wisedog

Ponting and Hussey bring up the 100 run partnership... who would have thought? I don't often say it, but the selectors have been bang on the money for this test match. Marsh has failed, but Hilfenhaus, Cowan, Ponting and Hussey have all made solid contributions.

I'm really glad both Warner and Marsh have been able to take their form in other forms of the game, and bring it to test cricket. The question is, where does this leave Watson? After years of debate, we finally have the opportunity to move him down the order, but I suppose it depends on how Clarke intends on using him in the bowling attack. I would move him, but for another reason. The middle order has been a problem for years now, and I think it would be fantastic if Watson was able to settle things at 6, and play the 'Mr Reliable' role. Hussey did this beautifully for the first part of his career, but at 36, a tough decision needs to be made. If it were up to me, the side would look something like this: Warner Marsh Khawaja Ponting Clarke Watson Haddin Siddle Pattinson Cummins Lyon

And the debutant scores the winnings runs. What an incredible finish! Well done to Ponting, Haddin and Johnson. Stood up under enormous pressure...

As stirring as the Perth win was, it was obviously wallpaper over the cracks. If we kept relying on Watson and Hussey, eventually we would be exposed - and we were. I supported their selection to begin with, but the inclusion of two youngsters in Hughes and Smith into our top six was a mistake, and made our batting lineup far weaker than it had been in Brisbane. With a faltering top order, we needed cool heads and players in form with the bat. With a Shield average of just 16.8, Hughes really shouldn't have been played (especially not against a side which knew how to target his weaknesses). As for Smith, at this stage he's just not strong enough with the bat or ball, as Titan had warned. In hindsight, I think two of D.Hussey, White, Marsh or Khawaja should have come in and Haurtiz should have kept his place at the expense of Hilfenhaus.

Well whatever the change, I do think Smith should come into calculations. Smith in for Doherty probably makes more sense – The argument that Doherty could at least play a containing role seems to have been dashed after the Adelaide test, so I don’t think we’d be losing anything, plus Smith can bat. I’m not entirely convinced by David Hussey. He’s in good form but he seems to have difficulty performing at the national level. He’s also 33 years old.

It's strange that our spin stocks are so low... You would think that the generation coming through would be full of Warne Wannabes. Hughes in for Katich Smith in for North Big question marks over Bollinger and Doherty.

The greatest difference Ive noticed in the Australia cricket team since the McGrath/Warne era is our inability to finish off the tail. There have been too many occasions over the past 2 years where weve been in strong winning positions only to throw away the game in the last 2 days. Remember South Africas tour in 2008/2009, when South Africa effortlessly chased down 414 in the 2nd innings at Perth? Then came Duminy and Steyns record partnership in Melbourne! In last years Cardiff test, we couldnt break a last wicket stand between Anderson and Panesar which ultimately cost us the series. Even in the first test agaist India we couldnt break the tail and allowed India ground out a win after Ishant Shrama survived 100 + balls. Weve just lost that killer instinct.