Australia v England, 5th Test, Sydney, January 3-7, 2011

Well?

Katich
Watson
Ponting
Hussey
Khawaja
White
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Siddle
Hilfenhaus

12th Beer

Katich declared fit?

no chance of clarke being dropped. that would be an absolute admission of failure from CA

ponting to retire and clarke to be annointed successor is still the most likely scenario

I doubt they will drop Ponting during the series. If they drop Ponting, that's it. If they drop Clarke, then at least in theory he can sort himself out and come back.

WGAF?

they wont drop ponting for the last test. but he may well announce his retirement at the end of the sydney test and CA will have a press conference with clarke outlining his vision for the new team

Shoot me now.

Was that quoting Punter?

No, that was my response to the idea of Clarke outlining his 'vision'.

Now to another thing... The greatest cricket brain in the country has given some thoughts. And speaks a LOT of sense here (in the artcile that comes up when you click the link)

Yeah. I think they'll keep Clarke, omit White, and otherwise pick the side in my OP.

Looking at this seriously, it is obviously time to blood UK. Don't really care where he bats (maybe at 3 with Ponting moving to 5). If you just watch him bat you can see that has the tools to be a quality test player.

Also, if they don't pick Horrors then they must pick Steve O'Keefe who is probably good enough to bat at 8 as well. SOK might actually be a FAC of the less than full list we are starting from.

And obviously Bolly for Harris or MILF.

Harris is out, and probably finished with that injury. Poor qunt.

They've got to pick Hauritz on form and really on performance in the last 12-18 months (barring India, who slaughter all spinners, even those who bend the rules).

They won't need Bolly - also, he's done nothing to deserve a recall. If Hilf is injured or too leg weary after being asked to bowl the containing role for this game, I'd choose someone like Swan or Copeland, they certainly have the performances on the board.

What about a recall for KOK?

(Incidentally, never a better acronym .... after Oz 98 ao he was forecasting an Aussie win, and outlined how. And no, he didn't even seem to be clowning for once.)

Clarke has more than enough to worry about without being made Australia's next captain. On batting form alone he should be dropped, and whispers about his poor attitude and alienating himself from his teammates continue. I think the cricket loving Aussie public have major reservations about him, as seen when he was booed (by Aussie fans from all accounts) after bowling an unremarkable over yesterday. He couldn't have done more in this series to convince people that he is not fit to be Australia's next captain.

I think Hussey will get the job until at least the end of next summer. Then he'll probably retire as well, and either Clarke will have grown up, or they'll take a punt that Haddin will be able to handle batting at seven, wicketkeeping, AND the captaincy.

They need to find a way of getting Watson in the middle order, and Smith away from no.6.

It's not exactly a dead rubber is it. Providing no disaster at the MCG the next 2 days, Aus can still draw the series even if the Ashes are gone.

What's the wicket likely to be like? Sydney usually turns? Will there be much pace and bounce?

I expect England to go in unchanged, especially considering how Bresnan has bowled but depending on conditions it may be that any one of Finn, Shahzad or Panesar would be more effective.

Can't see Monty getting a game - although he's probably as likely to score runs as Collingwood.

Talking of the ginger one - could this be his swan song as a test player?

If the pitch is perceived as likely to turn, then it will be quite an abrasive surface I would have thought, which will bring Bressie's reverse swing into play.

Yeah, Shahzad is actually the reverse swing specialist, but seemed Anderson, Tremlett and Bresnan could all bowl it well too.

Bearing in mind Colly's batting woes we wouldn't lose much by dropping Colly for the 2nd spinner or Ian Holloway, but wouldn't expect England to change to 5 bowlers now, especially when a draw is all they need.

My team for Sydney -

Katich(if fit)
Marsh
Khwaja
Ponting
Hussey
Watson
Haddin
Johnson
Siddle
Hilfenhaus
Any Spinner

Katich
Watson
Khwaja
Maddison
Hussey
Haddin
Hauritz
Siddle
Cameron
Beer
Bollinger

Hughes
Jaques
Ponting (c)
Clarke
Smith
North
Zoehrer (w)
McGain
Johnson
Doherty
Tait

Lee or Lehmann (12th man)

According to Jamie Pandram, Ponting has almost certainly played his last test in this series-

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/clarke-likely-to-lead-in-sydney-20101228-199ay.html

lardbucket wrote:Harris is out, and probably finished with that injury. Poor qunt.

They've got to pick Hauritz on form and really on performance in the last 12-18 months (barring India, who slaughter all spinners, even those who bend the rules).

They won't need Bolly - also, he's done nothing to deserve a recall. If Hilf is injured or too leg weary after being asked to bowl the containing role for this game, I'd choose someone like Swan or Copeland, they certainly have the performances on the board.

High sageness content.

Henry wrote:According to Jamie Pandram, Ponting has almost certainly played his last test in this series-

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/clarke-likely-to-lead-in-sydney-20101228-199ay.html

Doubt that - think he's just after the headlines whoever he is.

Ponting is a tough cricketer, if he was fit for Melbourne he'll surely be fit for Sydney given more time for the finger to heal.