*Official* Fifth Test (The Oval, London) 27-31 July

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Hadn’t given it much thought but this may well be the last Ashes test for many English players

Can’t imagine that Anderson, Broad & Mo will be in Australia

Wood might be better served chasing coin

Bairstow meh

Stokes is crocked so probably facing time out of the game

Big holes to fill

 

[CricAddict]

Utterly pointless when still going on percentage instead of points . Who really cares, when the system is stupid.

I'd rather win the Ashes than even get in the final of the WTC.

We've got 5 rank turners in India to look forward to so utterly no chance of us making the final.

That being said I hope we can still win next week, but it's very much meh. Rain will impact it, so no doubt ends 2-1 Aus. So i just want the football season now.

Got to wait till September till proper cricket is back cos of the joke that is the hundred. As Durham lose some of their best players for the one day cup.

@subshakerz This is for another thread and so, I don't want to have a discussion here. But this shows the power of Ashwin and Jadeja when people feel the loss even an year before the series starts. No other country gives the same feel for the top nations. I am sure you won't heed to this but just saying that this shows that home performances are also worth noting. It is not just about away performances.

 

[Spark]

India are definitely beatable at home IMO. Obviously they didn't get it done when it mattered most and still lost, and they had to play excellently and adroitly to even get to 2-1 down in the first place, but Australia absolutely showed that if you apply yourself and you're clever, you can take Test matches off this India side at home. In the end it came down to one or two sessions and that's not usually the case for a side which is "unbeatable".

That's absolutely not to downplay Ashwin and Jadeja of course, if anything my opinion of them only grew.

Meanwhile I honestly feel like Cummins should do zero training for this game. Just take a complete break, mentally reset, show up on the morning of the game with a fresh mind and, hopefully, new plans.

 

[loterry1994]

India are definitely beatable at home IMO. Obviously they didn't get it done when it mattered most and still lost, and they had to play excellently and adroitly to even get to 2-1 down in the first place, but Australia absolutely showed that if you apply yourself and you're clever, you can take Test matches off this India side at home. In the end it came down to one or two sessions and that's not usually the case for a side which is "unbeatable".

That's absolutely not to downplay Ashwin and Jadeja of course, if anything my opinion of them only grew.

Meanwhile I honestly feel like Cummins should do zero training for this game. Just take a complete break, mentally reset, show up on the morning of the game with a fresh mind and, hopefully, new plans.

And how do you rate Englands chances when they go to India soon I think they will get smoked playing bazball style there not who knows ? Problem is in India they’ve got the two best spinners for those conditions then you got Axar as a back up as well. If they make it flatter they still got a very good pace line up as well. You can bet whoever tours there that both teams will crap the bed an innings or two though it’s all about taking your opportunities when you get a side out for like 150 or whatever. And any lead of like 50 is useful. It’s still the hardest place by far to get an away series win though.

I think it’s gonna be India Vs Aus wtc final again cause of how we’ll do they do at home and then they pick up the away series wins here and there

 

[honestbharani]

India are definitely beatable at home IMO. Obviously they didn't get it done when it mattered most and still lost, and they had to play excellently and adroitly to even get to 2-1 down in the first place, but Australia absolutely showed that if you apply yourself and you're clever, you can take Test matches off this India side at home. In the end it came down to one or two sessions and that's not usually the case for a side which is "unbeatable".

That's absolutely not to downplay Ashwin and Jadeja of course, if anything my opinion of them only grew.

Meanwhile I honestly feel like Cummins should do zero training for this game. Just take a complete break, mentally reset, show up on the morning of the game with a fresh mind and, hopefully, new plans.

India are beatable only because our batting has become more fallible. And honestly missing a fully fit Shreyas and Pant was huge that series. Its a totally different team when those two are batting 5 and 6.

 

[loterry1994]

India are beatable only because our batting has become more fallible. And honestly missing a fully fit Shreyas and Pant was huge that series. Its a totally different team when those two are batting 5 and 6.

They’re mainly beatable because their pitches are a double edged sword. Pretty much every batsmen has struggled there the last 3-4 years. But you’re bound to expect an innings or two where your bowlers get the other team out under 150-200 so you have to take advantage of it when it comes

 

[Qlder]

Hadn’t given it much thought but this may well be the last Ashes test for many English players

Can’t imagine that Anderson, Broad & Mo will be in Australia

Wood might be better served chasing coin

Bairstow meh

Stokes is crocked so probably facing time out of the game

Big holes to fill

Australia is in same position. Warmer, Khawaja, Starc, Hazlewood likely played their last Ashes as have reserves Marsh, Boland and Neser

 

[honestbharani]

Australia is in years same position. Warmer, Khawaja, Starc, Hazlewood likely played their last Ashes as have reserves Marsh, Boland and Neser

England definitely wish it was, yesterday

 

[Spark]

Australia is in same position. Warmer, Khawaja, Starc, Hazlewood likely played their last Ashes as have reserves Marsh, Boland and Neser

Starc will still be around for the home series IMO. The other three yeah I expect they'll be gone - we know Warner will be for sure. Would never say never for MMarsh, the selectors obviously like him and he's actually still relatively young at 31.

 

[Qlder]

Starc will still be around for the home series IMO. The other three yeah I expect they'll be gone - we know Warner will be for sure. Would never say never for MMarsh, the selectors obviously like him and he's actually still relatively young at 31.

You think Starc will still be playing at 36? I'd like it if he was as means he's bowled great next couple of years but I doubt it

 

[Spark]

You think Starc will still be playing at 36? I'd like it if he was as means he's bowled great next couple of years but I doubt it

Yeah, just as a gut feeling. The bloke seems to have found something of a second wind in his bowling in the last year or so, that's usually good enough to last a few seasons. He's certainly performed well enough to make it feasible; aside from a few games where he was obviously not in good rhythm/match fit against India (who are his bogey team anyway) he's bowled as well as he ever has the last 18 months in Tests.

 

[social]

It’s only 18 months away so only Australians that I can definitely see being retired are Warner and maybe Haze

Uzi could go too but he warrants selection atm

 

[social]

Yeah, just as a gut feeling. The bloke seems to have found something of a second wind in his bowling in the last year or so, that's usually good enough to last a few seasons. He's certainly performed well enough to make it feasible; aside from a few games where he was obviously not in good rhythm/match fit against India (who are his bogey team anyway) he's bowled as well as he ever has the last 18 months in Tests.

Starc hasn’t lost any pace yet and his only recent injury wasn’t bowling related

Can see him retiring after that series but no reason to think that he won’t play 2 more summers

 

[Qlder]

It’s only 18 months away so only Australians that I can definitely see being retired are Warner and maybe Haze

Uzi could go too but he warrants selection atm

Aren't Ashes 2025/26? That's 2.5 years away

Edit: Yep India play 5 tests 24/25 and then England Nov 25 to Jan 26

 

[social]

Aren't Ashes 2025/26? That's 2.5 years away

Yeah sorry

Haze and Uzi will definitely be gone

Don’t know about Starc as he’s a top athlete so might be around

Anyway fast bowlers aren’t our biggest concern

 

[danzydab]

England have alot of exciting talent coming up, lawes, atkinson, tongue, robinson could play the next ashes.
Jamie Smith, James Rew may also play.
I want Bohannon to play in the India tour, but Pope and Crawley will be persisted with.

Australia will be worried going into the next ashes as they dont have many upcoming young batsmen, and not sure how smith and marnus' form will be in 2025-2026. Its only Cam Green

 

[chris.hinton]

England have alot of exciting talent coming up, lawes, atkinson, tongue, robinson could play the next ashes.
Jamie Smith, James Rew may also play.
I want Bohannon to play in the India tour, but Pope and Crawley will be persisted with.

Australia will be worried going into the next ashes as they dont have many upcoming young batsmen, and not sure how smith and marnus' form will be in 2025-2026. Its only Cam Green

Nope they have no young talent coming through

 

[wpdavid]

Hadn’t given it much thought but this may well be the last Ashes test for many English players

Can’t imagine that Anderson, Broad & Mo will be in Australia

Wood might be better served chasing coin

Bairstow meh

Stokes is crocked so probably facing time out of the game

Big holes to fill

I think so, and that's assuming that Jimmy even plays. I suppose we have a pretty fair idea what the bowling might look like next time around, if Robinson, Tongue and Potts are fit and on form. Perhaps Atkinson will be in the frame if the hype is to be believed. Maybe Ahmed as the spinner. But I know there's a lot of ifs and maybes there. We do have options for the keeper tbf. As for replacing Stokes, the guy who should be trying to build a case isn't even playing in his county's recent FC games, despite playing in the T20 finals day in between them, so I think we can see where his priorities lie.

Looking even further ahead, I don't suppose many of this Australian side will be coming back to play in the 2027 series in England.

 

[Molehill]

Is Bazball really working? If we ignore the match against Ireland it means England has only won one red ball match this year.

If you look at the stats pre-Bazball then you'd know it most definitely does. With a bit of common sense, England would be unbeaten this year, but then I guess a certain amount of common sense has to be thrown out to Bazball.

 

[chris.hinton]

If you look at the stats pre-Bazball then you'd know it most definitely does. With a bit of common sense, England would be unbeaten this year, but then I guess a certain amount of common sense has to be thrown out to Bazball.

Entertainment. Bazball isn't a results based thing or something