*Official* India Tour of England 2018

[Groundking]

Vice captain, isn't he?

I don't like juggling the side around, especially when they've just won a match, but just bouncing ideas how to make our batting competitive.
Of course, sod's law says that Bairstow will make a pair if he isn't keeping wicket at Lord's.

He is? o.O Why on earth would they do that?

I don't like juggling the side around either, but with the squad changes unless they do a straight swap of Pope in at no.4 and Woakes at no.6 we are going to have to mess around with the side a bit tbf.

 

[wpdavid]

He is? o.O Why on earth would they do that?

I don't like juggling the side around either, but with the squad changes unless they do a straight swap of Pope in at no.4 and Woakes at no.6 we are going to have to mess around with the side a bit tbf.

No idea. Bairstow would have been a more obvious choice for VC, I'd have thought.

Maybe the following line-up would be the least bad option.

1. Cook
2. Jennings
3. Root
4. Bairstow
5. Pope
6. Ali
7. Buttler (wk)
8. Curran
9. Woakes
10. Broad
11. Anderson

Helluva lot of changes from the last test though.

 

[Groundking]

No idea. Bairstow would have been a more obvious choice for VC, I'd have thought.

Maybe the following line-up would be the least bad option.

1. Cook
2. Jennings
3. Root
4. Bairstow
5. Pope
6. Ali
7. Buttler (wk)
8. Curran
9. Woakes
10. Broad
11. Anderson

Helluva lot of changes from the last test though.

You'd bat Curran above Woakes? Harsh on Rashid too. The team is such a mess.

At least that line up actually looks like a proper batting line up I suppose.

 

[wpdavid]

You'd bat Curran above Woakes? Harsh on Rashid too. The team is such a mess.

At least that line up actually looks like a proper batting line up I suppose.

I don't like making so many changes, and I don't think the selectors will either. But I think the batting needs sorting before we find ourselves 2-1 down in the series. Losing Stokes leaves a real hole in the side, doesn't it.

As for Curran vs Woakes, I think it would be odd to relegate Curran to 9 after his performance at Edgbaston, despite Woakes' superior FC record.

But I should add that I could find plenty of faults with my line-up. There's a lot about it that I don't like, even if I reluctantly think it's better than the alternatives.

 

[Pup Clarke]

This would be my X1

Cook, Jennings, Root, Pope, Bairstow, Woakes, Buttler, Curran, Rashid, Broad, Anderson

Reason I want Woakes at 6 is for solidity. There is no way I can trust Buttler if he comes in at 40-4 against a newish ball, but with Woakes I feel he has the technique and application to do well. Just a gut feeling

 

[Howe_zat]

Woakes/Curran/Rashid is a decent lower order, certainly better than some sides we have fielded before. It's fine.

The issue is the top six, which has two world class batsmen who aren't really scoring runs, one decent keeper bat, a bit of promise and Keaton flippin Jennings.

We are never going to be able to patch it with allrounders - you can't find good batsmen by not looking. We've got to just trust that Buttler and Pope come good. It's been so long since we've had a settled top six.

 

[Howe_zat]

This would be my X1

Cook, Jennings, Root, Pope, Bairstow, Woakes, Buttler, Curran, Rashid, Broad, Anderson

Reason I want Woakes at 6 is for solidity. There is no way I can trust Buttler if he comes in at 40-4 against a newish ball, but with Woakes I feel he has the technique and application to do well. Just a gut feeling

What about his 110* coming in at 27/4?

Buttler's earned some faith I think

 

[Groundking]

What about his 110* coming in at 27/4?

Buttler's earned some faith I think

Which is why I want to try him out at 4, which also allows Pope to debut batting at 6.

 

[BSM]

Buttler has been picked specifically to bat at 6/7 and counter-attack, hitting quick runs as we get into the tail. There is no way that he would have been picked as a no.4 in test cricket based on his career stats. There are so many players better suited for that role, and I don't see Buttler as a solution to our top order at all. The advantage of having Buttler so low in the order is his ability to take the game to the opposition. His game is literally more suited to batting with the tail in tests, and the type of performances that have seen him selected would not be more effective up the order in test match cricket.

Bairstow can't bat too high because over 2 innings he is too unreliable. His form is too volatile in relation to whether he has already kept in the game. Pope should bat 4 in my opinion. A batsmen who has been picked purely for the amount of red-ball runs that she has scored this season.

I've got confidence that Jennings will do well this series. Though he hasn't got a score yet in only three innings since his return, he has looked much more assured, and an obviously better player than when he was dropped last year. He will score big at one point.

 

[King Pietersen]

I've got confidence that Jennings will do well this series. Though he hasn't got a score yet in only three innings since his return, he has looked much more assured, and an obviously better player than when he was dropped last year. He will score big at one point.

Has he? Looked like a walking wicket from what I saw. Constantly playing with his bat coming down towards mid-on against Ishant who was moving the ball sharply across him, was just a matter of time before he nicked him and if he continues to play like that the results will stay the same.

 

[BSM]

Has he? Looked like a walking wicket from what I saw. Constantly playing with his bat coming down towards mid-on against Ishant who was moving the ball sharply across him, was just a matter of time before he nicked him and if he continues to play like that the results will stay the same.

Has been moving his feet much more, which the likes of Ballance have failed to work on in their return to test cricket. In his solitary innings against Pakistan he looked the part. First innings he was desperately unlucky to be bowled by Shami, after having made a start. Second innings he struggled more, but considering that ball dominated bat in the second innings its hard to be exceptionally critical of his failure. The ball won't always swing as much as Ishant made it, nor do I imagine he will bowl as well as that for the rest of the series since he always manages to be consistently inconsistent. Worth noting that he didn't get out to Sharma either. Albeit he struggled, the problem I can see going forward is Ashwin, as is the case for all our left handers.

Coming from someone who was sick to death watching him against SA last year. He's looked miles better than Stoneman. In five test matches I think he will do fine

 

[harsh.ag]

I dunno, he looks like a walking wicket honestly. Body seems out of sync. But ugliness can be a virtue so will give him some more time.

Incidentally he wasn't unlucky in the first innings. Was dropped earlier.

 

[anaksr]

If rumours are believed then Chepu and Jadeja are in for next match. Chepu is in for Dhawan. Not sure who is replaced by Jadeja.

 

[Shri]

Umesh probably.

 

[OverratedSanity]

No Kuldeep?

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Interesting to see now they are think Jadeja over Kuldeep, looks like they see Jaddu as more a known quantity, a more conservative option. Personally I think if Ashwin is also playing, they should look to play Kuldeep as second spinner, more attacking way of thinking

 

[Starfighter]

No Kuldeep?

My predictions are coming true.

 

[Borges]

I think if Ashwin is also playing, they should look to play Kuldeep as second spinner, more attacking way of thinking

Jadeja is the Indian equivalent of Moeen Ali.
It is tempting for two teams, which can't find any kind of quality in their top order batting, to try and compensate by picking poor bowlers who can bat a bit.

 

[CricAddict]

I think Jadeja will come in for Hardik.

 

[Borges]

That they may go with Jadeja for Umesh is a possibility. For Lord's, where batting should be a lot easier, I would fancy Kuldeep for Umesh.