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

[Dan_M_Bali]

It will be a great result if England can draw this, but it looks clear as daylight that they will struggle to win 1 test: their spinners are just not as good as India's. Indian batsman face far better spin than England's. Also, Bangladesh are far more likely to win in India than England. They have better spinners than England, as well as the "fizz" factor.

Nope

 

[Bijed]

3 changes for next test. Buttler, Woakes and Batty in for Duckett, Broad and Ansari

Duckett still has a chance to redeem himself. I'm not especially hopeful that he will, but let's see. If he does fail again, yeah swap him for Buttler but I also feel he could still work at test level and we should stick with him so maybe just bring him back for the home summer regardless (assuming he doesn't have a stinking run in ODIs/country cricket in the meantime)

Agree with Woakes in for Broad just to make sure Broad's foot doesn't go beyond repair.

And, yeah, absolutely should bring Batty in for Ansari.

Also, if Buttler does come in, what happens to the line-up. I don't know where Jos bats in county games, but do we go

Cook
Hameed
Root
Moeen
Stokes
Bairstow
Buttler

Feels like a weird line-up. Not sure I'd want Mo at 4, but I guess it's the only choice, really?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Kind of ridiculous that Buttler is the only real option, given the way Bairstow has kept he should not really be in contention at all. I would actually stick with Duckett for now.

Well we do have another option, sadly it is Ballance.

 

[Bijed]

Well we do have another option, sadly it is Ballance.

I'd actually forgotten about him but now you've got me terrified that he's coming back, in front of Buttler on the grounds that he's a 'specialist' bat.

 

[Shri]

Duckett still has a chance to redeem himself. I'm not especially hopeful that he will, but let's see. If he does fail again, yeah swap him for Buttler but I also feel he could still work at test level and we should stick with him so maybe just bring him back for the home summer regardless (assuming he doesn't have a stinking run in ODIs/country cricket in the meantime)

Agree with Woakes in for Broad just to make sure Broad's foot doesn't go beyond repair.

And, yeah, absolutely should bring Batty in for Ansari.

Also, if Buttler does come in, what happens to the line-up. I don't know where Jos bats in county games, but do we go

Cook
Hameed
Root
Moeen
Stokes
Bairstow
Buttler

Feels like a weird line-up. Not sure I'd want Mo at 4, but I guess it's the only choice, really?

Buttler's inclusion also helps with maintaining the Left/Right combo in the XI.

I guess it would be something like:

Hameed
Cook
Root
Ali
Buttler
Stokes
Bairstow

 

[MW1304]

Impossible not to be pleased with how today went. Yeah we're still miles behind but I didn't expect us to still be alive this time two days ago.

Buttler would only play as a specialist batsman. Bairstow's keeping has been revalatory so far, not sure Buttler would do better. And he's no better than Duckett with the bat anyway, ridiculous he's even on the tour, so think long term and stick with Duckett. Unless he ends up getting out bowled to a regulation off break three more times, then he can go home.

 

[hazsa19]

It will be a great result if England can draw this, but it looks clear as daylight that they will struggle to win 1 test: their spinners are just not as good as India's. Indian batsman face far better spin than England's. Also, Bangladesh are far more likely to win in India than England. They have better spinners than England, as well as the "fizz" factor.

Can't quite fathom how you've come to this conclusion on the evidence of the cricket played so far.

On the batting, if Duckett looks as poor 2nd dig here as he has done, I'd straight swap for Butler. He can't do any worse.

 

[Compton]

Also, if Buttler does come in, what happens to the line-up. I don't know where Jos bats in county games, but do we go

Cook
Hameed
Root
Moeen
Stokes
Bairstow
Buttler

He doesn't, generally.

 

[andruid]

Well we do have another option, sadly it is Ballance.

Bring back Ian Bell

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

Buttler uses his feet quite well. He can't do much worse than duckett/ballance. Ballance is a toast no matter what. I'd play buttler as specialist batsman next match. I can understand the lack of spinner options in counties but can't really come to terms with the batting bench strength currently. Bairstow copped a lot of hate here previously but he came out all guns blazing and the highest run scorer this year for England (?) Who are the guys next in line?

 

[honestbharani]

If India were serving these pitches up in those days, Dravid wouldn't have had that sort of success.


Harbhajan is a great case and point, actually had to beat batsmen with flight, drift and dip - not just waiting for the ball to do something odd.

Shows how much cricket in India you have watched if you think Bhajji ever beat the batsman in flight, drift or dip.. It was bounce, or spinning the other way, or hit a crack on the pitch, almost all the time.

Mind you, the kinda bounce he got made him awesome most times in the same pitches. He was much more naturally gifted and had greater attributes for an offie than Ashwin. He just also had a **** attitude and hated the thought of getting a 5/100 over a 3/80.

He also once said "**** you" to the bowler after he got him out first ball..

 

[Contra]

England still have a pretty reasonable chance to draw this, SA almost did it last year and England have much more depth in their batting line up. The only issue might be that the players remaining to come from England are not as good as defending all the time and like to play their shots.

 

[honestbharani]

I think with the engine room yet to come, not only are England in with a very good chance of a draw, they are also in with a very good chance of winning. The grubbers are what is keeping India in the game ATM. That, and the fact that umpire's calls seem to be going all England

 

[Tom Flint]

Moeen Ali has done it before against Sri Lanka and I like to think stokes can adjust to any role required. And we have joe root who is just class

 

[Adders]

Cook getting out at the end has killed us. He needed to go big and bat through a large chunk of the innings if we are gonna pull this off.

 

[Shri]

Cook getting out at the end has killed us. He needed to go big and bat through a large chunk of the innings if we are gonna pull this off.

Stokes' defense has looked very good and Bairstow is capable of blocking a few too. Won't be surprised if Eng draw the game tomorrow.

 

[Burgey]

Oye Burgey Ashwin has started eating meat to be better at cricket.

Good. I expect him to turn into a 150kph fast bowling all rounder in the Keith Miller mould within six months.

 

[Zinzan]

Root's good enough to survive the day against Ashwin & co if things go his way, I'm not sure if England have others who can hang around against the spinners on Day 5 though.

 

[Woodster]

Impossible not to be pleased with how today went. Yeah we're still miles behind but I didn't expect us to still be alive this time two days ago.

Buttler would only play as a specialist batsman. Bairstow's keeping has been revalatory so far, not sure Buttler would do better. And he's no better than Duckett with the bat anyway, ridiculous he's even on the tour, so think long term and stick with Duckett. Unless he ends up getting out bowled to a regulation off break three more times, then he can go home.

Whether Buttler is a better long-form batsman than Duckett as this stage is open to debate, but if Duckett has the same issues in this second innings that he has so far in this tour then he must be left out for the third Test. It's more to do with the way he has played and the weaknesses that have been exposed and not just because he hasn't got many runs this series. When you're getting cleaned up consistently and you look unable to be solid in defence he will continue to get exposed by Ashwin in particular. It's also being fair to Duckett to just remove him from the firing line and let him get to work on improving his skills in this area. Hopefully he does take up some time tomorrow and get some confidence and some runs, but I'm not particularly hopeful, it just seems a matter of time before Ashwin bamboozles him.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Star Sports asked me so I thought I'll ask you guys

Who is more important to India? Ashwin or Kohli?

Time for a comparison thread by Slippy?