*Official* India Tour of England 2018

[Groundking]

We could go funky and chuck Butler up the order, thinking something like:

Cook
Jennings
Root
Butler
Bairstow
Pope
Woakes
Curran
Rashid
Broad
Anderson

We have to move Butler either way with Stokes out, so may as well think outside of the box a little bit, bat him up the order and give him a role similar to what KP used to do for us. I think that that team shows what it was a mistake dropping Moeen from the team, as that's a long tail, and Mo has been so crucial in dragging our sorry arses to a decent score so often.

I really really really hope Pope succeeds.

 

[theegyptian]

It's not really a long tail. Curran at 8, Rashid at 9 are not tailenders. More a long lower middle order.

Buttler, Bairstow, Ali, Pope, Woakes, Curran, Rashid, Malan, Stokes etc They all really want to bat somewhere 6-8.

 

[anaksr]

I don't know whether India will win next match or not but Iam sure about one thing.
Virat will surely make changes in team. Because he so consistent with that. I mean I heard that teams have been changed in each and every match played with Kohli as captain. For the record, it's 36 Test that might be funnily in itself a record.

 

[Howe_zat]

I see Malan just spent the first test getting familiar with the idea of 'dropped'. Just a bit of forward thinking really.

 

[fredfertang]

What happens if, and there is every chance it may not happen for a host reasons, Stokes trial doesn't go ahead tomorrow?

 

[marc71178]

He's straight back in isn't he?

I think I read there's a chance it could open and be adjourned on the first day of the trial (anyone with proper legal knowledge able to confirm this?) in which case they've said they'd call him up.

 

[Starfighter]

Pope over Clarke is an interesting one (Ed Smith praised to be interesting didn't he?) as while Pope's obviously got talent to go from six in county to four in tests is big leap. England desperately need middle-top order batsmen, not more middle-lower order, especially with Buttler taking up space awkwardly. I don't know if Clarke would have been the safer pick there, although going on their general county role I'd lean that way. At least they're trying someone young, although I hope it's not too young.

 

[cnerd123]

If Jos Butler is good enough to play as a specialist batsman and vice captain, he should be good enough to bat at 4 as well.

 

[Starfighter]

We all know that's not going to happen though.

 

[91Jmay]

Buttler should go 4. Not fair to sacrifice Pope that high up just to protect someone who shouldn't be in the team. Pope is a massive talent though, fingers crossed.

 

[garylyon]

Really impressed with Root handling the no. 3 job well and delivering despite popular anticipation of his no. 3 responsibilities along with captaincy going to prove too much for the man. Looks really stable and composed when in crease; unlike Kohli who was scratchy tstl in the first half of his epic innings, Root looked very much in control before he was run out at 80. Also such a good player of spin, a fact made so accentuated by the generalised English direness when facing Ashwin. Negotiated the latter very well on the backfoot, always hitting under the eyes, not reaching for it or playing a good length through the line. Ultimately was done in by a poor shot selection in 2nd inn since he didn't need to push at the bowl going down leg when there was a painfully visible plan of getting the leg spin in play going on. But overall really loved watching him bat, even if Kohli just edges it as the batsman of the match in the end.

 

[trundler]

Wouldn't call 200 vs 87 just edging it.

 

[garylyon]

As for India, this is certainly a missed opportunity (though they surely deserved to lose: ****e batting, giving away dominant positions) and will be a sore spot in their memory for some time even if they manage to win this series, which I think is very possible. I stand with my prediction of 3-2 England and anticipate some delectable test cricket over the month.

 

[garylyon]

Wouldn't call 200 vs 87 just edging it.

Yeah well not to take anything away from Kohli but he had a fair bit of luck going his way didn't he. A gun batsman, probably at a peak right now, unlike Root who has had the conversion issue of late which is right now nothing less than serious but expect Root to be following him close in the leading scorers chart of the series nonetheless.

I'll admit Kohli is more exciting to watch and even has more burden on his shoulders with every other Indian batsman sucking balls, but Root sometimes can be just as impressive and decisive.

 

[Borges]

Root is just as good a batsman as Kohli, notwithstanding the difference in the amount of runs each scored in this particular test match.
I would be surprised if there are no test matches in this series where Root heavily outscores Kohli.

 

[Daemon]

Yep there weren't many times in the game where batsmen were in control but that Root and Bairstow partnership looked the closest to it.

 

[vcs]

Hardik and Kohli in the 2nd innings as well

 

[ImpatientLime]

root isn't in kohli's stratosphere at the moment

it is nearly a year since root hit a test ton ffs

 

[trundler]

I just want to see one of them get a pair as the other gets twin tons.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Biggest issues: openers, middle order. In that order.

Keeper, openers, middle order.