Macca

I like this from the Heat ...

3 poor shots from Warner, Cowan and Watson. Ed misses a straight one again, Warner played a terrible shot and Watson tries to pull a ball that was always going to stay low. Need a rescue mission. Just as well we bat to 8! Siddle and Patto can bat as well - we're probably going to need them!

Great toss to win. If we had to bat last I would give us very little chance of winning. Lyon out is a surprise. Not sure many saw that coming. Maxwell is a good inclusion but batting at 8 ?! We bat deep but can we get 20 wickets? We'll need just about everything to go right for us to either level the series or draw the match.

The possibility that they're even contemplating using either Hughes or Khawaja to 'don the gloves' only highlights the selectors poor decision to not take a reserve keeper on the tour. A few on this thread made mention of this 'oversight' at the time. Wade's injury may not be that serious but that doesn't rule out the fact that it could be a serious injury. Good luck to Wade and I hope he can get through 5 hot days of fierce cricket with a fractured cheekbone.

Alex Smith to KC Well the Chiefs are making some moves. Giving up a 2nd round draft pick (and possibly another pick next year as well) sounds like a good decision on the surface of it.

Good news re Fawad Ahmed.(I still haven't seen him in action but have no reason to doubt all the talk about him) Always like to see a leggie in the Aussie side (esp in our conditions) Interesting that our best performed spinners have just about all been leg spinners. (O'Reilly, Grimmett. Benaud, Warne and MacGill) Love this stat regarding Clarrie Grimmett - in his last 3 Tests for Australia he took 33 wickets (10, 10 and 13). He turned 44 years of age during that last tour ... Australians in South Africa 1935/36 I take your point on board re Patto and the Ashes, but I'm with TD on this one. We have to go all out in this next Test. Lose the 2nd Test and we can't win the series. He bowled 33 overs all up in the 1st Test and probably shouldn't have been used on the 5th day. I know the Ashes is the 'biggie' in most people's eyes but I view the series' against England, India and South Africa as being of almost equal importance. Always great to beat them and hate losing to them - anytime. I'll admit that the Aussies winning the series in India this time around is a bit of a stretch but you can bet the team hasn't given up on their chances. If they rest Pattinson so be it, but that would mean that Siddle and/or Starc will play both the opening Tests. Siddle is probably more seasoned but not so sure on Starc. He's probably as much a risk as Patto. We could go into the next Test with our 4 frontline bowlers being Siddle, Johnson, Lyon and Doherty.

There's talk that they might rest Pattinson. In such a vital Test? Second Test selection has Australian cricket in a spin

In that article O'Keefe is described as a 'Chirpy, confident lad not afraid to speak his mind' . What's happened to Australian cricket when that's somehow a problem?! I thought that attitude was a bit of a pre-requisite I've seen him bowl in some of the limited overs stuff and he looks a bit of a cricketer. Anyway, we'll find out soon enough. Good point Rogue, for some of the batsmen, time in the middle is very important. We're quite an inexperienced side when you look at it. I reckon a tour of India could toughen a few of the players up. It's hard yakka. Still got a bit of time for Lyon and I see him as our best off spinning option. He'll have learnt a lot from the 1st Test and hopefully bowls better in the 2nd Test.

Yeah, a bit like our 'best eleven' teams TD . Lots of options I heard today that Bird is flying home after sustaining a back injury - bad luck for the bloke and lets hope it's nothing major. Any news on his replacement (if any)? Surely they'll send another spinner over there. If Beer, Holland or O'Keefe are fit then we should send one of them over there - 'quick smart'. Like the make up of that eleven. Moises could hold down the no.4 for now - very impressive young cricketer. He'll most probably be facing spin when he goes in to bat anyway. The other option is for Clarke to go up to no.4 for these Tests only. Henriques could bat at no.5 if that happens. Watson is best suited to opening.

I agree with a lot of your summation TD, but I'd bite the bullet and make a few changes now. After looking at things overnight I reckon that we have to do something with the top order. Khawaja has a good technique to handle spin and I'd have him in. Also would find a spot for Maxwell, mainly because he gives the team another spinning option. Henriques had a terrific debut and even after one Test I reckon he could bat higher on the list. He didn't seem to be in any trouble at all and Gavaskar and Shastri gave him a good rap. I reckon we've found a cricketer there. Doherty is probably a certainty and Johnson might come in as well. Can't see them making 4 changes but maybe 3 (?) We have to assume that there will be a result in the next Test and we don't want to be 2 - 0 down.

Well, there's always a chance of an 'unseasonal' monsoon, TD. We may just escape yet. What we do know is that in the next Test, we'll probably be presented with another spinning track that is devoid of grass. Reality has set in for me. India are just so hard to beat at home. Ojha is waiting in the wings for them whilst we've got Xavier. This is where rotations can get tricky now that we're 1-0 down (barring a miracle). We really have to win the next Test. Patto has to stay. Siddle and Stark could be rested which would allow Doherty and Johnson or Bird to come in. I'd also bring in Maxwell in place of one of the batsman. None of our top order looked particularly comfortable although Warner was the best performed. We need as many bowling options as possible and Maxwell provides another badly needed spinning option. Khawaja has claims as well. His selection wouldn't surprise. It's difficult to hold your ground over there - it's now or never in a lot of ways. In this Test our batting and bowling hasn't been up to scratch.

Very handy late pick up for your 'best eleven' team HT He's shown a lot of fight and has a reasonably good technique. I like him as a cricketer. We'll need that extra seamer in England. Impressive debut and looks to have a bright future.

Fair enough, our sides are eerily similar 'TD' ... don't know what I was thinking with the 'Caro' comparison - I blame the heat. My thinking on the 2nd spinner came about when I came to the realisation that my 3rd choice seamer was not going to be a topliner. It also then meant that I needed a batsman who could bowl medium pace. Pollard was picked as a back-up for Watson (who will hopefully bowl again in Test cricket at some stage) In the end, having a 2nd spinner is not such a left field option. By the way, your series prediction re the India tour might be right on the money. My 'optimistic' prediction is looking very optimistic right now.

Tough batting conditions now for our blokes. We may as well try and smack a few. Trying to survive against these 3 spinners on this track is darn near impossible.

Ha ha ha ! Good comeback (I think) I hope you're joking re Scarlett but of course beauty does lie with the beholder It's funny how we view things - I try not to be too biased with anything. As I said, if I were to critique your team I would concentrate on your best 6 - 8 players and largely disregard your worst 3 - 4 players. You 'glossed over' my best players far too quickly and your view was far too biased. Your view shouldn't be in 'opposition' to my view. You have no need to square the ledger. Your view of my team was not fair and balanced (have you been reading too much of Caro?) . You could have written paragraphs on Prior, Smith, Amla, Vettori, Ajmal and Watson but conveniently chose not to. Are you telling me that Zaheer is not a very good bowler? That Bresnan hasn't got very good all round skills? I am by no means saying my team is the best team - that's up to Nasher to decide. But as I said in an earlier post, to concentrate on the last 3 or 4 players picked is wrong in my opinion. It's like the footy argument - do you want depth or do you want stars? Give me 'stars' any day of the week.

Watto opens the batting ... And they open with 2 'offies' . Ball is turning big time - good luck Aussies

asap ! And then get him on a big bird - straight to India

I'll admit that Zaheer is coming to the end but don't be surprised if he bobs up in the next test or 2. His record is very good when you consider he's played a large percentage of his Tests on spinning tracks. Under rated bowler in my eyes. Bresnan is still only 27 years old and I really rate him (especially on seaming decks) He's got an injury issue right now but that is the domain of fast bowlers - they generally all get injured at some stage of their careers. Plus, he can bat. Anyway ...... I reckon most of us would agree that South Africa are the best team in the world right now. But they are not the perfect team. Their spinner (Robin Peterson) is ok but no world beater. Kleinvelt, Alviro Petersen, Elgar, du Plessis and Abbott are just starting out and are not superstars of the game by any stretch of the imagination. (both Morkel and Kallis didn't play in the just completed Test, but that still leaves 4 players who aren't 'great' players) And South Africa are clearly the no.1 team in the world in my opinion. I believe that all our teams are very good. It was always going to be impossible to have 11 top liners. 6, 7 or 8 really good players is the best that any of us could have hoped for. To highlight the worst 3 or 4 players in a team is not the way I'd look at it. If your team is going to be a great team it will depend on your best 7 or 8 players. The matchwinners. Smith, Amla, Kallis, AB de Villiers, Steyn, Morkel and Philander are all very good/great players. Sounds harsh, but the rest of their team pales in comparison. du Plessis looks the goods but it's still early doors with that bloke.

Mate, I reckon you'd find fault with Scarlett Johansson. Do you worry about getting worried? Had no idea we were playing for a sheep station. You're the same bloke who genuinely thought the Australian team would only win 1 gold medal at the London Olympics! How's that battery of fast bowlers working out for you in India by the way? But seriously, all the teams have some weaknesses. Your team included. All things considered, I reckon all the participants have done exceedingly well. There's 88 players in the pool so there is going to be question marks over at least 20 or 30 players - stands to reason. Your revisionist stuff is all too predictable - you're not telling us anything we didn't already know. By the way, you've critiqued my side but have highlighted the perceived weaknesses whilst conveniently downplaying my strengths. A one-sided view with the aim of pumping up your own tyres. I'd critique your team but I'd have to be more fair minded. (though how you can compare your 'newboy' spinners with my 2 is beyond comprehension) One gold medal ! Now there's a bit of 'group think' gone horribly wrong

Yep, I reckon we can expect 3 more tracks like the one we're playing on. I know it's patently obvious but their strength is their spin bowling and their batsman's ability to play spin. Our weaknesses are the opposite of their strengths. We don't play spin all that well and our spin bowling is not good. It's gonna be a tough tour. We might have to play Doherty in the next Tests - I wish him well if that's the case. As pointed out by Gavaskar and Shastri - Lyon bowled too short. Their batsmen just picked him off down backward of square on a constant basis. He wasn't able to keep their batsmen on strike. Hopefully he'll learn a lot from today. Warnie's up in the commentary box - maybe they can ask him if he brought his 'whites'

First and foremost, I would like to congratulate everyone else on their teams. It's going to be a tough job for Nasher to decide the best team. All the teams have strengths in different areas. Well played gentlemen and may the better team win. Also, thanks to H_T for running the comp. It's been a lot of fun and I hope we do it again. The time it took never bothered me and in fact, it gave me a bit more time to reflect on the make up of all the teams. Now, to my team ... this eleven I have selected would be hard to beat in all conditions. Plenty of variation in the bowling and my team bats deep with Vettori and Bresnan at 8 and 9 reflecting this. On a spinning deck my team would be hard to handle. With 2 frontliners (Ajmal and Vettori) and 2 back-up spinners I challenge any of the other teams to rack up a decent score against my 'Spin Wizards'. On a seaming deck I have 2 quality fast medium bowlers (Zaheer and Bresnan) with good back up from Watson and Pollard. I have the arguably the best Captain in World cricket in Graeme Smith with Daniel Vettori as his able lieutenant. To accompany Smith at the top of the order I have Shane Watson. Watto is best suited as an opening batsman and I do like a left and right hand combination to start the innings. My no.3 batsman (Amla) is the best in World cricket. Samaraweera gives me good depth in the top order coming in at no.4 (averages 48.76) . I have a hard hitting middle order with Yuvraj able to turn a game on it's head and Pollard would be under instruction to 'go for it' ! My 7, 8 and 9 is a 'Dreamteam' tail. Prior is good enough to bat at 6 and Vettori has made 6 Test centuries and 23 fifty's. Bresnan has got a very good technique for a no.9 and averages over 30 with the bat. My team in batting order ... 1 Graeme Smith (Capt) 8748 runs @ 48.87 ... 157 catches 2 Shane Watson 2482 runs @ 37.02 ... 62 wickets @ 30.06 ... 25 catches 3 Hashim Amla 5693 runs @ 51.75 ... 58 catches 4 Thilan Samaraweera 5462 runs @ 48.76 ... 15 wckts @ 45.93 (right arm off-breaks) ... 45 catches 5 Yuvraj Singh 1900 runs @ 33.92 ... 9 wckts @ 60.77 (slow left arm orthodox) ... 31 catches 6 Kieron Pollard (yet to play Test cricket) 7 Matt Prior 3326 runs @ 43.19 ... 173 catches, 13 stumpings 8 Daniel Vettori (Vice-Capt) 4516 runs @ 30.10 ... 360 wckts @ 34.42 ... 58 catches 9 Tim Bresnan 438 runs @ 31.28 ... 57 wckts @ 32.54 ... 7 catches 10 Zaheer Khan 295 wckts @ 32.35 ... 1146 runs @ 11.81 ... 19 catches 11 Saeed Ajmal 133 wckts @ 27.03 ... 287 runs @ 11.03 ... 8 catches

Now we're gonna have to bat to save the game. 6 lefties in the top 6. Ashwin and Harby will be itching to get at us. This has been some sort of knock from Dhoni

This track is stone dead. Although you wouldn't want to be facing any sort of bowling on this pitch when the match gets into it's 5th day. Ball is grubbing a bit. The ball is barely reaching Wade on the full from the quicks. Clarke's bowling could be handy today and Lyon needs to get amongst it. As ya said, we just need one wicket. Edit : we got that wicket but it's been India's session so far.

Interesting words from Pattinson overnight. I have no real issue with what he said.(though he wouldn't want to do it all the time) He's an aggressive, young fast bowler who is just speaking his mind. In another article he mentioned that he wanted to bowl more (yesterday). For what it's worth, I like the way that Clarke is keeping Pattinson fresh. It's no good having all your bowlers spent as the innings progresses. These Test matches in India are nearly always 'marathon affairs'. ... Should have bounced Sachin, says Pattinson

Pup's handling your bloke well. Keeping the big gun fresh . Patto bowls his 3rd victim.