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5th test the oval

Ridiculous statement not point debating any further.

The sides they had out when Warner and Smith were banned and Paine was captain were a lot lot worse
Always reminds me of the Ian Botham quote overmentioned before "They could grab 12 surfers from Bondi Beach and throw them on a plane and still give England a hell of a game!"
 

Difficult to say given that he was world number one four months ago and your first pick for the forthcoming India series?

I personally would not throw any novices at India bowling wise in their own country.

I am quite good friends with Jamie Porter (Essex - plays for my home club). He asked Cook about international prospects years ago "not quick enough to trouble top class test batsman on the type of wickets you will play on". He bowls lows 80s
Ridiculous statement not point debating any further.

The sides they had out when Warner and Smith were banned and Paine was captain were a lot lot worse

Khawaja could not get a game for 3 years and has been found out by Wood
Warner should have been dropped a year ago but gets a gig as there is nobody better
Smith class act
Labuschange the jury must be out surely with his record outside of Australia
Mitch Marsh made his test debut in 2014 but had not played a test since 2019 until this series
Carey is just a bog standard keeper/batsman who made his test debut at the age of 29
Travis Head is decent but a world beater he is not as demonstrated by his inability to play Wood's short ball

Real class acts tend to break through into the test arena and never look back. They don't have gaping career gaps due to not being picked nor do they tend to get picked at 29. Lets try and not let the fact the Aussie have some very handy bowlers mask a relatively poor rest of the side
 
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A strong Australian side? Outside of Cummins, Lyon and Smith none of the current crop will be remotely close to an all time Australian top 20 list of players
If that’s your view that this team has three of the all time top 20 (and it’s not one I share, I’m not convinced any of those three gets in an all time top 20) then it would almost certainly be the greatest Australian side of all time.

There’s been 466 worn the baggy green in tests. Spread 20 across that and most sides would have none at all and its highly unlikely any side would yet have had as many as three. Maybe once a millennium. You set too high a standard as you definition for a great side.
 
I personally would not throw any novices at India bowling wise in their own country.

I am quite good friends with Jamie Porter (Essex - plays for my home club). He asked Cook about international prospects years ago "not quick enough to trouble top class test batsman on the type of wickets you will play on". He bowls lows 80s


Khawaja could not get a game for 3 years and has been found out by Wood
Warner should have been dropped a year ago but gets a gig as there is nobody better
Smith class act
Labuschange the jury must be out surely with his record outside of Australia
Mitch Marsh made his test debut in 2014 but had not played a test since 2019 until this series
Carey is just a bog standard keeper/batsman who made his test debut at the age of 29
Travis Head is decent but a world beater he is not as demonstrated by his inability to play Wood's short ball

Real class acts tend to break through into the test arena and never look back. They don't have gaping career gaps due to not being picked nor do they tend to get picked at 29. Lets try and not let the fact the Aussie have some very handy bowlers mask a relatively poor rest of the side
Where five years ago Australia top seven taken from test series in 2018 was.

Harris
Finch
Khawaja
Shaun Marsh
Handscomb
Mitchell Marsh
Paine

Think it’s fair to say the current batsman top that easily yet you still instead worst for 30 years
 
Jimmy has a poor record at the Oval, a flat wicket with no reverse swing on offer so not a great surprise. He should not have played at Old Trafford nor should he be playing at the Oval. However, he should be first name on the for the first test in India

Stokes is picking his mates as he has done all series. Due to the state English test cricket was in when Baz and Stokes took over they wont get sacked if we lose 3-1 as I expect us to (playing 3 x 79-85mph at the Oval wont cut it). However, get walloped in Australia both will be gone


"they think"- as a knowledgeable poster lets cut the cr*p, Stokes is picking the side in the singular sense and is mate picking ala Ali, Bairstow and Jimmy
2-2 would be a close series… if it’s 3-1, and I’m convinced it will be it becomes a trouncing. The selection of the once great Anderson has cost England the Ashes. Stokes/ McCullum bottled dropping him. Jimmy was a fabulous bowler , but this a series to far in my opinion.
 
Where five years ago Australia top seven taken from test series in 2018 was. hy

Harris
Finch
Khawaja
Shaun Marsh
Handscomb
Mitchell Marsh
Paine

Think it’s fair to say the current batsman top that easily yet you still instead worst for 30 years

It is really that much different in level bar Smith was on a ban? Sorry, I dont get your point as that batting line up is similar to the one they have today ability wise
2-2 would be a close series… if it’s 3-1, and I’m convinced it will be it becomes a trouncing. The selection of the once great Anderson has cost England the Ashes. Stokes/ McCullum bottled dropping him. Jimmy was a fabulous bowler , but this a series to far in my opinion.

I personally do not think McCullum has any loyalty to Anderson. Stokes has played with him, Ali and Bairstow for 10+ years so there is loyalty to his mates. The issue is Stokes should not be picking who he wants. We were two down before Ali and Bairstow got going due to no test cricket behind them for far too long. You may get away with it against most sides but not against Australia

We can bemoan the weather but you can only control what is in your control, ie team selections, taking advantage of winning every toss, holding catches, not declaring early, batting at a tempo which shows respect to your opponent. England fell short in these aspects and have lost the chance to win the Ashes as a result. Stokes has credit in the bank, quite a lot but two Ashes losses will do for him
 
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For my personal satisfaction, I’m really hoping for an England win to send that ignorant fool Warner away with no ashes victory in England on his record

his latest bit of idiocy is to say, he has seen no bazball this summer. What happened in the last test whilst England were going at over 6s and the Aussies had nine on the boundary ?

the man is ridiculous
 
I personally would not throw any novices at India bowling wise in their own country.

I am quite good friends with Jamie Porter (Essex - plays for my home club). He asked Cook about international prospects years ago "not quick enough to trouble top class test batsman on the type of wickets you will play on". He bowls lows 80s


Khawaja could not get a game for 3 years and has been found out by Wood
Warner should have been dropped a year ago but gets a gig as there is nobody better
Smith class act
Labuschange the jury must be out surely with his record outside of Australia
Mitch Marsh made his test debut in 2014 but had not played a test since 2019 until this series
Carey is just a bog standard keeper/batsman who made his test debut at the age of 29
Travis Head is decent but a world beater he is not as demonstrated by his inability to play Wood's short ball

Real class acts tend to break through into the test arena and never look back. They don't have gaping career gaps due to not being picked nor do they tend to get picked at 29. Lets try and not let the fact the Aussie have some very handy bowlers mask a relatively poor rest of the side
How old is Robinson who is slower than Porter who you seem to rate highly? So do I btw. Khawaja, Laba and Smith are class acts now.
 
How old is Robinson who is slower than Porter who you seem to rate highly? So do I btw. Khawaja, Laba and Smith are class acts now.

I don't follow? Porter is a mate who is a county bowler no more

Robinson is a few yards quicker

Smith is class agreed. Khawaja looks a walking wicket since Wood came into the side. Laba has much to prove outside of Australia
 
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As is Head and Green looks the best all rounder they’ve produced in a long time

I cant recall any all rounders Australia have produced in the last 20 years of any note tbh. If series stats of 20 with the bat and 47 with the ball and a clutter of no balls have you thinking differently so be it. We maybe watching a different cricketer as he will do well to get picked in this test
 
Playing with 3 seamers again I love Jimmy. But 4 wickets at 79 this series.

His bowling has had no nip and the oval is not one of his better grounds whats the ground excuse going to be if his poor in a 4th test of the series.

Yet again not picking the best 11 available something we seemed to love to do.
 
I cant recall any all rounders Australia have produced in the last 20 years of any note tbh. If series stats of 20 with the bat and 47 with the ball and a clutter of no balls have you thinking differently so be it. We maybe watching a different cricketer as he will do well to get picked in this test

Shane Watson was a very good all rounder. Higher batting average than bowling average. Probably would have had a better batting and bowling average had he not been opening the batting
 
Shane Watson was a very good all rounder. Higher batting average than bowling average. Probably would have had a better batting and bowling average had he not been opening the batting

The Aussies don't have a great list of all-rounders really. Miller and Benaud were probably their best, Steve Waugh was decent, but he was very much a batsman first. Scrap that his bowling record was poor...92 wickets, strike rate 80 odd, average 37
 
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I was quite shocked when I read a list of those cricketers who have 3000 test runs and 200 test wickets.

I associate Broad as a bowler for example but he was on the list as was Shane Warne who I would describe as a bowler who could hold a bat.

There were some genuine all rounders on there but a lot of bowlers who could hold a bat
 
The Aussies don't have a great list of all-rounders really. Miller and Benaud were probably their best, Steve Waugh was decent, but he was very much a batsman first. Scrap that his bowling record was poor...92 wickets, strike rate 80 odd, average 37

Warne should probably be classed as an all rounder. His batting was better than just tail end who could bat. Andrew Symonds probably unfortunate to be playing the era he did as his test record as an all rounder would have been better had been a bit later. Michael Bevan arguably too.

They’ve had a lot of very good ODI all rounders. Tom Moody and Ian Harvey immediately spring to mind.
 
I don't follow? Porter is a mate who is a county bowler no more

Robinson is a few yards quicker

Smith is class agreed. Khawaja looks a walking wicket since Wood came into the side. Laba has much to prove outside of Australia
Robinson is no quicker at all. He’s a super bowler who bowls anything between 78 (this series) and 84. On average slower than Jimmy I would say.
 
Warne should probably be classed as an all rounder. His batting was better than just tail end who could bat. Andrew Symonds probably unfortunate to be playing the era he did as his test record as an all rounder would have been better had been a bit later. Michael Bevan arguably too.

They’ve had a lot of very good ODI all rounders. Tom Moody and Ian Harvey immediately spring to mind.

Aye, I was on about genuine test all rounders.
 
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