*Official* Fourth Test at the MCG

[Hooksey]

Australia $1.65 to win, and $3 to win the series 5-0. The bookies showing no respect for England.

 

[Red]

We'll pick a proper team this time - Andros Townsend will make all the difference

Any chance they'll call on Cowdrey to deal with Johnson?

 

[Top_Cat]

Backing England to not change much for Melbs. Since those who've not done so well (Cook, Bell, Swann, KP) aren't about to be dropped, newer guys (Root, Stokes) have done reasonably well and the other guy (Carberry) has been handy at times, can't see any major changes.

Changing the bowling won't change that it's been the bats who've failed but I'm guessing Broad's out for now so some changes will be necessary. Still, they've just been thoroughly out-played. No shame in it.

 

[Ausage]

Well, I don't think we can win either way.

I find the "we've lost so lets throw a ton of youngsters to the wolves" mentality very strange. Not picking on you specifically, I hear it in all sports.

I'm firmly of the belief that it's detrimental to a young players development. Getting repeatedly flogged instills a culture of losing in a player. Bad performances are forgiven because they're expected and before you know it the formative years of a players career in the top level have taught them that it's ok to lose in the right circumstances. What's worse, you now have a team full of players that think like this.

Basically I believe that young players should be brought into the most competitive environment possible. Sacrificing them to a professional battle hardened unit runs directly counter to this.

 

[Hooksey]

Any chance they'll call on Cowdrey to deal with Johnson?

Good call.

Cowdrey at 3, and perhaps David Steele at 4.

 

[Ausage]

Anderson's an automatic pick from now until the day he decides he calls it quits.

The idea that he's on notice is absolutely ****ing ridiculous.

Heh, I remember when we used to say the same thing about Ponting.

 

[Jassy]

Anderson's an automatic pick from now until the day he decides he calls it quits.

Wow, that's a big call. Zaheer, who is a similar bowler to Anderson both in terms of quality and numbers (incidentally their peaks coincided too), was dropped by India whose fast bowling stocks are nowhere near as good as England's. Forget Zaheer, even Ponting and Tendulkar were pretty much pushed.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Heh, I remember when we used to say the same thing about Ponting.

And he deserved to be. What he gave to Aussie cricket was a lot more than the likes of a Waugh or McGrath, though some would argue they were better than Punter.

 

[Jono]

And he deserved to be. What he gave to Aussie cricket was a lot more than the likes of a Waugh or McGrath, though some would argue they were better than Punter.

Interesting view, why do you say that?

 

[morgieb]

Anderson's an automatic pick from now until the day he decides he calls it quits.

The idea that he's on notice is absolutely ****ing ridiculous.

So if someone underperforms consistently (which granted Anderson hasn't done), they should be kept for as long as they want because they were once a gun?

Ridiculous.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Interesting view, why do you say that?

In the mid 90's to come from Tassie and succeed the way he did. I found it really inspiring. Boony similar but never reached the same heights.
No pun meant by that by the way

 

[Burgey]

Interesting view, why do you say that?

Easiest thing in the world for Ponting to walk away when the other guns left. But he stayed on to the detriment of his personal legacy. Australian cricket owes him a very great deal.

 

[Hooksey]

Anderson's an automatic pick from now until the day he decides he calls it quits.

The idea that he's on notice is absolutely ****ing ridiculous.

7 wickets for 409 at 58.4 thus far. A continuation of that sort of form won't be tolerated indefinitely.

 

[Maximas]

The whole English attack has been a bit off colour, and the lack of help they've gotten from the fielders at times as well the pressure that their under-performing batsmen have put the attack hasn't helped the situation, Anderson deserves some time to regain form, he's still a world class bowler

 

[KungFu_Kallis]

Easiest thing in the world for Ponting to walk away when the other guns left. But he stayed on to the detriment of his personal legacy. Australian cricket owes him a very great deal.

Um yep, they couldn't have come this far without him paving the way. Or mastermind Mickey Arthur.

 

[Jono]

Easiest thing in the world for Ponting to walk away when the other guns left. But he stayed on to the detriment of his personal legacy. Australian cricket owes him a very great deal.

Thanks schearzie.

In any case, obviously Australian cricket owes Ponting heaps. Was interest in schearzie's (i.e. not you) reasons as to why they owe Ponting more than Steve Waugh.

 

[Flem274*]

The best thing England can do is not panic. No cute selections or changing half the side. England need a win here (or at least two draws), and that means playing the best side possible. I agree with PEWS that a spell for Broad will be best if he isn't 100% because you don't want to make his injury even worse, but other than that no changes unless you're sure Ballance, Rankin or whoever is a better player than the guy you drop. As Ausage said, it's very easy to drop half the team and then hide behind the rebuilding tag for half a decade or more of mediocre performances.

Bad series happen. England are at the end of a long period of cricket and the break after this will be good for the players (and angry fans) to get away from the game, calm down and start again in a few months.

edit: it's not as though you don't have youth in the team anyway. Root and Stokes are there, and both have shown signs they will be good players for years to come.

edit2: the more you look at it, the more you can't help but just shrug your shoulders from an English perspective. How likely was it that Harris would stay on the park for multiple tests, Watson would do the same and Johnson would string three world class bowling performances together? Not likely. On top of it you have to contend with a keeper batsman in career best form and a man well in contention for the title of the best batsman in the world.

Then you put that against a team with an opening batsman who has been outplanned and is in poor nick to boot, a number three who had to pull out, an offie in Australia and Prior and Anderson out of form and it's a recipe for something like this.

The stars have aligned for Australia really, and because they have a team containing many good and world class players they have taken the chance to hammer the oppo. At least you won't have to face some of these blokes next time around.

 

[Top_Cat]

Don't forget Warner. Brought back half-way through the England series, didn't look like it at all but has dominated this series with almost 500 already.

 

[GIMH]

Don't forget Warner. Brought back half-way through the England series, didn't look like it at all but has dominated this series with almost 500 already.

He's just a second innings bully

 

[uvelocity]

melbs is the pom ****s best chance this series, and i expect this to be a close run thing. much lower, slower deck and tipping a bit of tang. all the bats bar cook showed a bit of something in the past 2 second innings, and we've been rescued in 3 out of 3 first innings by the bottom half. tempted to say close the subbie, ashes are over, but this could be a cracker tbh