Michael Clarke triple century

[CrimsonAvenger]

Time to step up like a real macho and face the music in the top three!!!

[Jemisi]

They are not going to move Hussey and Clarke to open. You can make the argument for Clarke to be at 3.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

They are not going to move Hussey and Clarke to open. You can make the argument for Clarke to be at 3.

Clarke is the only batsman in Australia capable of batting at three in my opinion. The cupboard is pretty bare at state level, as the Quiney experiment proved. Khawaja and S. Marsh didn't do much, although the former will probably get another chance. Watson is not a bad makeshift top order batsman, but he has not shown the ability to convert starts into centuries. Hughes has more centuries in half the number of games.

Speaking of Hughes, I think long term he is the answer to Australia's opening problems. I'm not convinced of Warner's temperament in Test cricket. What some call playing his natural game I call taking unnecessary risk when as an opener his job is to bat out time. I don't think the risk is worth it if he's either making quick fire centuries or getting out cheaply while trying to attack. He's definitely a quality player though, I just think the middle order would be more suitable so he could play with the sort of freedom Gilchrist did. Cowan is okay, his century has bought him some time, but he has not cemented his place.

With Ponting vacating the number four position after this match and Hussey now 37 years old there's definitely going to be some musical chairs in the batting lineup in the near future. I'd err on the side of blooding some promising teenagers in the Test side before debuting more 30 year olds because quite simply we don't have any 30 year old Mike Hussey's floating around on the domestic scene any more. Cummins' showed great potential at just 18, what's to say there aren't some talented young batsman who would step up to the plate either?

[foreignfield]

Just joking guys.

[hhm]

Clarke's been unstoppable lately, but I think for me he still ranks behind KP, Amla & Kumar. Although I'd pick him captain of a select side I think is the best possible right now, and would beat one from any other generation:
1Cook, 2Amla, 3Sangakarra, 4KP, 5Clarke(c), 6kallis, 7Chanderpaul, 8Prior(wk), 9Steyn, 10Roach, 11Ajmal

I know some may argue for AB instead of Prior as keeper; to fit in Smith somehow; Morkel/Jimmy/Philander/Siddle for Roach, but with runs of the board, he's potentially the most devastating bowler in the game right now. Still just 24! Doubt Morkel had this pedigree at the same age, with Steyn not far ahead!

[Jemisi]

3 bowlers + Kallis?