Carlton Supporters Club

... and Langer sticks with Finch for sydney 

Henriques is an average shield player, bowls junk. Game has passed him.  Only got tests because he's from NSW.

Look to the future if we're picking on potential.

Renshaw  to open.   Burns into middle order.  Play Maxwell at six or Stains.

Piss off Finch and both the Marsh chumps.

Drop, I mean rest,  Starc and give somebody else a game.

[2] Our bowling:
Our bowling has a lot of potential. However, they don't seem to be making early breakthroughs. The numbers in the paper today are quite damning.
For all of that, I really do see our quicks as a potential positive. We need to have our guys bowling with as much discipline as the Indian quicks, who have bowled magnificently. I would also consider giving one or two of the other guys a game, as there are some quicks out there who could really make a difference: James Pattinson, Chris Tremaine and Scott Boland come to mind. There are others.

Nathan Lyon is our best performed finger spinner in history.
However, there are pitches where he could do with help. I like the idea of playing a leggie.

It is now too late to radically change the side. Pity, as the side is in need of radical changes.

[1] Our batsmen are averaging less than the bowlers. That is the sort of thing that loses games, and it has.
(a) Finch should not be opening. He hasn't opened for Victoria for a number of years now. Now his form is shot, he looks to be one of the first ready to be dropped. With his present average this series, he should be dropped. But playing him further down the list could have delivered results at least as good.
(b) Head appears to have some idea, but he gets out too easily. Mentally weak at the moment. He isn't that bad a spin bowler either, yet he hasn't had a decent spell.
His present numbers do not deserve a game, but he may in the future.
(c) Harris has disappointed. I think he may have a future, but his present batting is not deserving of a spot.
(d) Shaun Marsh's performances are borderline at best. he makes runs just often enough to keep in the team. But I think test cricket has passed him by. We need someone with his father's mental strength. Both of Geoff's sons have more natural talent than he did, but neither has even half his application and mental strength. Pity, as but they have been given a lot of chances that other guys simply couldn't get.
(e) Mitch Marsh: I think his bowling in the last game was better than it has been in quite some time. The only problem with that was that he was wicket-less. His batting: he is a flat track bully. He can slaughter an ordinary attack on a flat deck. But he is not getting to play against ordinary attacks and the decks have not been what we either expect or require. Result? Mitch Marsh fails again.
(f) Usman Khawaja: coming back direct from injury set him up for failure. he played no warm up games and has struggled against one of the best attacks in the business.
For all that, he isn't that bad and probably has a future in the team for a little longer. But he was underdone and got smashed.
(g) Marnus Labuschagne will probably play in Sydney. He might have a future: I liked his spin bowling. His batting, on the other hand, is unlikely to succeed against such a good attack. But I can hope.

Harris has looked the part but just hasn't gone on. worth persisting with though. Head's done ok but too often goes out to the $hit shot, actually, done that every innings. He's frustrating but at 25yo has a future. Again, hasn't gone on. Khawaja is certainly ok. S.Marsh, like you said, has done just enough with a 60 and two 40s but not going on.

Batting has been terrible, yet if they weren't trash in the First Test we are up 2-1 given we lost by only 31 runs. Didn't even need to be good, just better.

Also, don't want to see the toss deciding games. The pitch was a slow road for two days, near impossible to get wickets, hence on 5 fell in that time. After that it played horrible trick hence 15 wickets fell on the 3rd day and India declared at 8/106 on the 4th.

If we had Smith and Warner we'd have the series won, think that's obvious. If they didn't have Kohli and Pujara they'd be down 3-0.

Our pace bowlers do nothing with the ball...best quicks in the world are Rabada, Abbas and probably Bumrah...they all can swing and seam the new and old ball, once the shine is off and the ball softens ours are next to useless, sure we dont help them with our pitch preparation but you have to be able to move the ball on dead wickets and thats the hallmark of the great bowlers.

Pat Cummins doesn't do much with the ball

Still managed to take 9 wickets in 45 overs though.