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Gee's Head seems like a like for like VC replacement for Mitch Marsh in that he is far from earned his place in the Test line up.
Well it at least shows our selection hand in it now seems a battle between Renshaw & Burns one thinks for the Gabba on Thursday with Harris, Khawaja, Head, Patterson & Pucovski.

ArkRoyal wrote: Freezin: good post, I agree with most of it, but would add that, in all likelihood, India would have won the last test so in that sense the series score line flatterred us a little.

I saw something about Latham, how many did he make? Your right about NZ pitches at diffrerent times of year, flat as cricket pancakes when the sun is out. Greg Chappell, Doug Walters, Adam Voges and many more have made a lot of runs in NZ, as you would re-call. Happily, NZ ha produced the great Sir Richard Hadlee and some other useful bowllers along the way.

AR & Freeze what about the side below for NZ's greatest Test side-

John Wright
Stephen Fleming (C)
Kane Williamson
Martin Crowe (VC)
Ross Taylor
Brendon McCullum (wk)
Chris Cairns
Daniel Vettori
Richard Hadlee
Tim Southee
Trent Boult

Glen Turner (12th man)

BH: a very good side mate

others worth mentioning

John Bracewell
Shane Bond

ArkRoyal wrote: BH: a very good side mate

others worth mentioning

John Bracewell
Shane Bond

+Danny Morrison+Chris Harris.To the squad.

Bruce Edgar, John Reid, Andrew Jones, Jeremy Coney, Mark Greatbatch, Nathan Astle, Adam Parore, Ian Smith, Lance Cairns, Ewen Chatfield, Chris Martin, BJ Watling & Neil Wagner are other Kiwis who have been handy over the years.

you coluld also add Martin Donnelly whom was NZ's best pre-war player. Averagged 52 with the bat with a double century in a total of 7 tests.

Easily Bond over Southee.....good mix of swing from Hadlee and Boult, with express speed from Bond....and spin from Vettori.....and Cairns as the all rounder.....some decent bats in Crowe, Williamson and Taylor in the middle order....dodgy openers though in Turner, Richardson or Edgar...Easily McCullum over Paoroe for the gloves....

I seriously hope Siddle doesn't get the nod over Richardson....and with it being the GABBA...Burns usually bats well there....better than Labuschagne at least.....Harris Burns Uzzie, Patterson Pucovski Head Paine Cummins Starc Richardson Lyon for me.

I think they will pick Labuschagne because he provides another bowling option but that then means that Uzzie has to open but I can see the logic of picking Burns and I think the part time leggie would have limited impact in Brisbane anyway.

Test team vs Sri Lanka at the Gabba tomorrow-

Harris
Burns
Khawaja
Labushagne
Head (VC)
Patterson
Paine (C) (wk)
Cummins
Starc
Richardson
Lyon

Siddle (12th man)

No Pucovski, Renshaw nor thankfully Siddle!

Beasley Hutton wrote: Test team vs Sri Lanka at the Gabba tomorrow-

Harris
Burns
Khawaja
Labushagne
Head (VC)
Patterson
Paine (C) (wk)
Cummins
Starc
Richardson
Lyon

Siddle (12th man)

No Pucovski, Renshaw nor thankfully Siddle!

Fantastic for Jhye to make his debut. I think he could be a 50+ test player for Australia if he can stay clear of injury. I must admit I am a bit puzzled about Pucovski as to why they would pick the young guy in the initial squad and then leave him out at the end when he did more in the CA game than Burns or Labushagne? Maybe its a "team balance" thing