England in India

[Sureshot]

and Brian Lara

He slightly edged it

My Line up for first test at Nagpur (iirc)

Tres
Strauss
Vaughan
Bell (really starting to admire him for his attitude)
KP
Flintoff
Prior (his keeping certainly isn't worse than Jones and is better imo). No bias honest.
Hoggard (can help the batsman with a long standing partnership)
Jones
Harmison
Panesar.

Unfortunately Udal will almost certainly play unless Panesar does something in the practice games.

 

[BigCrickNan]

Udal cannot play. HE JUST CAN'T! . I can spin the ball twice as much as Udal, and I don't spin it a lot.

I would play G Jones and Panesar for sure. Jones was good with the gloves in Pakistan and is improving his batting. Panesar is miles better than udal.

 

[beefy_botham]

U ppl have no idea about spinning the ball do u?? Being a finger spinner myself, we normally get wickets by varying loop and flight of the ball. Hence there is variable bounce. Finger spinners play a different role compared to say a wrist spinner who can turn the ball two feet after hitting the pitch. Maidens are as important as wickets as it builds the pressure on the batsmen therefore hopefully producing a mistake and then a vital wicket.

 

[BigCrickNan]

U ppl have no idea about spinning the ball do u?? Being a finger spinner myself, we normally get wickets by varying loop and flight of the ball. Hence there is variable bounce. Finger spinners play a different role compared to say a wrist spinner who can turn the ball two feet after hitting the pitch. Maidens are as important as wickets as it builds the pressure on the batsmen therefore hopefully producing a mistake and then a vital wicket.

I know that flight etc. is very important in finger spinning. The point is that Udal was useless in the test matches in Pakistan...

 

[James219]

Yeah he didn't put pressure on the batsman, did not bowl in consistent areas, too many loose deliveries which allowed the batsman too be patient and get on top of him when feeling comfortable, (for a finger spinner seeing as their main role is too contain and graft as opposed to the wristspinner where it's ok to lose your line occasionally as they're more attacking, hence MacGill . A huge exception to the containing and more or less defensive strategies is Muralitharan) He also doesn't give the ball any air, apparently he only started trying this when Warne came to Hampshire and Udal would have been 35 then! Took him a while.
Anyway, Sureshot, I'd definitely keep G.Jones as keeper, he's really improving, he barely made a mistake in Pakistan. Also his batting is really developing, has a solid technique and can prove invaluable when vital runs are needed, better than Prior in my opinion.

 

[m_vaughan]

I know that flight etc. is very important in finger spinning. The point is that Udal was useless in the test matches in Pakistan...

To be honest, the entire England team was crap in Pakistan. Not just Udal.

Also in test matches, G Jones has to play.

 

[Sureshot]

No he doesn't, we can't afford to have someone behind the stumps who will drop more than someone like Foster. Fosters batting has improved a heck of a lot.

 

[gary0808]

Udal is a good bowler. He had a bad series but if we stick with him he will get better and used to International cricket. I would sneak Udal in ahead of Panesar and maybe play the two. The question is if he plays the two who will he drop

 

[RoboRocks]

Udal is a good bowler. He had a bad series but if we stick with him he will get better and used to International cricket. I would sneak Udal in ahead of Panesar and maybe play the two. The question is if he plays the two who will he drop

Loudon should be in if Giles doesn't play.

He should of played against Pakistan and he should play against India.

 

[James219]

Well if Jones didn't play, It would be great for Foster to be part of the side but clearly he won't, seeing as he's not in the squad. When he came to Australia in 2002/03 he was a quality keeper taking over from Stewart who was getting too old to stay alert for the whole innings, barely letting any byes through and was a talented batsman. He seems to have gone downhill in the eyes of the selectors though. I don't know how he bats now but he surely would have improved and still is pretty young.

 

[genghis_khan]

what's Matt Prior's batting like????????

 

[beefy_botham]

well they used Prior in the one dayers to open the batting. He didn't keep wicket. A bit of a Gilly but not even half the player

 

[James219]

well they used Prior in the one dayers to open the batting. He didn't keep wicket. A bit of a Gilly but not even half the player

Come on, maybe you don't know but Gilchrist had a very shaky start to his international career, failing alot in the one-day form. You can't compare the present Prior with the present Gilchrist. He may not have the capacity later on to be up there with Gilchrist, but he still showed signs of promise in Pakistan despite an overall shaky tour.

 

[Sureshot]

what's Matt Prior's batting like????????

Better than Jones, he's a stroker maker who can play on the legside unlike Jones.

 

[James219]

Better than Jones, he's a stroker maker who can play on the legside unlike Jones.

On the topic of Prior, how's his keeping skills? There seems to be an obsession in world cricket that deems that selectors 'have' to pick a keeper with solid batting, despite how good he is behind the wickets.