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*Official* First Test at The Gabba

Shri

Mr. Glass
How good is his form with the bat? Might be useful if Aus chase and get close to the target with wickets going down.
 

Burgey

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Love that they're already admitting he's not really swinging it. At least make the Poms wait until the first over to discover that FFS.

Ruckus' posts just getting me all riled up again. Having not been picked for the England tour I'd really hoped CA had turned a corner :(
I think they probably had tbh, but when Starc, Pattinson and Bird all got injured and with Hazelwood and The Chadd seen as not quite ready, they got the Delorean out.
 

Furball

Evil Scotsman
Well, I don't know about devastating, but he'd never really swung the thing before he first played in South Africa but he still travelled as your best bowler. He even took an 8 wicket innings haul and 11 wicket match haul against a strong South Africa lineup without swinging it.

I don't know why he has to be devastating though. I'm not sure any bowler has ever had so much unnecessary and stupidly extreme hype and dread associated with themselves ever before. It seems in the eyes of some there's only two types of Mitchell Johnson who show up; either this guy who's the greatest bowler of all time, or some some second rate grade cricketer having a bad day. It completely ignores the fact that for most of his career, he's been in the middle of that spectrum, and that it's only the odd series where he's really devastating or terrible.

Am I the only one who thinks his performance at the Gabba will just be something of a reflection of his last Shield game? Probably 3-4 wickets, but a bit too expensive to really keep the pressure on, and probably undoing the world of Harris and Siddle in the process. All this talk about how he'll win Australia one test, and make it impossible for them to win the other four is just complete crap IMO.
Haha, and you said Johnson was my boy?
 

Cabinet96

Global Moderator
Haha, and you said Johnson was my boy?
Well, I still wouldn't of picked him. My point wasn't really that he's great, more that my reason for not thinking he should be picked isn't because I think he'll take 0/120. I wouldn't of picked him because I think he'll reduce the threat of Harris and Siddle in a way which Hilfenhaus wouldn't have.
 

Ruckus

International Captain
Well, I don't know about devastating, but he'd never really swung the thing before he first played in South Africa but he still travelled as your best bowler. He even took an 8 wicket innings haul and 11 wicket match haul against a strong South Africa lineup without swinging it.

I don't know why he has to be devastating though. I'm not sure any bowler has ever had so much unnecessary and stupidly extreme hype and dread associated with themselves ever before. It seems in the eyes of some there's only two types of Mitchell Johnson who show up; either this guy who's the greatest bowler of all time, or some some second rate grade cricketer having a bad day. It completely ignores the fact that for most of his career, he's been in the middle of that spectrum, and that it's only the odd series where he's really devastating or terrible.

Am I the only one who thinks his performance at the Gabba will just be something of a reflection of his last Shield game? Probably 3-4 wickets, but a bit too expensive to really keep the pressure on, and probably undoing the work of Harris and Siddle in the process. All this talk about how he'll win Australia one test, and make it impossible for them to win the other four is just complete crap IMO.
I agree with all of this, but my point (pretty much as you implied in the last paragraph) is that I don't think his 'middle of the spectrum' performance is good enough to justify selection. And, as you said, there is a reasonable chance he could unsettle the balance of the rest of the attack if he is expensive and England target him. I also don't think it's likely the middle-range performances he was putting up in the first half of his career will be repeated very often anymore. I think he has been 'worked out' by a lot of players.

The only legit reason for picking him imo would be if there was some really good evidence he would come in to the team as the 'scary' Johnson (as Harris put it). Because he is undeniable one of the best bowlers in the world when he is in that mode. But of course there is no reason at all to believe that, it's just history repeating.
 

adub

International Captain
Am I the only one who thinks his performance at the Gabba will just be something of a reflection of his last Shield game? Probably 3-4 wickets, but a bit too expensive to really keep the pressure on, and probably undoing the work of Harris and Siddle in the process.
No, that is exactly my problem with the ****. He is just bog ordinary. ****s as bog ordinary as Mitchell Johnson should not have selectors pissing their ****ing pants over them. On his record he is not going to put the fear of god into the Poms, he is not going to break a few fingers, he is not going to swing the ****ing ball. The most likely outcome is that the **** will bowl a bit of loose trash, go for about 4 an over, pick up 4 wickets (at least one off a really **** ball), and have the selectors raving about how he's getting back to his best and hopefully we won't be 2-0 down by the time we get to Perth (where he'll tear the poms a new one just you watch).

Yes he could come out and win the test for us, but its no more likely than him going wicketless and conceding a mountain of runs. Some fixate on either of these extremes. The selectors on his best, the BA on his worst for instance. I just think his normal average performances don't justify his place. We have better options.
 

Ruckus

International Captain
on the same wavelength here. The best thing about the other better options, like Bollinger, as well is that they aren't likely to stick around with the team for very long. It allows our first choice attack, when they are fit, to return without much fuss. You just know though that if Johnson puts up even one or two good performances, likely amid a steaming pile of horse****, he'll be part of the squad again for an annoying long period of time.
 

andyc

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Am I the only one who thinks his performance at the Gabba will just be something of a reflection of his last Shield game? Probably 3-4 wickets, but a bit too expensive to really keep the pressure on, and probably undoing the work of Harris and Siddle in the process. All this talk about how he'll win Australia one test, and make it impossible for them to win the other four is just complete crap IMO.
The issue for mine is that if he takes 3-4 wickets and goes at 4 an over doing so, that will make it virtually impossible for us to win Tests. Against other sides we could get away with it, but with so much of the Australian bowling plan relying on being boring and applying pressure to what is a very patient English batting line-up, every bowler needs to be following that script else it all goes to ****.

on the same wavelength here. The best thing about the other better options, like Bollinger, as well is that they aren't likely to stick around with the team for very long. It allows our first choice attack, when they are fit, to return without much fuss. You just know though that if Johnson puts up even one or two good performances, likely amid a steaming pile of horse****, he'll be part of the squad again for an annoying long period of time.
Bollinger is injured ftr.
 

Spikey

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it's pretty unclear how serious bollinger's injury is. One way to look at it is the headline of that article. But the other is that the coach said he would have bowled if the game was on the line, and then missed the next game as a 'precaution'. He's actually followed the exact same path as Harris. Didn't bowl on the last day of a match destined for a draw, and then rested for the next game. Of course, whether it's just coincidence or CA management.....
 

Burgey

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****ing James Brayshaw. Not worth a squirt of piss. Will be advocating Maxwell's inclusion all game.

I can understand Greigy's exclusion though....
 

morgieb

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Sad news with Lawry.

Cricket won't feel the same with only one of the Big 4.

Anyone know what Hussey is like? Seems like he'd go good in the comm box IMO.
 

Ruckus

International Captain
yeah brayshaw is pure hell. Think Hussey will be pretty good. Will no doubt try and come up with interesting things to say. Doesn't exactly have a commentators voice though.
 

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