*Official* England in Bangladesh

[King Pietersen]

Is this Shakib or has a sixth wicket gone? Cricinfo on fritz. Hate having no coverage.

Shakib got out bowled to Swanny. Hossain and Iqbal at the crease now.

 

[GIMH]

Is this Shakib or has a sixth wicket gone? Cricinfo on fritz. Hate having no coverage.

Went to the third umpire when it looked like the batsman had hit the ball onto his foot. Twas inconclusive though.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Shakib got out bowled to Swanny. Hossain and Iqbal at the crease now.

Yeah, the update showed Shakib was gone, but when TTBoy said "Done" & GIMH said "Out IMHO" I wondered if another had fallen after him. As Cricinfo back on now it looks like one went to the third ump, but was given NO.

 

[Aritro]

Such a tame performance from Bangladesh.

They do have young and talented batsman, but you do wonder if they are going anywhere? Mid 30's averages for your best batsman is nothing short of a disgrace. As good as Shakib Al Hasan can be, that shot looked worse than a Tasmanian 2nd XI tailender taking a swing towards the end of the innings.

The players with the mid 30s averages have all improved ftheir averages from mid 20s ones this time last year. There's four players in this line-up who've really started hitting their straps as test batsmen in the last 12 months and should be fairly well established players in the next 12-18 months IMO

 

[wpdavid]

Looking ahead, I wonder whether they'll go for five bowlers in the next tests given the lack of threat from two of the guys playing in this one and Broad's recent back injury. Possibly with Prior opening the batting?

 

[Noble One]

The players with the mid 30s averages have all improved ftheir averages from mid 20s ones this time last year. There's four players in this line-up who've really started hitting their straps as test batsmen in the last 12 months and should be fairly well established players in the next 12-18 months IMO

Improvement on last year yes. But this feeling that the Bangladesh top order will improve seems to have followed Bangladesh since inception into Test cricket. Many thought that the last crop Saleh, Iqbal, Ahmed, Ashraful and Kopali where to become the established stars and lead Bangladesh forward. The same issues faced by the last group are present today, especially lack of temperament, ability to form partnerships and shot selection.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Looking ahead, I wonder whether they'll go for five bowlers in the next tests given the lack of threat from two of the guys playing in this one and Broad's recent back injury. Possibly with Prior opening the batting?

Big ask to open and keep wicket in tests, IMHO. Be happier to move Trott up a spot myself if we go that way.

 

[Aritro]

Improvement on last year yes. But this feeling that the Bangladesh top order will improve seems to have followed Bangladesh since inception into Test cricket. Many thought that the last crop Saleh, Iqbal, Ahmed, Ashraful and Kopali where to become the established stars and lead Bangladesh forward. The same issues faced by the last group are present today, especially lack of temperament, ability to form partnerships and shot selection.

I think comparision to that rather sorry crop of batsmen does a huge disservice to the genuinely stand-out improvement that Tamim, Shakib, Mahmudullah and Mushfiq have made since we played South Africa away in late 2008- especialy in those areas you mentioned. I'll pull some stats when I have time.

 

[irfan]

Still would like to see Shahriar in there somewhere (inspite of his indifferent form) in place of that no-hoper Kayes. Nucleus of a good batting lineup though, hopefully Raqibul does a 180 on his retirement - severely needed in that middle order

 

[NUFAN]

Tamim fastest Bangladeshi to 1000 Test runs and 3rd batsman of all-time to reach 1000 at the age of 20.

What a champ! Why couldn't Shakib have just stuck around..

 

[Goughy]

Looking ahead, I wonder whether they'll go for five bowlers in the next tests given the lack of threat from two of the guys playing in this one and Broad's recent back injury. Possibly with Prior opening the batting?

Only way to learn is to take a role of responsibility. No point playing young players if you are going to give them reduced expectations. If England have to change their team composition because 2 bowlers are not threatening enough against Bangladesh then its pretty much a clear sign that they are not quite ready for Test cricket.

Id make no change. Id challenge them to take resonsibility, make a statement and step up to the challenege.

Also, just to restate, God only knows how Bresnan plays Test cricket and how some on here rate him. Nice action but is unskilled, unproven and unexceptional at this level.

 

[Shoggz]

Swanneh's average has just dipped under the 30 mark I see.

Having said that, I didn't think today was his best day TBH. Even his first over wicket was a tad fortuitous!

His delivery to get rid of Shakib was class mind..

 

[The_roc]

Big ask to open and keep wicket in tests, IMHO. Be happier to move Trott up a spot myself if we go that way.

Or leave the top 5 as they are and drop Bell?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Or leave the top 5 as they are and drop Bell?

<<<<<<<<<<Still chiming for Ding Dong, me.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Carberry has to be the one to go if you make any changes. Bell is doing a perfectly good job at six right now, and this is coming from someone who has probably called for him to go more times than anyone else...

 

[TT Boy]

Just let Broad open or something. Worse players have scored test hundreds opening in the subcontinent and he looks infinitely more accomplished against pace. No point dicking around with the middle order when it is set.

 

[wpdavid]

Just let Broad open or something. Worse players have scored test hundreds opening in the subcontinent and he looks infinitely more accomplished against pace. No point dicking around with the middle order when it is set.

Totally agreed about not messing around the middle order. And I wondered about Broad opening too after Brumby's point about keepers not doing that in test matches. Not the worst suggestion we'll read this year by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[fredfertang]

Well worth a try - bit hard on Carberry but he's hardly one for the future

 

[grecian]

I'm with Goughy here, the shape of the side is the one we want to keep with. If we think, Finn, Bresnan and Carberry are the men, then after two days of dominance why would we change that balance?

Carberry should play again, and if Finn and Bresnan can't take the wickets, pick the other two seamers.

Still think Hoggard would be better then most of our seamers, but that ain't gonna happen I'm afraid.

 

[Goughy]

Still think Hoggard would be better then most of our seamers, but that ain't gonna happen I'm afraid.

Oh without a doubt. As are others I will not name