN: Peter Nevill
OUT: Matthew Wade
Wade didn't do anything with the bat for Victoria today, so Nevill comes back in, at least temporarily. Nevill also batted well in the pink-ball Test last year. However, he would definitely be wanting some runs tomorrow. Patterson will also have the chance to really put his hand up tomorrow after a solid start today. Maxwell's spot is hanging by a thread, but I really can't see any better spin-bowling all-rounders at the moment. Very bad time for Agar to get injured.
Rightio, here's my attempt at picking an XI for Adelaide 
David Warner
Daniel Hughes
Usman Khawaja
Steve Smith
Peter Handscomb
Kurtis Patterson
Peter Nevill
Mitchell Starc
Josh Hazlewood
Nathan Lyon
Chadd Sayers
Hughes, Handscomb and Patterson are young and put a huge price on their wicket. Reading Chris Rogers' book really highlighted to me how the need for sheer bloody-mindedness is so important for a Test batsman to succeed. Hughes and Warner open together for NSW as it is, so whilst not an experienced partnership as such, they have had recent innings together and that familiarity would help the young bloke.
Despite the day-night factor, I still think Lyon's spin bowling is an important part of Australia's attack and there will of course be footmarks to use late in the match. Joe Mennie has picked up an injury but I think he might have been a straight swap for Sayers the Slayer anyway.
Am I completely mad?
David Warner
Daniel Hughes
Usman Khawaja
Steve Smith
Peter Handscomb
Kurtis Patterson
Peter Nevill
Mitchell Starc
Josh Hazlewood
Nathan Lyon
Chadd Sayers
Hughes, Handscomb and Patterson are young and put a huge price on their wicket. Reading Chris Rogers' book really highlighted to me how the need for sheer bloody-mindedness is so important for a Test batsman to succeed. Hughes and Warner open together for NSW as it is, so whilst not an experienced partnership as such, they have had recent innings together and that familiarity would help the young bloke.
Despite the day-night factor, I still think Lyon's spin bowling is an important part of Australia's attack and there will of course be footmarks to use late in the match. Joe Mennie has picked up an injury but I think he might have been a straight swap for Sayers the Slayer anyway.
Am I completely mad?
Scotty_WCE
West Coast card collector!
My XI for the third Test, updated after Day 3 of the Shield:
David Warner
Usman Khawaja
Steve Smith *
Peter Handscomb
Kurtis Patterson
Ashton Agar (1)
Sam Whiteman +
Mitchell Starc
Josh Hazlewood
Chadd Sayers
Jackson Bird
IN: Ashton Agar, Sam Whiteman
OUT: Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill
(1) If fit.
Maxwell has struggled in the Shield match, and I think if you ever want to pick Maxwell it'd be when he's in form. Agar comes in if he's fit. I'm struggling with the spinner though. Edit: just read O'Keefe is injured now. My gut feeling is Lyon will probably play then.
Sam Whiteman has made some runs at a good time; and watching him on Thursday he looked in super form. I think it'd be worth giving him a good go, with Nevill a solid replacement if he really looks out of his depth at Test level.
David Warner
Usman Khawaja
Steve Smith *
Peter Handscomb
Kurtis Patterson
Ashton Agar (1)
Sam Whiteman +
Mitchell Starc
Josh Hazlewood
Chadd Sayers
Jackson Bird
IN: Ashton Agar, Sam Whiteman
OUT: Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill
(1) If fit.
Maxwell has struggled in the Shield match, and I think if you ever want to pick Maxwell it'd be when he's in form. Agar comes in if he's fit. I'm struggling with the spinner though. Edit: just read O'Keefe is injured now. My gut feeling is Lyon will probably play then.
Sam Whiteman has made some runs at a good time; and watching him on Thursday he looked in super form. I think it'd be worth giving him a good go, with Nevill a solid replacement if he really looks out of his depth at Test level.
The series is gone and we need to look to the future but I don't agree with dropping 7 players in one go.
I don't really follow the domestic stuff like I used to so I won't name a team but will have a couple of queries;
What happened to Alex Doolan in the pecking order? When he did play for Aust he didn't kill it but I thought he looked good. Just scored a double ton also
Is Tim Paine injured? That badly broken finger killed his career, really rated him, potentially a good #6 bat.
Young Renshaw from QLD is one to watch, patient and scored a ton and then a 50. I also like the look of Sam Hazleat also.
i suspect Maxwell is very unpopular with Vic & CA but he could be a real match winner, worth 20+ per innings in the field alone
I don't really follow the domestic stuff like I used to so I won't name a team but will have a couple of queries;
What happened to Alex Doolan in the pecking order? When he did play for Aust he didn't kill it but I thought he looked good. Just scored a double ton also
Is Tim Paine injured? That badly broken finger killed his career, really rated him, potentially a good #6 bat.
Young Renshaw from QLD is one to watch, patient and scored a ton and then a 50. I also like the look of Sam Hazleat also.
i suspect Maxwell is very unpopular with Vic & CA but he could be a real match winner, worth 20+ per innings in the field alone
Scotty_WCE
West Coast card collector!
Doolan has really struggled over the past few Shield seasons. Read somewhere his average over the last three years is something like 24. Obviously just scored a very good double century but I would think he is unlikely to be considered.
Tim Paine has really fallen off the radar recently. I don't think he's injured (not sure on this), I think he's just fallen out of favour with young Jake Doran down there now. Probably past it.
Renshaw may well get picked for the Adelaide Test, given the lack of opening options available. Queensland have got a lot of good young talent at the moment.
I think it's simply his consistency, and also the ways he gets out. Can be great to watch, until he gets out trying to reverse sweep a fast bowler. Still, provides some X-Factor which the team could do with a bit of at the moment.
