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No doubt Langer has been on the piss MO with that Labuschagne decision to bat 3 mate....really hope it comes off.....but rather take the punt with a kid who reeks in class despite his mental health and concussion issues..couple of big FC tons by the age of 20..than a fella who averages fark all after a number of seasons playing FC cricket.....

Kohli got the rub of the green again with the toss....I guess I can see Langer's logic in picking 3 fast boys.....no way Paine was gonna win a coin toss.....good luck to Handscomb and Labuschagne...do well here and they will be on the plane to England...

Another average start by Starc on a deck (his home) offering a bit early for the quickies....is it time to send him a message by dropping him for the Sri Lanka Tests coming up?

yes Freezin - a good way to look after young prospects is to throw them in against a top class bowling attack and hope they dont get hit in the head from an apparent weakness against short pitch bowling or leave the field half way through as game through stress, sink or swim young fella.

whilst we are at it put in Sangha who got hit in the head once last night and nearly cleaned up a few times against Richardson, another young player that cant play short pitched bowling despite batting on a slow wicket.

chuck them all in and lets destroy their confidence instead of letting them work out their game at a lower level, who cares if they get hit.

Beasley Hutton wrote: Another average start by Starc on a deck (his home) offering a bit early for the quickies....is it time to send him a message by dropping him for the Sri Lanka Tests coming up?

Good question and I’d say yes but what chance of it happening?

I’m disappointed they didn’t pick a genuine second spinner, a wrist spinner, for this test. It’s stacked to bat more than 50 overs but that batting line up is a close your eyes, cross your fingers and make a big wish in hope it comes off.

The main problem for Australia now, having lost the toss is that they will have to bat last on a turning pitch. Our batsmen have enough trouble staying in on a non turning pitch. The only hope is to bowl India out for a moderate score (less than 300) and hope somehow to get a first innings lead. If India make 400+ in the first innings it is series over.

It looks like they were hedging their bets a bit by picking Labushagne as the wrist spinner Dazz but gees for him to also bat at 3?!?!
The likes of Swepson, Zampa & Fawad look to have been declared 'never to play Test Cricket' by our selectors who lets face it dont get much right of late whilst Pope & Short are possibly classed as not yet ready although I wonder if Warne & MacGill would have ever played Test Cricket under this lot of dud selectors?!

Looks like Pujara has put down anchor again for the day and the others will bat around him. He is not pretty but very effective and the Australians would love to have a guy like him who blunts the attack in the same way. This new opener Agarwal is also a stayer with 3 good scores now. The Aussies have just got to find a way to get Pujara out in the next session. A run out looks the best option at this stage!

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Yet no protection for 2 test youngster Labuschagne MO?... who has to bat number 3....true may have no short ball or mental health issues...but with a FC average of 30 odd after 5 years...surely has technique issues just as damaging.......which will be tested by this quality attack you speak of.....understand your concerns.....time will tell what the likes of Langer decide to do.....

BH totally agree about Starc....Warne has highlighted a telling statistic....this love affair with the likes of Starc and Hazlewood really needs to be questioned.....but hey all will be forgiven after the Sri Lanka series.....but agree Starc needs a huge kick up the arse and dropping him and giving a youngster like Richardson a dash.....but hey as MO says....perhaps inflicting the young fella on a top class batting attack on flat tracks might not be the best thing mentally or physically for Jhye at this stage of his young career eh MO?

may as well play our under 19 team based on the way you see things Freezin..
Richardson is too old.

Kohli on arrival at the wicket was boooed by the Sydney crowd.They say that is the highest honour you can receive from an Australian crowd.