Indian Tour

[fidou]

How bad is this ground that the Australians are playing on. I don't think I have ever seen an Australian team play a tour match in such embarrassing conditions. I don't think a visiting team has ever come to Australia and played in a park ground.

http://www.cricket.com.au/video/Australian-XI-v-Board-Presidents-XI-highlights-day-1

[Capper]

are you serious?? This is dreadful.

There would be a massive uproar if India played in these conditions in Australia.

Gotta love the drinks waiters bringing out drinks on trays though, classy!

[fidou]

Looks like we only had 10 players anyway as the others haven't arrived yet. Ashton Agar played and batted at no.11 who is he and why did he play in this match. Crickifo has him as a western austrlain U19, U23 player.
The first test is a week away and the Indians give us this as a warm up. Disgraceful.

[Cicjose]

Agar is a good bowler not sure why its a bad thing he gets to play in the tour game

[Capper]

Yeh Agar played for Perth in the big bash didnt he??

The question should be why are we playing matches so close together in different countries? We could have had the series in Australia well and trully over by now but it has dragged on

[fidou]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-australia-2013/content/ground/58001.html

Its the Indian Cement Co.s ground ha ha

[tbagrocks]

So how we looking? Is it like this?

Cowan
Warner
Hughes
khwaja
Clarke
? Maxwell? Smith?
Wade
Johnson
Siddle
Patinson (Iis this guy fit)
Lyon

Starc, Bird, Faulkner, Bailey

Is this something like the test side?

[Capper]

Currently we need 11 batters and 11 bowlers as we are struggling

[BB67th]

From what I've seen most of the Aussies saying, Warner should be right to go for the first test. I wouldn't be surprised if we lose the first one by some margin. But expect us to be competitive for the last three tests. Really, I don't think we have done enough warm up matches, a 2 day and 3 day game in India really isn't enough to get acclimatised to the conditions. And look what happened to England, they lost the first test badly and came back to win the series.

[fidou]

It looks like Warner will miss so Cowen will keep his place with Watson to open. Hughes at 3, Kawaja at 4, Clarke at 5, ?????? at 6. All out for 245 in the recent tour match with this line up without Clarke doesn't look so good.

[Clyde Frog]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/moises-henriques-to-debut-for-australia-in-opening-test-against-india-in-chennai/story-e6frf3g3-1226582099303

Moises Henriques is set to make his Test debut.

"Henriques will be part of a pace quartet comprising Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson, who has won the nod over Mitchell Johnson barring any last-minute training mishaps."

[Capper]

Too quick Clyde Frog

from ABC grandstand
FIRST TEST SIDE IS OUT..... Moises Henriques will become Australian Test cap number 432 on Friday when Australia take on India in the first Test in Chennai... and just one spinner.. Glenn Maxwell 12th man.

Michael Clarke (c),
Ed Cowan
Moises Henriques
Phillip Hughes
Nathan Lyon
James Pattinson
Peter Siddle
Mitchell Starc
Matthew Wade
David Warner
Shane Watson

[fidou]

Well quite interesting selections. It will be a spin friendly wicket and we have only Lyon and pup for a few overs. Henriques was apparently quite adept to reverse swing and took a few wickets in the tour matches. Kawaja again misses out, he should have made a few more in the lead up matches. Maybe he needs to wait for Cowen to go.

Good luck to Australia but it reminds me so much of the era around 1983 when Allen Border needed to rebuild the team and we had so many failures. I feel there will be a lot of pain in the coming 18 months especially with Poms stirring us.

[henry]

Well quite interesting selections. It will be a spin friendly wicket and we have only Lyon and pup for a few overs. Henriques was apparently quite adept to reverse swing and took a few wickets in the tour matches. Kawaja again misses out, he should have made a few more in the lead up matches. Maybe he needs to wait for Cowen to go.

Good luck to Australia but it reminds me so much of the era around 1983 when Allen Border needed to rebuild the team and we had so many failures. I feel there will be a lot of pain in the coming 18 months especially with Poms stirring us.

Henriques deserves his spot on form imo. Maxwell can be too hit and miss, I like him but he needs to get more consistent and have the ability to play a good innings when the backs are against the wall, coming in at 4-60 or something which I haven't seen from him. I've never really rated smith, glad he's not playing lol. Watson will not get his favoured opening spot, Cowan has done well in the tour matches and so deserves to stay, he's getting a good relationship with warner and no real reason to change it.  Warner hopefully will be able to bowl a bit as a spin option.

[BB67th]

Well quite interesting selections. It will be a spin friendly wicket and we have only Lyon and pup for a few overs. Henriques was apparently quite adept to reverse swing and took a few wickets in the tour matches. Kawaja again misses out, he should have made a few more in the lead up matches. Maybe he needs to wait for Cowen to go.

Good luck to Australia but it reminds me so much of the era around 1983 when Allen Border needed to rebuild the team and we had so many failures. I feel there will be a lot of pain in the coming 18 months especially with Poms stirring us.

Why do people say Australian cricket is in its worst ever position? We are still 3rd in the Test rankings and really are the 3rd best team in the world. We have the talent there, we are just going through a small rebuilding phase. That is what happens to teams when they lose all time greats who can never be replaced. Don't worry, in a couple of years, we will be back at the top.

I think that a good team was selected. Our strength is pace bowling, so go with pace bowling. It is a spin friendly wicket so quite a bit will be left to Lyon but I would not be surprised if Warner gets quite a few overs, I'm not too sure on whether or not Clarke will bowl much at all. He does have the ability to rip through line up though. He did take a 6-fer in the Windies last year.