TOPIC:

Freezin: agree 100 percent. One thing I will say about M Marsh is that I have never seen him bowl badly in a test cricket, so as you said, it will not do any harm to exprerient and give him more responsibility as a seamer.

Will they think of it, the selectors?

Can't see why you bat Marsh at 8 and allow him the luxury of being having an experience as a seamer, there are plenty of seamers in the country who deserve a go. The fact is his bowling isn't actually that good, it is there to supplement his batting and as a 5th bowler it might pass as ok - test level 35 wickets at an average of 43 and at a Shield level his bowling average is 137 wickets at 32. Hardly the stuff which gets you a bowling spot

ool: he has never bowlled with the new ball has he? Let it him do it and then you will find out whether it is a luxury.

True, just curious as to why he should get the chance to. Maybe Jackson Bird could have a go, maybe Jhye Richardson, maybe Sayers - these guys actually do it at a Shield level so maybe they deserve a go more. Why didn't Langer give him the new ball at a Shield level when he was coaching WA? Doesn't make sense that he would now give him the new ball at a Test level.

ool-- thanks -- the short answer is that they play favourites as you have stressed for a long time. I picked the side from the current squad with an eye to making the batting as strong as possible and playing the second spinner. Turning a different eye to the upcoming Ashes series, they could have picked a side with Marsh at 8 and one or two of the younger bowllers whom you have rightly mentioned plus Cummings.

So Marsh basically cant bat in test arena, and bowls in a containment role...HUH??, i thought as a bowler you were expected to take wickets. What is the most wickets he has taken in the test areana??.
Ahh its just clicked, he is in the side for his fielding eh!!
Just accept he aint up to test level...ffs

Considering M Marsh is in the squad for Sydney and Labuschagne is the only addition, I guess that is why Marsh is in at 8 for me Oooll....long term wise...no....had enough chances.....time to look at others TBH.....but not enough time for the UK Ashes tour sadly.....So if a seaming allrounder is wanted I have no doubt M Marsh will be still in the mix.....Sams perhaps a roughie.... Cam Green if JL et al had some balls.....but that ain't gonna happen.....probably not till the next Ashes in Aust.

Apparently the wicket is a "traditional Sydney pitch" according to the ground keeper. If that is true then it will be a good batting pitch with a little bit of assistance for the fast bowlers on the first morning and it will get dry and start to turn on days 4 and 5.

India have a welcome dilemma in this match in that it looks like Ashwin will be fit so they may look at playing both spinners which would also bolster their batting. The only thing is they would have to drop one of the fast bowling trio unless they want to bat Pant at 6 and Ashwin at 7 which is probably feasible. India only have to draw this game to win the series though so they may go the safe route and stack their batting.

As for Australia, well what can they do to win this game? Sydney was always going to be the wicket that India would be most comfortable on and the Aussies would have been hoping to be ahead in the series at this stage.

Their only hope would appear to be to win the toss and put 400 runs on the board but given they have only passed 300 once in the first innings in the past 6 or 7 tests that would appear to be a pipe dream. There are too many batsmen who are struggling with shonky techniques and poor decision making at the moment.

I notice that the final XI will not be announced till tommorrow but the only potential change from Melbourne given the current squad would be whether to play Labuschagne in place of Mitch Marsh. I suppose Ussie could open and Handscomb in the middle order replacing Finch ( or Finch drop to number 5).

Shuffling the deck chairs on the SS Titanic I suspect.

One from left field...i'd take a punt on Stonis as the all rounder than Mitch Marsh

Stoinis hasnt made a first class hundred since 2016, not sure what the fascination with him is apart from being Warneys mate.