Boxing Day Test. Australia v. India.

[Donny]

Starts on Boxing Day. MCG.

Looks straightforward (barring injury), for the Aussies.

Warner in. Head out. Wade back to #5.

Obviously, India will have to bring in at least 1 batsman (for Kohli) and may well have to replace Mo Shami.

Rohit, if fit, is a ready made opener, with Shaw missing out. Rahul is another option.

From left field, Pandya could add guts, and as a 4th. pace bowler. He has a Test century, 4 fifties and 17 wickets from his 11 Tests.

[K]

So Virat is doing a Sidebottom.

And the best batsman in the world, Kane Williamson, has already done his Sidebottom.

Collingwood players should use family planning. It's possibly a bit harder for cricketers, if they play year-round, with no Test more important than any other... Hmm...

[23 YIPPEE!!!]

Still dont think its right for burns to be picked for Melbourne test. Anything it should be Harris and Wade.
I would have thought Pski would have been right so too Warner but hasnt come up which is a bummer.
Harris is my pick opening the bat.
i doubt Head would be dropped but i feel he is over due for runs thats all.
Like to see Green bat at 5.
Its not right to pick burns so what he made 51 but the test was won before he even batted.
Again the selectors will be biased its a bummer these queenland hacks always get picked.

[Pies4shaw]

[K]

[Donny]

Today.

Williamson scored a stylish 1, as NZ lost to Pakistan.

[K]

^ ... in a T20 slogathon.

If you were picking one batsman to play in a match randomly chosen as slogathon, ODI or Test by throwing dice, you'd want to choose Virat (as e.g. Warne correctly said).

[K]

Meanwhile...

'Three more years': Healy says ageless Paine should be Australia's long-term skipper

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/three-more-years-healy-says-ageless-paine-should-be-australia-s-long-term-skipper-20201222-p56pi8.html


Yes. Paine saved Oz cricket, after Smith and co. almost destroyed it.

It's a relief Paine's playing so well, because there is a leadership vacuum behind him.

[K]

Scyld Berry:

"Australia's current pace attack does not generate the same fear that Mitchell Johnson did at his peak, but as a combination Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are the equal of Johnson, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle, with both attacks backed up by Nathan Lyon."

(Telegraph, London)


Hmm...

[Donny]

India XI: Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Hanuma Vihari, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.

In: Mohammed Siraj, Rishabh Pant, Rishabh Pant (wk) and Ravindra Jadeja,

[Pies4shaw]

Australia batting first. 3/84, just after lunch. Should they declare and bowl India out twice before stumps or is that poor form?

[K]

Does no one want to talk about the Flat-Track Bully Steve Smith's duck?

Burns scored a 10-ball duck. Smith scored an 8-ball duck.

The best batsman in the Oz team, Marnus, is rebuilding with Head...

But this probably is a flat track, though not flat enough for batsmen with defective techniques. Brettig at cricinfo said this: "The pitch has a liberal spread of grass, 11mm in length. It looks reasonably similar to the surface for last year's Test against New Zealand, and the MCG ground staff will be hoping it plays as such."

[K]

Bumrah gets Head.

Oz 4/124.

Oz's paper-thin batting is being exposed again.

BTW, Smith's series average per life is now 0.67, artificially inflated by the all-important not out. Steve Waugh knew the value of the not outs, but Marnus has obviously missed that lesson (out slogging in his last innings).

[K]

Oz's best batsman, Marnus, falls, two runs short of a half-century.

Oz in a spot of bother now.

5/134.

[K]

And Paine just survives an LBW appeal and TV review!

If this is another 3-day Test, they can just start the Third Test on the fourth day on the same pitch. Coronavirus beaten!