No specific team news yet, but the rumour mill is hinting England will deploy Anderson, Archer & Broad, I suppose if they are going for pave this is the test to do it in, Burns may also be in danger of missing out, as Bairstow & Crawley are both in contention to return.

I've got a couple of days leave over the next 2 days. so I'll tune in and see if England can perform better, but let's be honest they can't perform any worse surely.

Tiger what’s your thoughts on the current test squad?

Must admit I have been impressed. So much better than a couple of years ago. However Still not convinced with either openers.

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:27 pm

Tiger what’s your thoughts on the current test squad?

Must admit I have been impressed. So much better than a couple of years ago. However Still not convinced with either openers.

TBH it's hard to judge due to all the chopping and changing, however there has definitely been progress since the WC, and hopefully with renewed focus on regaining the Ashes Chris Silverwood will be able to mould England into a competitive force down under, but like you I have my doubts whether he'll be able to achieve that in such a short time frame.

What has greatly improved is England are now playing proper test cricket, and batting for long periods of time, whereas in the Bayliss era I was never convinced a collapse wasn't around the corner, yes it was entertaining but it wasn't always effective in this format.

I'd certainly give the openers at least the summer to show what they can do, both have shown on occasions that they can play the big innings, and continuity is key for me, and I also don't see an obvious replacement should either be shelved, unless you move Crawley or even Pope up the order, which in time may well happen.

The bigger worry for me is the bowling, Anderson & Broad can't continue forever, and especially in overseas conditions England have struggled to take 20 wickets, and for me there's still question marks over both spinners, yes they've taken wickets this winter, but they've also lacked control, and gifted easy runs to release the pressure on the batsman which the seamers have managed to build up, and at this level you can't give good players easy balls to score off.

Finally I still have misgivings about Bairstow and Buttler in the same team, one attacking player in the middle order fair does but not two, and for me Foakes is our best keeper, so I'd play him purely based on that, and he's shown he can contribute with the bat.

My biggest fear is that we're too reliant on Root and Stokes, and if either loses form, or isn't playing for any reason the whole team becomes unbalanced, and there must be doubts over how much bowling Ben Stokes will do in the future, England seem to be managing him since his return, which I can understand as he's such a huge presence when he's on the field.

If England are going to bring the Ashes home (and yes I know they're always kept at Lords) then for me Archer & Wood need to remain fit, and the batters need to score a decent amount of runs when the chance arises, far too often England have been in good situations in Oz, and then we've collapsed like a pack of cards, that can't be allowed to happen next winter otherwise it'll be yet another futile tour.

Broad will be lucky to keep his place after the last Test.

Woakes to come in for me or even leave Stone in. He didn't do too badly and is quick enough.

Bairstow has to come in at 3 and hopefully put pressure back on the spinners early on.

It could be very low scoring with it swinging under lights. 9am kick off tomorrow.

Re our openers. Burns is a good player imo and has shown it in the past, so a dodgy trot doesn't change that and I'd be sticking with him, but Sibley either gets out cheaply or bats an absolute eternity for his 50 and I'd be looking to someone else tbh.

England win toss and bat

Surprised Burns is out. Hopefully Bairstow can play in a test without whinging he isn't keeping wicket

Sibley, Crawley and Bairstow as a top 3.

Root could be in early.

Heads the call we're batting.

4 changes.

In

Anderson
Archer
Bairstow
Crawley

Out

Burns
Lawrence
Stone
Mo Ali



Bumrah and Washington back for India

This must be close to our best team, Buttler for Foakes maybe. Seventy without loss at lunch will do nicely

Good to see crowds back at sporting venue. Let's hope we play good test match cricket and Jimmy has a great game.

Sibley gone for 0

Brave decision to only play 1 spinner. Well, brave or foolhardy. Pink ball hooping about already! Oh dear....

Sibley gone

Sorry to repeat
2-1
Worry is a long tail

Problem is our best three seamers don't contribute with the bat. Our spinner whilst having a sturdy defence rarely looks like scoring any runs at this level.

I wouldn't like to face Archer on this pitch.

I would need more protection than a Camelot knight.

Not a great start. Two batsmen at the crease who have played very little cricket in the last few weeks.

What a stadium, commentator said the capacity is 142,000.
Only 10,000 allowed in for this game though.

What a stupid review. Absolute waste.

Can only think Bairstow may have thought he got a nick on the bat otherwise that was a ridiculous review.

TheFamilyCat wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:39 am

What a stupid review. Absolute waste.

He's hit the bottom of the pad and thought he's got an inside edge.

TheFamilyCat wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:39 am

What a stupid review. Absolute waste.

Criminal!

Vintage Claret wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:41 am

Can only think Bairstow may have thought he got a nick on the bat otherwise that was a ridiculous review.

His first indication was he thought it was going down leg. He likes a review JB.

Mondsley wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:44 am

His first indication was he thought it was going down leg. He likes a review JB.

Certainly looked like that from his hand movement.

49-2 Crawley looks in good nick. Hopefully goes big for us as the pitch looks bowler friendly.

Even before the lights come on.

Superb 50!
Reminds me of Gower. High praise that.

He certainly looks the part once he's in. I still think we need to find another opener and a number three of substance. Promising with Crawley though.

Root gone by the finest of margins. Looked plum so you can see why the umpire gave him. But bounce and turn it was clipping by CMs.

Timber

1 wicket from the tail and not even lunch

Crawley gone. We're in the **** here.

It's a hard pitch to bat on, but the balls we have got out to have been straight up and down.

That's the test of this format though. The very best clear their head of the good deliveries and play each one on it's merit.

Just can cope with top class spin.
The two reviews were daft!!

Should be cannot cope!!

The good news is they will be batting under lights and might only score 50.

clansman wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:59 am

Just can cope with top class spin.
The two reviews were daft!!

We only lost one review, the other was umpires call.

Good thinking Quicken!! I like your positivity!

Which channel is it it on?

karatekid wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 24, 2021 11:10 am

Which channel is it it on?

Channel 4

claretonthecoast1882 wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 24, 2021 11:11 am

Channel 4

Searched every channel on sky and BT and even tried some foreign ones and it's on channel 4 Thanks.

86-6.

Looks like England are keen to have a bowl at the Indians at dusk !

Quickenthetempo wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 24, 2021 11:00 am

The good news is they will be batting under lights and might only score 50.

Them might get in and have 150 on the board before it goes dark at this rate!

94/7

100 up boys.


But for 8 wickets

38 overs bowled, 28 by spin picking up 7 wickets. England 1 spinner.

Lets hope the team was picked knowing more about the conditions in India than the Indians do

Targetman wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:33 am

What a stadium, commentator said the capacity is 142,000.
Only 10,000 allowed in for this game though.

Commentator has now changed his mind, he is now saying the capacity is 132,000.

Might be 110,000 by the end of play!

How the 3rd umpire made that decision that quickly is completely beyond me.
The commentator saying that provides conclusive evidence also needs to look up the definition of the word in the dictionary. You cannot definitively say that Stokes hasn't got his right finger under that ball from any of the footage they've shown.
It should have been given out on the basis of the soft decision.

ClaretMat wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 24, 2021 1:16 pm

How the 3rd umpire made that decision that quickly is completely beyond me.
The commentator saying that provides conclusive evidence also needs to look up the definition of the word in the dictionary. You cannot definitively say that Stokes hasn't got his right finger under that ball from any of the footage they've shown.
It should have been given out on the basis of the soft decision.

Looked not out to me tbf

This Umpires Call on LBW ?
What a ludicrous rule this is, surely if the ball is going on to hit the stumps, including the bails, it's Out ! Is it not ?