***Official*** England in India

[Jarquis]

Couldn't find a thread for this. If there was one, then sorry.

Tue Oct 30 - Thu Nov 1
09:30 local | 04:00 GMT
TBC v England XI
Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai

Sat Nov 3 - Mon Nov 5
09:30 local | 04:00 GMT
TBC v England XI
Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai

Thu Nov 8 - Sun Nov 11
09:30 local | 04:00 GMT
TBC v England XI
Sardar Patel Stadium B Ground, Motera, Ahmedabad

Thu Nov 15 - Mon Nov 19
09:30 local | 04:00 GMT
1st Test - India v England
Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad

Fri Nov 23 - Tue Nov 27
09:30 local | 04:00 GMT
2nd Test - India v England
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Wed Dec 5 - Sun Dec 9
09:00 local | 03:30 GMT
3rd Test - India v England
Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Thu Dec 13 - Mon Dec 17
09:30 local | 04:00 GMT
4th Test - India v England
Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur

Thu Dec 20
20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
1st T20I - India v England
Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium, Pune

Sat Dec 22
20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
2nd T20I - India v England
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Sun Jan 6
TBC v England XI
Feroz Shah Kotla, DelhiDelhi

Tue Jan 8
TBC v England XI
Harbax Singh Stadium, DelhiDelhi

Fri Jan 11
14:30 local | 09:00 GMT
1st ODI - India v England
Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot

Tue Jan 15
14:30 local | 09:00 GMT
2nd ODI - India v England
Nehru Stadium, Kochi

Sat Jan 19
14:30 local | 09:00 GMT
3rd ODI - India v England
HEC International Cricket Stadium Complex, Ranchi

Wed Jan 23
14:30 local | 09:00 GMT
4th ODI - India v England
Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala

Sun Jan 27
14:30 local | 09:00 GMT
5th ODI - India v England
Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh

England Test Squad :
Alastair Cook*, James Anderson, Johnny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Nick Compton, Steven Finn, Graham Onions, Eoin Morgan, Monty Panesar, Samit Patel, Matthew Prior, Joe Root, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott

 

[theegyptian]

Can't believe Morgan gets back in. Was **** in UAE - Has done nothing in FC cricket in the mean time

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Made up Joe Root is in, seeing as he is the only other opener he should be playing unless we open with Trott. Compton to replace Taylor at 6 by the look of it. Means we rely an awful lot on Cook, Trott and Bell but it is an exciting time with so many young players in the side and a new captain.

Bowling looks about right, might not have picked Patel though. Tredwell is perhaps a little unlucky.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Can't believe Morgan gets back in. Was **** in UAE - Has done nothing in FC cricket in the mean time

Rather have Morgan than Bopara.

 

[Jarquis]

Can't believe Morgan gets back in. Was **** in UAE - Has done nothing in FC cricket in the mean time

Yeah, my main issue with the squad too. Selectors obviously not over enamoured with Taylor... I wonder if they considered not dropping him following Pietersen's comments.

No Woakes in the EPP. Hopefully he gets a winter somewhere.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Pleased to see Compton get a candle. Think he'll add ballst to the middle order.

Still don't think it's 100% Root will open, both Trott and Bell have done it before and, as he's already played over a dozen tests, it makes no sense to take Eoin along for the experience, so one assumes he'll play. I guess that makes the sixth spot a straight choice between Compton and Root. Would prefer the former myself, although the latter's offies may tip the scales towards the young tyke.

Will we play two spinners? I'd imagine so, which does raise the four man or five man attack spectre. If it's the latter you'd think it'll be Sammy at seven with three seamers; the former Monty with two & Trott () as first change.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Just realised there's no specialist back up wickie either. Can't recall us not taking one before. Although I suppose Bairstow could take the gloves without too much drama if Matty gets a touch of the Jimmy Brits, so maybe the need isn't there.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

At least they have plenty of options available to them with this squad. Even without the bowling options of KP and Bopara we have a couple of bats in the squad who bowl and will be useful. If we pick a makeshift opener it probably has to be Compton as you would have a very weak middle order in terms of experience if we used Bell or Trott as all the experience would be gone by the fall of the 2nd wicket.

Gut feeling is we will stick to the tried and tested of 6 bats and 4 bowlers + Prior with Root and Trott as extra bowling options.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Can't believe Morgan gets back in. Was **** in UAE - Has done nothing in FC cricket in the mean time

Yep was just looking it up to see if he'd done anything. 109 runs in 7 innings for Middlesex, his one score of 71 in a total of 491. Absolutely hideous selection. Sends out all the wrong messages to persistently pick someone who has shown to be not up to Test cricket and is barely good enough for First Class cricket.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Yep was just looking it up to see if he'd done anything. 109 runs in 7 innings for Middlesex, his one score of 71 in a total of 491. Absolutely hideous selection. Sends out all the wrong messages to persistently pick someone who has shown to be not up to Test cricket and is barely good enough for First Class cricket.

Least we have no Bopara though. Would have been a huge risk to go with Taylor, Root, Compton and Bairstow knowing 3 would have to play and possibly all 4 if Ding Dong comes home to see his baby born.

 

[uvelocity]

jeezarse, drop taylor just like that? not even take him over there. your selectors are all over the shop

 

[theegyptian]

I think in reality england would have liked to pick Strauss, Pietersen and Bopara for this tour. But because of retirement, contract/team harmony and mental breakdown respectively they really have not many viable options left.

As flibber says it probably they just need a bit of experience. Morgan doesn't deserve it but he gets lucky because of the fate of Strauss, KP and Bops. Lets hope he shines although i sincerely doubt it.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Least we have no Bopara though. Would have been a huge risk to go with Taylor, Root, Compton and Bairstow knowing 3 would have to play and possibly all 4 if Ding Dong comes home to see his baby born.

There are several dozen players who would be ahead of Morgan as cover. If they Morgan has turned a corner somehow he should have to prove it by actually scoring some runs in the 4 day stuff for a change.

The most important thing about the selection is as I say it sends out all the wrong messages.

 

[wpdavid]

Time for Cook, Bell & Trott to stand up and be counted again. And it's been a while.

The batting looks horrible, but we have a tendency of doing better in India than we've looked on paper, so who knows. Taylor's unlucky in one sense, but his record this season doesn't scream out for selection. Totally agree with Scaly about Morgan, whose 'experience' amounts to barely making a score in the UAE. I don't think that Bell will open - we need some genuine experience in the middle order when their spinners are on a roll.

 

[morgieb]

Root's a surprise pick. Wouldn't it be easier to stick with Taylor?

 

[wpdavid]

Root's a surprise pick. Wouldn't it be easier to stick with Taylor?

Different positions, with Root being an opener. It's Morgan and Compton who have replaced Taylor.

 

[MW1304]

Not at all happy with the squad. As many have mentioned, Morgan has done nothing whatsoever to deserve selection; is probably surprised himself, which tells you all you need to know. Opening with Trott is not a viable option, especially after the dip in form he's suffered over the past year or so, it can hardly help his own problems to shift him up the order. Fortunately I don't think this will happen, taking two potential openers in Root and Compton with us. Unfortunately I think we'll open with Root and play Compton at 5/6 which isn't the way I would go. Root does not look ready for international cricket, let alone Test cricket.. Leaving Taylor out is a horrible u-turn, I don't care what his Lions record in the subcontinent is like, if you have put faith in him for two matches before a tour of India, to then discard him completely is absurd. And for Morgan. Yuck.

So yeah, not overly optimistic as per.

 

[fredfertang]

I can see the selectors' dilemma but Morgan for Taylor is a real kick in the teeth for Taylor - that apart I've seen worse, though I can't imagine Samit and Monty are going to play much and certainly not together - would have liked to see a gamble taken on Borthwick

 

[BoyBrumby]

Taylor did look out of his depth in the two tests he played. Personally I think that's more than enough to garner an idea where a player is in terms of development and basic talent.

I don't necessarily agree with Morgan's selection, but one can kind of see the logic in light of Strauss's retirement, Pietersen's flounce/dispute and Bopara's ongoing softcockery/lack of form. He can (note the emphasis) play spin well (in fact, next to Trott, he's probably the best equipped to do so in the squad who've actually played more than half-a-dozen tests) & has scored vital runs in internationals.

The trouble is that he's not in prime nick (getting there, but not yet arrived), has barely scored a first class run all summer and was woeful in the UAE.

 

[honestbharani]

Cook (c)
Root
Trott
Bell
Morgan
Prior (wk)
Patel
Broad (vc)
Swann
Anderson
Finn


Looks a pretty solid line up to me... Would this be the likely XI as things stand?