Total cricket
Meanwhile in NZ, Gill has blown another chance. While Rohit and Dhawan continue to shit the bed upfront.
It was a very tough pitch. Can't blame him. Both of the times he has come in when both the openers have got out early.
Cricket
- Thread starter EdWeatherall
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It was a very tough pitch. Can't blame him. Both of the times he has come in when both the openers have got out early.
This has to be the worst England top order in living memory. Shit themselves with any real pace in the attack. If Denly, who i admit is a decent player in the shorter formats of the game is considered to be the best choice of opening the innings in test match cricket, we really are in serious trouble.
I was thinking this, compared to the 10/11 side that went to Australia and won 3 times by an innings there’s isn’t one that I would swap away from home(1-11 rather then swapping about positions). Back when England went with their best 6 batsmen then WK and best 4 bowlers.
Strauss
Cook
Trott
Pietersen
Bell
Collingwood
Prior
Bresnan
Swann
Tremlett
Anderson
I'd swap Stokes for Bresnan but yeah apart from that it's fairly one-sided.
That's pretty damning tbf. I know it's not just England who struggle away from home these days but the standard of test match cricket is very low atm.
I said this after England beat India. This team is nowhere near that 10/11 team.
The top 3 is the difference there really. Other than that England miss a specialist spinner and 90mph bowler but the top 3 is the key. I think Root, Bairstow/Buttler, Stokes, Foakes can match their counterparts in the 4,5,6,7 zone if they were coming in at 200-3 or something and not piss all for 5. Obviously they need to step up and they have a way to go to match the likes of Pietersen etc but the talent is there.
Having a non-event of a top 3 is so critical, that's not to say this side could emulate the 10/11 lot but there's definitely some talent within this side that is not being realised.
Bonus research
An average comparison for that 4,5,6,7 zone:
Pietersen 47.28 vs Root 49.23
Bell 42.69 vs Bairstow 37.29
Collingwood 40.6 vs Stokes 32.88
Prior 40.18 vs Foakes 41.5 (career avg 40.7)
When you think of the likes of Cook, Trott, Collingwood etc you think of players who got every last dreg out of their skillset. The entire England team is currently full of players who refuse to do so, test cricket is as much about choosing the players with the right mentality as it is about choosing players with talent.
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Don't think anyone ever suggested that.
I don't know why I made the post. But I do remember comparing the two sides and feel like it was because some one did, in fact, suggest that. Could be wrong.
Rohit, Dhawan, Kohli, Rayudu, Dhoni, Jadhav, Pandya, Chahal, Kuldeep, Shammi, Bumrah, Bhuvi, Kaul,DK,Jadeja/Shankar
What's everyone's realistic 15 for the world cup? Realistic because as much as you'd like to drop Dhoni, they're going to take him and its too late. Rayudu as well.
Need four pacers and I've picked Kaul.. don't like Khaleel nor Umesh. A back up middle order batsman in DK, who may end up staying come deep into the tournament and it is useful that he is a keeper. Pant hasnt played enough to make his case. A back up all rounder - this is where I am a little conflicted. Jadeja is the better player but I don't see good value in a spinning all rounder, especially one that is a finger spinner. Shankar made a case for himself today. Might even be worth giving Rahul and Pandey another go to make the 15th pick a backup batsman given how weak the middle order is.
What's everyone's realistic 15 for the world cup? Realistic because as much as you'd like to drop Dhoni, they're going to take him and its too late. Rayudu as well.
Need four pacers and I've picked Kaul.. don't like Khaleel nor Umesh. A back up middle order batsman in DK, who may end up staying come deep into the tournament and it is useful that he is a keeper. Pant hasnt played enough to make his case. A back up all rounder - this is where I am a little conflicted. Jadeja is the better player but I don't see good value in a spinning all rounder, especially one that is a finger spinner. Shankar made a case for himself today. Might even be worth giving Rahul and Pandey another go to make the 15th pick a backup batsman given how weak the middle order is.
If Shaw and Pant are good enough to be first choices for a test series in Australia, they're good enough for the world cup imo. Selection of recent teams has been woeful.
SA scored 73 runs in the last 5 overs 
Terrible captaincy to let Shinwari bowl out.
Terrible captaincy to let Shinwari bowl out.
Even if the selectors want to persist with Dhoni as the WK, surely there should be some room for Pant in there as a pure batsman? It’s not like he comes across as a long format specialist, he could be very destructive in an ODI as well.
Good start to the chase.
Babar has been the only positive for us from this tour.
Babar has been the only positive for us from this tour.
Jason Holder suspended for the third test for Windies slow over rate.
Never been that fussed about the over-rates and the issues it causes overall, but if you complain about that you can’t be upset about a test captain being banned.
Never been that fussed about the over-rates and the issues it causes overall, but if you complain about that you can’t be upset about a test captain being banned.
Terrific death bowling by SA. Pakistan should’ve won though after the platform set by Babar & Talat.
Our bowlers were useless. Slow wicket so the geniuses decided to bowl fast & short. Idiots.
Our bowlers were useless. Slow wicket so the geniuses decided to bowl fast & short. Idiots.
Rayadu sealed his spot in the first 11 with the 90 today on a tough wicket. I am pretty sure they will take the following
Rohit, Dhawan, Kohli, Rayadu, Dhoni, Jadhav, Hardik, Bhuvi, Bumrah, Chahal, Kuldeep, Shami, Karthik, Jadeja, Khaleel
Basically Karthik as backup batsmen/keeper, Jadeja as a back up allrounder/spinner and extra pacer in Khaleel since Kohli wants a left arm option.
@freeurmind - That last night Saffer's lineup. Is that your first choice now? Cos I couldn't recognise atleast 5-6 players in that team.
Also Ntini has to be the worst commentator I've ever heard.
Also Ntini has to be the worst commentator I've ever heard.
Quite a few were rested with the focus on ODIs given the World Cup coming up soon. I wouldn't classify what Ntini does as "commentary". No one can understand him and he's always laughing at his own jokes.
Babar Azam is class. Averaging 50+ in ODIs and T20Is. Had a shit start to his test career but averaging 50+ since the start of last year. Needs to up his power game and star regularly in winning chases, and he will make a strong case for being best of the rest after Kohli.
I swear Pakistan have a photo finish run out every year. Took the third umpire 15 minutes to decide which batsman was out
Finally made a decision after drawing a dodgy line.
Finally made a decision after drawing a dodgy line.
I swear Pakistan have a photo finish run out every year. Took the third umpire 15 minutes to decide which batsman was out
Finally made a decision after drawing a dodgy line.
I swear Pakistan have a photo finish run out every year. Took the third umpire 15 minutes to decide which batsman was out
Finally made a decision after drawing a dodgy line.
I swear Pakistan have a photo finish run out every year. Took the third umpire 15 minutes to decide which batsman was out
Finally made a decision after drawing a dodgy line.
Glad to see this VAR technician has found new employment:
Oh wow, every time England shuffle the squad you think 'they can't possibly make this any worse' and then boom
Absolutely laughable, chaotic, confused, selection. Even if it works, it's 'sling shit at the wall and hope it sticks' territory.
Absolutely laughable, chaotic, confused, selection. Even if it works, it's 'sling shit at the wall and hope it sticks' territory.
Oh wow, every time England shuffle the squad you think 'they can't possibly make this any worse' and then boom
Absolutely laughable, chaotic, confused, selection. Even if it works, it's 'sling shit at the wall and hope it sticks' territory.
Dobell has gone off his long run on Cricinfo about it.
Terrible selection from the selectors and then the coaches who seem to have given up. No proper back up opener and no proper number 3, Woakes has been injured for the entire tour and not been replaced and Leach has not been used at all. It's little wonder England play with such muddled thinking when there's so much muddled thinking around the selection.
For the 1st Ashes test I reckon England should go:
Burns
In-form opener
Vince
Root
In-form middle order batsman
Stokes
Foakes
Archer
Leach
Broad
Anderson
I actually don't mind Bairstow at three. He is a bit loose, but in his three games there he's got a hundred and a fifty. It seems insane to me to ditch that plan give him back the gloves and drop Foakes in favour of a man who has scored as many test hundreds as him in 25 more tests.
Woakes would be an absolute shoe in for me at home as well.
I don't mind Bairstow either, just gets bowled a bit too often for my liking. If he's in the team, he's at 5 and a specialist bat. Woakes and Mo go well at home so it would be close between Archer/Leach and Woakes/Mo.
Denly and Jennings might be the worst two batsmen I've seen for England since Ian Ward and Usman Afzaal.
Hopefully Foakes is replaced due to fitness, as he has scored more runs in his 5 test matches then Bairstow and Jennings have in their last 5
I like Foakes a lot and I think he has the potential to be a solid number 7. He has all the makings of a player who will get shunted about and later dropped by England though.
I'll never understand what England see in Jennings.
Jennings lucky twice in 3 balls, 1 LBW didn’t review, 1 dropped catch
Handy guy in a shipwreck. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/b...-jennings-shipwrecked-england-batting-failure
Jennings should be banned from driving
My word jennings. Hopefully thats the nail in the coffin for him.
We've got some difficult times ahead if Denly, Burns and Jennings are our best options at the top of the order
Some very difficult times
I'd imagine someone will be contacting Cook at some point this summer
Some very difficult times
I'd imagine someone will be contacting Cook at some point this summer
Ian Bell?
England top 3 gone with 69 on the board