3rd Ashes Test

Anderson has spoke about what's going wrong in his column......

https://archive.ph/qSCwG

Root and Stokes have both talked up a good game in the past 24 hours, expecting a reaction and to give us some Christmas cheer for those that stay up late to watch it. You've got to think we will make probably three changes. Ben Duckett yesterday got 78 off 47 for Brisbane Heat against Adelaide Strikers. Too late to call him up for some test match slogging

 

We will lose - nailed on

 

Not a particularly good look to have your leading bowler responding to criticism from the captain via a newspaper article.

As for needing information from the coaches on the lengths, Anderson and Broad have over 300 tests between them and taken over 1100 wickets between them. They should be able to see these things themselves if they are bowling too short.

A lot of stick rightly going to the batters, but we failed to bowl them out twice, admittedly after dropping chances. But that last session of the first day in Adelaide was embarrassing, letting them go from 390/7 to 470/9dec. Wheels come off too easily.

 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/17132647/england-rory-burns-ashes-crawley-bairstow/

Glad that Bairstow is going to be picked. Crawley will have to work hard to deal with the pressure. He's not coming back in because he's done well out of the team, so has plenty to prove.

 

Leach or Broad seems to be the only decision ….. the two batting changes seem nailed on.

 

Sorry .. Wood will replace Woakes … do we agree ?

 

Forget it.

5-0

Silverwood has to go.

Passed caring.

 

If woakes plays he needs to be in the top 7 because he’ll only be playing for his batting. And to be fair, he probably is one of the 7 most likely to get a score at the moment.

 

Why oh why do we have to have these depressing threads?

Come on mods do your job.

 

There's disharmony in the squad and I see nothing other than another defeat in Melbourne. What's happened after Adelaide:

- Root tore strips off the bowlers post match saying that they bowled too short (didn't learn from 4 years previous) despite his request for them to bowl fuller. Interestingly when Stokes captained for a short period then the bowlers did seem to go to that fuller length.
- Ricky Ponting blasted Root in the Australian press asking why he is captain if the bowlers are doing what they want.
- Silverwood has made the batsman watch the dismissals from Adelaide and by all accounts is furious with their lack of discipline.
- Perhaps most alarming is that Silverwood in an interview with Jonathan Agnew for the BBC said that in hindsight he would still have selected the same two sides for Brisbane and Adelaide. What hope do you have when everyone except the head coach says we got the team selections badly wrong.
- By all accounts a heated team meeting took place and the players have been told what they have served up so far is completely unacceptable. Root and Stokes apparently very vocal during this meeting as was Stuart Broad.
- Chris Woakes has been absolutely cack with the ball but apparently offers a bit of insurance with the batting so that's why he's been selected. Just shows what little faith the coaches must have with our batsman.
- Bowling coach Jon Lewis has said a couple of things that seem to contradict what Silverwood has said.

I'd say you have different parts of the squad and coaching teams pulling in different directions and it's a complete **** show.

 

Reminds me of us

 

They can talk a good game all they want but when there's clear disharmony in the squad then it's not going to end well.

 

Simple game. Batsmen need to score runs. Preferably in the first innings.

Every team should be trying to win, whilst ensuring they do not lose. Root holds the record for most tests lost as captain I believe. That’s purely because his team has been incapable of batting a draw from losing positions.

 

I think it's time Anderson and Broad bowed out and England look to the future. Too much influence over the team. Agree that given their vast experience they shouldn't need telling what lengths to bowl. 4 years ago they got heavily criticised for bowling the wrong lengths and so far on this latest tour haven't learnt.

 

Take away Crawleys one big double ton for England and he has a test batting average if England.

Only us could replace Burns with someone worse.

 

Crawley hasn’t got a ton for 30 odd test matches.
Bairstow has a similar record but a mid order batsman can get away with it

 

Scenario 1 Australia Bat first and are around 270-4 at the end of day one.
Scenario 2 England Bat first and are 60-4 by lunch and all out before stumps.

 

Here's a depressing stat.

England have batted 27 times this year.

They have had only eight opening partnerships worth more than 17 runs.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...nd-ring-the-changes-for-ashes-boxing-day-test

Australia will be motivated to see us change such a big amount of the team. We should be able to cope with Boland bowling at us. They should have kept Neser.

 

Leach, Wood, Crawley and Bairstow play…
Broad won’t be happy