Australia XI for first Test v BD

[Kriterion_BD]

Reports are that Johnson and Hazlewood will both be rested.

[bavuma_rabada]

Reports are that Johnson and Hazlewood will both be rested.

Seeing that the Tigers have finally figured out how to roar, the Presence of Johnson&Hazlewood wouldn't have been too much of a problem considering you survived somethign greater - Rabada!

[AngusBeef]

Warner says he's 'highly unlikely' to make the trip after injuring his thumb. And when you think Australia are already missing Clarke, Rogers, Watson, Johnson & Hazelwood, it is a very big danger game . If we drop a match against BD then Australia falls to around 5-6th in test rankings.

[jaybro]

Warner says he's 'highly unlikely' to make the trip after injuring his thumb. And when you think Australia are already missing Clarke, Rogers, Watson, Johnson & Hazelwood, it is a very big danger game . If we drop a match against BD then Australia falls to around 5-6th in test rankings.

If he wants to be vice captain he needs to man up and play in BD, we have lost too much experience as it is .......

[bavuma_rabada]

Warner says he's 'highly unlikely' to make the trip after injuring his thumb. And when you think Australia are already missing Clarke, Rogers, Watson, Johnson & Hazelwood, it is a very big danger game . If we drop a match against BD then Australia falls to around 5-6th in test rankings.

If he wants to be vice captain he needs to man up and play in BD, we have lost too much experience as it is .......

Such fear are precisely why Mangongo losing 8-0 in Bangladesh should be understood.

Having said that I think you guys' fears are misplaced. This side can take on and beat Bangladesh in all formats:
SMarsh/Bancroft, Khawaja, Ferguson, Smith(c), MMarsh, Nevill/Wade(wk), Agar/Maxwell, O'Keefe, Lyon, Siddle/Pattinson, Cummins. Fawad Ahmed struggled in England but he might do well for you in Bangladesh. I would pick Burns over Voges.

The reality is only spin will make you competitive in Bangladesh because they will definitely prepare flat pitches or rank turners. Let Warner rest and recuperate with ease.

[jaybro]

would you take Mongongo's cock out of your mouth for just one minute this thread has nothing to do with him .....

nothing will ever make up for 8-0 loss to BD, doesn't matter who they beat we should have won at least one game or even contested !!!!

Only the first test was remotely close .......

[Kriterion_BD]

Only the first test was remotely close .......

That was a hell of a cricket pitch! Bouncy, reasonably quick I'd imagine, and what turn! Really was a good pitch, although we damn near lost. Fact, I think ZIM woulda won if hadn't dropped 1/2 catches and could have had us 10 for 5 chasing 114. Never seen a pitch like that in BD before or since.

The 4th ODI was also one where ZIM threw away an almost certain win.

[jaybro]

Only the first test was remotely close .......

That was a hell of a cricket pitch! Bouncy, reasonably quick I'd imagine, and what turn! Really was a good pitch, although we damn near lost. Fact, I think ZIM woulda won if hadn't dropped 1/2 catches and could have had us 10 for 5 chasing 114. Never seen a pitch like that in BD before or since.

The 4th ODI was also one where ZIM threw away an almost certain win.

Yes it was a great pitch as it served up a very exciting match, yes we could have had BD 5-1 if Nyumbu had held those catches and things may have been different .....

But Mushy and the tail may have scrapped together the runs anyways so we will never know, fact is we lost and them got pumped for the rest of the tour ......

[Kriterion_BD]

Yeah even if those catches were taken, you can't rule out Mushy and the tail scoring those runs from nowhere. I don't know what the lowest total ever defended is, but it can't be much less than 114 if that even. But we were so mentally weak at that time, I'd fully back ZIM to win had those catches been taken. I think having us none for 3, itself was pretty epic. I wonder if any team has ever won after being none for 3 to start a 4th innings chase...

You know, I think ZIM needs a really good analytical coach. It doesn't even have to be a big name coach, just a guy who knows his cricket. Hathurasinghe was an unknown (but highly rated by the likes of Sanga and Mahela) and he's done wonders for us. Same with Streak. Both guys may well go on to be big name coaches in future. But what ZIM needs is a coach who can really analyze whats going on in real time. So often we see ZIM either play well (compete in a loss, or even snag the odd win) in the first game of a series and then fall away as the series goes on. To me that suggests the opposition are making adjustments whereas ZIM are not.

Personally I rate Whatmore as a good coach, not great, but good. He took a Bangladesh team that got trounced, not just beaten, but trounced by fucking Canada and was able to overnight turn them into a [sometimes] fighting bunch. Our 2003 OZ tour was supposed to feature the first ever 1-day Tests. We ended up posting a respectable first innings total of 295 in the 2nd Test and made the Aussies come out for days 2 and 3 before cantering to innings wins. What Whatmore does is he's a motivator. He motivated a mediocre SL team to become a top side and win the 96 world cup, and he motivated a pathetic Bangladesh side to become merely crappy giant-killers. He's not a good technical coach IMO, nor is he a good strategist or analyst, although I could be wrong.

IMO coaches come in at least 3 different types:

The Motivator: usually good man-managers...they get the best out of whatever squad they have by instilling confidence and self belief. Whatmore is one of these.

The Technique coach: this guy improves the fundamental skills of his players and probably spends most of his time in the nets. Usually the players under him improve their stats during his tenure. Jamie Siddons is one of these and I think Heath Streak is too.

The Analyst: this guy is a cricket brain kind of like the villain Krang from Ninja Turtles. He can help the captain strategize and can also pinpoint strengths/weaknesses of his players, team, and the opposition. Hathurasinghe is one of these.

I don't know if any coach can do all the above...if he can he's probably like a god amongst coaches. Of course ZIM needs help in all 3 areas but I think the last type would affect your win loss record the most drastically like its done for us.

[AngusBeef]

CA have announced the squad:

Steven Smith (capt) Adam Voges (vice-capt), Cameron Bancroft, Joe Burns, Patrick Cummins, Andrew Fekete, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill, Stephen O'Keefe, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc