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My god I've never been so unsure of an Aussie side. We usually at least know we are good or crap. We could be 0/150 or 5/50 by lunch and neither would be shocking

Starting to realise I won't really care that much if we lose this series, because I am expecting to lose, but these ridiculous levels of cockiness from the Poms would make any win one of the most enjoyable for a long long time.

This really is the unloseable Ashes for them :lol:

Edited by sydneycroatia58: 10/7/2013 02:41:01 PM

If we win a single test, I'll be surprised :lol:

The best thing is that even if we lose this series, they can only celebrate for a couple of months, but if we can win at home we've got it for years.

TBH, I'd rather win both.

An underdog Australian team might be able to do the job over there, however our form in England has been poor. We really need Clarke's back to hold up, as well as Pattinson and Starc to stay fully-fit and firing throughout the whole series. The potential batting order worries me, but it could also lead to some big, big totals. It all depends on how well we stick together mentally.

SMH apparently reporting that Dave Warner won't play and Steve Smith will.

Well it was already confirmed Rogers and Watson would be opening. Warner doesn't really fit in around that.

I'd be surprised if he didn't play, especially after Lehmann stuck his neck out for him after his incident. I'd much prefer an out of position Warner to smith too. With his improvement in technique, Warner could add a bit of value to the middle order. I can see reverse swing killing him and Hughes though.

Someone the other day said that Warner would be batting at #6.

Watson, Rogers, Cowan, Clarke, Hughes, Smith, Haddin, Siddle, Pattinson, Starc, Lyon

God a hint of swing, and that lower order is going to crumble so hard :lol:.

Haddin to Lyon will get about 15 runs between them :lol:

Fixed.

Smith was one of the only Aussie players to come out of India with a better reputation than when it started. I'm actually going to back our tail to get runs. Siddle, Starc and Pattinson are as good as any tail in the world. It's Hughes and Haddin next to each other that worries me. I actually hope it is swinging, because Starc loses impact if it isn't, and we can't rely on Lyon in the same way that they can on Swann. Low scoring matches are the way I see us winning if we're going to.

Australia is going to get flogged 5-0.

Ashton Agar will make his test debut. Now there's a curve ball I doubt anyone saw coming.

Edited by sydneycroatia58: 10/7/2013 06:42:28 PM

Well, that statement was redundant :lol:

Edited by vaughn2111: 10/7/2013 06:47:50 PM

Congrats to him. I do feel bad for Lyon but I like the move, Warne has been calling for his selection all summer

Hasn't actually been confirmed that Lyon is the player missing out, all we know is that Agar will play. Some talk that we could go with 2 spinners.

The reports suggest the pitch is dry and lifeless, so makes sense. If it isn't Lyon, I think it'd be Pattinson to miss out? Starc will do more with a swinging/reversing ball. Maybe even Watson to bowl his right arm shit?

...He's been talked about all year. It's not that surprising.

Pattinson is Australia's best bowler, it would be ridiculous to leave him out.

He's been talked about, but him being selected for this test is most definitely a curve ball. I mean how much talk has there actually been in the last week or so about him playing in this test.

True. But I'd also argue that Starc and Siddle are our in-form bowlers.

Siddle can't miss out, it's not fair if Starc does, Pattinson is no. 1 strike bowler and Hussey handed Lyon the team song duty :lol:

Maybeeeeee. Smith in as a second spinning option? Lyon out?

Edited by vaughn2111: 10/7/2013 07:07:26 PM

Pattinson's body pretty much rules him out of an attack with only 2 fast bowlers, but with smiths inclusion, I can't see any way we would have 2 specialist spinners

Yeah looking as if it'll be Lyon who misses out. Can't say Boof isn't trying something new :lol: What makes it even more amazing is Agar hasn't even officially been in the squad.

Maybe it's all 1 big bluff by Clarke, so he can lose the toss and Bowl.
:lol: