Pucovski belongs no where near the test side at the moment, nor does Renshaw, bring Patterson into the squad and these two should miss out.
Burns, Harris, Khawaja, Head, Patterson, Labuschagne is the only real option for the first test. The 4-6 could be swapped around, not sure what is the best order.

Choose Pucovski for the same reasons we chose Renshaw when he was 20. On promise. Forget that he has only played a handful of FC games..he is a quality batsman. As Renshaw is. His recent red ball success in England is the reason he is back in Ashes favor.

I am not sold on either Burns or Head. Labuchange going on his knock today is close.

Thanks to another Patterson ton the CA boys are a shot at winning this. Neser and Holland with a brace. Lankans hanging on.

holland and o'keefe could both of had pretty decent test careers

Can Holland bowl his team to victory.

No. The game is a draw. 

Renshaw  4
 Burns      4
Labu        5
Patterson  10
Pucovski   5
Sangha    4
Doran      7
Tremain   5
Neser      5
Boland     5
Holland    6 

I am not sold on any of Burns, Head or Labuschagne. However Head is in the side fighting for his position, I doubt he will be there by the end of the Ashes. Burns deserves another chance but it may not work out for him again, if it doesn't then he might struggle to get another chance. Labuschagne is not good enough,.

Pucovski needs time to sort out his game against the short ball, until that happens all the promise in the world will not help him.

From attending most of the game live, I'd give:

Renshaw 1 ( was my pick for our best long term long term batter from the young blokes about 20 years old)

Burns 2

 Labu 6 - is improving batting and right arm wrist spin bowling. Bowled a few flippers that nearly got him some LBQs. Made a solid 50 in 2nd innings.

Patterson 10

Pucovski 7

Sangha, batting 1, bowling 4.

Doran, 9 Batting, 5 keeping.

Tremain 3 (plodder) action doesn't take much out of him though - good for donkey work. Too many balls hit middle of Sri Lankan bat.

Boland 3 (plodder) action doesn't take much out of him - good for donkey work. Too many balls hit middle of SL bat.

Neser 4 - bowled livelier spells, but his action takes a bit out of him. Didn't see him bat, although his regular  FC average is 23, and he has 50 average this season.

Holland 6 - impressive in second innings. 



Patterson gets 10 as a TCA mate who is a former Shield VC and state selector, rates Patterson's footwork, back foot stroke play, front foot stroke play and concentration to be  very impressive. He finds  technical faults with every current top 6 Aussie Test batter.

Pucoski gets 7 - because he rates him as very, very good,  and very talented, apart from the short ball, but he played a few decent hooks and pulls I didn't see in his second innings.

This former Shield VC finds fault with nearly every batter in the world, including Warner and Smith, apart from Kohli, Pujara and Kane Williamson. He thinks few Aussie Test batters can concentrate for sufficient  periods.



Apparently Jhye Richardson is 3 months younger than Meredith - both 22. Richardson is more experienced and has been selected on ODI form. He may be more consistent than Meredith, but from what I've seen is less explosive.

IMO Richardson and Meredith should've played this CA 11 game against SL, not Mickey Mouse cricket instead.

SL very competent against Aussie pacemen, who were nagging and accurate, apart from Neser at times. No Philander or Abbas in our lot.


Kumara was easily the most threatening  fast bowler in the match.

SL will miss Herath, although before declaration SL spin from both ends  was worrying Pucovski (less) and Patterson, who was dropped twice in the 80s. 

Really surprisingly, Aus's best bowlers in second innings, on what is usually a tough pitch for spin, were Holland, Labu and Sangha!

 

Head deserves his place for mine.

Averaged circa 36 in his first Test series against top teams in world, and had little support from experienced Test batters.




Since you've posted on 442 you hate all posters on 442, including  yourself, I'm not sure why you are posting here, Test Fan?

LOL!

(I Hope).

My Test team for Brisbane.

Khawaja
Harris
Patterson
Labu
Pucovski
Paine
Neser (batting averaging 50 in Shield this season,   - 300 runs scored, some donkey work in bowling)
Cummins ( instructed to bowl within himself, with line end length)
Starc
Lyon
Meredith (3 over spells) with a lot of work done by Cummins, Lyon and Neser. Also, Labu if he is keeping  runs down. If Starc or Meredith are bowling erratically, take them off quickly.

One puzzle today is that Joe Burns has played 14 Tests, with 3 centuries and 4 fifties with an average of 37! He is 28 years old, but I'm amazed he has scored so many  50 plus innings!

He should have played at the start  of the Indian series with these performances and average.

I'd have dropped Hazlewood anyway. His Test figures have been awful in the last 12 months.

Batting Paine at 6, because he is averaging  the same as the other batters anyway ATM.

You said you gave points  based on what you saw live.  Not what your TCA mate says. In which case Pucovski has to be rated on what we saw in this game..not what he will produce in future. that is why I gave him 5.. His 23, 33 warranted a pass mark only. Threw away his wicket in first innings with a poor execution of his achilles heel.. the short ball. Look far more composed in the second innings. Reason I have him in my First Test side. Reckon I was being generous on Burns.. he showed impatience and a loose technique for his two dismissals whereas Renshaw perished to good balls. I did add a point for Burns  captaincy. From memory those two dropped chances off Patterson were from his weakest shot the cut which he tends to hit in the air. But lets face it Patto was in total control at that point and they were blistering shots.. half chances at best. The declaration was near as well.  After watching his performance in this match I am making a bold call that Patterson is the best batsman in the country.

Was wondering why Sangha only had two overs in the match. Not sure CA would have been pleased with Burns. Sangha has been identified as a potential international class leg spinner..albeit as an all rounder. So should be given the confidence to bowl more overs. He is technically better than Labu. You keep pushing Meredith's barrow. I think he has a big future but I wanna see him smash open the door with a big finish to the Shield season. Richardson is a different bowler to Meredith who relies on sheer pace for his wickets. Richardson skids the ball more, has better variety and has two gears. I would rate Tremain better than a "plodder". He was not plodding in 2017/18 when he was the top Shield wicket taker with 51 @21.. 12 more than his nearest rival. His last three seasons have shown much improvement and consistency. I do not see Neser as a Test class bowler. Lacks consistency. See his last two Shield seasons..that tells a story. Please do not bring run scoring into the equation when selecting a Test fast bowler. Mike does the same. If he can also bat then pick him in the shorter formats as an all rounder. Now on Hazlewood you say he should have been sacked. Yes his form has declined the past 12 months but he remains our premier seamer. CA and a host of former players and pundits say same. Could his sudden back trouble have been ongoing and in conjunction with his drop in form? I blame his injury on the nongs at CA insisting he bowls at 140kph. That injury now opens the door for Jhye Richardson. I wish him luck.

PC the team has been chosen. Reason I was jumping up and down in my posts that they missed a huge trick and were wearing caked egg after omitting Patterson. He is the only player they may change mind over and draft into the squad to cover their embarrassment. I agree with your batting lineup. Except Paine. He does his best work at #7 imho.

I'd make a couple changes to that. I don't think Pucovski is ready and throwing him into a struggling team seems a very risky way to destroy his confidence. I'd bring in Head for him because i feel he did enough against India like Harris to have a few more tests. And drop Labu for Burns, move Khawaja to 3 and Patterson to 4.

Renshaw 1 ( was my pick for our best long term long term batter from the young blokes about 20 years old)

Mine too. I see his problems as being lack of confidence borne out of disillusionment. He has the game to still be a long term Test player imho. . I see CA as responsible for his deline by picking him and not having the confidence to stick with him. Heck he was only a 20 years old kid. I also have CA seeing the error of their ways by choosing him in this game. Mostly it was on the back of some excellent red ball cricket he played for Somerset in the England County season last year.  550+ runs with 3 centuries in 11 innings and a lofty average in English conditions spells he has the quality to play in an Ashes.

 Mike has not been round much lately. Dont tell me he is slumming it in some exotic clime again.

Of course I hate myself. I should kill my self but I am too pathetic to even do that right.

Mate, I've just seen most of this Test squad play Sri Lanka.

Before the game I would have had Renshaw first in. Seeing him live, he is a shadow of what he was.

Conversely, and surrounded by  FC grade cricketers with a former Shield vice captain's opinion, Pucoski is  a class above anyone in the Test team based on potential and talent.

Even if it is too early, this guy's shots are class. He has the capacity to improve quickly too. Also, he has the talent to dominate an international attack - something we sorely lack ATM.

Also, Labu is improving. His wrist spin surprised and he also put together well compiled 50, whilst Burns was out cheaply and quickly in both innings against SL. Notwithstanding, Burns already has three Test centuries from 14 Tests, so he should almost have been picked against India with this record.

Meredith bowls some decent slower balls and outswingers at 146 kph. He is improving quickly and is in very good form  at this moment - like Patterson is with the bat.

Tremain may do better with the Duke ball in the second half of the season. But like for like he is a plodder on  the Bellerive pitch compared to others. I reiterate, too many of his balls found the middle of SL bats.

Steyn was selected early for South A and that turned out well. Try Meredith now.

Regarding Neser, I see him as a replacement for Mitch Marsh as an all rounder .

What happened with Renshaw is why i think we shouldn't be rushing to drop him into this team. Rightly or wrongly he will be expected to perform in an utter mess of a batting lineup right now. A bit more first class cricket, Smith to come into the lineup will help protect him a bit more.

I'd be preparing him to join the 11 in the 19/20 Australian summer, not throw him into the deep end against Sri Lanka and the soon to be Ashes.

Pucoski looked good to all and sundry, but many had untrained eyes.

The former Shield VC, substantiated, in detail, what we thought looked good with him - good front foot shots, good cutter, lot of time to play his shots, good footwork, got side on -  his Achilles heel being the short ball - in the first innings.

33 NO looked good in the second dig for Pucoski.

Hope you  are joking, TF.

We need your input here, mate. You've made some good cricket posts.

You've posted some good stuff in football too.

Where I live is perfect in warm weather  - good beaches close to the city, few jellyfish in the sea, good entertainment, clean air,  picturesque scenery, uncrowded, plus FC and international cricket to watch. 

I've travelled a lot. Few places I've visited are as pleasant as where I live in warm weather.

You really think I would joke about something this serious.

He is not going to succeed at test level if he has no way to handle the short ball. Steve Waugh found a way, it was ugly, sometimes very ugly but effective. 

Reports Patterson has been added to the test squad. No brainer really should be making his debut in the first test.

NSW batsman Kurtis Patterson called up for Gabba Test after striking twin tons in Hobart pink-ball tour match against Sri Lankans
Yes not confirmed as yet. But CA site says that at end of article.. is this just media sensationalism.. to get CA to include him?
 If so then sanity prevails. Did not think CA would roll over. Good for them. 

If  Waugh found a way Puck will too. Look what Tugga managed once he abandoned his riskiest shots. Became one of the best 'stonewallers' we have produced.

Shame.

I think Pattinson is being selected on name and past performances, not current form and performances.

At Bellerive this year in the Shield, he has looked like a pop gun compared to bowlers like Riley Meredith, Billy Stanlake and Jhye Richardson. If the selectors want a pop gun bowler with Shield form, by all means his Vic teammates, Tremain and Boland, have done better in the Shield and can bowl long spells.

Arguably Michael Neser, who can also bat,  is more venomous than the current incarnation  of Patto. He was a terrific bowler few years back, before injury, but he isn't the same bowler anymore. I feel sorry for him.

Patto  doesn't have the stamina to play a five day Test and bowl long spells  either.

The axiom about Greg Chappell,  in cricketing circles is that he is so arrogant as a selector, he doesn't even need to watch the Shield, or tour games against  international teams, because he knows everything already about all players' ability!

How can a panel of selectors select a Test squad before a  3 day tour game with Sri Lanka playing a CA 11?

It is ludicrous. Squad players  failed ( Burns, Renshaw), whilst others not included in the squad, like Patterson, and Doran for that matter ( even though his Shield form doesn't warrant a selection),  performed well.

Patterson DC.. not Pattinson. The one who posted dual centuries in tour match. Evidently it has not been confirmed by CA. Where there is smoke.......