The Road to the 2009 Ashes

[tooextracool]

As for Cook, his weakness isn't against erratic pace and bounce, it's against the full ball that moves a bit in the air. SA failed to deliver it consistently, but Chaminda Vaas had a great time with it not so long ago. I'd fancy Zaheer Khan to have some success in the next series too.

Cook has 2 glaring technical faults. One is that he continuously plays around his front pad, and this makes him an obvious lbw candidate to the full swinging ball. This weakness was exposed by as unlikely a candidate as Saurav Ganguly in England. This is a problem with many left handers and its an issue that is very very difficult to iron out as it involves a serious overhaul of your technique.

His second fault is that with minimal footwork he usually prods at deliveries wide of offstump. Its important to note that when he defends deliveries that are angled away from him, he tends to play almost square on with his bat facing cover rather than the bowler. This makes him an easy caught behind target as well. This was continually exposed by McGrath and Clark in Australia.

Personally, I dont think a left hander such as Zaheer Khan is the best candidate to exploit these faults. Whilst Zaheer can swing the ball either way, the angle with which he does it from over the wicket makes it fairly easy to flick a full away swinger down the legside. Similarly, a right hander who bowls from over the wicket is likely to be better at angling the ball away from the right hander and exploiting his poor footwork than a left handed bowler. Perhaps Ishant might be the best candidate to exploit the latter weakness.

 

[Woodster]

The line I expect India to bowl is around that off stump. While you are scrutinising his faults, let us not forget the strengths he has that hsa taken him to 7 Test centuries already. Off his pads he is very strong, anything around the hip region he works expertly square on the leg side, and he is very quick on anything slightly short. His pulling is full of authority and he cuts well through backward point.

Trying to him on the pads in front is an option early on, like most batsman the feet are not moving too fluently at the start of an innings. The longer he stays there, the more chance he will work you off his pads, so for India I expect them to plug away on a line just outside off stump.

 

[Uppercut]

Cook has 2 glaring technical faults. One is that he continuously plays around his front pad, and this makes him an obvious lbw candidate to the full swinging ball. This weakness was exposed by as unlikely a candidate as Saurav Ganguly in England. This is a problem with many left handers and its an issue that is very very difficult to iron out as it involves a serious overhaul of your technique.

His second fault is that with minimal footwork he usually prods at deliveries wide of offstump. Its important to note that when he defends deliveries that are angled away from him, he tends to play almost square on with his bat facing cover rather than the bowler. This makes him an easy caught behind target as well. This was continually exposed by McGrath and Clark in Australia.

Personally, I dont think a left hander such as Zaheer Khan is the best candidate to exploit these faults. Whilst Zaheer can swing the ball either way, the angle with which he does it from over the wicket makes it fairly easy to flick a full away swinger down the legside. Similarly, a right hander who bowls from over the wicket is likely to be better at angling the ball away from the right hander and exploiting his poor footwork than a left handed bowler. Perhaps Ishant might be the best candidate to exploit the latter weakness.

Yeah, wouldn't disagree with any of that, i just said Zaheer because he's more of a full-pitching swing bowler than Ishant and Cook's footwork is so poor that it can be exploited from any angle, as suggested by my example of Chaminda Vaas. Really you'd expect either pace bowler to have success against Cook, but i've been saying this before every series he's played for a long time and he usually still scores a solid amount of runs.

 

[morgieb]

England regains the Ashes in 2009 (What if)

Tongue in cheek prediction of Ashes 2009 in the Telegraph

LOL @ that article
I cracked up, but the article's so bad it's funny.

 

[Burgey]

Good to see England passing the nefarious habits of their internation team onto their other teams:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24810833-5006784,00.html

They just can't stoop too low this mob.

 

[aussie]

Predicted 1st test XI's at this stage:

ENGLAND:

Strauss
Cook
Bell
KP
Collingwood
Flintoff
Prior
Swann
Sidebottom
Harmison
Anderson


AUSTRALIA:

Katich
M Hussey
Ponting
Hodge
Clarke
D Hussey
Haddin
Noffke
Johnson
Siddle
Clark

 

[Simon]

I dont think we'll move Hussey to the top of the order, I reckon for an Ashes series we'll go with Jaques or Rogers. Symonds will probably get picked if he's fit and there will no doubt be a token spinner in there. Hauritz will be one, McGain if hes fit, if not then Krejza will go.

edit: also on the fitness thing, Lee will be picked too if hes ready.

 

[Johnners]

Predicted 1st test XI's at this stage:

ENGLAND:

Strauss
Cook
Bell
KP
Collingwood
Flintoff
Prior
Swann
Sidebottom
Harmison
Anderson


AUSTRALIA:

Katich
M Hussey
Ponting
Hodge
Clarke
D Hussey
Haddin
Noffke
Johnson
Siddle
Clark

For the 3 millionth time, Noffke won't be picked. He's out of favour with Ponting & the selectors, and out with a back injury every other day.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Katich
Jaques
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
<lol anyone>
Haddin
Lee/Hauritz
Johnson
Clark
Siddle

Will be the 11 (10). I don't think anyone, including the selectors at this stage, has any idea who will bat 6 for the Ashes.

 

[aussie]

For the 3 millionth time, Noffke won't be picked. He's out of favour with Ponting & the selectors, and out with a back injury every other day.

Nope for the second time. On the injuries do you literally mean every other day or are you just over-exaggerating his current temporary injury woes?

 

[aussie]

I dont think we'll move Hussey to the top of the order, I reckon for an Ashes series we'll go with Jaques or Rogers.

Yea an opener is likely to get the nod. But Hodge no doubt has an equal claim to replace Hayden as any opener. Picking him does give the line-up a stronger look too.

Symonds will probably get picked if he's fit and there will no doubt be a token spinner in there. Hauritz will be one, McGain if hes fit, if not then Krejza will go..

Looking at the squads from 2001 & 2005. 17 went in 01 & 16 in 05. This time around i reckon 17 will go given competition & lack of sureity within the starting XI's.

So two spinners should be picked yea. I'd hope come the Ashes they go for Krejza as the attacking option & McGain as the defensive spinner over Haurtiz.

edit: also on the fitness thing, Lee will be picked too if hes ready.

Most likely. But i am preparing myself for something unexpected to happen with Lee TBH (although i generally hope he comes back firing).

 

[Johnners]

Pretty sure I'm not the only one who has said to you that Noffke won't be picked for the aforementioned reasons. Re: Injuries, he's been hampered by injury throughout his career, but his back has prevented him from playing for QLD since the end of November, and he missed a few games even before that.

 

[aussie]

You & Jack brought it to my attention a few days ago in the AUS/SA series thread.

Edit: Plus i don't think Noffke has ever really been affected by injuries "throughout" his career TBH. This is first season i can remember since about 2001 when he first was involved with the national team, that he has been down injured for so long.

QSL FC bowling attack always had Noffke/Kasper/Bichel/Dawes pretty consistently.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Hmm, it'd be a pretty good contest between Hodge and Noffke to see who is least likely to get picked. Hodge's time has gone.

Reckon that they're pretty keen to pick Jaques, especially with his experience in English conditions. Pretty much agree with dontcloseyoureyes' XI.

 

[Chimpdaddy]

Will be the 11 (10). I don't think anyone, including the selectors at this stage, has any idea who will bat 6 for the Ashes.

Symonds if he is fit or if the play Hauritz, probably a bowling all-rounder.

-Chimpdaddy-

 

[Uppercut]

Surely Symonds is the first choice number 6?

Katich
Jaques
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Symonds
Haddin
Johnson
Lee
Clark
McGain

Is what i'd predict (half in hope w.r.t McGain)

England will probably go for the same team they have now.

Strauss
Cook
Bell (what does he need to do to get dropped?)
Pietersen
Collingwood
Flintoff
Prior
Broad
Harmison
Anderson
Panesar

Hopefully they pick Sidebottom though.

 

[Penguinissimo]

Bell (what does he need to do to get dropped?)

If Bell plays in the Ashes I might have to kill somebody. Here is a list of better options (in my order of preference):

1. Vaughan - will make almost as many pretty 20s, but will probably convert one or two into big, game-changing scores.

2. Owais Shah - technique may be a bit suspect, but at least he has the grit and mental strength to cope.

3. Recall Ramps for-one-summer-only.

4. Ravi Bopara - if we're going to have someone who might be good in the future, let's have someone a bit younger who might actually be good in the future.

5. Rob Key - at least if he fails we can all laugh at him and he can't sit in Sky studios any more looking smug.

 

[Penguinissimo]

My team (if I had to pick for the first Test now, and assuming full fitness) would be:

Strauss (c)
Cook
Vaughan
Pietersen
Collingwood
Flintoff
Prior
Broad
Sidebottom
Harmison
Panesar

 

[pup11]

Aussie team for the 1st Ashes test

1.Simon Katich
2.Phil Jaques
3.Ricky Ponting (c)
4.Mike Hussey
5.Michael Clarke
6.Andrew Symonds
7.Brad Haddin (wk)
8.Mitchell Johnson
9.Brett Lee
10.Nathan Hauritz
11.Stuart Clark

Would have McGain ahead of Hauritz, if he shows good form and fitness in the domestic games.

English team for the 1st Ashes test

1.Andrew Strauss (c)
2.Alistair Cook
3.Michael Vaughan/ Ian Bell
4.Kevin Pietersen
5.Paul Collingwood
6.Andrew Flintoff
7.James Foster (wk)
8.Graeme Swann
9.Steve Harmison
10.James Anderson
11.Ryan Sidebottom

If Bell makes runs against the Windies, then obviously he saves his place in the team, but if he doesn't then, other options should be looked at, and the most strong ones would be Shah and Vaughan, both would have to score a few runs for their counties though, in order to present a strong case for their selection.

Swann has looked like a better option than MSP, Panesar i guess needs to go back to drawing board and work on his bowling imo.

No place for Matt Prior in my English team, would have prefered Read to take his place, but since he has gone to the ICL, Foster seems to the next best option.

 

[superkingdave]

WI tour will make things clearer...it is looking like it might end up being a choice between Broad/Panesar and Swann/Anderson or Harmison.

Anyway congrats to Jimmy on the birth of his first child