I thought Panesar for Anderson was a certainty. Cue 5/60 for Jimmy then!!!!

England cannot play two spinners purely due to the fact that they do not have the batting depth to drop a batsman, and they do not have the seam bowling depth to drop a seamer. So this whole discussion was a moot point really.
In any case for the sake of Paneser's reputation, it would probably be best to avoid playing this series. He is an O.K bowler on his day sure, but he would be slaughtered on Aussie wickets.

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Although I agree with your point about the lack of England stregth in depth, the point is far from 'moot' as a large body of English opinion would have liked to see Panesar play.

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Ern

Most Aussie fans were keen to watch Panaser play too. But the thread is based on the notion of playing two spinners and while talking about it is all very interesting, niether team can really afford that luxury at the end of the day. But if one of us does takes the punt, it might well pay off i reckon.

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From the Aussie paper The Age:
"Did you hear the one about the Englishman who walked into bowl? Panesar to play, but can we take English spin bowling seriously? More relevantly can the English?"

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"Checkout the big brain on Brett" Pulp Fiction

With the benefit of hindsight Seamer I think I was right, if Warne got played with ease like he did on Saterday, what chance for Englands finger spinners?.

The ball that got Langer out was a develish delivery, it was at the end of day two - this pitch although slow could be good for seam very soon, if it becomes two paced.

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Ern

Wait and see how the English attack fares before passing judgement Ernest: my suspicion is that Lewis' ability to send down a steady diet of cutters (in the manner of Gough or Cairns) will be sorely missed... and that Pietersen will be pushed into action in preference to the seamers because he will offer more control.

The Aussies really did mess up by leaving out MacGill: he should have played ahead of Lee.

You can only miss something when you have actually had it... Lewis has bowled in one Test, with a grand total of 3 wickets at 30. In many ways he will be similar in pace to Glenn McGrath in this test, and how many wickets did that get him??

The pitch will start to break up (according to Damien Fleming) which should mean that the tall fast guys like Harmison and Flintoff will be the most effective seamers, while Giles can exploit any turn there may be.

This Adelaide wicket is a pretty typical Adelaide Wicket... and the following tells the tale of McGrath's success at that ground. Note he's ALWAYS struggled at this ground in the first innings... but that his second innings returns are nothing short of sensational.The Aussie TMS commentators who have seen the vast majority of those 23 second-innings wickets have suggested it's bowling cutters on a deteriorating pitch that has done the damage.

I suspect Lewis is currently the most accomplished England-qualified practitioner of that art.

Where as Ian Chapple says this in his CricInfo column

A pitch that is breaking up, will suit the tall bowlers IMO