Team to tour India

[Beny]

Who say you?

I say..

Hayden
Langer
Gilchrist
Hodge
Martyn
Lehman
Clarke
Kaspa
Warne
Gillespie
McGrath

I know that Katich hasent done anything wrong but you just cant leave Hodge out on the form he's been in. Gillys 144 in Srilanka batting at no.3 prove he's up to it.

[Richard Jenkins]

How many in the squad beeny? 15 like England?

In which case i'll take your lot
Hayden
Langer
Gilchrist
Hodge
Martyn
Lehman
Clarke
Kaspa
Warne
Gillespie
McGrath

Plus
Bevan
Symonds
Mcgill
Katich

Like it.

[Beny]

Off the top of my head the squad is as follows.


Hayden
Langer
Gilchrist
Hodge
Martyn
Lehman
Clarke
Kaspa
Warne
Gillespie
McGrath
White
Watson
Katich
Ponting
Lee

Bevan dosent play International anymore and only ever played ODI's anyway.
Symonds buggered up his chance in Sri Lanka
Nobody likes McGill.

[Beny]

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/com...^11088,00.html

[Teatime FatCat]

So why doesn't anyone like MacGill - (apart from the fact that he has a face like a weasel)? He is Australia's second best spinner, why isn't he in India? Is he paying the price for refusing to tour Zim, or is no-one in the Australian heirachy prepared to admit to that?

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Beny

I know that Katich hasent done anything wrong but you just cant leave Hodge out on the form he's been in. Gillys 144 in Srilanka batting at no.3 prove he's up to it.

I'd still go with Katich on the basis that he's just getting to the point of being an established member of the team: if someone else get a long term injury in the next 12 months you'll be playing Katich AND someone new.. and it would be better to have one debutant and a guy with a track record than a guy who was dropped and has been recaled and another, similarly inexperienced player who's yet to establish a place.

Gilchrist? Maybe he IS up to batting at no 3.. but the Sri Lanka innings didn't prove it: that pitch went from the impossible to the near perfect as it dried out.. and then got more difficult again as it cracked up.. and Gilly was lucky enough to be striding to the crease at the best possible time - I'm not saying Boycott's mother could have done it right there and right then.. but I doubt it goes down as his best innings.

More to the point... even if the innings WAS superb.. it doesn't affect the more general problem that at no 3 you want a guy who, when he does get in, becomes the anchor man around whom all the others can play. Dravid is the classic current example.. but so, equally, were Butcher, Sarwan and (in the past) Kirsten (and I suppose Hussain).

Gilly is the perfect no 6 or 7.. because when faced with running out of partners against a tired attack (and especially when presented with an old ball) he's able to rack up big enough scores to turn matches. Doing the same at 3 just makes no sense: it just means that he'd be asked to cramp his style and be a second rate Ponting or Martyn.. and that Lehman would end up coming under pressure to be a second rate Gilchrist.

[Beny]

Big Debate over McGill. The selectos have said it has nothing to do with Zimbabwe and you would suspect that if it did they would just come out and say it as otherwise it is not a punishment. (Sort of like beating sombody and not saying why). He's also and awful fielder and batsmen. Cam White is a young up and commer who could be part of Australia's future so it's a good idea to test him out over an aging McGill.

And he rekons he's better than warne. Or at least he rekons he is better in ODI's.

[Teatime FatCat]

Cam White couldn't turn a key by all accounts, and Hauritz has had a shocking domestic season. There's more to this than meets the eye!

[Beny]

White is an above average bowler. and any spinner is likly to do well in India. Rember that spinners are like wine-they get better with age. However he's also a very good Batsmen and Fielder.

[Nikhil]

Originally Posted by Teatime FatCat

Cam White couldn't turn a key by all accounts, and Hauritz has had a shocking domestic season. There's more to this than meets the eye!

TTFC: White and Hauritz are unlikely to get in the playing XI, however their role as practice bowlers is much more significant. Also, if one of them plays, it will be in a defensive mode (ala, Vettori, Giles, Boje), who did really well in India in the previous tours.