Cricket - 2021 International series

[valiant_593]

3 minutes ago, Bycarsbill said:

Not a lot of choice with Stokes out, Pope & Woakes out injured!

Better players around than picking the same old failed players over and over again. Hameed should be playing 100%. I would have moeen in this side and also Mark wood. There have to players in the county game better than the likes of crawley averaging 20 odd. You mention pope, he’s no better. Looks good but never hits runs. I’d be bringing hameed and malan in though personally. Brooks is a special talent it maybe to early for him but he can’t do any worse than this lot. 

[Guppys left peg]

Just incredibly frustrating how they never seem to learn from their mistakes or improve. Hameed has got to come into this side for the next test. Seen enough of both Burns and Sibley now. 

These problems have gone on a long time but the ECB by prioritising white ball cricket so much have contributed in a major way. Ahead of a major five test series to have our players competing in the hundred I find it ridiculous when surely they'd have been better trying to get time at the crease and build a proper innings in the County Championship as unglamorous as it sounds.

[Bycarsbill]

21 hours ago, valiant_593 said:

Better players around than picking the same old failed players over and over again. Hameed should be playing 100%. I would have moeen in this side and also Mark wood. There have to players in the county game better than the likes of crawley averaging 20 odd. You mention pope, he’s no better. Looks good but never hits runs. I’d be bringing hameed and malan in though personally. Brooks is a special talent it maybe to early for him but he can’t do any worse than this lot. 

I agree that hameed is worth another try with the runs he's scored in the County Championship this season.  Mark Wood is also out injured I believe and is not the answer to the batting problem.  Malan has had a number of opportunities without really grabbing them. I believe that the main problems stem from lack of County Championship fixtures when the weather is suitable (instead of at the beginning & end of season) and the England management's avowed intentions of improving the white ball game--all well and good especially if we win the T-20 world cup to go with the win in the ODI world cup 2 yrs ago, but at what cost?  Test match mentality has been washed away in this desire for biff, bang wallop!

[Bycarsbill]

A much better bowling performance in the second session of the day on Thursday.  A real pity the weather intervened just as Pant was showing signs of his usual aggressive batting style despite the fact that India had started to wobble!  With Jimmy Anderson bowling beautifully, it was all set for an intriguing afternoon of Test cricket at its best!  With the weather forecasts for today & tomorrow not looking good, a draw looks a nailed-on certainty--not great planning by the ECB to have such an important Test series start so late in the cricket calendar.

[Andy Proctor]

Robinson looks a good find and bowled well in the 2 tests he has played so perhaps he has done enough to earn a regular run in the side. Stokes, woakes and archer are out for a good while unsure on wood but there's some good bowling depth once Anderson and Broad call it a day.

[Guppys left peg]

The seam bowling for England is excellent and don’t have many concerns there. Some of our catching though especially in the slips is absolutely horrific. Hard enough winning test matches without putting as many down as we have done.

Really pleased for Ollie Robinson though. Think the Josh Hazlewood comparison for him is a good one and not a bad bowler to emulate either.

[robf]

On 27/07/2021 at 14:56, valiant_593 said:

I think sibley has had long enough no and still failing so I’d be starting hameed for this one, good form this season, deserves a go with burns. 3 is a big issue, Crawley looks great if the ball Doesn’t move, if it swings its a different story. I know England don’t like him in test cricket over here but i still like Malan and think he should have been given more of a go in the side

I agree 100% with all of the above @valiant_593 my top three of choice would be Burns, Hameed and Malan albeit with Burns only there because there isn't really any alternative and because he's got more shots than Sibley. I've seen a few posts elsewhere mention Abell (Somerset) as a potential number three too so if Malan's out of the picture then perhaps him? 

However, for the Ashes, if it happens, I'd be far more comfortable with Hameed and Malan in the top three than Sibley and Crawley. It's still nowhere near the quality of the likes of Cook, Strauss, Trescothick etc but I think if we go with Sibley and Crawley to Aus then the likes of Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood will have a field day. 

[valiant_593]

8 minutes ago, robf said:

I agree 100% with all of the above @valiant_593 my top three of choice would be Burns, Hameed and Malan albeit with Burns only there because there isn't really any alternative and because he's got more shots than Sibley. I've seen a few posts elsewhere mention Abell (Somerset) as a potential number three too so if Malan's out of the picture then perhaps him? 

However, for the Ashes, if it happens, I'd be far more comfortable with Hameed and Malan in the top three than Sibley and Crawley. It's still nowhere near the quality of the likes of Cook, Strauss, Trescothick etc but I think if we go with Sibley and Crawley to Aus then the likes of Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood will have a field day. 

Completely agree. Abell is a very good player, always been overlooked for England similar to his team mate hildreth. I think sibley is done, he can occupy the crease but a night watchman can do that as well, just not enough scoring shots. He’s also a really poor slip fielder, seems to drop more than he catches! Burns is ok, he’s not great but I remember him doing ok against the Aussies over here. Malan should be there imo. 
 

Read that Crawley averages 11 since his 267!! His time has to be up. Hameed hopefully to play tomorrow, I think moeen will certainly play and they may push someone like bairstow up the order, not that I agree with that. 

[robf]

Here's where I put my foot in it... and England are thrashed...

I really like the current starting eleven. With the exception of Sibley (would have been nice to see Hameed open and Malan at three) it has a nice solid batting look down to number nine and nice variety in the bowling attack (two spin, one LH seam, one express pace, two fast-mediums)

Burns, Sibley, Hameed, Root, Bairstow, Buttler, Ali, Curran, Robinson, Wood, Anderson

[valiant_593]

Good 11, much better than the first test with the obvious exception of sibley. Does hameed ever bat at 3 in the counties? I feel they’re making the same mistake again by batting players out of position. As above, malan at 3 and hameed opening for sibley would be my choice. Where was ali in the last test? Why was Bess in that squad then completely dropped for this one? The whole selection is a bit odd at the moment. 
 

Should hopefully bowl them out cheaply given the conditions 

[Bycarsbill]

What a great decision this was Joe--win the toss insert India, get quick wickets. Whoops.....88-0 in less than 30 overs!!!!!!!

[valiant_593]

Bowling has been really poor so far. They have batted well but I don’t think it’s been too challenging considering the conditions. Not sure what Curran is doing with his bowling. All over the place. 

[robf]

5 minutes ago, valiant_593 said:

I don’t think it’s been too challenging considering the conditions.

Then again we'd probably be 60-4 if we'd batted first. Sibley 8 not out off 75 balls.

[Andy Proctor]

I know we are restricted with choice of bowlers with woakes stokes archer and broad out but surely there's a better Bowler than curran about. I dont think he is quick enough and concedes far too many runs. 

Regarding the number 3 position it could be worth giving malan or Vince another go in tests. I know there past records weren't great but I can remember mark butcher averaging 27 when he initially played for England. He got recalled a couple of years later and averaged 40 for the next 4 years and ended up with a mid 30s averages. So basically sometimes players perform better in there 2nd stint in the team get there nerves out the way ect.

[Guppys left peg]

Think got to give credit where it is due to India especially Rahul for the way he has batted. If that was one of our top order you just know they would have tried following one of those deliveries outside off stump and nicked off so great discipline from him.

As it happens I think England have selected as good a lineup as they could have done in the circumstances even if I think Sibley is lucky to keep his spot. Robinson and Jimmy have plugged away nicely. Just a shame Curran was leaking a lot of runs.

Just to add Roots use of DRS is absolutely hopeless. I thought the Aussies were bad with it in the last Ashes but he is wasting what is a vital part of the game constantly with at best speculative reviews.