The Cricket Thread. - Page 551

**DB83** · August 3rd, 2018, 10:33 PM

Today's pertinent Q's

1. Is Buttler really a test batsman ?

2. Who sleep's easiest tonight ?

3. Can England pull off an epic escape and actually win this ?

**victor meldrew** · August 3rd, 2018, 11:30 PM

Apart from Curran, nine others could join the Buttler ranks today.

Have to get Kohli out early, if he survives we go 1-0 down.

Root might struggle to sleep and Malan will be thinking 21,21,21.

**DB83** · August 4th, 2018, 10:26 PM

I was out 'n about today so did not see the live play or even the highlights.

I just hope the MOM was awarded to Curran since without those vital wickets in the 1st innings and the even more vital runs in the 2nd there simply would not have been a celebration in the English dressing-room today.

Pretty amazed just how fragile the Indian batting is - even more fragile than England. Kohli can not win these games on his own.

So will Malan be dropped on account of his poor all round performance. Or will he be given one more chance. No Rocky Stokes for the 2nd Test so who will come in for him ? Moeen ?

**victor meldrew** · August 4th, 2018, 11:22 PM

Curran MOM and deservedly so. Anderson got Karthik early on and when Stokes removed Kohli, it was just a matter of time.

**countjimmoriarty** · August 5th, 2018, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DB83

I was out 'n about today so did not see the live play or even the highlights.

I just hope the MOM was awarded to Curran since without those vital wickets in the 1st innings and the even more vital runs in the 2nd there simply would not have been a celebration in the English dressing-room today.

Pretty amazed just how fragile the Indian batting is - even more fragile than England. Kohli can not win these games on his own.

So will Malan be dropped on account of his poor all round performance. Or will he be given one more chance. No Rocky Stokes for the 2nd Test so who will come in for him ? Moeen ?

Ollie Pope of Surrey Brown Hatters in for Malan. Woakes recalled to squad for Stokes.

**themidlander** · August 6th, 2018, 04:22 PM

According to Middlesex friends the Lords wicket is very dry at the moment so I expect that Moeen will play instead of Stokes.....Mind you rain forecasted across the whole weekend!

**themidlander** · August 6th, 2018, 08:12 PM

See Jimmy Anderson is warming up to the next game but needs to work on his reaction time! https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/45085754

**DB83** · August 6th, 2018, 08:27 PM

^^ Must the first 'FOUR' he ever did score

**buttsie** · August 7th, 2018, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by judy84

At last back to real cricket.

I don't know as much as previous posters. Rashid does not appear to be the sharpest knife...however.

In test cricket he took 30 wickets in his last series against Bangladesh away. He wasn't picked for the ashes because Root didn't want him. Part of the reason the ashes was disastrous was because we didn't have a decent spinner.
I don't know who advises him but obviously he thought his test career was over (age 30) and thought he could go all round the world playing 1 day cricket making lots of money.
That didn't work out well did it?
England asked him to play...obviously he is going to say yes. Is it a slap in the face for county cricket? Yes but lets face it no spinner has consistently taken wickets. Bess, Crane, Leach...England even tried bringing back Batty. Would any of these be likely to get out the likes of Kohli and his mates cheaply?

I think Root is showing a lot of strength in admitting he might have been wrong. As they say in Football, maybe Rashid needs an arm round him to give him confidence and feel he belongs.
Whatever, if he does well I think he could play county cricket next year.

As previously said, I don't particularly like him, but there are a lot of players who I don't like. If they can do the job I overlook that.

England win the toss and bat.

Your going down the same path Australia went through post Shane Warne
In your case post Swann - those 2 guys were once in a generation spinners.

I reckon we went through about a dozen spinners before we settled on
under rated Lyon - the best off spinner in Australia by averages ever.

I think its time England started seriously looking for a spinner instead of the safe option of experienced older batting allrounders who bowl spin...
A bowling average of 40+ doesnt say much

I suspect having a brittle batting lineup with batting bunnies like Anderson & Broad (post bouncer)has had the wrong effect on selection.

Australian selectors had similar thoughts when they picked a number 11 bowler because he had a good batting technique instead of another who didnt....Jackson Bird over Chad Sayers...batting averages of both - ha ha

All the while i was thinking surely you pick the guy who takes wickets
in an economical fashion so pressure builds on the opposition.

randomname08 · August 7th, 2018, 12:33 PM

Looking at the current English batting line-up I have sympathy for the middle order. They're in the team, in theory, to score runs at a decent rate, taking the game away from the opposition. To do that properly they need the top of the order to do its job. They need the top three to blunt the bowling attack, take the shine off the ball and wear down the opposition. They're not doing that. The middle order are almost always in before lunch on the first day. When was the last time the middle order got a day off watching the openers fill their boots? I have to admit, I'd play safe by having a third opener in the team batting at 3 (my gut says Hameed though his recent scores aren't great), drop Root back down to 4, keep Bairstow at 5, Stokes at 6 (assuming he's a. not in the nick and b. not hit with a suspension by the game's high-ups). That looks more solid to me and lets Buttler be there at 7 to really accelerate. England usually have decent batting down to 9. With a solid start they will have more chance to scoreagainst a weary attack. Just my two-bob's-worth.

August 3rd, 2018, 10:33 PM	#5501
DB83 Vintage Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,472 Thanks: 1,948 Thanked 12,019 Times in 1,458 Posts	Today's pertinent Q's 1. Is Buttler really a test batsman ? 2. Who sleep's easiest tonight ? 3. Can England pull off an epic escape and actually win this ?

August 3rd, 2018, 11:30 PM	#5502
victor meldrew Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: At the bottom of an empty glass Posts: 15,788 Thanks: 532,101 Thanked 180,381 Times in 15,776 Posts	Apart from Curran, nine others could join the Buttler ranks today. Have to get Kohli out early, if he survives we go 1-0 down. Root might struggle to sleep and Malan will be thinking 21,21,21.

August 4th, 2018, 10:26 PM	#5503
DB83 Vintage Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,472 Thanks: 1,948 Thanked 12,019 Times in 1,458 Posts	I was out 'n about today so did not see the live play or even the highlights. I just hope the MOM was awarded to Curran since without those vital wickets in the 1st innings and the even more vital runs in the 2nd there simply would not have been a celebration in the English dressing-room today. Pretty amazed just how fragile the Indian batting is - even more fragile than England. Kohli can not win these games on his own. So will Malan be dropped on account of his poor all round performance. Or will he be given one more chance. No Rocky Stokes for the 2nd Test so who will come in for him ? Moeen ?

August 4th, 2018, 11:22 PM	#5504
victor meldrew Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: At the bottom of an empty glass Posts: 15,788 Thanks: 532,101 Thanked 180,381 Times in 15,776 Posts	Curran MOM and deservedly so. Anderson got Karthik early on and when Stokes removed Kohli, it was just a matter of time.

August 6th, 2018, 04:22 PM	#5506
themidlander Vintage Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: West Midlands Posts: 649 Thanks: 16,089 Thanked 11,018 Times in 644 Posts	According to Middlesex friends the Lords wicket is very dry at the moment so I expect that Moeen will play instead of Stokes.....Mind you rain forecasted across the whole weekend!

August 6th, 2018, 08:12 PM	#5507
themidlander Vintage Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: West Midlands Posts: 649 Thanks: 16,089 Thanked 11,018 Times in 644 Posts	See Jimmy Anderson is warming up to the next game but needs to work on his reaction time! https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/45085754

August 6th, 2018, 08:27 PM	#5508
DB83 Vintage Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,472 Thanks: 1,948 Thanked 12,019 Times in 1,458 Posts	^^ Must the first 'FOUR' he ever did score

August 7th, 2018, 12:33 PM	#5510
randomname08 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 144 Thanks: 875 Thanked 1,912 Times in 143 Posts	Looking at the current English batting line-up I have sympathy for the middle order. They're in the team, in theory, to score runs at a decent rate, taking the game away from the opposition. To do that properly they need the top of the order to do its job. They need the top three to blunt the bowling attack, take the shine off the ball and wear down the opposition. They're not doing that. The middle order are almost always in before lunch on the first day. When was the last time the middle order got a day off watching the openers fill their boots? I have to admit, I'd play safe by having a third opener in the team batting at 3 (my gut says Hameed though his recent scores aren't great), drop Root back down to 4, keep Bairstow at 5, Stokes at 6 (assuming he's a. not in the nick and b. not hit with a suspension by the game's high-ups). That looks more solid to me and lets Buttler be there at 7 to really accelerate. England usually have decent batting down to 9. With a solid start they will have more chance to scoreagainst a weary attack. Just my two-bob's-worth.