Leach, Ahmed, Hartley - terrible England spin "attacks" in the SC

[tony p]

If England had to call up another spinner to play due to injury or something, who would they pick, or would they just bowl Root more.
Basically, who's next in line that's not in the Test Squad.

 

[reyrey]

If England had to call up another spinner to play due to injury or something, who would they pick, or would they just bowl Root more.
Basically, who's next in line that's not in the Test Squad.

I'd go with Dom Bess, or try talk Dawson and Rashid into joining the tour. I'd do that even if there were no injuries.

Where are Will Jacks and Livingstone? Injured?

 

[Chin Music]

As we head into another India series with huge questions over our spin bowling, it's a good time to reflect on the **** we've had before.

Like in 2001 when we went with Richard Dawson as sole spinner alongside four seamers in the first test, which we lost. Any of the combinations of Tuffers, Embers, Salisbury and Hick in 92/93. Pick your favourite from Mo/Leach/Root or Bess/Leach/Root in 2021. Winning a test in 2006 with a very green Monty and a very grey Shaun Udal said more about the pitch I think than England's spinners.

Not in India, but my favourite attack is probably from our tour in 2016, when we took soon-to-be finance man Zafar Ansari and 39yo Gareth Batty with us, although at least I don't think they ever played together alongside Mo and Rashid.

Yep the full tour combo of Mo, Rashid, Zafar, Batty was horrific. I can't remember who played and when. I think Zafar Ansari got injured early in the tour and that was it. I remember him more for his kamikaze fielding that got him injured on a couple of occasions more than his bowling.

 

[Chin Music]

I'd go with Dom Bess, or try talk Dawson and Rashid into joining the tour. I'd do that even if there were no injuries.

Where are Will Jacks and Livingstone? Injured?

Will Jacks is definitely at the SA T20 Franchise league.

 

[Starfighter]

Not in India, but my favourite attack is probably from our tour in 2016, when we took soon-to-be finance man Zafar Ansari and 39yo Gareth Batty with us, although at least I don't think they ever played together alongside Mo and Rashid.

Funnily enough I actually rated Ansari at the time after watching him in County highlights. Not one of my better judgements, as it turns out.

 

[Chin Music]

Funnily enough I actually rated Ansari at the time after watching him in County highlights. Not one of my better judgements, as it turns out.

I have been to the Oval enough over the last dozen years to watch county cricket to have been certain enough that this wasn't the case. I was also baffled at the Batty selection at the time. I mean, he was a solid enough county off-spinner but he wasn't anything other than chicken feed to good players of spin. Not that this made him much worse than anyone else playing on the 2016 tour. My abiding memory of the 2016 test in Mumbai, which I went to, was of how mediocre Ali was. Rashid actually bowled ok there until he was asked to bowl something like 27/28 overs on the bounce. Towards the end of that spell and for the rest of the series, it was little surprise that he tanked. I think he'd bowled alright in the first couple of games too.

 

[Starfighter]

I have been to the Oval enough over the last dozen years to watch county cricket to have been certain enough that this wasn't the case.

What does your going to The Oval have to do with my personal impression of a bowler?

 

[kevinw]

I'd go with Dom Bess, or try talk Dawson and Rashid into joining the tour. I'd do that even if there were no injuries.

Where are Will Jacks and Livingstone? Injured?

Jacks and LL are in South Africa, just like Dawson.

 

[Chin Music]

What does your going to The Oval have to do with my personal impression of a bowler?

Not saying it did. I was just clarifying that after watching him, I was fairly certain that he wasn't up to the task of bowling to high class international batting lineups.

 

[Yeoman]

Like quite a few recent English spinners, Ansari was a better one day than first class performer. That he was picked for the tour shows how bare the cupboard was (and is still, Largely through lack of opportunities in county cricket - Ahmed bowled very little for Leicestershire last year). I recall going to Surrey’s first home match in 2017, Ansari was twelfth man and I remember thinking that it was something of a come down for a player who had bowled for England a few months before. He clearly agreed as he retired shortly after.

 

[Ali TT]

Bump

 

[cnerd123]

Go and suck a dick, the whole lot of you. ****ing *****.

 

[Aidan11]

Go and suck a dick, the whole lot of you. ****ing ****s.

 

[Adders]

Same old England......taking the piss

 

[honestbharani]

Gambhiring the biggest winner so far in last 3 months of cricket. #banshri.

 

[ankitj]

This thread is a great lesson in effective gamhiring.

 

[cnerd123]

Make me Mod and I'll ban the OP

 

[Ali TT]

Like all good keyboard warriors I'm going to double down on my hot take even in the face of strong evidence to the contrary.

Two of England's spinners were ineffective in this match and it was the part time spin of the leading batter that kept England in the game during the first innings. That India gave away 14 wickets to Root and Hartley on a reasonably good wicket tells us a lot about the state of their batting but it's not for me to start an "Is this the worst Indian batting to face England at home of all time?" thread.

 

[Spark]

I don't know about reasonably good at the end there. It wasn't a minefield but it wasn't especially easy work either, especially if you ever wanted to actually score some runs.

 

[subshakerz]

Doesn't matter if they are terrible, on these pitches they will seem worldclass.

How do you spinners like Ashwin and Jadeja built their careers?