India tour of England Aug-Sept 2021

[blockerdave]

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.

Ollie Pope is Ian Bell.

Entirely overrated because he has a nice cover drive, but without the temperament or defensive technique to cut it.

If Bell was 5 years older or younger he'd have been discarded. He was lucky to play the majority of his career in an era where fast bowling and spin bowling were at their weakest in my lifetime - probably South Africa's pace attack exempted. The Australian attack in 2010/11 ashes was a joke, and the 2013 England home ashes - which Bell fan's constantly talk about - wasn't an awful lot better (Ryan Harris excepted).

If Ian Bell had played in the 80's or 90s his test average would be under 20. This is a hill I will die on.

If he'd debuted in 2015, his test average would be under 30.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

What on earth went on there?

Ollie Robinson made some comment on Jasprit Bumrah while he was batting, to which Bumrah complained to the umpire. Umpire just calmed Bumrah down and asked Robinson to avoid doing it. To this Root and Buttler objected and laughed off while having a word with Bumrah. So Kohli was probably annoyed with that hence he was asking Buttler to avoid it next time.

Kohli, Rahul, Siraj and Rohit gave a stare to Robinson when he came out to bat. Kohli also had a word with Robinson.

Edit:- Wood was also involved in this incident and even he made some comment on Bumrah

 

[Aislabie]

Okay hear me out here

Darren Stevens in for Sam Curran

 

[ddrap14]

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.

Either a masterstroke of a team or a complete failure.

Regardless, the series would finish 5-0

 

[Na Maloom Afraad]

God has spoken...

 

[CerealKiller]

God has spoken...

He's probably just seen one of Crawley's innings, his 267 against us.

 

[Ed Smith]

God has spoken...

Ah well, that's that cleared up then

 

[wasteyouryouth]

He's probably just seen one of Crawley's innings, his 267 against us.

Basically 90% of ex-cricketers turned pundits. You only hear about Malan and Vince because 90% of them pay no attention to or watch county cricket beyond whatever county they played for.

I'm surprised Kevin Pietersen hasn't got a piece out in whatever rag he writes for saying how Liam Livingstone is the key to England's test team because he's battering a bunch of journeymen around in the Hundred.

 

[CerealKiller]

I'm surprised Kevin Pietersen hasn't got a piece out in whatever rag he writes for saying how Liam Livingstone is the key to England's test team because he's battering a bunch of journeymen around in the Hundred.

Too busy tweeting that if social media didn’t exist there wouldn’t have been any Covid lockdown.

 

[Ed Smith]

Too busy tweeting that if social media didn’t exist there wouldn’t have been any Covid lockdown.

I see no irony here...

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Haven't seen @Dutch on this thread for a while.

@Dutch am I on your ignore list or England are just shit?

 

[blockerdave]

Too busy tweeting that if social media didn’t exist there wouldn’t have been any Covid lockdown.

He's not wrong.

 

[CerealKiller]

He's not wrong.

He is, actually. It was clearly because of 5G towers.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Interesting factoid.

Zak Crawley scored more in one test match innings than Dawid Malan managed in his previous 13 test match innings in England.

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