India tour of England Aug-Sept 2021

[Bigby Wolf]

I remember this commentary.

This was for Gautam Gambhir in 2014

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Surely there are better openers than Burns and Sibley. Surely!

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Surely there are better openers than Burns and Sibley. Surely!

Perhaps Adam Lyth deserves a comeback IMO for Sibley. AFAIK Lyth scored a century in his 2nd Test match and was thrown apart following a poor run of form in 2015 Ashes at home.

 

[asprin]

One other pleasing aspect so far has been the way India had taken control of the first day of each Test inspite of losing the toss (Bowling England out and 280/3). It another thing that England found ways to even that out but seldom have I seen that happen in SENA tours.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

 

[Aislabie]

Rory Burns is four months older than Joe Root. Just something I learned today

 

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

Getting to the elephant in the room, yes Pujara and Rahane performed well in the second inning but the victory was still only possible because of the bowlers. Pujara and Rahane while got us back into the game, did not give us the lead or batted the long innings that they should be. I do not know why certain people get offended when we criticize non performing players. Has anyone ever spoken to Pujara and Rahane that guys, you have been so instrumental for India, you are our back bone but the last 2 years you have been mediocre. Looks like you are in this stage where you have saved your wicket and have taken some nasty blows, 10% of the time it has helped the team, the remaining 90% it has not. What can we do to fix this? This is the question or discussion the team management needs to have with them.

Since 2018, I read we average only 240 runs per innings. Now I get it that we have played most away and have had like only 12 matches at home. If India has to dominate, we need our middle order to dominate. We cannot rely on our lower order in Pant/Jadeja/Ashwin and bowlers to win matches every single time.

We need the old Puji and Rahane back.

 

[beechcroft]

Vince and Malan have a combined average of about 40 in test cricket in England. Maybe one could take the first innings and the other the second.

There's an idea. Different batsmen for each innings. I can see that as the next ICC "innovation".

Let's go further and have a squad of 20 or 30 batsman in the dressing room. The batting captain would then choose who comes in next depending on the situation. Of course, England would be handicapped in that we can't even find 11 batsmen worthy of playing, let along 20 or 30.

The idea is modelled on American football, who have 45 to 50 players on the team, but only 11 players on the field at a time.

It's not cricket, you say? No, it isn't, but then again neither is The Hundred.

 

[Aislabie]

So I've been doing the thing that English fans and administrators always do: thinking about what this team could look like for The Ashes.

Please do pick this squad to pieces, it's not an entirely serious selection:

• Head Coach: Darren Stevens

1. Rory Burns
2. Ben Stokes
3. Ollie Pope
4. Joe Root
5. Dan Lawrence
6. Jonny Bairstow - reserve wicket-keeper
7. Ben Foakes
8. Ollie Robinson
9. Mark Wood
10. Jack Leach
11. Jimmy Anderson

• James Vince - reserve top-order batsman
• Dawid Malan - reserve middle-order batsman
• Chris Woakes - reserve all-rounder and swing bowler
• Craig Overton - token knobhead
• Stuart Broad - reserve seam bowler
• Saqib Mahmood - reserve express pace bowler
• Matt Parkinson - reserve spinner

Now there are a lot of objectively silly things here, but I am in a silly mood.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

So I've been doing the thing that English fans and administrators always do: thinking about what this team could look like for The Ashes.

Please do pick this squad to pieces, it's not an entirely serious selection:

• Head Coach: Darren Stevens

1. Rory Burns
2. Ben Stokes
3. Ollie Pope
4. Joe Root
5. Dan Lawrence
6. Jonny Bairstow - reserve wicket-keeper
7. Ben Foakes
8. Ollie Robinson
9. Mark Wood
10. Jack Leach
11. Jimmy Anderson

• James Vince - reserve top-order batsman
• Dawid Malan - reserve middle-order batsman
• Chris Woakes - reserve all-rounder and swing bowler
• Craig Overton - token knobhead
• Stuart Broad - reserve seam bowler
• Saqib Mahmood - reserve express pace bowler
• Matt Parkinson - reserve spinner

Now there are a lot of objectively silly things here, but I am in a silly mood.

I wouldn't be opposed to Dan Lawrence getting a chance at 3. He's been square-pegged (I say) like Denly and Bairstow, being thrust into whatever round hole Root, Bayliss and Silverwood need to fill.

I feel like Pope and Bairstow batting at 3 is just a recipe for disaster. They have by and large batted no higher than 5 in their careers and have had most success at 6 and 7.

I'm also struck by Pope's test career so far. He averages 60 in first class cricket with 10 hundreds in 54 innings, a remarkable record. In Test cricket he's got 1 hundred in 32 innings and averages 31. It's a massive drop off and he's probably the leading hope for the future of English batting.

I'm going for the: still playing and has performed best in Australian conditions.

1 Stoneman (average 25.77)
2 Moeen Ali (19.88) (Cook is still playing but he's retired so we need to go with the next best option)
3 Malan (42.55)
4 Root (38)
5 Stokes (34.87)
6 Vince (26.88)
7 Bairstow (27.3)
8 Borthwick (bowling average 20.5)
9 Bresnan (26.31)
10 Finn (33.14)
11 Anderson (35.09)

Worth a shot:

Tom Curran (33/100 ), Woakes (16.28/49.5), Broad (37.17), Overton (37.66), Crane (193)

Some would say four left-handers in the top seven is a risk when they have Nathan Lyon. Some would also say going with fast medium bowlers is a risk.

 

[Aislabie]

6. Vince
7. Bairstow
8. Borthwick
9. Bresnan

Where do I sign up?

I wouldn't be opposed to Dan Lawrence getting a chance at 3. He's been square-pegged (I say) like Denly and Bairstow, being thrust into whatever round hole Root, Bayliss and Silverwood need to fill.

I feel like Pope and Bairstow batting at 3 is just a recipe for disaster. They have by and large batted no higher than 5 in their careers and have had most success at 6 and 7.

I'm also struck by Pope's test career so far. He averages 60 in first class cricket with 10 hundreds in 54 innings, a remarkable record. In Test cricket he's got 1 hundred in 32 innings and averages 31. It's a massive drop off and he's probably the leading hope for the future of English batting.

I could roll with Lawrence at three. The only reason I put Pope at number three is because I want him to be Ian Bell. Even @blockerdave would pick a prime Ian Bell for this England team. His Test career, as well as the fact that his technique has got noticeably worse since being around the Test side, is a grave concern

Also, I'd be unironically in favour of Stokes getting a go at the top of the order. He's got probably the best technique, usually the best footwork, and the ability to be adaptable according to the situation.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Where do I sign up?


I could roll with Lawrence at three. The only reason I put Pope at number three is because I want him to be Ian Bell. Even @blockerdave would pick a prime Ian Bell for this England team. His Test career, as well as the fact that his technique has got noticeably worse since being around the Test side, is a grave concern

Also, I'd be unironically in favour of Stokes getting a go at the top of the order. He's got probably the best technique, usually the best footwork, and the ability to be adaptable according to the situation.

Woakes averages 55 in the top 7. That's better than Root let alone the other so-called batsman. Playing him would allow for Stokes to bat higher up because the pressure would be off him when it comes to bowling.

 

[Aislabie]

Woakes averages 55 in the top 7. That's better than Root let alone the other so-called batsman. Playing him would allow for Stokes to bat higher up because the pressure would be off him when it comes to bowling.

Woakes and Foakes at six and seven also improves the team aesthetically

It appears we have landed on:

1. Burns
2. Stokes
3. Lawrence
4. Root
5. Bairstow
6. Woakes
7. Foakes

How about bowlers?

 

[SaiSrini]

Getting to the elephant in the room, yes Pujara and Rahane performed well in the second inning but the victory was still only possible because of the bowlers. Pujara and Rahane while got us back into the game, did not give us the lead or batted the long innings that they should be. I do not know why certain people get offended when we criticize non performing players. Has anyone ever spoken to Pujara and Rahane that guys, you have been so instrumental for India, you are our back bone but the last 2 years you have been mediocre. Looks like you are in this stage where you have saved your wicket and have taken some nasty blows, 10% of the time it has helped the team, the remaining 90% it has not. What can we do to fix this? This is the question or discussion the team management needs to have with them.

Since 2018, I read we average only 240 runs per innings. Now I get it that we have played most away and have had like only 12 matches at home. If India has to dominate, we need our middle order to dominate. We cannot rely on our lower order in Pant/Jadeja/Ashwin and bowlers to win matches every single time.

We need the old Puji and Rahane back.

Seriously? Imagine if Pujara and Rahane got out for single figures or for a combined score of no more than 20... You think Shami and Bumrah would've been able to repeat the same heroics? England would've had a lot more energy in their tank by getting Pujara/Rahane cheaply and could've easily razed through the rest to set themselves up for a way smaller total and with a lot more time to chase it. This test could have easily ended up on the other side, if not for that partnership.

If someone goes up and tries to have a word with them, it will basically devalue their performance in this test and will only push them further down the scratchy path. Rahane and Pujara played a big role in that epic series win in Australia, and did the same in this recent test. If Kohli can have scratchy times with the bat (despite my dislike for his captaincy, I would gladly give him a long rope as a batsman considering his quality/value).

 

[LiveLoveABD]

What on earth went on there?