Selection blues in the decider

I think Australia have their selection wrong for this test. And in a way, this jam has been building all series. The failure to include Clark; the panicky dropping of Hughes; the holding on to Johnson for the fourth test when by all rights he should have been gone by then; the picking of four seamers which won them the fourth test but which now has made them stick with an unchanged XI for this last test.

This is the Oval. Traditionally, a pretty good batting track, and one on which a spinner would have been of some help if England were to be batting last. A four-man pace/seam attack is one-dimensional and only likely to work on a wicket that is exceptionally helpful. On a good batting track, you need the variety a spinner provides. I'm not buying into the business about how Brett Lee would have been the expert reverse swinger that Australia needed (for now at least). I'd expect Hilfenhaus and Johnson to play that role reasonably well (the latter if he can get his radar back on track).

So far, England look reasonably comfortable, and had it not been for two airy wafts by their openers, would have been looking even more comfortable.

I have a sneaking feeling we'll see some Katich/Clarke/North spells in this test.