Australia Tour of India 2023

[Clint]

Like most cricket watchers, I'm really looking forward to this tour. It should be a really good indicator of where we are at after a summer that showed us very little. [Maybe apart from the significant chasm between the top 3 and the rest of the world in Test cricket].

With Green being declared not fit to bowl, I'd be really interested to hear what people's thoughts are on Australia's 6 to 11?

Do we play 3 specialist spinners as some are suggesting? I personally don't see how we could fit 3 in. I'd play 2 using the part-timers as back up.

I'd be interested to hear people's XI.

 

[Eagle 1]

yep, it's the holy grail of Cricket, winning in India. Will be good to get back to Test cricket again tho. The Aussies could be a bit underdone coming off easy wins against WI and SA. Batting doesn't seem as strong as before SA exposed a lot of weaknesses, but it'll be a spinners wicket no doubt. Looking forward to watching it when I can.

 

[NREagle]

Oops.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/cricket/usman-khawaja-left-stranded-in-oz-over-visa-issues-into-india/news-story/97b5a0a9681ffb610bb31d1f6f79d575?amp

 

[Clint]

Interesting times. Hazelwood ruled out 1st test. No Starc, no Hazelwood, Green not bowling. Cummins and Boland new ball. Does Morris get a run as a third seamer? Do we play two or three spinners? Personally I think two and part timers.

 

[Brookie Bob]

Interesting times. Hazelwood ruled out 1st test. No Starc, no Hazelwood, Green not bowling. Cummins and Boland new ball. Does Morris get a run as a third seamer? Do we play two or three spinners? Personally I think two and part timers.

Two definitely. We've got three part-times that could be used in varying amounts: Labuschange (leg spin), Head (off spin), Smith (leg spin). There were thoughts that Matt Renshaw could develop his off-breaks more at one time, too.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Love the Indian tours, it's the toughest place to win. Had high hopes for our chances this tour before all the injury chaos hit.

Bowling stocks are thin. Can't see us winning this first test without Hazlewood and Green. Hopefully they pick Murphy ahead of Agar. If the Sydney Test was Ashton's audition then he is lucky to be even on the tour based on that performance.

Our batting should be competitive, but Ashwin and Jadeja on a spinning deck will be tough to hold out. No Pant and Bumrah does weaken them though. Hopefully we can be full strength for second test and better for the run in this first test.

 

[Ranga]

I didn’t realise Hazlewood is out and that is a big blow. I like the idea of 3 quicks and Lyon, even in India, with Boland joining Cummins and Hazlewood. I remember how good Kasprowicz was for us in India and I reckon Boland can be the same.

With Hazlewood out, I’d gamble on Morris instead of Murphy. If it is a Bunsen, Head, Smith and Labuschagne can get a job done at one end as their unpredictability can be a real weapon.

 

[Dion Johnson]

Handscombe favoured ahead of Renshaw is an intriguing one with Green out.

Murphy over Swepson is another interesting call, hopefully we win the toss and get a good decent first innings of runs on the board..

 

[The '47ers]

Send Warner home for God sake

 

[globaleagle]

Aust 2-28.....

Read an article or two about 'the pitch', but I guess it's nothing new.

 

[Ranga]

Aust 2-28.....

Read an article or two about 'the pitch', but I guess it's nothing new.

It used to get me worked up, but not anymore. I now get worked up over the fact we don’t doctor our pitches!

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

2 wickets in 2 balls...

 

[Eagle 1]

Send Warner home for God sake

come on 47ers, you know that Warner's good for a ton in the last test,....when the series is already decided..lol.

 

[Clint]

I can't believe they axed Head and kept Warner.
My XI was
Renshaw
Khawaja
Labuschagne
Smith
Handscomb
Carey
Cummins
Boland
Lyon
Murphy

 

[Chip and Chase]

Yeh unbelievable decision to drop Head. Good to see the Indian Stuart Broad knock over Warner in the standard manner. Renshaw plonking his foot on middle and playing around his pad wasn't exactly smart cricket.

They'll probably get 350 plus now and we'll be looking at an innings defeat.

 

[Chip and Chase]

It used to get me worked up, but not anymore. I now get worked up over the fact we don’t doctor our pitches!

Did you miss the Gabba deck this summer ?

I don't know what Aussie teams expect when they go to India. Of course they are going to prepare decks that take spin. Just like we prepare fast bouncy wickets. That's the challenge of winning away from home.

 

[The '47ers]

come on 47ers, you know that Warner's good for a ton in the last test,....when the series is already decided..lol.

While I'm on a rant roll, why does Smith act like a 12yr old private school boy EVERY time he gets out. The look on his face "no way, that's not out". Shakes his head all the way to the locker room like a big sook. You're out fool, tell your story walking.

 

[Ranga]

Did you miss the Gabba deck this summer ?

I don't know what Aussie teams expect when they go to India. Of course they are going to prepare decks that take spin. Just like we prepare fast bouncy wickets. That's the challenge of winning away from home.

The Gabba deck played to both sides’ strength - fast bowling. It’s just SA’s batting was horrendous, and we were a Travis head innings away from getting rolled.

I don’t think we prepare pitches to instruction anything like the India curators do. And I don’t think our pitches have the characteristics they once had. The challenge of an Australian tour was that you’d have to play each test on a deck with characteristics distinct from the others. That variation is longer there. India winning the last test series in Australia is proof of that.

For the life of me though, I don’t know why our guys can’t adapt to spinning or swinging / seaming decks.

Anyway, good on Murphy for getting his first pole. Hopefully the first of many!

 

[globaleagle]

Well I'm glad I didn't stay up for that one!

I remember years ago that Hayden grabbed himself a dusty pitch and a bowler and got him to bowl until his arm nearly fell off in preparation. Do they not do this or are they too busy being sou-pah-stahs?

 

[Chip and Chase]

Murphy bowling well, unlike Cummins. Bloody hell he was poor with the new ball.

Was Murray Bennett the last bespectacled test bowler we had ?