2nd Test at Adelaide - 16 to 20 Dec

[Nintendo]

I really hope Jhye listed to bat behind Lyon is an error

Yeah jhye is genuinly a bowling all-rounder, should be way higher

 

[Gob]

last chance for Starceh i feel

 

[Starfighter]

Officially it's Wood out for England. I can kind of understand it especially as he's rather fragile. Leach has been retained, surprised they didn't go for Bess considering our leftie heavy batting and the mauling Leach received.

If Leach does play it'll be interesting to see which of Woakes and Robinson misses out, assuming that they're not crazy and play both of Broaderson. Robinson bowled better by a distance but Woakes' batting will be on Silverwood's mind regardless of its actual merits in Australia.

 

[Burgey]

Might rest Robinson given he got a niggle int eh first test.

R E S T
E
S
T

Drop.

 

[Gob]

Officially it's Wood out for England. I can kind of understand it especially as he's rather fragile. Leach has been retained, surprised they didn't go for Bess considering our leftie heavy batting and the mauling Leach received.

If Leach does play it'll be interesting to see which of Woakes and Robinson misses out, assuming that they're not crazy and play both of Broaderson. Robinson bowled better by a distance but Woakes' batting will be on Silverwood's mind regardless of its actual merits in Australia.

It's interesting to see whether Aust takes the same approach against Leach if he is bowling with a decent sco. Woakes can't play over Robinson surely

 

[fredfertang]

I can see Leach missing out

 

[GIMH]

Haven’t read all the pages but it’s got to be Woakes who misses out right?

 

[Woodster]

Whichever XI England go for, there will be people not happy with the man that gets left out, that’s because there really isn’t an obvious or perfect XI England can pick. The batting is weak and will likely be exposed if they’re batting under lights, but there’s no change to the top 7.

If we leave Woakes out we’ll have weakened our batting depth which could be a problem, if we leave Leach out, the pitch will take turn later in the Test (if we get there) and we’ll only have Root to win it for us. If we leave Broad or Anderson out, well, that’s kind of unthinkable. If Robinson misses out, that’ll be surprising as our best bowler in the first first Test and I think Wood was always going to miss this Test before the series began.

 

[GIMH]

If we leave Leach out then we need Root to bowl a stack and he has enough on his shoulders ffs.

 

[SteveNZ]

Whichever XI England go for, there will be people not happy with the man that gets left out, that’s because there really isn’t an obvious or perfect XI England can pick. The batting is weak and will likely be exposed if they’re batting under lights, but there’s no change to the top 7.

If we leave Woakes out we’ll have weakened our batting depth which could be a problem, if we leave Leach out, the pitch will take turn later in the Test (if we get there) and we’ll only have Root to win it for us. If we leave Broad or Anderson out, well, that’s kind of unthinkable. If Robinson misses out, that’ll be surprising as our best bowler in the first first Test and I think Wood was always going to miss this Test before the series began.

I think the reason there has been so much conjecture around the bowling is that there's options. Yeah, the batting was pitiful and the reason England lost in the majority, but your back-ups are Crawley, Lawrence and Bairstow. None of whom you'd expect to come in and do any sort of job against the Australian attack. At least with the bowling, you know that if the conditions suit, that Woakes might do a job, that Leach can be a Test class bowler.

To me, Leach doesn't play. If history says anything, it's not going to be a 5th day sort of Test. I know Root has a lot on his plate but there's 4 left handers in Australia's top 7. If he wants to be a great England captain, he might have to shoulder an extra load of providing that ball spinning away if the conditions suit. He already has Stokes for a holding role so it's not like he needs to bowl 30-40 overs.

Only me, but if I'm England I'm bringing in Anderson for Leach, Broad for Woakes and if they want to win, their top order needs to stand up. The difference between winning or losing won't be 20-30 extra from Woakes at 8 (and even that's not guaranteed). Don't drop Wood, he was outstanding in the first Test and bowled with real heart. If you go 0-2 down, the Ashes are gone. I know that means Robinson has a nose bleed at 8, but who cares. Take 20 wickets, as quickly as possible, then back yourself to get more from your top 7.

 

[SteveNZ]

If we leave Leach out then we need Root to bowl a stack and he has enough on his shoulders ffs.

I honestly don't think he needs to bowl a stack, just at the right times. If you have 4 seamers + Stokes, you share the load. No one said captaincy of an Ashes side was meant to be easy.

 

[SteveNZ]

Officially it's Wood out for England. I can kind of understand it especially as he's rather fragile. Leach has been retained, surprised they didn't go for Bess considering our leftie heavy batting and the mauling Leach received.

If Leach does play it'll be interesting to see which of Woakes and Robinson misses out, assuming that they're not crazy and play both of Broaderson. Robinson bowled better by a distance but Woakes' batting will be on Silverwood's mind regardless of its actual merits in Australia.

I hate this. It's 0-1. The guy bowled with skill and heart in Brisbane, and now we're saying nah rest up, hopefully we'll still be in it at the MCG? Well, you probably won't be (unless you think you're winning 3 Tests on the bounce). He's a different bowler than Broad, Anderson and Robinson, I think that's a massive error. Which means Leach probably plays too, which I also think is going to turn out to be the wrong call. Oh well. We'll see

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

From the squad they've picked you'd have to leave Leach out I think. They seem to be gambling on a bowler friendly, low scoring affair. If that's the case then they can't really play the guy who just went for 90 off 8 overs.

 

[trundler]

If we leave Leach out then we need Root to bowl a stack and he has enough on his shoulders ffs.

@TheJediBrah to comment on Root's shoulder development

 

[Woodster]

I hate this. It's 0-1. The guy bowled with skill and heart in Brisbane, and now we're saying nah rest up, hopefully we'll still be in it at the MCG? Well, you probably won't be (unless you think you're winning 3 Tests on the bounce). He's a different bowler than Broad, Anderson and Robinson, I think that's a massive error. Which means Leach probably plays too, which I also think is going to turn out to be the wrong call. Oh well. We'll see

I think they hatched this plan before the series and it’s now looking a bad decision based on how well Wood bowled in that first Test. He bowled at 90mph on average for a full day, but he did only bowl in the one innings. I don’t think there’s much flexibility in our selection at the moment. I think they decided at Adelaide we can pick our fast-medium bowlers as there’ll be more in it under the lights so rest Wood there, not accounting for the problems he caused in that first Test and the relief it’ll give someone like Warner that doesn’t have to get peppered by him again, despite his runs.

 

[TheJediBrah]

@TheJediBrah to comment on Root's shoulder development

My nan has bigger delts than Joe Root

 

[Woodster]

I honestly don't think he needs to bowl a stack, just at the right times. If you have 4 seamers + Stokes, you share the load. No one said captaincy of an Ashes side was meant to be easy.

Dont think they’ll want to risk Stokes much at all with the ball having jarred his knee at Brisbane and scared the hell out of everyone.

 

[Woodster]

I think the reason there has been so much conjecture around the bowling is that there's options. Yeah, the batting was pitiful and the reason England lost in the majority, but your back-ups are Crawley, Lawrence and Bairstow. None of whom you'd expect to come in and do any sort of job against the Australian attack. At least with the bowling, you know that if the conditions suit, that Woakes might do a job, that Leach can be a Test class bowler.

To me, Leach doesn't play. If history says anything, it's not going to be a 5th day sort of Test. I know Root has a lot on his plate but there's 4 left handers in Australia's top 7. If he wants to be a great England captain, he might have to shoulder an extra load of providing that ball spinning away if the conditions suit. He already has Stokes for a holding role so it's not like he needs to bowl 30-40 overs.

Only me, but if I'm England I'm bringing in Anderson for Leach, Broad for Woakes and if they want to win, their top order needs to stand up. The difference between winning or losing won't be 20-30 extra from Woakes at 8 (and even that's not guaranteed). Don't drop Wood, he was outstanding in the first Test and bowled with real heart. If you go 0-2 down, the Ashes are gone. I know that means Robinson has a nose bleed at 8, but who cares. Take 20 wickets, as quickly as possible, then back yourself to get more from your top 7.

I agree, we have more depth and more options in the bowling attack. I just think you can make a case for any bowler missing out that they should play. I think if it looks like it’s going to turn, I’d be leaving Woakes out and asking the top seven to take some responsibility and get some runs on the board, while thinking it’s still unlikely!

 

[mr_mister]

Bairstow did ton up last ashes tour here. I'd have him in somewhere

 

[Blenkinsop]

Has Stokes ever bowled spin in a match? I'm sure I read that he bowls offies in the nets and rags them square.

England have taken this squad rotation business way too far and tied themselves up in knots. These people are professional sportsmen, they are among the fittest individuals on the planet. It's ridiculous that we 'saved' our two most experienced bowlers for the second Test. Can't imagine Australia were planning to do the same.