*Official* First Test at the Gabba

[morgieb]

Is worth noting that Brendan Nash has been serviceable for West Indies and didn't really crack it for Queensland tho

 

[pup11]

A lot of people seem a bit perplexed by Doherty's name being thrown into the mix, but more than anything else I believe Ponting has something to do with his name popping out of the blue like this.
Think he probably came to know him a bit better during that Shield game and probably thought he would be a handy bloke to have around.
Mitchell Johnson's career got a huge boost ever since he became Ponting's pal during that (in)famous boot camp prior to the 2006 Ashes series, and its one of the main reasons why he is among one of the protected species within the team.

 

[NUFAN]

Wouldn't mind a SA style spinner - one that holds up an end rather than someone that is seen as a genuine threat - but most of our spinners get beaten around.

**** no way. Genuine threat every day of the week!

I think 4 quicks at the Gabba is the way to go, I don't care if the 4th quick is under bowled, it's better than having your spinner sending down 62 overs.

A spinner at Adelaide and SCG is a must..

 

[morgieb]

**** no way. Genuine threat every day of the week!

I think 4 quicks at the Gabba is the way to go, I don't care if the 4th quick is under bowled, it's better than having your spinner sending down 62 overs.

A spinner at Adelaide and SCG is a must..

lol. What I was referring to is that we don't have a genuine threat, so we have to do other things with our spinners.

 

[Son Of Coco]

I think 4 quicks at the Gabba is the way to go, I don't care if the 4th quick is under bowled, it's better than having your spinner sending down 62 overs.

A spinner at Adelaide and SCG is a must..

Yeah I agree, would like to see Bollinger/Hilfy/Johnson and one of Harris/Siddle at The Gabba. North could cover the spinner's role up there.

 

[Howe_zat]

Yeah, the Aussies can get away without a spinner, especially when you bring in Watson & North to send down a few. All things considered, Siddle or Harris are just much more likely to get wickets than Hauritz.

 

[Woodster]

Thought Harris is a pretty definite no-go after his recent injury concerns ?

 

[Nate]

Not at all. He's just not playing in the 'A' game.

 

[Top_Cat]

Indeed. And he has form. Get him while he's fit.

 

[Sylvester]

Wouldn't mind a SA style spinner - one that holds up an end rather than someone that is seen as a genuine threat - but most of our spinners get beaten around.

We already have that in Hauritz. If you take out India where Harris also took a pasting then their economy is very similar as they go from series to series.

 

[four_or_six]

Indeed. And he has form. Get him while he's fit.

You surely don't think they'll play a guy who has had a knee operation and played one match in which he had to have treatment during and after for swelling?

 

[howardj]

Indeed. And he has form. Get him while he's fit.

It seems we will have to fight for the position of inaugural president of the Rhino Fan Club

 

[pup11]

There is no way Hauritz is as defensive as Harris who just tends to bowl outside right-handers leg stump all day long, whereas Hauritz is economical because he bowls in good areas most of the time.
Anyways not a fan of an all pace attack, so don't think we should go in with 4 quicks in the Gabba test either.
Most of the Aussie quicks apart from Harris and Hilfy bowl in a pretty similar fashion, so by stacking the attack with just pacers we are only going to make our attack pretty one-dimensional.

 

[pup11]

Indeed. And he has form. Get him while he's fit.

From the looks of it Rhino's injury doesn't look good, and his Ashes chances could have taken a serious jolt from the very fact that his knee started causing him trouble after playing just one FC game.

 

[NUFAN]

Most of the Aussie quicks apart from Harris and Hilfy bowl in a pretty similar fashion, so by stacking the attack with just pacers we are only going to make our attack pretty one-dimensional.

I fail to see how you could call it one dimensional. For starters you've named two bowlers who are different and Johnson is not like either of them, so I think our attack is going to be at the very least three dimensional.

 

[Howe_zat]

I fail to see how you could call it one dimensional. For starters you've named two bowlers who are different and Johnson is not like either of them, so I think our attack is going to be at the very least three dimensional.

Yeah, I thought it was a pretty weird claim. Johnson is...er... unique to say the least, Hilfy is a rare modern example of a proper Aussie swing bowler, and Bollinger is at least a lefty. Of all the things Australia will be bothered about, variety isn't one of them.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Most of the Aussie quicks apart from Harris and Hilfy bowl in a pretty similar fashion, so by stacking the attack with just pacers we are only going to make our attack pretty one-dimensional.

No it isn't one dimensional but will be easy to play once the bats get settled.Certainly not as one dimensional as SA used to be with 5 pacemen bowling right arm over at varying paces without moving the ball much anyway.

 

[pup11]

I fail to see how you could call it one dimensional. For starters you've named two bowlers who are different and Johnson is not like either of them, so I think our attack is going to be at the very least three dimensional.

What I meant to say was that most of 'em are just hit-the-deck type of bowlers and don't offer anything vastly different from each other.
Harris's nature of injury is such that one would be taking a huge risk picking him for a test, and since its unlikely that there is going to be much swing in Australian conditions even Hilfenhaus would look to exploit the pace and bounce of the pitch rather than trying to keep it full.
So.... Johnson, Bollinger and Hilfenhaus are all pretty much going to bowl the same lines and lengths and all three of them are bowlers who can run in hard and bowl all day long with good intensity, which pretty much cancels the need to have Siddle in the XI.
Hauritz offers us a different option in the bowling attack, and something that's worth also considering is that test cricket is not a one inning sport, conditions keep changing through the game and having a spinner in the attack always lends balance to the team, unless there are green stumps of grass growing on the pitch.

 

[NasserFan207]

I'd say Johnson, Hilfenhaus and Bollinger are nothing alike. They all bowl different styles, come from different angles at different speeds.

And North has about as good a record as Hauritz. Why not just use him?

 

[social]

So was Gavin Robertson! He didnt do too bad, thought he wouldve done a good job in Aussie conditions if given a chance.

If people were being picked on Sydney grade form then Robbo would've been about 4th or 5th off the rank at that stage