Ashes 2015 - Australia tour of England July/September 2015

[blockerdave]

I'd move Root to 4, Bairstow/Taylor at 5 then keep the rest as is.

 

[SpitfiresKent]

I'd keep Root where he is, drop Bell and then fast track Brendan Taylor's application for UK citizenship.

 

[Dutch]

I cant stand ****wits saying: oh Butlers wicket makes it The Aussies day...fearsome tweak off.....there are 350 runs on the board..... Get them first and then we will see....

 

[MUFC1987]

Good to see Ballance grinding out some runs. Good test for him after the 3 quick wickets, hopefully the start of another good series for him.

I see Root got a bit too close to that new ball as well, but luckily he got dropped.

 

[Aalay]

Gosh Gary Ballance has a horrible technique. I think he made runs against Sri Lanka and India because both of them didn't see much of Gary Ballance before and obviously both of those teams don't have a great bowling attack. As soon as he is attacked with short balls, his feet gets stuck and doesn't move at all which makes him even more vulnerable against the full delivery. He showed today that he was ready to grind but the pitch also favoured him today. If the pitches are a little quicker, then he might get in trouble.

Australian bowling wasn't too impressive either from what I saw. I am still not convinced by Mitchell Starc in longer format. He has always been a good white ball bowler but he struggles with the red ball. He was very wayward today and so was Johnson. The pitch wasn't very responsive but they could have still bowled better.

 

[Deleted member 149013]

I can’t say I was impressed with Ballance today, he didn’t once look confident or in control at any stage. When he went to cover drive he had no weight and his bat was scooping under the ball so if he had made full contact it would of went through the air or to slips it was lucky he edged it. On a faster pitch I don’t think he would have been there long and I know it’s a bit harsh but he is a number 3 batsman, I would have to say it was a very lucky innings.

Root just pure class today and it saved England. The top 3 need to cover drive and be more aggressive I got the impression that it was too defensive and let’s wait until there tired and the new ball is worn down before we score runs. Bell there’s nothing left to say he will be there till he retires I guess? Past innings score gets you a secure place for life.

It’s amazing that England’s limited overs has adapted with players more suited for the format but test cricket is still lagging behind. Overall it wasn’t England’s worse day, Hazlewood was impressive.

 

[IceAgeComing]

I don't know what you mean by that - 350 runs in a day is actually quite good and its the sort of rate that most test teams would manage on that sort of pitch. It was a slow pitch that was a bit uneven but broadly kept low; and its the sort of pitch that encourages slow accumulation and patience rather than quick scoring. Root managed to score quickly but honestly in his current form he's one of the top test batsmen at the moment, he's an exception to the rule. Cook got out trying to be aggressive to Lyon; its not like the Cook of last year who'd get out poking at a ball that you should leave. There's no point judging batsmen on one innings solely, and we shouldn't be trying major significant changes based on an innings where England should score over 400... This isn't One Day cricket, the run rate doesn't matter because you need to take twenty wickets anyway...

I'd say that was an even day: England would have been slightly ahead had Buttler not got out late. Australia got a great start but Ballance, Buttler and Stokes got England back into the game.

 

[cooks1st100]

Wow, what was that by Broad? Can you actually be out head before wicket?

 

[Chief]

I saw Ballance score all day in a domestic game, never looking in trouble, cool as a cucumber. It's a different level, but I'm confident he'll end up a solid fixture. Reminds me of Trott in his prime: a real thinker and a steady hand.

 

[Deleted member 149013]

I don't know what you mean by that - 350 runs in a day is actually quite good and its the sort of rate that most test teams would manage on that sort of pitch. It was a slow pitch that was a bit uneven but broadly kept low; and its the sort of pitch that encourages slow accumulation and patience rather than quick scoring. Root managed to score quickly but honestly in his current form he's one of the top test batsmen at the moment, he's an exception to the rule. Cook got out trying to be aggressive to Lyon; its not like the Cook of last year who'd get out poking at a ball that you should leave. There's no point judging batsmen on one innings solely, and we shouldn't be trying major significant changes based on an innings where England should score over 400... This isn't One Day cricket, the run rate doesn't matter because you need to take twenty wickets anyway...

I'd say that was an even day: England would have been slightly ahead had Buttler not got out late. Australia got a great start but Ballance, Buttler and Stokes got England back into the game.

Cook was aggressive to Lyon. I thought the top 3 were too defensive and pensive and Australia have a good attack and if England’s top 3 played more aggressive it would counter attack the bowling. I wasn’t suggesting trying to smash them for sixes but play on the front foot and cover drive it would upset there full bowling plan because the bowlers were free to dictate there lengths.

Root sure is in form but showed what aggressive counter attacking batting can do and how it can take the game away from the opposition.

Ballance had a lucky innings and I hope it was a batting performance that was playing him back into form because if it wasn’t he showed a really weakness to the short ball and in general wasn’t very convincing.

350 on day one is good but England will want a lot more runs than that on this pitch.

 

[_Sam_]

Wow, what was that by Broad? Can you actually be out head before wicket?

Tendulkars been out off the shoulder before :

Of course because it was him McGrath was clearly cheating .

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Why did the crowd boo every time Root hit a boundary?

 

[Chief]

Why did the crowd boo every time Root hit a boundary?

"Roooooooooooot"

Not

"Boooooooooooo".

 

[Dutch]

Good morning for England.....pressure on the Aussies....prove it it is a shit pitch for bowling on and easy for batting

 

[Chief]

Good morning for England.....pressure on the Aussies....prove it it is a shit pitch for bowling on and easy for batting

According to the forecasts, we're going to lose pretty much all of the 5th day to rain... So looking like a draw unless wickets start to tumble.