Who’s in? Who’s out? What’s your lineup for the Boxing Day Test?

I’d like to see at least one new opener. Possibly
Bairstow in for Pope, and Wood in for Woakes.

Crawley for Burns I suspect as well.

Rearranging the deckchairs.

I doubt Burns will be dropped isn’t the our 2nd highest run scorer this year?

I would go,

Burns
Malan
Root
Bairstow
Pope
Stokes
Buttler
Leach
Wood
Broad
Anderson

There’s no way, with batting as fragile as it is, they will select Wood, Broad, Anderson and Leach. It would also be harsh on Robinson who, IMO, has been England’s best bowler in 2021. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were looking at Overton to be honest.

Bordeauxclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 21, 2021 7:05 am

Crawley for Burns I suspect as well.

Rearranging the deckchairs.

On the Titanic.

England are a sinking ship.

Foulthrow wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 21, 2021 7:35 am

There’s no way, with batting as fragile as it is, they will select Wood, Broad, Anderson and Leach. It would also be harsh on Robinson who, IMO, has been England’s best bowler in 2021. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were looking at Overton to be honest.

If I’m honest, my line up is based on the fact we all know they arnt going to get over 300 in this series. So I’m trying to attack Australia with better bowlers, hope we can keep them close to 300

Are you dropping Ollie Robinson?

dandeclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 21, 2021 7:49 am

Are you dropping Ollie Robinson?

Yes, I think he’s a good bowler but I personally think the variation of having Wood in is a more balanced attack.

I would have thought an out of form Broad would be the candidate to replace,not Robinson. No 5 fors in the calendar year, only 7 wickets in his last 6 bowling innings, and very few chances created. Robinson has probably been the pick of the bowlers, and creates chances regularly.

Wood has to play that's a definite.

MCG is a quick pitch these days.

Sweeping changes and pick lads that will have a go back at the Aussies, put them under pressure. As seen when we kept them out there yesterday. They will drop catches and miss run out chances like we do if we expose them long enough.

It’s not going to be hot on Sunday. Top of 19 degrees. Win the toss and bat would be a good start.

dandeclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 21, 2021 8:09 am

I would have thought an out of form Broad would be the candidate to replace,not Robinson. No 5 fors in the calendar year, only 7 wickets in his last 6 bowling innings, and very few chances created. Robinson has probably been the pick of the bowlers, and creates chances regularly.

Plus if it all goes to **** he can bowl his offies

Problem is we have no spinners to take pressure off the seam bowlers. Leech not good enough

So very limited options

Wood has to come in, he's the one bowler who caused the Aussies genuine problems in the 1st test, and that was mainly due to his extra pace.

Agree with promoting Malan to open, he's had a decent series with the bat, and let's be honest he'd be coming in 3rd or 4th over anyway given the shambolic form of Burns & Hameed.

Burns
Malan
Lawrence
Root
Stokes
Foakes
Buttler
Robinson
Wood
Broad
Anderson

No point selecting a spinner as they aren't good enough, and Root can always turn his arm over for a few overs if required.

Let’s be honest it doesn’t really matter who they select, the quality just simply isn’t there, rabbits in headlights come to mind. The batting line up is so fragile pretty much you get one out, 2 or 3 always follows.
The bowling department is very samey. At least Wood offers some genuine pace but can break down at any point.

The whole test squad needs looking at but this is the flip side of “entertaining cricket” such as the 100 and 20/20 the test arena has seriously suffered.

It’ll be 5-0 unless the weather saves us. We haven’t got a Win in us.

We’ve just been rolled over cheaply twice by a side without their best two bowlers.

A few need to step up quickly to stop it being five huge defeats.

buzzclarets79 wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 21, 2021 2:11 pm

Let’s be honest it doesn’t really matter who they select, the quality just simply isn’t there, rabbits in headlights come to mind. The batting line up is so fragile pretty much you get one out, 2 or 3 always follows.
The bowling department is very samey. At least Wood offers some genuine pace but can break down at any point.

The whole test squad needs looking at but this is the flip side of “entertaining cricket” such as the 100 and 20/20 the test arena has seriously suffered.

It’ll be 5-0 unless the weather saves us. We haven’t got a Win in us.

Sadly this 100% correct, and yet Chris Silverwood is happy with his selections in the first 2 tests, despite everyone else including Australia being bemused by them.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/59739472

All a bit embarrassing right now. Give the young guys a chance ..... if we have any ? From what little I have seen only Malan Root and Robinson would be automatic picks

tiger76 wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 21, 2021 3:21 pm

Sadly this 100% correct, and yet Chris Silverwood is happy with his selections in the first 2 tests, despite everyone else including Australia being bemused by them.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/59739472

Reading that article you have a coach who has picked the wrong side and adopted the wrong tactics twice, resulting in heavy defeats insisting he would do exactly the same thing again. And a captain who doesnt appear to have the authority on the pitch to tell his bowlers to bowl a fuller length and at least put the Aussies under some kind of pressure. It's too late to do anything on this tour but the pair of them need to be replaced for me.

Herts Clarets wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 21, 2021 3:27 pm

Reading that article you have a coach who has picked the wrong side and adopted the wrong tactics twice, resulting in heavy defeats insisting he would do exactly the same thing again. And a captain who doesnt appear to have the authority on the pitch to tell his bowlers to bowl a fuller length and at least put the Aussies under some kind of pressure. It's too late to do anything on this tour but the pair of them need to be replaced for me.

Yep I've only had a quick browse through, but it makes damning reading for both the captain and the coach, that said England's bowlers shouldn't need to be told to pitch the ball up, especially after seeing how Australia bowled in the 1st test, they are supposed to be experienced international cricketers, not wet behind the ears schoolboys.

In
Foakes
Wood
Leach
Crawley
Bohannon
Abell
S Mahmood
Sibley

SalisburyClaret wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 21, 2021 4:37 pm

In
Foakes
Wood
Leach
Crawley
Bohannon
Abell
S Mahmood
Sibley

I think they’ve sent the A Team home haven’t they?
Mahmood is still there playing in the Big Bash.

Bordeauxclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 21, 2021 4:52 pm

I think they’ve sent the A Team home haven’t they?
Mahmood is still there playing in the Big Bash.

I knew Sibley had gone home but wasn’t sure if they’d kept some of them on for back-up etc.

I don't think Australia are a particularly great side. Smith and Labouchagne are world class, but otherwise they are a very good side (squad) but then actually so are we. The difference is they are brought up in Australia, play all their cricket in Australia and play the conditions far, far better than us. In England we look a far better side because we are much more at home and suited to the conditions. I was at The Gabba 4 years ago when we lost to them and Broad and Anderson were made to look like Lancs League 2XI bowlers and the batting wasn't much better, but in England they are STILL world class bowlers. We need to adapt far better to the conditions over there where it swings and seams far less, but raw pace can bring rewards it doesn't in England because pitches here are much slower and they suck the genuine pace out of the ball.

Dark Cloud wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 21, 2021 5:25 pm

I don't think Australia are a particularly great side. Smith and Labouchagne are world class, but otherwise they are a very good side (squad) but then actually so are we. The difference is they are brought up in Australia, play all their cricket in Australia and play the conditions far, far better than us. In England we look a far better side because we are much more at home and suited to the conditions. I was at The Gabba 4 years ago when we lost to them and Broad and Anderson were made to look like Lancs League 2XI bowlers and the batting wasn't much better, but in England they are STILL world class bowlers. We need to adapt far better to the conditions over there where it swings and seams far less, but raw pace can bring rewards it doesn't in England because pitches here are much slower and they suck the genuine pace out of the ball.

I’d argue that Cummins and Hazelwood are world class.

Must win so need to pick a side to try and take 20 wickets and make it low scoring game.

We are never going to win a match by posting 500 so it's our only option.

Wood must play and be told to bowl like the wind for 4,. 3 or 4 over spells throughout the day. It's one of Jimmy or Broad for me.

My team would be

Burns ( only because he's left handed as either opener could be dropped)
Crawley
Malan
Root
Stokes
Bairstow
Foakes (best keeper on the tour)
Woakes
Robinson
Wood
Anderson, or Broad

No specialist spinner for me as they're sadly just not good enough..

Foulthrow wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 21, 2021 5:28 pm

I’d argue that Cummins and Hazelwood are world class.

They are but neither played in Adelaide, and yet Australia still wiped the floor with England.

Dark Cloud wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 21, 2021 5:25 pm

I don't think Australia are a particularly great side. Smith and Labouchagne are world class, but otherwise they are a very good side (squad) but then actually so are we. The difference is they are brought up in Australia, play all their cricket in Australia and play the conditions far, far better than us. In England we look a far better side because we are much more at home and suited to the conditions. I was at The Gabba 4 years ago when we lost to them and Broad and Anderson were made to look like Lancs League 2XI bowlers and the batting wasn't much better, but in England they are STILL world class bowlers. We need to adapt far better to the conditions over there where it swings and seams far less, but raw pace can bring rewards it doesn't in England because pitches here are much slower and they suck the genuine pace out of the ball.

I think the conditions debate is a very interesting one. These pitches aren't like the ones in India recently that turned from ball one, and took out pieces out of the pitch, making it virtually unplayable for our batsmen.

These pitches so far have had a bit of bounce, but so do some in England now. The Adelaide pitch was far from quick and not dissimilar to many English test surfaces.

We've struggled batting for 18 months, it's that that's the issue not the playing surfaces.

Andreshotboots wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 21, 2021 7:43 pm

I think the conditions debate is a very interesting one. These pitches aren't like the ones in India recently that turned from ball one, and took out pieces out of the pitch, making it virtually unplayable for our batsmen.

These pitches so far have had a bit of bounce, but so do some in England now. The Adelaide pitch was far from quick and not dissimilar to many English test surfaces.

We've struggled batting for 18 months, it's that that's the issue not the playing surfaces.

Exactly! the conditions are the same for both teams, plus England won the toss in the 1st test, and for some reason unknown only to him Root decided to bat on a greenish pitch, when he could have opted to bowl 1st up.

Absolutely no excuses for England's collapse in the 1st innings at Adelaide whatsoever, a decent platform laid by the top order (well Malan & Root anyway) and an Aussie attack minus 2 main strike bowlers, and yet England still capitulate meekly.

TBH I'd say our batting woes go back further than 18 months, there's been several collapses at home and abroad, which have only been papered over by the bowlers, or our lower order digging England out of a hole, and it's got to be a concern that if Root doesn't score big, and for all his critics he has posted 2 half centuries in 4 knocks during this tour, then England normally struggle to muster 200 let alone 300.

Four changes according to the Standard.

Crawley in for one of the openers
Bairstow for Pope
Wood and Leach back in - unconfirmed who for

Milltown1882 wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 22, 2021 6:10 pm

Four changes according to the Standard.

Crawley in for one of the openers
Bairstow for Pope
Wood and Leach back in - unconfirmed who for

I can only assume Hameed is the one being dropped

Groundsman has said green seamer for the MCG.

Adelaide proved to be right with spin.

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 22, 2021 6:28 pm

I can only assume Hameed is the one being dropped

Hope not. Burns has had 30+ games now to prove that he'll never be good enough. Hameed may prove to be not good enough either but I'd rather give him more time than continue with Burns.

Bairstow is fine in white ball but he’s shown many times that he doesn’t have what it takes for a test match. Another massive step backwards if he plays

TheFamilyCat wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 22, 2021 6:36 pm

Hope not. Burns has had 30+ games now to prove that he'll never be good enough. Hameed may prove to be not good enough either but I'd rather give him more time than continue with Burns.

Isn’t Burns our second highest scorer this year?

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 22, 2021 6:42 pm

Isn’t Burns our second highest scorer this year?

He is but it's not really that great an achievement.

He's played over 30 tests, scored three centuries and averages about 30. His technique is dreadful and he's never going to get any better.

TheFamilyCat wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 22, 2021 7:03 pm

He is but it's not really that great an achievement.

He's played over 30 tests, scored three centuries and averages about 30. His technique is dreadful and he's never going to get any better.

I agree he’s clearly not up to the level required. I just don’t see how we can currently drop him given he’s our second highest run scorer this year.

Tbh we need a complete over haul in the summer. Blood in youngsters and try aim to be top of the pops in 5 years time

It's got to the stage where we would be better off playing 2 night watchman instead of our opening batsman.

Quickenthetempo wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 22, 2021 7:11 pm

It's got to the stage where we would be better off playing 2 night watchman instead of our opening batsman.

Might as well just promote Malan and Root up the order, they effectively open anyway, so who'd notice the difference.

tiger76 wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 22, 2021 8:45 pm

Might as well just promote Malan and Root up the order, they effectively open anyway, so who'd notice the difference.

That would damage me and my friends’ game of ‘What time will Root walk out to the crease?’ Been correct 3 out of 4 times so far

Milltown1882 wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 22, 2021 8:46 pm

That would damage me and my friends’ game of ‘What time will Root walk out to the crease?’ Been correct 3 out of 4 times so far

Well it's generally a fair bet he'll be walking to the crease within the first 10 overs.

So to get it correct 3 out of 4 times isn't that tough TBH.

I've already written off this series from an England perspective, and if we somehow even manage to draw a test I'll be amazed.

tiger76 wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 22, 2021 8:45 pm

Might as well just promote Malan and Root up the order, they effectively open anyway, so who'd notice the difference.

Then we'd have to find two competent middle order batsmen to bat 3 & 4.

TheFamilyCat wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:47 pm

Then we'd have to find two competent middle order batsmen to bat 3 & 4.

How easy is it to draft people in from the Lions?

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:55 pm

How easy is it to draft people in from the Lions?

Very difficult they’ve all gone home.

Looking at Mahmood, Duckett etc who are already out there in the Big Bash League now for who could come in to the squad.

Yep, not many left over there now. Vince is there so no doubt he’ll be back in later in the series.

Another top decision from our management.

Milltown1882 wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:57 pm

Very difficult they’ve all gone home.

Looking at Mahmood, Duckett etc who are already out there in the Big Bash League now for who could come in to the squad.

Wouldn’t mind seeing Duckett given another chance

TheFamilyCat wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:47 pm

Then we'd have to find two competent middle order batsmen to bat 3 & 4.

That's true alas, however 3 & 4 might then come to the crease with the score passed 50 or dare I say it 100.

I dread to imagine how dire England's scorecard will look like if or more likely when Malan & Root fail, they've virtually single-handedly ensured it's not been a total humiliation.

Quite scary that we are suggesting bringing in people who have previously failed at this level,might as well give Mark Ramprakash another go while we are at it

Don't panic Root's going to score a ton so he says, personally I'd rather guys did their talking on the field than in the media, if he fails in Melbourne now he's going to be left with egg on his face following his comments.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/59764695

Looks like:

Hameed
Crawley
Malan
Root
Stokes
Buttler
Bairstow
Robinson
Wood
Leach
Anderson

I'll be behind the sofa when Root tosses the ball to Leach. Aussies are going to pummel him. Great lad, best 1 n.o. in test cricket, but not a test class spinner. We don't have a test class spinner in the country to be fair. Would've stuck with Broad myself. Whatever, 5-0 looks to be on the cards - again.