OK, Now We Rock at cricket- What was I thinking :-)

[sol]

Watson is on fire again

GG

He has to go surely
It's an embarrassment 

       

[achjimmy]

He has to go surely
It's an embarrassment 

       

Do you think Watson has photos of selectors doing unthinkable things with animals?

[lino6]

Haddin in fine form too. Glad India fired up Johnson yesterday 

[D4D]

Could they have made that any harder to win...

[Moggy]

Could they have made that any harder to win...

Yeah

Could lost 2 more wickets & had 2 overs till Stumps & need 12 runs 

[D4D]

I agree with this, although Mitch just scrapes into the hot...

http://www.news.com.au/sport/cricket/australian-test-team-features-fan-favourites-and-whipping-boys/story-fndpt0dy-1227163132921

HOT

Steve Smith — Has only been dismissed twice in the series while scoring 376 runs including a century in his debut innings as skipper.

David Warner — Twin tons in the first Test continued a sensational 2014 with the willow. Let's hope that thumb isn't serious.

Nathan Lyon — Bowled Australia to victory in the Adelaide Test with a career-best 12 wicket haul and grabbed another five handy scalps in Brisbane.

Josh Hazlewood — Took seven wickets in his debut Test and smacked 32 not out with the bat in the first innings. Everyone's on board.

Mitchell Johnson — Returned to his best form with the ball in the second innings and smashed 88 from 93 balls to turn the Test.

COLD

Shane Watson — Struggling badly with the bat. Mitch Marsh's injury may help him survive but many want him dropped down the order — or from the team all together.

Shaun Marsh — Most seemed pretty comfortable with his recall but he needs to make an impact in Melbourne after failing twice in Brisbane. Dropped catches aren't helping.

Brad Haddin — Keeping well but has lost all confidence with the bat — and that's important. His last 13 scores read: 0, 9, 1, 13, 3*, 22, 0, 10, 13, 0, 14*, 6 and 1. Wow.

Chris Rogers — Made 55 in both innings but the wolves will be back at the door if he fails in Melbourne. Remains in a dogfight for his career.

Mitchell Starc — Answered his critics somewhat with a nice half century but he's in this team to take wickets and he only took two. That's the same as many as Peter Siddle took in Adelaide before he was axed.

[Paul (SA)]

I have to agree D4D - we are far from a settled, high performing side.

Watson badly needs to go as does Haddin. If they like Marsh, they need to let him stay for a few Tests and find his feet.

[paulo]

I think Haddin is still integral to the team. His keeping is pretty much flawless, and he is a wicket keeper. That's his #1 job. Yes he could score some more runs, but last summer he topped all sorts of lists with the bat. People (mostly the media) have short memories sometimes. Watson has been plodding along his whole career. Must have photo's of someone I reckon. The instant he's half fit, he's in the team.

[paceman]

I think Haddin is still integral to the team. His keeping is pretty much flawless, and he is a wicket keeper. That's his #1 job. Yes he could score some more runs, but last summer he topped all sorts of lists with the bat. People (mostly the media) have short memories sometimes. Watson has been plodding along his whole career. Must have photo's of someone I reckon. The instant he's half fit, he's in the team.

flawless?  maybe for this series, but have a closer look at the past three or four series.  missed byes, missed stumpings, dropped catches...

if keeping is the prime reason the wicketkeeper is in there, then there are probably two or three keepers in australia who are far ahead of haddin in pure keeping ability...

and, nice one, joe!

http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/australia/australia-v-india-2014-joe-burns-replaces-mitchell-marsh-in-boxing-day-test/story-fn2mcu3x-1227163462331

[Moggy]

and, nice one, joe!

http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/australia/australia-v-india-2014-joe-burns-replaces-mitchell-marsh-in-boxing-day-test/story-fn2mcu3x-1227163462331

Joe Who

Actually i have heard of him but never mentioned in the same sentence as test cricket.

Bit of a bolter out of the blue or should that be maroon 

[lino6]

The way Huss is going tonight they should have picked him to play boxing day!

[Paul (SA)]

Well done to the selectors on Joe burns.

Would also have been happy with Chris Lynn.

[paceman]

Joe Who

Actually i have heard of him but never mentioned in the same sentence as test cricket.

Bit of a bolter out of the blue or should that be maroon 

you wouldn't have heard his name from people down south because of the QLD after his name...

[broncos11]

Burns is a great selection and should have been bloodied 12 months ago. When you factor in that a very high % of all his first class innings have been on the bowler friendly Gabba, his average of well over 40 is one of the better ones going around. No "fly by nighter" either as he's played nearly 50 first class games as well as centuries for Australia A. Plus brings the excellent bonus of being one of the best fielders in the country also. Just google Joe Burns BBL catch at Gabba.
They've got it right this time I reckon. I just hope the give the bloke a chance to settle in like they did Smith and Warner as look how they're reaping rewards from them now.

[Moggy]

Only 2 more sleeps

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[mrdenn1s]

Only 2 more sleeps

The Importance of Boxing Day to Melbournians

wp.me/p4Fb9D-Zx

[D4D]

Interesting commentary from somebody who knows what he is talk about and doesn't have a vested interest in selection...

http://www.news.com.au/sport/cricket/cricket-great-matthew-hayden-recalls-his-boxing-day-memories-and-breaks-down-this-years-test/story-fndpt0dy-1227166130590

The top order is the big issue.

Positions one, two and three have always been key to Australia's success and you should be averaging 40-plus to stay in the side.

You think of Slater (42.7), Taylor (43.5) and Boon (43.7) or myself (50.7), Langer (45.3) and Ponting (51.9).

Of the current trio — Warner (49), Rogers (35.9) and Watson (35.5) — only Warner is doing that.

[paceman]

Interesting commentary from somebody who knows what he is talk about and doesn't have a vested interest in selection...

http://www.news.com.au/sport/cricket/cricket-great-matthew-hayden-recalls-his-boxing-day-memories-and-breaks-down-this-years-test/story-fndpt0dy-1227166130590

The top order is the big issue.

Positions one, two and three have always been key to Australia's success and you should be averaging 40-plus to stay in the side.

You think of Slater (42.7), Taylor (43.5) and Boon (43.7) or myself (50.7), Langer (45.3) and Ponting (51.9).

Of the current trio — Warner (49), Rogers (35.9) and Watson (35.5) — only Warner is doing that.

and that's why matty hayden is one of my faves.  tells it like it is.  he's dead right.

[Moggy]

Damn, i have a boxing day tradition with sons watching cricket. First boundary means 1st beer, thought I'd be on my second now with warner batting now I'll be lucky if i get one before lunch with rogers & watson?

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[D4D]

Yeah that duck will bugger Warner's average for the year, maybe he should have focused on net practice rather than mouthing off to the media...

[Moggy]

Yeah that duck will bugger Warner's average for the year, maybe he should have focused on net practice rather than mouthing off to the media...

That's probably why he wasn't considered for captaincy duties i imagine

[Paul (SA)]

For those playing Watto Lotto, he has gone for 52.

He will be disappointed as he was looking good for 60.

[D4D]

Smith another 100, Haddin out for 50, hopefully Mitch can hang around on a perfect batting wicket and day!

[lino6]

I wish Ryan Harris could play for ever! What a gun! 

[Paul (SA)]

Ryan Harris is putting on a clinic. Go Rhino!