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

[theegyptian]

As would anyone else we could call up. There really has been no sign of viable alternatives in the CC.

Stokes and Bairstow are both better allround bats than Moeen, especially in England and Australia. They should both bat higher than him.

 

[Gnske]

Change the 4:0 to red please Harsh, it's far too peaceful a colour for you.

 

[harsh.ag]

Rashid's performance this series should be celebrated. Being given way too much stick.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I do not like outright openers as number 3s. I also do not like Butler coming so late. What about a traditional line-up where you have your specialist batters, all-rounders with keeper at 7, and your bowlers?

 

[Zinzan]

Surely this is the best option for the summer:

Cook (c)
Jennings
Hameed
Root
Bairstow (w)
Stokes
Buttler
Ali
Woakes
Broad
Anderson

In your home summer you want to persist with having Buttler as a specialist batting number 7?

 

[Pothas]

Surely this is the best option for the summer:

Cook (c)
Jennings
Hameed
Root
Bairstow (w)
Stokes
Buttler
Ali
Woakes
Broad
Anderson

Butler has to take the gloves in that scenario, apart from that I am fine with it. Moeen at 7 maybe. Rashid comes in if he does not bowl well.

 

[anil1405]

With the tests in sub-continent being done and dusted for England, I don't see Rashid playing a big role for England next year. Might as well drop Moeen to no.8 and give another batsman a go in the middle order.

 

[Zinzan]

Butler has to take the gloves in that scenario, apart from that I am fine with it.

Why when you have an excellent batting keeper in Bairstow already who's proven his batting isn't affected by his keeping? That's a real bonus to take advantage of for England.

 

[cnerd123]

18 tests in a row without losing for India now. A record apparently.

 

[wpdavid]

lol. You still pick both Moeen and Rashid after this. You still pick Moeen at 5. lol. People complain about the selectors and then most of the English fans seem to be in agreement to bat Moeen at 4 or 5, and to play two spinners in England???

It won't be ideal whatever we do. If Moeen is at 5, then four quicks in the lower order is surely enough, and Rashid's leg-spin may be more useful when he's not bowling at Indians. The two spinners option is more about improving the odds of having at least one spinner's radar functioning rather than anticipating situations when both of them will be on, which is an affordable luxury if we have four quicks at our disposal.
If Moeen isn't at 5, we need to find a middle order batsman from somewhere. I'm open to suggestions, but there's been no sign of anyone lately. And if we're bedding in Jennings and Hameed, I'm not sure I'd want another kid in the top 5. As for the selectors, the main gripe has been the non-selection of Leach, but that should have happened out here, not in a home summer.

But as I say, any England side is going to have glaring weaknesses alongside the more promising bits.

 

[harsh.ag]

Surely this is the best option for the summer:

Cook (c)
Jennings
Hameed
Root
Bairstow (w)
Stokes
Buttler
Ali
Woakes
Broad
Anderson

This is pretty good actually. Moeen won't be pleased, but at least he gets to be ahead of Rashid because of his batting.

 

[burr]

Wow, that is embarrassing. As an Australian, I am very scared for 2017.

 

[Pothas]

I do not outright openers as number 3s. I also do not like Butler coming so late. What about a traditional line-up where you have your specialist batters, all-rounders with keeper at 7, and your bowlers?

With what players though?

 

[wpdavid]

Stokes and Bairstow are both better allround bats than Moeen, especially in England and Australia. They should both bat higher than him.

Yeah, I'm not arguing too strongly about the batting positions of those three. I did enjoy Bairstow's performances at 7, but I can see that we gain a bit more from Moeen in that position too.

 

[Furball]

Highest ever score in a test match to lose by an innings

Lmao

Should be celebrating India's achievement. Conceding almost 500 and still winning by an innings take a special level of performance and focus over the final 3 days. It's particularly impressive because, being 3-0 up, it would have been easy enough for India's batsmen to come and half arse their way to 300 and a consolation win for England. That India were still good enough and ruthless enough to win despite their position on day 2 bodes very well for them in the future.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Good God. Anyone catch the presentation shastri conducted? So much cringe.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Should be celebrating India's achievement. Conceding almost 500 and still winning by an innings take a special level of performance and focus over the final 3 days. It's particularly impressive because, being 3-0 up, it would have been easy enough for India's batsmen to come and half arse their way to 300 and a consolation win for England. That India were still good enough and ruthless enough to win despite their position on day 2 bodes very well for them in the future.

I hear you. It's fun to laugh at England though.

 

[cnerd123]

Should be celebrating India's achievement. Conceding almost 500 and still winning by an innings take a special level of performance and focus over the final 3 days. It's particularly impressive because, being 3-0 up, it would have been easy enough for India's batsmen to come and half arse their way to 300 and a consolation win for England. That India were still good enough and ruthless enough to win despite their position on day 2 bodes very well for them in the future.

Yea not laughing at England specifically, just amused at the ridiculousness of this entire performance. That it was so dominant and literally historical, yet felt so assured and unsurprising.

India are outstanding at home ATM. It's amazing.

 

[Pothas]

Why when you have an excellent batting keeper in Bairstow already who's proven his batting isn't affected by his keeping? That's a real bonus to take advantage of for England.

Yeah I was saying the same all summer but in that side posted it would be mad not have Buttler keeping. Ideally they would just find a new middle order player but Buttler has looked decent, can still see the appeal of having him in the side.

 

[Gnske]

Good God. Anyone catch the presentation shastri conducted? So much cringe.

Highlights? Who won the "Most positive and healthy individual on field" award