Australian Selectors Name & Explain

Ed Cowan - 4 centuries in last 8 innings

John Inverarity this afternoon named the 13 man squad to take on India at the MCG starting on Boxing Day.

Michael Clarke (c), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Dan Christian, Brad Haddin, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Starc & Nathan Lyon.
In: Cowan and Hilfenhaus  Out: Phil Hughes and Usman Khawaja
Unavailable: Shane Watson & Ryan Harris

Gone are Phil Hughes, who was dropped by every single one of Australia's 21 million selectors and somewhat more surprisingly, Usman Khawaja. Hughes didn't shoot himself in the foot by the uniformity of his dismissals in the short series against the New Zealanders, he just underlined the ongoing problem he has had since his return against the Englishmen a year ago. His axing was a certainty, especially in consideration of being asked to bat at four in the tour game against India and then have a dash when it didn't matter. Khawaja can consider himself a trifle hard done by but Ed Cowan placed the final straw on his back with a fourth first class hundred this season, scored with impeccable timing on and off the field, against the Indians. Selectors have always smiled on emerging batsmen who score heavily against the touring side and this current crop of meat managers are well and truly over bolts from the blue, otherwise, Chris Rogers would have been a shoe in ... but then, they are probably thinking he's a real Victorian. If only they had remembered he originally wore a blue cap. As good as Khawaja will be under that Baggy Green cap in the future, he hasn't established himself yet with a weight of runs. Until he can turn exquisite twenties and thirties into fifties and beyond, he'll always be facing journeys away from the team.

Shaun Marsh is a long way from being a certainty and if he misses the deadline on Monday morning, Christian will come into the side and Inverarity has already indicated a shuffling in the order. Given that Christian will bat at 6, the Australians will shuffle Ponting, Clarke and Hussey all up a place. This may be okay if Ishant Sharma can't play but it will place a lot of pressure on Ponting who has looked unlikely to handle 3 any more and Clarke, who has never really handled 4. Hussey used to open so why not slot him in a three. He is, after all, the most flexible of all the batsmen in the side. Baring training accidents, Ponting and Hussey will play as Mickey Arthur and Inverarity have made that quite plain.

Back to Ben Hilfenhaus

It's in the bowling that the largest question mark looms. Hilfenhaus, according the the head of selectors, has been chosen to cover Mitchell Starc. Had Harris been fit, he would have taken Starc's spot as Pattinson, Siddle and Lyon are automatic selections. Why go back to Hilfenhaus? He's well placed on first class wickets taken this season but very expensive at over 30! This was the problem last season against the Poms, where the Tasmanian was undoubtedly unlucky but very, very expensive. What's wrong with West Australian Michael Hogan? He heads the first class bowling this season with 32 wickets at under 22 and in his most recent game, he had match figures of 9-84 as South Australia was routed by ten wickets. Sure, he's 30 but then Hilfenhaus is 28 and Cowan 29 and the near-bald, head-banded Jayde Herrick is only 26. After Hobart. most would have thought Starc certain to have a rest but the selectors doubt over Harris' durability changed all that and Ben Cutting's ongoing injury since missing the cut in Brisbane has cost him a Baggy Green for three Tests running.

In the end, the selectors were left with limited choices thanks to the horrendous injury toll which is bearing down on them and making the rebuilding task both difficult and easy at the same time. Difficult because new bodies have to keep being found for the next match but easy because it gives the selectors a licence to experiment.

There are some who have called for Ponting and Hussey to be surgically removed but its too early yet. Strange that this correspondent, who has called for Ponting's head for the last twelve months, should now defend his selection but if form be a guide, he now deserves our perseverance. In two of the last three Tests, he has batted well. He was undone on seaming deck in Hobart but they have always bothered him. Give him Melbourne and the following New Year Test in Sydney against the Indians and then make the call. A factor very much in his favour is the Indians reverence of his ability and their bitter knowledge of him as a competitor which is a factor not to be overlooked. Having him in Clarke's team points an influential bone of past experiences trying to beat this prickly Australian and will make them design their bowling attack around his presence. As for Hussey, he ain't broke yet so don't fix him.

No, this is not our best team but its pretty much the best we have available for now.

Postscript: One last, desperate plea for media and spectators alike to stop moaning about the loss in Hobart as though it were a thrashing. Australia lost by 7 runs and scored the largest innings total of the match batting last. Our bowlers were terrific but our batsmen - Warner aside - weren't. Australia was beaten by what should have been a man of the match performance by Doug Bracewell. No need for blood letting. No need for desperate acts of self abuse in order to cope with a defeat ... or is it having to cop it sweet from Kiwi friends? Its the first time they have beaten us for 18 years, so get over it.