Australia will continue to use XI for the Boxing Day Test

Australia is expected to have an unchanged eleven for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, with head coach Justin Langer alluding to it unless changes are forced upon them at the last minute.

“I would be a pretty brave man if I changed the XI for this friendly after the last one,” said Langer. “At this stage, if nothing happens in the next few days – and it can happen in the world we live in – we will continue with the same XI, I would say.”

With David Warner already ruled out for the second test, the opening pair of Matthew Wade and Joe Burns will continue at the top. Langer said Warner wasn’t quite up to date with his running but was hoping to get him back later on in the series.

“We have some selection problems in every game one way or another. Davey got a good hit yesterday, he’s a little off the beaten track. We know how dynamic he is, there is nobody more dynamic in the game when running between the gates He wants to make sure he is 100% fit so that he gets great energy personally and gains energy from it as a group. But these choices are a fun way to train yourself. Who knows, we can try Hypothesize as much as we want. But in my experience, choosing has a fun way of working yourself out when it comes to the time you need to do it, “he said.

Under the pressure this will put on Burns and Wade while Warner is waiting in the wings for a comeback, Langer suggested that the competition is good for Australian cricket.

“It’s all part of every individual player’s journey. Every time you play for Australia you are literally under pressure. Every player is what it should be. We know we have competition, I repeat.” and over, but it’s so healthy for Australian cricket. It’s difficult when you’re in the top 6 because you always have people knocking hard on the door to take your place. So you have to be on your toes all the time. And just as for the guys from the outside, you have to hit that hard to get an opportunity. So it’s really healthy. ”

Looking at the Boxing Day Test, Langer preferred not to examine what had gone wrong for them the last time India toured in 2018, especially since they had fallen behind in the first innings overall.

“I think we are a completely different team. We have come a long way in two years. We play very good cricket now. We have confidence,” said Langer. “I also remember losing the litter at MCG on a very, very, very, very flat wicket, and that certainly took some wind out of our sails, that’s for sure. So we’re a different team, we know that in the first innings in Australia we want to score 400 points in the first innings. It’s no surprise, we have built our best cricket in years on that. ”

Since the MCG is not allowed to be at full capacity just yet, there could be large numbers of empty chairs, but it hasn’t dampened the excitement of a Boxing Day test for Tallers.

“30,000 is better than none, it’s obviously not the same as 90. But I’m sure the 30,000 that comes in has the atmosphere we love about the Boxing Day Test Match.

“Boxing Day, as you heard, is my favorite day on the calendar for as long as I can remember, Boxing Day as an Australian cricketer. Without our families here, it’s a little different, it’s the first time in 50 years Without a family, the Sacrifices made … the fact that there are 30,000 people on Boxing Day is a huge thrill for anyone who loves to play cricket like we do, “Langer said.