Nathan Bracken as a test bowler .

[DarkKnight]

I think nathan bracken with the good record , lots of one day experience and economy rate may have been a better option for a fourth seamer at Perth . Also took a decent amount of wickets , last time india toured australia. Nathan bracken can also bat a bit better than Tait . I dont think it was wrong of us to go with a 4 pronged pace attack at perth but Perth has lost too much pace and doesnt seem that threatening now and Tait was just returning from an injury and maye the selectors have to be fair to him.




It would have been a better option to play tait in adelaide his home ground instead of Perth but after the poor showing its too late . Tait would be the local boy there and would know the conditions pretty well .Maybe there is some reverse swing which can help against indians. Playing 7 bowlers ( Lee , Clark, Johnson ,tait ,Hogg, Clarke ,Symonds) in Adelaide and drop phil jaques , sounds silly though. With 5 specialist bowlers , we will have more firepower in our bowling . Well, what do you think .

[Rachael]

I'm basically with Chappell: if your best three seamers don't bring enough to the table... adding your next best is unlikely to improve your odds as much as adding a specialist spinner - especially in a side that (for better or worse) has a passable 4th seamer in Symonds.

With that said... I'd like to see Bracken ahead of Tait in the pecking order: he's a far more accomplished bowler and would welcome support for Clark.

[darksideofthemoon]

I don't think Ponting will be playing 4 fast bowlers again. The over rate was terrible. I can't see Bracken playing Test cricket before Hilfenhaus.

[pie_chucker]

Originally Posted by Rachael

... he's a far more accomplished bowler and would welcome support for Clark.

He may be more accomplished but he wont be as effective. He isnt even as good a bowler as Sidebottom and he hasn't exactly been penetrating in test cricket (excluding his series against possibly the worst WI side aver to tour England).

The last Aussie bowlering slot is interesting.... Hogg has shown he isnt good enough so who will they turn to??

[Quagmire]

To say that Bracken is not as good as Sidebottom is unfair, Bracken is Australia's best one day bowler and he is currently 4th on the ODI bowler’s rankings. It is not his swing alone that gets his wickets it is also his accuracy, changes of pace, his cutters and economy rate which is perfect for test cricket. Today Bracken is twice the bowler he was when he last played test cricket.

Well there is also MacGill to come back when fit along with Noffke, and Hilfenhaus are also options along side Bracken and Tait. I always thought that Doug Bollinger was a below average state bowler but watching him bowl this season the 26 year old left arm quick has bowled with heat, swing and accuracy this season taking 34 wickets at 14.44 in season 2007/2008 and has improved and seems to have learnt a lot since his poor county season. Noffke has been even better with 42 wickets at 17.54 and 604 runs at 54.90 from 8 matches, and he is the leading runs scorer and wicket taker for Queensland so far this season. I’m a Victorian so I see a bit of the Victorian quick’s and they look to be the best I have seen in a long time, Gerard Denton has had a good season with 28 wickets at 16.10 from 5 matches, Also the 23 year old Peter Siddle from Dandenong has also come along with 17 wickets at 16.52 from 4 matches, but the one I have been most impressed with is the 31 year old Dirk Nannes he bowls left arm fast with aggression, swing and bounce. Along with Nannes 16 wickets at 23.43 from 4 matches he has been great this season. One guy that I have said has been knocking on the door for a little while now is Steve Magoffin from Western Australia and this season has been his best in my opinion, the 28 year old has taken 25 wickets at 19.76 from his 6 matches and with help from 30 year old team mate Matthew Inness who has taken 24 wickets at 16.62 from 5 matches. The only gaps in Australias bowling stocks are after MacGill in the spin department.

[acker]

Bracken has had a couple of rides on the bus jumping on and off at various locations.

Unfortunately after he jumped off last time the bus permanantly changed it's route.

Australian cricket is looking forward not back, I would be horrified if went back over old un-productive ground and bought him back. Better to proceed with Johnson.

[Quagmire]

I agree that Australia shouldnt look back and I would rather see them working with Johnson but Bracken is a different bowler than he was when India last came out here. Look at the impact he has made on ODI cricket.

[Rachael]

I don't expect to see much of a clamour for Bracken to get in ahead of Clark, Johnson and Lee... but if one of that trio were to pick up an injury, overlooking Bracken would be harsh at best and arguably downright unjust.

[Aurelius]

The last Aussie bowlering slot is interesting.... Hogg has shown he isnt good enough so who will they turn to??

Now hang on... He's only played TWO TESTS since his comeback, and he hasn't done that badly in them either. He's picked up important wickets at vital stages, he's contributed runs at 8, and been an energetic prescence in the field, and whenever he bowls, he always- ALWAYS- creates opportunities. Now I know what some of you are going to say. "He was outbowled by Clarke in Adelaide." Well, I remember when Mark Waugh outbowled Shane Warne in India. It's a freak occurence, and can't be held against Hogg.

Basically, I think if you're going to say someone's proved to be not good enough, I think you need more proof than two tests.

And going to a fourth seamer is madness, especially after the last time.

[darksideofthemoon]

I would definitely pick Bracken over Sidebottom.