*Official* Fourth Test at the MCG

[Phantom]

Interesting choice of words.

Haha, yeah sorry, I didn't think of that

 

[howardj]

Weather set reasonably fair, gentlemen.

 

[Spark]

"It just depends how tough the person is I guess. That's probably the biggest thing with it all," Siddle said when asked about Anderson's side strain.
"If he's tough enough to bowl through it, he does. If not, he misses the game.

Oooh. Spicy.

 

[Furball]

Oooh. Spicy.

Says the wimp who's been out for a year injured.

 

[Spikey]

shut up siddle you ugly spud

Headley and Sobers cast a pair of pretty dark shadows

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

 

[Ausage]

Was my first thought tbh.

 

[treamcast34]

If we're seriously considering Bresnan ahead of Shahzad I don't know what to say.

 

[andyc]

Would be much more confident with our batsmen facing Bresnan than Shahzad, tbh.

 

[four_or_six]

Would be much more confident with our batsmen facing Bresnan than Shahzad, tbh.

Shazhad is just so inexperienced, though. At least Bresnan has played on the big stage, and with some success.

 

[TT Boy]

Shazhad is just so inexperienced, though. At least Bresnan has played on the big stage, and with some success.

Bangladesh and being a liability in the 20/20 WC...

 

[Furball]

Shazhad is just so inexperienced, though. At least Bresnan has played on the big stage, and with some success.

Shazad might have played only one Test vs Bangladesh, but his skittling of the lower order in that Test was more impressive than anything Bresnan has ever done.

Bresnan's record looks reasonable for a n00b, until you realise he's only faced West Indies and Bangladesh.

 

[JBH001]

What's the Shahzad like? I take it he is a promising and real quick? I saw a bit of Bresnan when England toured Bangladesh (I was in SL at the time) and wasn't all that impressed. He seems just an honest trier and that only gets you so far for so long.

 

[BoyBrumby]

What's the Shahzad like? I take it he is a promising and real quick? I saw a bit of Bresnan when England toured Bangladesh (I was in SL at the time) and wasn't all that impressed. He seems just an honest trier and that only gets you so far for so long.

No doubt in my mind Shahzad is already the better bowler. Not absolutely express, but possessed of the sort of Simon Jones/Shane Bond, slippery, swingy kind of pace. Bowls high 80s/low 90s regularly. Probably our quickest bowler in the squad. Not tall (well, as fast bowlers go) so bowls a wicket-to-wicket line and threatens the stumps a lot.

Reverses the old ball and shapes his deliveries nicely back into left handers before the ball leaves them; with Hussey proved a massive pain in the aris this could be crucial.

 

[four_or_six]

Shazad might have played only one Test vs Bangladesh, but his skittling of the lower order in that Test was more impressive than anything Bresnan has ever done.

Bresnan's record looks reasonable for a n00b, until you realise he's only faced West Indies and Bangladesh.

Hmm, I dunno, I know Austraia's batting is pretty rubbish atm, but just because Shazhad bowled well at Bangladesh's tail... He was also rubbish in his first spell against the top order iirc.

I don't dispute that Shazhad is the better long term prospect, I just think Bresnan is a more reliable pick for a match starting this week.

 

[fredfertang]

Doesn't seem to lack confidence either, and good for a few runs - I think he's a great prospect, his county of origin notwithstanding

 

[Julian87]

No doubt in my mind Shahzad is already the better bowler. Not absolutely express, but possessed of the sort of Simon Jones/Shane Bond, slippery, swingy kind of pace. Bowls high 80s/low 90s regularly. Probably our quickest bowler in the squad. Not tall (well, as fast bowlers go) so bowls a wicket-to-wicket line and threatens the stumps a lot.

Looks quite a bit short of Shane Bond's heat IMO.

 

[zaremba]

Some people snigger at the supposedly illusory concept of "momentum" but I have to admit I'm pessimistic about our chances of bouncing back on Boxing Day, in front of 90,000 pissed up convicts, from the old-style whipping we received at Perth. I know that this England team is capable of bouncing back, they've done it a number of times before, and that this Aussie team is every bit as inconsistent as we are, but somehow it doesn't feel likely atm.

 

[howardj]

Just wondering if Greg Chappell is going to rest or rotate Harris or Johnson for this Test, considering his explanation for Johnson's Adelaide ommission. lol

 

[marc71178]

Some people snigger at the supposedly illusory concept of "momentum" but I have to admit I'm pessimistic about our chances of bouncing back on Boxing Day, in front of 90,000 pissed up convicts, from the old-style whipping we received at Perth. I know that this England team is capable of bouncing back, they've done it a number of times before, and that this Aussie team is every bit as inconsistent as we are, but somehow it doesn't feel likely atm.

How many Aussies were confident of the comeback they'd make from Adelaide though?