4th Test: England v Australia at Chester-le-Street Aug 9-13, 2013

[Haarithan]

Finn in for Jimmy maybe? Or worst case, Tremlett/Panesar? Onions has fractured his thumb and has definitely been ruled out of contention. Jimmy needs a well deserved rest though, no question. Also I'd move Root to #4 if Bairstow is there to stay..

Cook
Trott?
Pietersen
Root
Bell
Bairstow
Prior
Bresnan
Broad
Swann
Finn

This would be my XI

 

[cricket_icon]

Finn in for Jimmy maybe? Or worst case, Tremlett/Panesar? Onions has fractured his thumb and has definitely been ruled out of contention. Jimmy needs a well deserved rest though, no question. Also I'd move Root to #4 if Bairstow is there to stay..

Cook
Trott?
Pietersen
Root
Bell
Bairstow
Prior
Bresnan
Broad
Swann
Finn

This would be my XI

Bring in Bopara or Morgan for Bairstow, that guy is useless in tests.

Give Jimmy a rest, he defo needs it before the next Ashes in a couple months. Tremlett in? Why not !

 

[Skater]

I'd go with:

Cook
Root
Trott
Pietersen
Bell
Taylor
Prior
Bresnan
Broad
Swann
Tremlett

As you can see, only one change in the bowlers. Anderson given a rest for Tremlett to come in.
Batting wise, Taylor comes in for Bairstow, who I am losing patience with.

 

[midgetwars]

It was 0/100 when I slept. I feel the bowling absolutely screwed us in the morning. We could of chased 230 not 270.

To make it worse, this is our best team from the squad. We can't put in Hughes or Cowan and Bird needs his chances.

 

[angryangy]

The batting was most of the problem in the entire game, as it was at Trent Bridge, where Australia were able to bowl England out cheaply and unable to take the initiative regardless. The turning point was where Australia got Bell out for 6 in the first innings and so preventing England from making a big score.

What Australia really needed from there was a decent first innings lead, but they barely scraped ahead, enabling England to regroup and set a challenging target. If only they'd listen to the commentators, then they'd realise they had momentum with which they could magically improve their batting.

Then of course Bell batted really well and that pushed the target up. Now yes, the tail wag ended up costing about 80 runs, but you can't expect to bowl the tail out for 0 as a matter of routine. Stuart Broad was done in only 7 balls and his reckless 13 was well short of his batting average. Taking the total back to 219 makes the chase barely within the reach of the performance that transpired. Any deduction more reasonable, like 40 runs, still looks out of reach. It would have been far more economical to continue the top order collapse and crush England's middle order into a small cube. Then the tail can do whatever it likes.

On the bright side, Australia is perhaps only one brilliant batsman away from being a lot better. The downside is that at this point, all signs point to it being Mitchell Starc.

 

[War]

AUS fought hard no doubt, but ENG were always better. AUS should be thankful that ENG were not at their ultimate best like in 2010/11 or they could have been 4-0 up already.

The Oval test is irrelevant now, AUS plans should focus towards the the return series in AUS. Hughes/Khawaja/Smith are young weaklinks its has to be said now that its debatable if they will have serious long term test careers or will just fade way like a Matt Elliot, Blewett, North.

The only way i can see AUS solidify the middle-order before the 1st test in Brisbane is to bring in Katich & Bailey. We have already seen how good the experience of Rogers have been - the youngsters are just not good enough. Plus also once again how Watson is used has to be reconsidered. He will never last a series as an all-rounder whether he is opening or batting in the middle. So at times i think AUS have to consider either picking 4 quicks & dropping Lyon. Or playing 5 bats/Haddin @ # 6 & Faulkner @ 7 if they want to keep Lyon in the starting line-up:

Rogers, Warner, Watson, Katich, Clarke, Bailey, Haddin, Starc, Pattinson, Siddle, Harris.


For England i think Bairstow should be dropped for Taylor. Bairstow will have a future, but he hasn't nailed down a place with his batting exploits & i reckon Taylor deserves another chance.

Also cricinfo's George Dobell A magical session, but England can get better | Cricket News | Australia in England - The Investec Ashes | ESPN Cricinfo - has been stressing quite correctly that ENG can get better.

This ENG team plays in the mirror image of Clarke - conservative dominance. This is why for eg Bresnan would always play for Finn or Tremlett for example. Sometimes i think the Finn/Tremlett (especially Finn) should be playing more tests than Bresnan.

 

[midgetwars]

I think it's fine to retain Smith, he's done reasonably well amongst the youngsters. The problem is Khawaja, we always want him in the team but he never performs it's a real worry.

Do we keep him or not? Do we seriously keep swapping out players?

 

[Owzat]

England fought harder which considering the aussies could have drawn the series was a bit surprising.

But again DRS has screwed the aussies over, both Watson and Haddin given out and "umpire's call" on the question of hitting, given "not out" they would have survived. Smith was just brainless with his shot, that's three wickets that could have made the difference. DRS is becoming farcical, so much so you half expect a controversy every time, and it's as farcical as the T Cook makes with his arms like it's some kind of macho thing.

But at the end of the day you don't win many matches losing 6/31 . aussies yet again had victory in sights, a 1st innings lead, but again couldn't make it count. Watson needs to work on his batting, maybe use him sparingly as a bowler too, ditch Khawaja for Hughes, someone, anyone. And have words with Smith, he could be a handy batsman who bowls a few over but he's returned a 25 average with the bat, career average now just under 30, and only been bowled 95 career overs despite handy figures this series.

Rogers is the only batsman to produce runs consistently, Clarke relies heavily on his 187 otherwise his other seven innings bring just 159 runs @ 26.50 .And while some might blame the bowlers for not making totals to chase smaller, if it weren't for the bowlers the game would be gone long before totals are chased. Harris (19.25), Lyon (25.00), Siddle (26.29) and Starc (27.13) have alldone well enough, Starc is unlucky to have been dropped in favour of Bird (2/125)

Maybe they should have sent for Hussey


All in all I think DRS has backed up home advantage, although the aussies would still have been second best methinks. Where is the aussie grit? Some of the performances feel more like Zimbabwe

 

[barmyarmy]

It's not DRS screwing Australia over; it's the umpires. The ball was hitting the stumps so clearly DRS can't overturn the decision. The umpires were the problem. They gave some just-hittings not out during the England innings and out while Australia were batting. Nothing to do with DRS.

 

[midgetwars]

Yep, it's more of the umpires being really harsh against Australia.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Did you see that collapse? Australia are the 'new England' (at least the 90's version).

And stop whining about the umpires already; England have had their fair share of stinkers in this series as well (Agar in the 1st Test, anyone)?

 

[aussie1st]

Do we keep him or not? Do we seriously keep swapping out players?

Might as well give him the last test. Him and Hughes much the same really, look completely clueless against spin. With Watson probably out can't believe I'm saying it but might as well throw in Faulkner and see if his batting is anywhere near standard.

 

[midgetwars]

Well at least Khawaja has a better technique than hughes.

 

[used2bcool]

It might be that the umpires screwed Australia in terms of those two lbws, but Haddin and Watson were really playing hideous shots and both missed essentially straight deliveries. Watson plonked his front foot and couldn't get around it (like he's been doing all series) and I don't even know what Haddin was doing.

Also, Shane Warne whinges A LOT on commentary.

 

[Skater]

Since Lord's I think Australia have played rather well. Really, it could be 3-1 to you. 15 runs away in the first Test, halted by the rain in the third and yesterday you were cruising before Broad bowled one of the best spells I've ever seen from him. That might be because our players are more experienced and just know how to win more than you.

I do think you are only one or two world class players away from having a really good side. I'd certainly take Clarke and Harris into the England team if I could. The trouble you had was you didn't bring through young players to play with Langer, Hayden, Ponting, Warne, McGrath and Gilchrist in their later years. They ended up pretty much retiring all at the same time and left you starting from scratch.

I'd expect the return series to be very competitive. With the success of Chris Rogers coming in, the selectors might decide to bring in one or two more experienced heads for the home series, which can only be a good thing. Presumably Pattinson will come back in when he's fit and Harris, fitness depending, is a certainty.