Aussies announce squad for 1st test

[BeautifulGame]

Michael Clarke*has until Wednesday to resume running after his hamstring injury or be ruled out of contention for the first Test against India at the Gabba. A 12-man squad has been announced with Clarke captain subject to fitness, as expected, and Brad Haddin his deputy. Nathan Lyon has kept his place and*Josh Hazlewoodhas been called up. However, time is running out for Clarke to prove his fitness for the Brisbane Test, which begins in ten days. Originally, the intention had been for Clarke to play grade cricket in Sydney this Saturday, which led to abizarre declaration and investigation. But Cricket Australia now wants Clarke to resume running over the coming days and then play for the Cricket Australia XI in a two-day tour match against the Indians at Adelaide Oval on Friday and Saturday. Speaking in Adelaide, the national selector Rod Marsh stated that Clarke would need to be running by Wednesday in order to be considered fit to try to play in the tour match from Friday. If he cannot play in this fixture, he will not be considered for the Brisbane Test. "If he doesn't start running by Wednesday, Marsh said, "then I think we can safely assume that he won't be playing the Test match." Around the time Marsh spoke, Clarke was at the SCG with his fitness trainer Duncan Kerr, not sparing a second in his effort to be fit for Brisbane. By naming only a 12-man squad the selectors have given themselves an extra Sheffield Shield round to decide who would replace him. Phillip Hughes, Shaun Marsh and Callum Ferguson will all be especially keen to impress for their states this week. "We still have some time before having to make a final decision on Michael's fitness," team doctor Peter Brukner said. "As you would expect, he's desperate to play and we are doing all that we can to ensure he can do just that. Over the coming days the plan is to build him up so that he can resume running with the ultimate aim of getting him some high-intensity match practice ahead of the first Test." Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell were dropped from the side that lost Australia's most recent Test to Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, with Hazlewood called up as expected after his strong start to the summer. Shane Watson has also been recalled having missed the UAE tour due to injury, while Ryan Harris is also in the group having made a promising comeback from knee surgery. Harris is the only member of the frontline pace attack who will play in the Sheffield Shield round that starts on Tuesday as he aims for more match practice before a likely Test return. Rod Marsh, the chairman of selectors, said the uncapped Hazlewood had been in excellent form in the recent ODI series against South Africa and had earned his call-up. "Josh is a young player of great talent and he thoroughly deserves this opportunity," Marsh said. "He has impressed in the recent one-day series and we are excited to see what he can produce if given the opportunity in Brisbane. "Ryan has worked extremely hard to return to elite cricket following his knee surgery. We know what a quality player he is. He will play in this upcoming round of Sheffield Shield to get more bowling under his belt but we are all hopeful he will be ready for a big summer of cricket." Marsh said the selection of Clarke for the Gabba Test would depend greatly on not only whether he played against India in the tour match, but also how he recovered. He said Clarke would not be rushed into the Test side if not ready. "Michael Clarke has been included subject to fitness," Marsh said. "We would have preferred him to play in the round of Sheffield Shield starting tomorrow but unfortunately his condition did not allow him enough time to be ready for that match. "The aim is for him to play in the two-day CA XI match against India at the Adelaide Oval starting this Friday and his selection for the first Test is very much dependent on him pulling up well from that match. It goes without saying that Michael is a world-class batsman and it is important that he is 100% fit to be able to play in the first Test." Test squad*Chris Rogers, David Warner, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (capt), Steven Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin (vice-capt, wk), Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

Watson at 3 and Marsh at 6.With Clarke under fitness troubles their batting looks very weak .We just need to exploit it and not drop catches Also only choice seems btw Hazlewood and Siddle for 3rd seamer .

[gattaca]

Haddin and tailenders did a great job in ashes. I think this will be enough for us if we play shami and bk. two weak bowlers. Shami has done much apart from what he did against wi.

[StriKe]

Test squad Chris Rogers, David Warner, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (capt), Steven Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin (vice-capt, wk), Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

[bowl_out]

So if Clarke doesn't recover before the Gabba test, they play 5 batsmen and 5 bowlers, with Haddin at 6? That batting line up looks really weak

[rkt.india]

So it Clarke doesn't recover before the Gabba test' date=' they play 5 batsmen and 5 bowlers, with Haddin at 6? That batting line up looks really weak[/quote'] They will certainly send a replacement that is why he has to inform them about his fitness by Wednesday.

[bowl_out]

They will certainly send a replacement that is is he has to inform them about his fitness by Wednesday.

Yeah. makes no sense playing 5 bowlers + Marsh + Watson.... That too against India, as Kim Hughes would put :giggle:

[brendan07]

So if Clarke doesn't recover before the Gabba test' date=' they play 5 batsmen and 5 bowlers, with Haddin at 6? That batting line up looks really weak[/quote'] Callum Ferguson or Sean Marsh (and I dislike Sean) will be given a shot, Ferguson the hot favourite.

[BlueBee]

Callum Ferguson or Sean Marsh (and I dislike Sean) will be given a shot' date=' Ferguson the hot favourite.[/quote'] What's his recent FC record ?

[brendan07]

What's his recent FC record ?

2 tons this season and a 70 odd. Has averaged 50 the last 3 seasons. If he plays he will bat 3, Watson could bat at a more reasonable position of 5. The one positive is I won't see Watson flog DRS referrals.

[Iconoclast]

Rogers and Haddin are finished ... Watson coming back from injury ... Clarke even if fit is woefully out of form ... that leaves the two all rounders Smith and Marsh and a mercurial opener Warner. Possibly the weakest Test batting Australia have had in decades ? I'm expecting a low scoring series with results in every match.

[bowl_out]

What's his recent FC record ?

Just realized that he has not played an International test yet

[bowl_out]

I'm expecting a low scoring series with results in every match.

Or probably CA is using India to get its players back to form :haha:

[brendan07]

Rogers and Haddin are finished ... Watson coming back from injury ... Clarke even if fit is woefully out of form ... that leaves the two all rounders Smith and Marsh and a mercurial opener Warner. Possibly the weakest Test batting Australia have had in decades ? I'm expecting a low scoring series with results in every match.

The same Chris Rogers who has 9 scores of 50 in his last 17 innings with 4 hundreds? The same Chris Rogers who made a Shield ton last week. I sort of agree on Haddin, but Whiteman is the heir apparent and he is a good 12 months away.

[Cricket_Hacker]

Smith injured?

[Iconoclast]

The same Chris Rogers who has 9 scores of 50 in his last 17 innings with 4 hundreds? The same Chris Rogers who made a Shield ton last week. I sort of agree on Haddin' date=' but Whiteman is the heir apparent and he is a good 12 months away.[/quote'] Sorry .. all I saw of Rogers was in UAE and he struggled on very flat decks against Pak's back up pacers. Maybe he will come good on home pitches ?

[bowl_out]

He struggled against India when they toured last time as well... Maybe an Aus track bully :hysterical: One thing though is that I didn't see him play even one straight-batted shot... Most of them were with a horizontal bat through point or cover point... High chance of slips catches with this bloke playing...

[brendan07]

Sorry .. all I saw of Rogers was in UAE and he struggled on very flat decks against Pak's back up pacers. Maybe he will come good on home pitches ?

On spin tracks he struggles (UAE/India, etc). Won't be batting on a spin deck in the next two series and of all our batsmen is our best bat in England where the next Ashes series is!

[vishalvirsingh]

Looks like Varun Aaron has clearly out bowled Shammi and Bhuvi and with this has booked his name in the eleven. if we pick 4 pacers then i guess shammi may be the benched. if we pick 3 pacers then bhuvi and shammi both could be benched. umesh has been appreciated whole heartedly by Kohli and they possibly need ishants bounce. Varun might have already booked his place in the eleven and thats what I wanted.

[BlueBee]

^ I'd have Shami over Bhuvi largely because of his pace and his ability to reverse swing the ball.

[Precambrian]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-india-2014-15/content/story/802727.html Michael Clarke has been bizarrely ruled out of Friday's two-day India tour match mere hours after selectors had marked it down as his pathway to prove his fitness for the first Test, leaving the Australian captain's eligibility for the Gabba in limbo. The selectors Rod Marsh and Mark Waugh had both stated that Clarke had until Wednesday to resume running after his hamstring injury or be ruled out of contention for Brisbane. However a few hours later Clarke said he had already been ruled out of the Adelaide match was still going to try to play on the second Saturday of the grade game between Western Suburbs and Paramatta as a way of proving his fitness. ESPNcricinfo understands that Clarke spoke to the Australian team physio Alex Kountouris on Wednesday, being told that it was not realistic for him to expect to play in the tour match but more plausible that he could play the grade game. He then gave the following summary of his fitness at a promotional appearance. :hysterical: