The Clarke Captaincy

[Dimi]

Anyone who can bring on MIKE HUSSEY to work his wiles on Sanga - and watch as it actually happens - should be buying tix in the next Euromillions rollover draw.

Arsey, arsey, arsey as...

No Pardon, it was a move by a tactical genius, planned in a bakery team bonding exercise with their mate Tim Nielsen.

[Stroller95]

Anyone who can bring on MIKE HUSSEY to work his wiles on Sanga - and watch as it actually happens - should be buying tix in the next Euromillions rollover draw.

Arsey, arsey, arsey as...

It was a legitimate move that we see captains try all the time - the part-timer to break the batsman's concentration. Sometimes it works. It doesn't make Clarke a genius, nor does it make Huss a bowler. It does make Sanga a nong, and against someone else I would be very sad, but ah haha!

I'm not sure that Dilshan's riposte of giving Sanga the new ball is that astute.

[OffStumpYorker]

I think Clarke is maturing, especially with Punter not around, as he was at Sydney, and in the last game.

Personally speaking, If Marsh does well this game I think its going to be difficult to include Punter in the future.

[PardonWonTheCup]

No chance Punter is going to have to fight to get back in. Despite a few ordinary years, he's pretty set at 3 still.

[OffStumpYorker]

Pardon why, part of what made the Australian team great in the 90's was the fight for places, if a new player came in and did well the player he replaced was generally not seen again.

[from_the_stands]

Pardon why, part of what made the Australian team great in the 90's was the fight for places, if a new player came in and did well the player he replaced was generally not seen again.

Really? Then what happened to the bloke who made his debut in the same match that Punter made his?

[OffStumpYorker]

Pardon why, part of what made the Australian team great in the 90's was the fight for places, if a new player came in and did well the player he replaced was generally not seen again.

Really? Then what happened to the bloke who made his debut in the same match that Punter made his?

I had to look that up, and found out it was Stuart Law, 54 NO. It looks like there were a couple of injuries, and when Steve Waugh was fit for the second test he came back into replace him.

No Idea why the selctors went for Punter over him, but it worked out in the end.

[from_the_stands]

Pardon why, part of what made the Australian team great in the 90's was the fight for places, if a new player came in and did well the player he replaced was generally not seen again.

Really? Then what happened to the bloke who made his debut in the same match that Punter made his?

I had to look that up, and found out it was Stuart Law, 54 NO. It looks like there were a couple of injuries, and when Steve Waugh was fit for the second test he came back into replace him.

No Idea why the selctors went for Punter over him, but it worked out in the end.

I felt really sorry for Law. He could have been a great Test player, and a potential national captain at some stage. The forgotten man of Oz cricket actually qualified to play for England toward the end of his career.

[OffStumpYorker]

Unfortunately Law was born at the wrong time, when you had great batsmen like the waugh's, Boon, Taylor all playing by the time space opened up for there were a new crop of batsmen coming through, such as Langer, Hayden, Hussey and he was geting on for 30 while they were still young.

As you say it was a shame he didnt play more, as I seem to remember him being a very good batsman in the English domestic game.

[greyblazer]

To be honest Clarke's captaincy has surprised me a bit. IMHO he is tactically better than Punter.

[PardonWonTheCup]

Hasn't surprised me that much, but then I've ever rated Punter's onfield head for skipperdom.

Offstump, Punter isn't going to get kicked out for Shaun Marsh at present, Clarke wouldn't be game to make that big a statement yet I don't think and it seems to me that he's pretty much THE selector for this trip.

A few more dodgy tests and Punter will be feeling the tightrope under his feet but it's too early for that yet. But I do hope that Marsh gets a ton just to keep a lid on all the doubters (me included).

[SaintPowelly]

If Marsh does well, he will be moved to 6 and Khawaja will be dropped.

Ponting wont get dropped and nor should he.

[from_the_stands]

If Marsh does well, he will be moved to 6 and Khawaja will be dropped.

Ponting wont get dropped and nor should he.

If Khawaja also makes runs, I can see Phil Hughes getting dropped, and Marsh opening with Watson in the 3rd Test. Although if Khawaja fails in this test, then yes, he'll get a tap on the shoulder.

[SaintPowelly]

If Marsh does well, he will be moved to 6 and Khawaja will be dropped.

Ponting wont get dropped and nor should he.

If Khawaja also makes runs, I can see Phil Hughes getting dropped, and Marsh opening with Watson in the 3rd Test. Although if Khawaja fails in this test, then yes, he'll get a tap on the shoulder.

After ditching Katich, you'd think that Hughes is untouchable for a little while yet.

[from_the_stands]

If Marsh does well, he will be moved to 6 and Khawaja will be dropped.

Ponting wont get dropped and nor should he.

If Khawaja also makes runs, I can see Phil Hughes getting dropped, and Marsh opening with Watson in the 3rd Test. Although if Khawaja fails in this test, then yes, he'll get a tap on the shoulder.

After ditching Katich, you'd think that Hughes is untouchable for a little while yet.

Not neccesarily. The form of Phil Hughes has been a worry, probably since his second ever Test when he scored a century in each innings. What's he done since? Shaun Marsh opens for the Warriors, and had probably his best domestic season last year. Twatto seems to insist on wanting to continue opening. And Khawaja opened in a tour match recently and scored a century. Mike Hussey, too, could easily open, as he did earlier in his career. Now that Michael Clarke is in command, just maybe he will want to see some changes at the top of the order.