Keep Walking - Australian Selections

The selectors have indicated to these two to "keep walking"

I’m not really sure to think about the current Aussie squad for the Boxing Day Test, for a few reasons. On a personal level, I absolutely adore Ricky Ponting. I love watching him bat, just everything about it. The stretches before his takes guard, his exaggerated forward lunge and leave, that signature pull shot, the piece of road kill on top of his head.... But now that he is not captain, and he is in the team for runs, Ponting is on a lean streak. When you haven’t made at Test hundred since 2009, and 30-odd innings since then, and you are his age, the last rights are round the corner. He is lucky in a sense that this is a time of Australian batting mediocrity. If this were the 90’s, guys like Law, Blewett, Love and Elliot were kept out of the side by a bloke called Justin Langer. We have young batsman in Usman Khawaja and Tom Cooper, but most a technically flawed. Khawaja is cecpetiable to nicking behind, and we all now Phil Hughes’ problems; anything short at his body and anything angled on a length on his off stump. But if I put my love for Punter aside, if we are preparing for the 2013 Ashes, which we should be- Ponting will not be there. Usman Khawaja should be. So why, when he has a better record than Ponting over the past calendar year, isn’t in the squad? Mike Hussey is in the same boat, although he was man of the series not long ago against Sri Lanka, and was our only bright spot in a depressing Ashes summer last year, so he should get a little longer.

In saying all that, the selections of David Warner and Ed Cowan is what we want more of. Guys being picked for the future and in form. If you wanted a bet on the opening partnership for the Boxing Day test before the start of the summer, those two would have been off the scale. But when Cowan is averaging 140 over the past 6 knocks, you can’t ignore that. He adds balance to the side, a good foil for Cow Corner Warner. The selection of Ben Hilfenhaus was an interesting one, but a choice I like. At his best, the brickie from Tasmania has a strong action, bowls good outswing at a good lively pace, and bowls long spells. Last summer, he was nothing. Alistair Cook and Kevin Pieterson tucked into his generous offerings, and didn’t look threatening. But judging by his 4 over spell for the Hobart Hurricanes the other night, he’s back! In my opinion, he should play ahead of Starc. The New South Welshman was gifted two wickets at the Gabba, and is a bright prospect but needs a good season of Shield cricket so he can improve even more. You don’t just pick a left armer for the sake of having one. You pick the best attack possible. So here’s my team for India:

1.      David Warner

2.      Ed Cowan

3.      Michael Clarke

4.      Ricky Ponting

5.      Michael Hussey

6.      Dan Christian

7.      Brad Haddin

8.      Peter Siddle

9.      James Pattinson

10. Ben Hilfenhaus

11. Nathan Lyon

I believe with 4 tests in a short space of time, and an Indian middle order from heaven of Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman that will put the bowlers to the sword, having Dan Christian to bowl some overs as well as being the top run scorer in Shield cricket this summer, it adds much needed respite for a young attack that will need a chop out. Clarke is at 3 because I don’t think Shaun Marsh is fit enough to play yet, and the number 3 spot requires a stroke maker who can also defend his wicket, and Clarke ticks those boxes. All I know is we are in for a good series!

The Globe Trotter