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Well, change has come for the Aussie batting, with Burns, Renshaw and Pucovski into the top six with the Marshes, Finch and Handscom out. Pucovski has played eight first class games. The three called up and Labuschagne will play for Australia A in the tour match warm up for the tourists. Thirteen player Test squad:

Harris
Renshaw
Khawaja
Burns
Pucovski
Labuschagne
Head
Paine
Cummins
Starc
Lyon
Hazlewood
Siddle

I guess they had to do something.

Given the dire state of the Sri Lankan team at the moment, especially with no Matthews, and Australia should still win comfortably at home. But the Ashes are coming up, against an England who have just beaten India at home and Sri Lanka away.

I can accept Burns getting a recall but I'm not sure about Renshaw getting a recall. He is not in form and that does not make sense. Pucovski fair enough as hes young and in a bit of form. But what message to Handscomb?

And what has Siddle done to win a recall?

Corporate Australia are making a worse situation almost unbearable....

And lets be honest, If SL win the toss, then Australia might well be in some trouble

WED 16/1 - 11:30 PM GMT
Tour Match, at Hobart, Jan 17-19 2019

Cricket Australia XI

Sri Lankans

THU 24/1 - 03:30 AM GMT
1st Test, (D/N) at Brisbane, Jan 24-28 2019

FRI 1/2 - 12:30 AM GMT
2nd Test, at Canberra, Feb 1-5 2019

Batsman Kusal Perera has returned to Sri Lanka's Test squad for their two-Test series in Australia, which starts from January 24. Opener Danushka Gunathilaka, meanwhile, was dropped following scores of 1,3, 8 and 4 in New Zealand.

Gunathilaka's omission means Dimuth Karunaratne is set to have his third opening partner in as many series (Kaushal Silva had opened alongside him against England, in November). Kusal Perera may be among those vying for the opening spot, but Sadeera Samarawickrama and Lahiru Thirimanne are almost certain to be considered for the role as well, despite neither having played a Test in the last year.

Angelo Mathews, who had been sidelined from the limited-overs series in New Zealand with a grade two strain in his left hamstring, has also been ruled out of the Australia Tests.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/ ... test-squad

Squad: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Kusal Perera, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha

Bit puzzled at the inclusion of Renshaw ? He's not been in fantastic form and they don't need three openers...he may indeed have a future but is now the time to re-introduce him ? Looks as if this trial game will be a bat- off between him and Burns.
Pucovski on the other hand seems a good choice , and one I was half expecting. Yes he's young , and relatively inexperienced (and I haven't actually seen him bat) but he has already shown an ability to make big scores - which of course also involves batting long. A desirable trait to add to this team if he can handle the rise in class - which is best tested by trying him out. Not a bad time to come in : Sri Lanka probably won't be bombarding him with short stuff ( he has shown a propensity for getting hit in the head !) and with all due respect it might not be the most fearsome introduction : we might be able to get an idea of whether he's worth a place in the squad once the Big Guns are back.

Think the files on S Marsh and Handscomb have been closed. M Marsh remains floating in the outer fringes for want of other all-round prospects ; but he might not be seeing too much more red ball cricket for Australia.

Will be interesting to see how they perform against Sri Lanka. You'd think the bowlers (With Warne's criticism ringing in their ears) will be too much for the touring bats ; but I wonder how the batsmen will do ?

Can we move Alfies comments over from the India thread?

yuppie wrote:Can we move Alfies comments over from the India thread?

I was going to say I largely concur with your comments above anyway , yuppie...

Except I don't think Siddle is an unreasonable backup pace option. Unlikely to play but wouldn't let anyone down if he had to fill a spot and has less fitness concerns than many of these youngsters . Although he did drop an absolute sitter last week when he was subbing !

Arthur Crabtree wrote:Well, change has come for the Aussie batting, with Burns, Renshaw and Pucovski into the top six with the Marshes, Finch and Handscom out. Pucovski has played eight first class games. The three called up and Labuschagne will play for Australia A in the tour match warm up for the tourists. Thirteen player Test squad:

Harris
Renshaw
Khawaja
Burns
Pucovski
Labuschagne
Head
Paine
Cummins
Starc
Lyon
Hazlewood
Siddle

My guess is that Siddle is in for cover for Cummins and Starc, and Pucovski is there for the experience, to be in the squad for a test or two.

I reckon the selectors have more than one eye on the Ashes, and need to give who they think is likely for the tour an extended time with the team first.
Should what the selectors expect not to happen actually happen - Sri Lanka surprise Aus - it could end up being a bad decision.

mikesiva wrote:WED 16/1 - 11:30 PM GMT
Tour Match, at Hobart, Jan 17-19 2019

Cricket Australia XI

Sri Lankans

THU 24/1 - 03:30 AM GMT
1st Test, (D/N) at Brisbane, Jan 24-28 2019

FRI 1/2 - 12:30 AM GMT
2nd Test, at Canberra, Feb 1-5 2019

Day/Night test in Brisbane I see.

That will be interesting. I expect the difference we saw between day and evening session the last couple of years in Adelaide to be more extreme at the Gabba, with the heavy due that is normal for Brisbane.

I'm guessing that Labuschagne and Pucovski (whose name sounds like an Englishman trying to explain his malady loudly to a foreign doctor on a boozy bachelor weekend in Lodz) will dispute the final spot (given Siddle will be left out).

Tour match drawn....

CA XI 316-5 declared

Patterson 157*
Doran 102*

Chameera 3-57

SL 176-5 declared

Karu 44

CA XI 224-3 declared

Patterson 102*
Labuschagne 50

SL 131-6

Holland 4-28

After those two tons, Kurtis Patterson has been called up. Labuschagne is likely to be dropped and Patterson and Pucowski will dutch it out for a batting spot.

Arthur Crabtree wrote:After those two tons, Kurtis Patterson has been called up. Labuschagne is likely to be dropped and Patterson and Pucowski will dutch it out for a batting spot.

Don't know about that...

Patterson indeed called up on the back of his timely performances , and he may well have leapfrogged the others and be pencilled in for a spot (slightly surprising as the Australian selectors don't usually throw in a wild card after they've already named a squad).
However since neither opener impressed I am fairly sure Renshaw must miss out ; leaving Burns to open with Harris , followed by Khawaja , Patterson , one of Pucovski or Labuschahne , Head , Paine and the bowlers...
Labuschagne might feel unlucky if he were dropped. Hasn't torn down any trees but neither has he been hopeless in his brief Test appearance - and he did make fifty in this "trial match" , albeit in a rather un pressured second innings situation. On the other hand , the "bold" call up of young Pucovski falls a bit flat if he is now excluded due to the late Patterson addition.

All makes the selectors look a bit indecisive .

Wonder whether Richardson makes a debut or Siddle in place of Hazlewood ?