*Official* Second Test at the Adelaide Oval

[morgieb]

Originally Posted by GingerFurball

Here's your first post-Ashes side:

Hughes
Cosgrove
Watson
Khawaja
Clarke
White
Paine
O'Keefe
Johnson
Copeland
Harris

No Haddin? Cosgrove's too fat to get picked. Why shouldn't Watson open? That's side's too young imo.

[silentstriker]

So Swanneh......

[Spark]

Originally Posted by Burgey

It's only because they've been spoiled mate. A lot of supporters aren't old enough to recall the bad old days

Nor am I. Not much of an excuse IMO.

[flibbertyjibber]

Can't see Poontang going till after we have won the series as he will cling to the hope he can turn it round. Just can't see how Australia can win 2 of the last 3 tests when they have only taken 16 wickets in 2 games. How the hell are they going to get 20 in a match when England have so many players in form and they are not under pressure now and can bat for as long as they like without having to force the issue.

[Spark]

Originally Posted by morgieb

No Haddin? Cosgrove's too fat to get picked. Why shouldn't Watson open? That's side's too young imo.

It's not about age, it's about test match experience. Most of our 28-34 blokes don't have much anyway apart from the ones that are already there.

[Ausage]

Originally Posted by Spark

But most of all they have to survive the public, because **** me a lot of the public are acting like spoilt, whiny toerags right now.

It's pretty hard to be philisophical about that though. This test was abject. There was abject selection, abject bowling and abject doesn't even begin to describe the batting. All done with a team who is aging, but considered the best 11 we have available. There is pretty much not a single positive from the game other than Hussey not being finished and Harris perhaps showing he has it in him to play at this level.

If it was a bunch of youngsters I think the public would be able to stomach a loss like that.

Shouldn't take much away from England. Very well played by the poms.

[Spark]

Originally Posted by flibbertyjibber

Can't see Poontang going till after we have won the series as he will cling to the hope he can turn it round. Just can't see how Australia can win 2 of the last 3 tests when they have only taken 16 wickets in 2 games. How the hell are they going to get 20 in a match when England have so many players in form and they are not under pressure now and can bat for as long as they like without having to force the issue.

I think the discussions going on ATM lend themselves to the fact that most people here are inclined to agree.

Of course we'll all still hope.

[howardj]

Can only see two positives for Australia from this match.

1. The total exposure of North
2. The unearthing of Harris

That is all.

[Pothas]

Originally Posted by flibbertyjibber

Can't see Poontang going till after we have won the series as he will cling to the hope he can turn it round. Just can't see how Australia can win 2 of the last 3 tests when they have only taken 16 wickets in 2 games. How the hell are they going to get 20 in a match when England have so many players in form and they are not under pressure now and can bat for as long as they like without having to force the issue.

Be very wary of hubris, we may not be playing like it but we are still England.

Would be lying if I pretended not to be very confident about the prospects for the rest of the series but the rest of the matches will not be like this, we have stilll got an awful lot of work to do, and Flower and Strauss will make sure that we do it.

[Jacknife]

I have to say, when you listen to Andy Flower speak, you can tell, he is a very intelligent guy and everything he says is so measured. I'm just glad that we have him as coach, top bloke.

[Ausage]

Originally Posted by howardj

1. The total exposure of North

I don't see how he was shown to be any more rubbish this test than he was in the last few tests.

"Surely" his time is up now though. I agree that's a positive, but I don't think it stems from this match particularly.

[Spark]

Nah, he was only 99% exposed before, to everyone but the selectors. Word is - from robelinda who has inside sources IIRC - that he's gone now.

[pskov]

Originally Posted by Spark

It's not about age, it's about test match experience. Most of our 28-34 blokes don't have much anyway apart from the ones that are already there.

Exactly. Stuart Broad is 24 and has played 34 tests, Anderson has played 54 tests but is still only 28. Finn is only 21 and this match was his 10th test, whilst 31 year old Ryan Harris was playing his third match. By sticking with the legends until they decided to go on their own volition rather than being pushed (and I don't necessarily blame the selectors for that) Australia has skipped a generation of players.

[howardj]

Originally Posted by Ausage

I don't see how he was shown to be any more rubbish this test than he was in the last few tests.

"Surely" his time is up now though. I agree that's a positive, but I don't think it stems from this match particularly.

Yes, but we lost an Ashes test.

Re Hughes in 2009, watch them react savagely to a failing bat in an Ashes series that's going south (pardon the pun)

[Spark]

Originally Posted by howardj

Can only see two positives for Australia from this match.

1. The total exposure of North
2. The unearthing of Harris

That is all.

Clarke's second knock is a positive.

Hussey's knocks are also a positive, showed that he is actually back in form and Brisbane wasn't just another flash in the pan.