Shield ton might not be enough: Burns
Oct 26, 2016 - 11:42 AM A message was sent loud and clear from dumped ex-Test opener Joe Burns to national selectors on Wednesday: I 'm back.But it seems no one may have been listening.
Axed during the recent ill-fated Sri Lankan Test tour, Queensland's Burns bounced back with a magnificent 129 against a world class NSW attack in the day-night Sheffield Shield clash at the Gabba.
Burns also shared a 166-run second wicket stand with fellow Test hopeful Usman Khawaja (79).
However, Burns reckoned he was still back in the queue behind incumbent opener Shaun Marsh ahead of next week's first Test against South Africa in Perth.
"It's hard to say," Burns said of his chances of being named in the Test side on Friday.
"I am not an incumbent Test opener.
"There is a queue and all I can do is make runs."
Khawaja claimed he and Burns were made to be the "scapegoats" of the failed Sri Lankan Test tour by "fickle" selectors.
Burns said he was not concerned whether the words would come back to haunt them at the selectors' table.
"In the Sri Lankan series I didn't play well enough," Burns said.
"I just had to learn as much as I could from the experience.
"But it's satisfying to bounce back in my first Shield game."
Convinced he had not dislodged opener Marsh, Burns also ruled out the chance of batting down the Test order.
"I have been picked for Australia on my performances as an opener," he said.
Burns stroked 15 fours and a six in his five and a half hour knock before being trapped lbw by Test quick Josh Hazlewood (4-70).
But he does not expect to leapfrog Marsh, who struck an important 73 on Tuesday for Western Australia.
It seemed Marsh only needed to show he had regained his fitness in this week's Shield clash with South Australia in Perth to retain his spot after tons in his past two Tests.
And he showed no signs of the hamstring issue that struck during the domestic one-day tournament, running 23 singles, four twos and two threes in his 206-minute knock.
However, Khawaja looks to have done enough to earn a No.3 Test team nod against South Africa.
It would cap a remarkable turnaround after his spray at selectors.
Meanwhile, Test spearhead Mitchell Starc (1-62 off 19 overs) failed to fire for NSW at the Gabba in his return from a leg wound.
He is expected to be rested for the rest of the Shield match ahead of the first Test.
And Tasmania's Jackson Bird took 3-75 in his bowl-off with Victoria's Peter Siddle for the third Test seamer nod on day two of their Shield clash at the MCG.
Source: AAP
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