*Official* 2nd Test at Lord's

[Gob]

Smith's played like half a dozen innings as good or better than Kholi in Adelaide

Think he is talking about the 2nd innings knock

Centurion,WACA,SCG,Sabina Park were g00d from Smitteh but Virat did it while chasing so probably better

 

[Son Of Coco]

Can we put the silly competition between Smith and Root to bed now after this test? Root is ok with the bat, but I think it puts too much pressure on the young bloke to compare him to someone who is currently soaring back to the top of the world batting rankings strapped to a rocket. He should be allowed to spend this series standing in the field watching and learning as TPC schools him on how to build an innings that lasts longer than it takes to get an take away ice cream from the McDonald's drive through whilst ordering in a put on adult's voice.

Let young Joe watch and learn in peace, without all the pressure of being the next second best thing. This, my fellow cricket lovers, is all I ask of you.

 

[Son Of Coco]

And let me also take this opportunity to graciously accept the English congratulations on our win. As there are still 3 more tests to go I don't think there is any need to lapse into hyperbole or get carried away with what just transpired over the last 3 days. May the best cricket win.

 

[Son Of Coco]

My apologies. It was 4 days. It all happened so fast.

 

[harsh.ag]

Your idea of real has been seen only a handful of times in my years of watching cricket in England. When does it stop becoming real and start to become unusual?

First of, it's not my idea. It was kirkut's. Second of, I agree that there is no such thing as a real English pitch, or a real Aussie pitch, or a real subcontinent pitch.

 

[Howsie]

None of the other 3 have played an innings as good as Kohli in Adelaide.

And anyway, I need a Rahane highlight reel now.

3rd Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Bridgetown, Jun 26-30, 2014 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Anyway Ballance needs to go. Push Root up to three, he's only going to waste at five. And perhaps bring in either Bairstow or Taylor? and slot them in at five.

 

[Compton]

Root at 3, Taylor at 5.

 

[Hurricane]

Bairstow????

I think his eminence Brumby used to make quips when people who weren't in the team suddenly had a halo placed around them following a demolition. Promotion of the uninvolved etc...

 

[Gob]

Can we put the silly competition between Smith and Root to bed now after this test? Root is ok with the bat, but I think it puts too much pressure on the young bloke to compare him to someone who is currently soaring back to the top of the world batting rankings strapped to a rocket. He should be allowed to spend this series standing in the field watching and learning as TPC schools him on how to build an innings that lasts longer than it takes to get an take away ice cream from the McDonald's drive through whilst ordering in a put on adult's voice.

Let young Joe watch and learn in peace, without all the pressure of being the next second best thing. This, my fellow cricket lovers, is all I ask of you.

r00t has to push himself to #3 for the competition to start.

Btw it would be great if r00t goes to 3 cos then all Williamson,r00t and Smitteh are batting at #3 while Virat is hiding at #4

 

[wpdavid]

Bairstow????

I think his eminence Brumby used to make quips when people who weren't in the team suddenly had a halo placed around them following a demolition. Promotion of the uninvolved etc...

Up to a point, but this has more to do with Bairstow's performances in the CC this year. Apart from maintaining a fairly stellar average, it's a significant improvement on what he's done previously. Plus there have been several occasions when he's made hundreds when his team were struggling, so he's not simply cashing in when the going is easy.

I doubt whether anyone thinks that changing one of the middle order will turn this around for England. It's probably been said before, but this doesn't feel like one all, any more than Brisbane felt like only one nil. And I think it's pretty obvious that the wretched state of our domestic game means that the players just aren't out there to turn this around. But I do object to Ian Bell holding onto a place despite almost two years of mediocrity, and I also think we might as well start building for the future. So it's Bairstow for Bell, with Root batting at four. Better judges than me reckon that Ballance's technique means he won't turn it around, so maybe Hales at 3, although I'm loathe to drop him on the basis of four poor tests after his first year at this level. And if we're going to drop Lythe after four tests, we might as well give up and go back the 1980s.

But there need to be a heck of a lot of stray cricket balls in the Edgbaston out-field if we're going to be competitive next time. Especially if we're going to produce tracks designed to neuter our own quicks. The only other alternative is to prepare dry crumblers, bring in Rashid for one of the quicks and pray that we win the toss on two occasions out of three.

 

[King Pietersen]

They need to stick with Lyth. We've chopped and changed at the top far too much. He scored a ton against NZ, we have to stick with him for at least the entirety of the series.

Personally, I think we should bring Bairstow and Hales into the side, and drop Bell and Ballance. The XI I'd then pick would be:

Cook
Lyth
Hales
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Buttler
Moeen
Broad
Wood
Jimmeh

 

[Bahnz]

I do think that Lyth does deserve at least one more test, if only for the novelty of having a 47 year old playing test cricket.

 

[harsh.ag]

The change also has to do with how fresh faces have a more relaxed mental state. Even if Bairstow isn't better than Ballance in absolute terms, he will probably end up scoring more runs.

As a neutral, I was/am quite sad at how England treated Carberry, Compton, and Robson. Any of them were good for a decent run of tests, I felt. But that's not the case with Ballance. Needs to play more domestic.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Agree with Carberry and Compton, thought they did a serviceable job... not Robson though. Don't rate him at all, and the way he kept getting out outside off was woeful to watch.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Bairstow????

I think his eminence Brumby used to make quips when people who weren't in the team suddenly had a halo placed around them following a demolition. Promotion of the uninvolved etc...

Nobody is saying he is the saviour but his record this year is outstanding. 5 tons in 7 championship games and a matchwinning knock in his only ODI. Nobody else making as good a case to get selected as he is so he deserves another go.

 

[King Pietersen]

I didn't rate Bairstow at all until his ODi innings. Much like Stokes he had an awful year last year, and didn't look anything like International standard. Both have gone away though and been exceptional. Bairstow is the best batsman on the county circuit right now, and if anyone deserves to be added to the squad right now, it's Bairstow.

 

[adub]

As a decidedly non neutral observer I can't see a good solution for the pomgolians. If Bairstow is the best option you've got then maybe sticking tight for one more test is the way to go. It certainly looks that 3 of your top 4 are just not up to it at this moment but throwing the whole top order out and starting again isn't really an option.

Bell and Root are probably the two guys that they need to ask to step up but both have massive question marks. Root has been killing it at 5, but he got super lucky in Cardiff and was pretty easily seen off in both innings at Lords. I think Australia's quicks will prove to be simply too good for him if he were batting top three again, but it might just be that England need to try it and hope he does a TPC. Bell is looking for all the world like a man who should be joining Trott, Prior and Swann in the retirement home. But without better options to turn to they might really have to just put it to him to step up in a time of need. He certainly kicked our arses in 13 so he can do it. Maybe the challenge will lift him. Certainly he should be challenged to step up a spot or two and lift or he's for the chop.

So for me the only thing England can really do is put the responsibility on Root and Bell to help out Cook in the top three. If 2 of the three of them can stick in for a bit it will make life enormously easier for the middle order and they can put some pressure back on Australia. If you keep being 3/sfa Root and Stokes aren't going to keep saving you. It's high risk, but probably less risky than trying new bats. Lyth and Ballance (or Bairstow) can then get a chance at 4/5 to see if they can fit in at this level. Lyth looks less likely than Ballance to me (tight call though) and could be a candidate for Bairstow to replace, but maybe getting a crack at 3/120 rather than facing the new pill can make the difference.

Doing nothing doesn't really seem an option because the top 4 problems are too long standing and well known, but panic droppings would be worse and set England up for an repeat of 89.

 

[Hurricane]

I can't find the post now, but someone basically made the point that the score doesn't feel like 1-1 at the moment. Momentum is so firmly with the bad guys that there may be no coming back from this for the Alliance. England need a scape goat. Scape goats have a role in sport. It is why in the NHL they pull the goalie after 4 goals in any game. Putting the blame on to someone, anyone, allows the team to see a way forward. And sometimes it is better when an innocent party is blamed as then the rest of the team figures it could easily have been them and they all pull finger. Someone needs to be demoted down the order or dropped. Be decisive England.
Pick and Stick and has been a wonderful discovery for England may the 1980s never return, but a small piece of change can help.

 

[Compton]

Cook
Compton
Root
KP
Bell
Stokes
Buttler
Moeen
Wood
Broad
Anderson

 

[Swingpanzee]

i don't think Compton will be a good call at this point, tbf he shouldn't ever have been dropped

Cook
Lyth
Root (? in place of Ballance i guess)
Bell (his utterly last chance, mostly because England will hope Clarke won't keep a third man and that Bell will get lucky)
Bairstow
Stokes
Buttler
Moeen
etc

eh either way realistically England can and will be looking at 30-3 ish scores in the series several more times