This was the side that Australia put out for the 4th test against South Africa
Renshaw
Burns
Khawaja
Handscomb
S.Marsh
M.Marsh
Paine (c) (wk)
Cummins
Lyon
Sayers
Hazelwood
Now going forward it will be intresting to see how this develops and who gets selected in the future, and the general culture within the team....il work my way down from the openers...
Renshaw and Burns...Renshaw had a very quiet game.. The guy obviously has talent and the selectors see a future for him in international cricket. I also see a future for him in international cricket. He has come back to the test side with a more positive approach. He has defintiely come out of his shell a little bit, which is good to see, but at the same time i hope he dosen't over do it, and lose what got him in the side in the first place. Which was his temprament and his ability to face a lot of balls and soak up pressure... Burns is an intresting one. He got a start in the 2nd innings making 42, and seemed to be doing okay watching all the chaos un-ravel around him. IMO he was unlucky to be dropped a couple of years ago...averages just under 40 in test cricket, which admittedly for an opener you would want mid-high 40's, but he certainly had enough to be given a longer run...has a few test hundreds to his name, and seems like he has the game for test cricket... You would think with Warner highly unlikely to play test cricket again, that these two could be well the opening partnership for years to come for Australia, and why not? Both young enough, both talented enough, and both should be given at least the australian summer to show what they can do..
VERDICT: For me these two are the long term future for Australia
Middle order: Let's start at number 3 with Usman Khawaja. I've heard many say he could be a contender for long term captaincy. But for me, he's lucky to still be in the side...i don't understand why the selectors love him so much, he's far too inconsistent. Yes on form he is a good bastman to watch, but that's not reguarly enough. For me he isn't the long term solution to the number 3 spot.. it's a shame Chirs Lynn isn't intrested, as could have been a contender... Nic Maddinson maybe? Has to be someone else around who can be given a go? I don't see a long term future for Khawaja at 3... IMO Steve Smith will slot back in when he is able to again, rightly or wrongly.. Peter Handscomb. Handscomb is an odd one... He did well in the first part of his test career. He got off to a very good start and averaged around 50 odd, but then got found out. Technically he is flawed, and is an LBW candidate, he has the talent to suceed, but does he have the drive and desire to tweak his technique to allow him to succeed more reguarly. For me he stays in the side at 4 and should be given a long run. Shaun Marsh. Such a frustrating cricketer. Again clearly has the talent, but I've never seem anyone start so badly in an innings. He always looks like his on debut and that its only a matter of time before he gets out...His scoring is strange too... He's usually a hundred or nothing, barely anything in-between, and at 34 time is running out for him to really cement his spot. I'm not sure he will last another 12 months in this side.... Mitch Marsh. Now mitch Marsh re-called on the back of some good form for Western Australia, started well, he got a big hundred in the Ashes and it looked like he had finally arrived...now he's gone backwards again. Struggled in South Africa, his techinical flaws seem to have come back again, and he is getting out cheaply again...and if he isn't scoring runs then he can't justify staying in the side, as he is barely bowling. I don't know if he was injrued in South Africa or whether just under-bowled, but his bowling has lacked penetration for some time now. Pace is way down hovering around 120kph mark, and doing anything will the ball either. Just throwdowns that are reguarly being dismissed and despatched. It's a real crunch time now for Marsh, the selectors will run out of patience and will find someone else if he dosen't get his act together, otheriwse Maxwell could well find his way back into the side.
VERDICT: Khawaja - bye bye
Handscomb - Stays in the side
S.Marsh - wafer thin ice
M.Marsh - needs to bowl more otherwise he is wasting a spot in that
Tim Paine. I'm so glad Tim Paine was re-called back to the side for the Ashes. Always been a big fan of his, and it if wasn't for thay finger injury some years ago, the IMO would have been in the side for a long, long time. Along with Nevill, the best gloveman in the country, and always a good batsman to have around, I was happy to see he had been given the captaincy. Mark Taylor said that Paine wasn;t just a stop gap, he is officially the new test captain of Australia, and IMO it's a good move. Can steady the ship, and bring it back together. The players respect him, and he is reliable at what he does. Whether this new peace and harmony side he is trying to bring to it lasts, i don't know but it's a start, and for me he stays in the side and captains for the for-seeable.
Verdict: Stays long-term
Bowlers....Not a lot can say here....Lyon, Starc, Hazelwood, Cummins, all pick themsleves...the back up isn't great though....Was very dissapinted in Sayers...on debut just hoevered around 120kph, yes swuing the ball a bit, but not a lot and was bowling exactly the same as Marsh. He won't last long at this level, suprised given his f/c record and the fact he bowls at Adelaide!!! James Pattinson a talent but can't get him on the field, be suprised if he plays much more international cricket.... and then it starts to get bare...Jhye Richardson picked off the back of 2f/c games which isn't enough and reeks of desperation....and then there's the issue of 2nd spinner...who is it? Agar? Not good enough spin bowler for test cricket...Holland? Not sure selectors rate him.... O'Keefe? Always gets himself into trouble and therefore out of the side...
bumpy times ahead?