***Official*** England in India 2016/17

[weldone]

Not every Indian is veggie.

I eat more non-veg than you smali

 

[cnerd123]

Weldone not getting the joke?

Color me surprised

 

[weldone]

joke? what is that? first time I've heard the word

 

[Furball]

It shows

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

Cycling through all the mediocre county spinners isn't really going the increase the chances of 'finding' such a player though. Zimbabwe are lacking a Swann-level spinner as well but it doesn't mean they should drop Cremer and keep trying progressively worse players in a desperate attempt to find one.

Moeen's bowling had been getting progressively less effective to the point where it really did become time to see if the next little group in line might be able to do better than him, but if the evidence of the Bangladesh series just gone is anything to go by, he might still be the best of them. It's not a good thing for England by any means but pretending every spinner who took wickets at under 35 in the most recent season might just miraculously transform into good Test spinners if they're promoted is just going to make things worse IMO, not better.

Yeah I understand this but the level of Moeen Ali at this point is that he can do a supportive role to a "frontline spinner". So I was making a point that there is a void of a spinner who can take the frontline role atm in England side. England desperately needed someone who could take active role in these matches. I stated England couldn't magically produce someone but they needed to look at this aspect in their planning beforehand.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

There are enough criticisms about the lack of competitive fast bowlers from asian sides bar Pakistan maybe and their pitches need to be full of grass so batsmen can adapt when venturing outside their yard. I think domestic competitions in England/NZ/Aus now need to produce some sub continental alike pitches also too so that they find some spinners or the ones already there know how to bowl on these sort of wickets and their batsmen dont look like deers in headlight when coming to Asia.

 

[Shri]

what do you mean? That's a very good picture of a chicken biryani.

What would you 1.3 billion vegetarians know about chicken biryani?

These imbeciles call disgusting spicy rice 'vegetable biryani' and the lightweights think you can make real biryani with chicken. The only way to cook it is with mutton or beef. Thats not a biryani, this is a biryani:

Most people eat biryani wrong. A decent plate has lots of meat and a little rice. You eat a little rice when your hunger is half gone from eating the meat. Not a fan of eating mountains of rice and a few tiny scraps of meat in restaurants. Home cooked biryani all the way.

 

[indiaholic]

The meat to rice ratio part is true. But short grained rice?

 

[harsh.ag]

The meat to rice ratio part is true. But short grained rice?

That's how it is in Tamil Nadu. Not bad actually. More starchy.

 

[smash84]

The meat to rice ratio part is true. But short grained rice?

yeah this, basmati rice ftw bitches

 

[Gob]

Off topic

Think England will take a test. India will win the series comfortably though

 

[Bahseph]

I fully understand the need to have more than one spinner in Asia, but England going in with three mediocre spinners could spell trouble.

I doubt India are going to roll out pitches from the 2015 SA tour because that will just close the gap between the English spinners and Ashwin & Jadeja. India are not as spin reliant as Bangladesh as Kohli does use his seamers.

Thus picking three front line fast bowlers might not be the worst idea. They are less likely to be hit around the park and could keep England in the game for longer. Ali is going to play, but Rashid and Ansari might get taken apart in India.

Obviously this theory is in jeopardy because Anderson and Wood are out though.

 

[listento_me]

There are enough criticisms about the lack of competitive fast bowlers from asian sides bar Pakistan maybe and their pitches need to be full of grass so batsmen can adapt when venturing outside their yard. I think domestic competitions in England/NZ/Aus now need to produce some sub continental alike pitches also too so that they find some spinners or the ones already there know how to bowl on these sort of wickets and their batsmen dont look like deers in headlight when coming to Asia.

Australian wickets have looked pretty bare from what little I've seen of their domestic game. Wasn't there an article about it recently?

Over here in England, it's not just the issue of having grassy wickets, which really isn't the case these days but rather the conditions in the early part of the summer, with overcast skies and damp throughout. That helps a lot with the swinging and even seaming ball.

Btw, in recent years, county spinners have done more than a decent job, I just don't know why those same spinners can't be a force on the international stage. Maybe they need to eat more vegetable samosas.

 

[listento_me]

I fully understand the need to have more than one spinner in Asia, but England going in with three mediocre spinners could spell trouble.

I doubt India are going to roll out pitches from the 2015 SA tour because that will just close the gap between the English spinners and Ashwin & Jadeja. India are not as spin reliant as Bangladesh as Kohli does use his seamers.

Thus picking three front line fast bowlers might not be the worst idea. They are less likely to be hit around the park and could keep England in the game for longer. Ali is going to play, but Rashid and Ansari might get taken apart in India.

Obviously this theory is in jeopardy because Anderson and Wood are out though.

I agree. Always play for your strength. A huge part of England's success in India 2012 was Swann and Panesar. They don't have that now. Ali is good enough and in fact, I'd probably keep Rashid around because he can bat a bit too. But they do need to go in with their best available pace men.

Edit: Woods relatively slingy action and skiddy pace would have been good on those Indian pitches.

 

[Shri]

yeah this, basmati rice ftw bitches

Basmati rice feels like it chokes me sometimes. You should eat more of it.

 

[listento_me]

These imbeciles call disgusting spicy rice 'vegetable biryani' and the lightweights think you can make real biryani with chicken. The only way to cook it is with mutton or beef. Thats not a biryani, this is a biryani:

Most people eat biryani wrong. A decent plate has lots of meat and a little rice. You eat a little rice when your hunger is half gone from eating the meat. Not a fan of eating mountains of rice and a few tiny scraps of meat in restaurants. Home cooked biryani all the way.

That's nothing like genuine biryani. True bryani is Heydarabadi biryani.

Learn some.

 

[listento_me]

Basmati rice feels like it chokes me sometimes. You should eat more of it.

you should chew your food

 

[Compton]

The discussion in the media over whether Ballance should play is infuriating.

Essentially the two choices are Jos Buttler and Haseeb Hameed, despite Buttler having only played 1 FC match in the last year.

The only argument for picking Ballance seems to be that it's less hassle than picking a replacement and potentially messing around with a batting order that has proven itself ineffective in similar conditions against an attack poorer than what they're about to face.

Ballance will probably retain his slot, too. Ah well, better too many chances than too few. Eh, Trev?

 

[harsh.ag]

The discussion in the media over whether Ballance should play is infuriating.

Essentially the two choices are Jos Buttler and Haseeb Hameed, despite Buttler having only played 1 FC match in the last year.

The only argument for picking Ballance seems to be that it's less hassle than picking a replacement and potentially messing around with a batting order that has proven itself ineffective in similar conditions against an attack poorer than what they're about to face.

Ballance will probably retain his slot, too. Ah well, better too many chances than too few. Eh, Trev?

Maybe not the worst idea to play Ballance in the first game, see if he clicks, and hand it over to Hameed (well Duckett would come in at 4) if he doesn't. Maybe he has picked up a few things in Bangladesh. Didn't look like it, but you still get 4 tests of Hameed otherwise.

 

[Bijed]

Maybe not the worst idea to play Ballance in the first game, see if he clicks, and hand it over to Hameed (well Duckett would come in at 4) if he doesn't. Maybe he has picked up a few things in Bangladesh. Didn't look like it, but you still get 4 tests of Hameed otherwise.

I'm normally quite generous, if that's the right term, with regards to whether I think a player should be given another chance, but Ballance really, really has to go, I feel. As has been said, he didn't really deserve his return to the test side in the first place and aside from an admittedly important 70 at Edgbaston (and I suppose his 40 odd at Lord's was decent enough), he's been pretty wretched. Send him back to the counties and when, as I'm pretty sure he will, he starts scoring big runs again, bring him back to the test side. I guess I'd almost accept him being given 1 more game if it wasn't for the shot he played to get out in his last innings.

As for whether we go Hameed or Buttler, I'd go for Hameed but I'd imagine that Buttler, though I don't think he'll ever set the world on fire as a test batsman, could probably average more than 6.