Second Ashes Test

Not sure if the batting is the biggest issue, or if it is the captain and coach. Saw some interesting quotes from McCullum suggesting that they need to take some responsibility for the lack of progress that the batters have made under their leadership. As for the bowlers, Root and Silverwood need to start focussing on the test that they're about to play when selecting a team, and not ones in the future. And their treatment of spinners have been nothing short of shambolic.

 

I don't disagree. I said from day 1 root isn't a captain. And Silverwood has been dire.

But at the end of the day the batsmen just haven't cut the mustard for a very long time. 300 should be basic. We generally fall well short of basic.

 

I wouldn't mind if Leach was a genuine Test spinner but he isn't. Like you say just go with the four pacers (plus Stokes if fit to bowl) with Root as back up spinner.
Anderson and Broad just have to play for me.

 

Broad and Anderson have to play.

Robinson has 32 wickets at 19 apiece in tests.

Woakes is needed to bat 8 or we have a really long tail when we need every bit of batting we can muster.

 

They both know their way around the ring.

 

Just looking at Leach's test record. 63 wickets, in 17 games at just over 31. Probably comparable with Anderson and Broad at a similar stage of their careers, and as good if not better than pretty much every spinner in my lifetime bar Swann. His average and strike rate are both lower than Monty Panesar's for example.

Unfortunately, a spin bowler making the step up to test cricket will need a good, and patient, captain to help make the transition. Like Lyon had with Clarke. Unfortunately Root is neither.

 

Leach should have played all summer but couldn’t get a game. Because he was on drinks duty for England it meant he never played for Somerset either. Throwing him in at the Gabba after a year of barely any cricket was out of order from the England management. Unfortunately it means he’s practically unselectable for this game in my eyes. It’s no slight on Jack Leach from me, he’s been treated so poorly.

 

And they've treated Bess and Ali just as badly, leaving us with nothing.

 

No they've not. But it's concerning that we've not been able to develop anybody into a test batsman for a number of years now. Probably since Flower was in charge. I think Pope and Crawley have the technique to succeed, Burns and Sibley have the temperament, but for one reason or another, nobody is kicking on.

Doesn't help that ever since Root has taken over, there has been an obsession with "brand of cricket", where test matches rely on being able to play each ball on it's merit. We see players nick off, and be told it's simply a case of they should've left the ball. When they leave everything, they get told that they're not attacking enough.

 

A different coach might be able to get a little bit more out of them. Maybe the batting coaches need another reshuffle. But talent and character should shine through. But nothing seems to be shining.

 

Yes the way they treated Bess in India was really terrible. I was shunted up and down the order when he wanted to focus on his bowling. We’re limited by our spin options anyway but we’ve really not made the most of what we do have available.

 

Fair play. I didn’t realise he had an average that decent to be honest. I’d still go with Broad before him though. We also need Woakes for his batting at 8.

 

Yeah, Broad should play, and should've played in the first test. I'd probably pick Woakes ahead of Anderson now. Anderson seemed to fade in every test in the summer, and struggled in second innings.

Such a shame Stone and Archer are out, given playing Wood would be a risk. Broad, Robinson plus a paceman and a spinner would be a decent attack over there.

 

Should we lose this test series 4 or 5 nil then I'm afraid Silverwood and Root's positions should be under serious threat. I'd love to know if Silverwood is instigating all this chopping and and changing. It's ridiculous and I don't agree with it, play your best bloody team!!!
If Broad is omitted again then I can see him really kicking off in the press.

 

Very important toss to lose but Cummins out as well as Hazlewood.

We’ve opted to have no spinner ( except Root ) which is a very rare choice.
A shame that Moeen has retired as he always provided an extra batting option being capable of quick runs if needed.

Anyway, let’s go ……
C’mon be positive

 

Just watching the lunchtime highlights. Our batters could learn a lot from the way these 2 have batted, with guts and patience.

 

Ludicrous to not play Wood and go in with 5 right arm seamers, 3 of which are little more than medium paced (can't believe how slow Robinson is).

With the bounce Stokes was getting before lunch I can see the much taller and quicker Aussie bowlers doing far better on this wicket.

Generally England were too short in length in that first session which at their pace is criminal.

I don't get all the Root bashing - England's demise is totally down to the ECB who are unfit for purpose and prefer Big Mac franchise hit and giggle cricket over the domestic red ball game and developing Test standard players. The plain fact is that there are no Test standard players in England under the age of 30.

 

The one most likely to succeed is Hameed who I thought played reasonably well in first test.
He’s still only 23/24 and is technically good.

Other than him, the jury’s still out on Pope

 

That easy drop Butler did could be costly.

 

Root bowling on day 1, having picked 5 seamers isn’t a good look