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2nd Test at Adelaide - 16 to 20 Dec

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Woakes at number 6 a bit too much
I agree with jackyboy's latest xi -
You have to have bess for his batting - he is a better batsman than leach - and though robinson can hold a bat his shot against nathan lyon was irresponsible and bess definitely has a more solid game and technique than robinson. You can't put in robinson or wood at number 8 if your batting line up is vulnerable apart from Root.

1. Stokes
2. Hameed
3. Malan
4. Root
5. Pope
6. Buttler
7. Woakes
8. Bess
9. Robinson
10. Broad
11. Anderson
Six bowling options are totally unncessary, especially if it means that Woakes has to bat 7 and Stokes has to open.

I think Bess's bowling style might suit Australian conditions a bit more than Leach's because he gets more overspin so he'll be able to use the bounce, plus there are a lot of lefties in the top seven... but he can send down some series pies on off days. Leach should definitely be out but I think I'd only bother picking a spinner at all if Stokes was fully fit to bowl.
 

jackzales

Cricket Spectator
Six bowling options are totally unncessary, especially if it means that Woakes has to bat 7 and Stokes has to open.

I think Bess's bowling style might suit Australian conditions a bit more than Leach's because he gets more overspin so he'll be able to use the bounce, plus there are a lot of lefties in the top seven... but he can send down some series pies on off days. Leach should definitely be out but I think I'd only bother picking a spinner at all if Stokes was fully fit to bowl.
Leach has more overspi Bess has more sidespin
 

jackzales

Cricket Spectator
Joking - he comes past the perpendicular so it makes it difficult for him to impart much overspin - Leach does too occassionally but he is more consistent in keeping his arm position right than Bess
 

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Woakes is useless, why are all y'all trying to keep him in the XI.

Woakes, Robinson and Leach out, Broad, Bess and Anderson in. England don't have a worthwhile spinner but surely Bess can't be wise than Leach on Australian pitches.
 

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Woakes is useless, why are all y'all trying to keep him in the XI.
Because he can supposedly bat. The entire mentality of certain portion of the English cricketing public, including the test selection strategy apparently, is based on the idea of bailing out the batsmen. It's infuriating. Batsmen are picked to bat, bowlers should be picked to bowl. Woakes' extra 10-15 (on average) runs an innings isn't going to offset his being absolutely toothless with the ball.
 

Spark

Global Moderator
It would make some sense if he was putting up similar batting output as he usually does in England because that’s a genuinely useful and extremely annoying asset to have coming it at 8, but it’s pretty well established by now that he doesn’t really have the capability to deal with the short ball on Australian pitches.

But yeah, even then it’s probably not worth carrying his overall lack of penetration with the Kookaburra.
 

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