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Agree Mikeh, expect Warner to be his usual below average , but Smith and Loosebuschange will be smarting from those failures, expect one or other to make a big contribution. Still astonished at the Poms 1st innings declaration. It's nice to say "where here to entertain the crowd", but I prefer Australia's attitude of "where here to win tests."

And as a past critic of Cummins, I take my hat off to the skipper, sensational performance with bat, ball and captaincy.

Agree BH there is a difference between Floginson sledging while bowling his pies and some of the greats - and he was just rude and abusive. If your going to sledge get into a person's head.

I reckon they will just use root in the 2nd test and play 4 quicks - Stokes is cooked and can't bowl much and its clear the Aussie strategy is to bat time and make them bowl lots of overs.

In regards to Warner, before you drop him ask yourself this one question - the reserve batters are Renshaw and Harris - I don't think either of them will be any better than Warner as a batter and i definitely don't think either of them will be a better fielder than him, so if we drop him will we be strengthening our side - if that answer is no or even if its yeah maybe then we can't make a change.

Mitch Marsh as a name mentioned earlier in the thread - he can't open against a swinging red ball.

Just my opinion, but when you have a team on the ropes don't make changes unless they make your side better - selection rule #1

Renshaw is a sound slipper from memory, has played and scored runs in UK conditions...younger than Harris and should be first off the rank if Warner gets the flick.

I know McDonald isn't liked on this thread by most posters  here.....but I reckon due to his unassuming character and test career. McDonalds lack of ego, may have played a big  part in the way Aust refused to engage, in an ego fuelled battle, with Eng, over who has the better run rate.

Pretty sure JL, with his more competitive, never back down spirit, might of resulted in Aust getting sucked in and trying to fight fire with fire with Eng Bazball game plan. 

Besides Head and an aging Warner, Aust simply doesn't have the personnel to play Bazball.....Uzzie, Smith, Labs, Carey and Green are all accumulaters.....unlike Duckett, Crawley, Bairstow and Brooks.

I think Aust got their tactics pretty spot on from day 1, despite how defensive and un Australian like they looked. Pretty sure against other teams who don't tonk from ball 1, Aust would revert back to more attacking fields....looked like Aust adopted Muhammed Ali's rope a dope tactic, of absorbing a few blows through a defensive stance, to only then land the final blows, when their opponent were spent.

I think Robinson has hit a nerve with some of these ex players with both Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting having a crack at him in the media. Now Haydos didnt mind a bit of "mental disintegration" of the opposition as well. I'm sure he would have said its all part of getting into an opposing players mindset.
Robinson actually didnt bowl that badly in the test. He was certainly bowling pies in the 21-22 series.


 

Totally agree mikeh.....Hayden apparently was one of Aust worst offenders with handing out "compliments" to the opposition. 

i hope Aust don't get sucked in by Robinson's obvious BS baiting attempts....."surprised Australia didn't go toe to toe  with us etc"  Let Eng provide the theatrics....pretty sure Uzzie's 140 odd and Cummins / Lyons 8th wicket fightback were just as theatrical  and entertaining as Eng Bazball antics.

Robinson is a renowned racist...hence his personal attack at only Khawaja!
Moeen Ali must feel uneasy sharing a changeroom with the flog!

I’ve always found sledging in cricket to be a cowardly act that only shows your own insecurity about your ability to win on merit of your playing ability. Nothing wrong with a bit of friendly on field chat and banter but when it crosses the line into sledging there is no place for it IMO.

DD, I tend to agree with you mate, I think sledging has its place in the game, when its a witty or funny comment, but i think its downright degrading to just stand there and abuse someone, and I think the umps are weak at not doing something about this when it happens.

Go to the haystreet mall and speak to people like that and see how long you have your teeth for, yet when its done on a cricket field we expect people to just walk away.

premiership hangover wrote:

DD, I tend to agree with you mate, I think sledging has its place in the game, when its a witty or funny comment, but i think its downright degrading to just stand there and abuse someone, and I think the umps are weak at not doing something about this when it happens.

Go to the haystreet mall and speak to people like that and see how long you have your teeth for, yet when its done on a cricket field we expect people to just walk away.

Yep spot on PH. I especially hate the close up in your face F#&K Off after they've got them out. There's a lot of talk and focus on our AFL footballers about how they conduct themselves on and off the fieid about how that impacts on kids who mimmick their behaviours. Why don't we hear that from cricket authorities?

Yes referring to Ussie, one of the nicest guys in cricket as a "f**ken prick" and telling him to F**k off" is more a reflection on the personality flaws of Robinson than anything else. Plus abusing Ussie after his ton shows this bloke is in the shallow end of the gene pool.