*Official* Third Test at Edgbaston

[Stapel]

FFS. I hope they leave bell at 3 until Trott comes back.

Worse still if Bopara gets a score and Morgan doesn't he could usurp him. They're both not ideal but i don't want Bopara near the team. His dismissals in the 09 Ashes were horrid.

The fact that Bopara was (rightfully) judged to be no Test player in 2009, doesn't mean he cannot be one now. I guess he should be judged on FC averages, contributions, and dismissals over the last few months?

I don't have a proper overview, but I can't really think of too many impressive FC innings.

 

[Jarquis]

The fact that Bopara was (rightfully) judged to be no Test player in 2009, doesn't mean he cannot be one now. I guess he should be judged on FC averages, contributions, and dismissals over the last few months?

I don't have a proper overview, but I can't really think of too many impressive FC innings.

There was one about a fortnight ago tbh

 

[Spark]

England selectors doing their best to keep the series lively, I see.

 

[Howe_zat]

Oh dear.

Defending Ravi is getting more and more difficult as it goes along.

 

[morgieb]

wtf is with England's fascination with Bopara? Call up Hildy or Taylor ffs.

 

[FBU]

Zaheer Khan should sort dozy Bopara out pretty quickly. Sri Lanka A didn't have much trouble.

 

[MW1304]

The fact that Bopara was (rightfully) judged to be no Test player in 2009, doesn't mean he cannot be one now. I guess he should be judged on FC averages, contributions, and dismissals over the last few months?

I don't have a proper overview, but I can't really think of too many impressive FC innings.

He's had a few really good innings, including a big hundred on a really tough pitch where pretty much everyone else completely failed in every innings. Funnily enough, it was against Leicestershire, and James Taylor got out for 19 and 0, it must have been the clincher for the selectors. Trouble is, these big scores have been interspersed with long periods of rubbishness - one of them came after Morgan was picked ahead of him for the Tests, which suggests he loses confidence quite easily.

Taylor is a much better player, if you ask me, but obviously Ravi did just enough to be picked.

 

[Neil Pickup]

I have often wondered what it would take to get me to support five bowlers. This is the answer.

Bresnan's Test batting average is higher than Bopara's anyway.

 

[Top_Cat]

Have seen Bopara bat a fair bit and I reckon he's a big match player. Technically, can look pretty ugly sometimes (especially to balls coming back into him) but I reckon the appealing part of him to the English selectors is that he'll put the oppo on the back-foot and press hard if he gets a start because he's a ****y ****. Not surprised he's in and around the squad all the time.

 

[Uppercut]

I wouldn't say he looks "ugly" technically. Just loose and unsure.

 

[GIMH]

Yep. Five bowlers. Please.

 

[MW1304]

Have seen Bopara bat a fair bit and I reckon he's a big match player. Technically, can look pretty ugly sometimes (especially to balls coming back into him) but I reckon the appealing part of him to the English selectors is that he'll put the oppo on the back-foot and press hard if he gets a start because he's a ****y ****. Not surprised he's in and around the squad all the time.

He had 4 pretty big game Ashes Tests and failed miserably in every single one of them.

 

[Howe_zat]

I've just realised Ravi might have been picked in part for his bowling. If they leave out Bres and expect Bopara to bowl, I swear I will find Geoff Miller and set him on fire.

 

[Spark]

Yeah find the "big game" tag interesting, given that that's when he's looked the most hopeless (WC match aside)

 

[Howe_zat]

He had 4 pretty big game Ashes Tests and failed miserably in every single one of them.

Doesn't "Press hard when he gets a start" either. It's practically his defining characteristic to give it away on 24. Really don't know where Top_Cat was coming from here.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

I've just realised Ravi might have been picked in part for his bowling. If they leave out Bres and expect Bopara to bowl, I swear I will find Geoff Miller and set him on fire.

Thats true. So instead of having Trott Bowl 5 overs of filth from the 70th over on we now have Bopara.

 

[Top_Cat]

He had 4 pretty big game Ashes Tests and failed miserably in every single one of them.

Yeah two years ago. That's not enough to write off a bloke in his mid-20's 4 lyf.

I'm not saying I'm a fan, by the way, just saying I can see why the English selectors always keep him in the bank. He's not a fulfilled talent but I reckon I can see why, if he ever does kick off, he'll be tough to stop (for a while). See blokes like him all the time who just look likely if given opportunities. Some come good (KP), some don't.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Have seen Bopara bat a fair bit and I reckon he's a big match player. Technically, can look pretty ugly sometimes (especially to balls coming back into him) but I reckon the appealing part of him to the English selectors is that he'll put the oppo on the back-foot and press hard if he gets a start because he's a ****y ****. Not surprised he's in and around the squad all the time.

Try watching him when you're sober then. Big match player. He's the complete opposite. The only meaningful innings he's ever scored for England is in the World Cup where he got 60odd against South Africa. He's a ****ing disgraceful selection. Now there's absolutely no point whatsoever in playing 6 batsmen. Because that guy can't ****ing bat and he'd be behind Bresnan and Broad at the very least. He's proven it time after time after time regardless of the format he's ****ing ****e. I'm sure Boycott has some Indian qualified ancestors who've risen as zombies because they fancy a bowl at the airy fairy bottler. To put it simply: He has a rubbish temperament and rubbish technique. He'd fit in nicely for the Zimbabwe v Bangladesh Test match, but should not be allowed anywhere near the no. 1 Test side.

Again simply a ****ing disgraceful selection. Stokes and Taylor have more class in their toenail clippings than Bopara will ever have.

Oh and Bopara's bowling will go for 4-5 an over, as it always does because he's an expensive bowler who likes no-balls. It's a non-factor.

 

[BlazeDragon]

Including Bopara would do nothing but hurt the team at this point. Bresnan seems like a better batsman in tests anyways.

They should go with Tremlett if he is fit. Hell I would even take Finn.

 

[FBU]

Try watching him when you're sober then. Big match player. He's the complete opposite. The only meaningful innings he's ever scored for England is in the World Cup where he got 60odd against South Africa. He's a ****ing disgraceful selection. Now there's absolutely no point whatsoever in playing 6 batsmen. Because that guy can't ****ing bat and he'd be behind Bresnan and Broad at the very least. He's proven it time after time after time regardless of the format he's ****ing ****e. I'm sure Boycott has some Indian qualified ancestors who've risen as zombies because they fancy a bowl at the airy fairy bottler. To put it simply: He has a rubbish temperament and rubbish technique. He'd fit in nicely for the Zimbabwe v Bangladesh Test match, but should not be allowed anywhere near the no. 1 Test side.

Again simply a ****ing disgraceful selection. Stokes and Taylor have more class in their toenail clippings than Bopara will ever have.

Oh and Bopara's bowling will go for 4-5 an over, as it always does because he's an expensive bowler who likes no-balls. It's a non-factor.

Which of Bopara's batting partners is he going to run out? How many misfields and dropped catches?