England Cricket 2021

[littlebabyjesus]

One plus with Moeen is that four years ago he scored a lot of runs. A minus is that four years ago he didn't take many wickets (although neither did anyone else).

Last time England won in India, Swann and Panesar outbowled the Indian spinners while Cook and Pietersen scored big runs. That's the kind of thing that needs to happen again. Who's the more likely to take wickets - Moeen or Bess? I think that would be my only question re selection. I wouldn't pick both of them - don't need three off spinners in the team, and Root should probably bowl himself more often than he normally does.

In a way, these aren't bad dilemmas - trying to narrow down to 11 rather than scrabbling around to make up 11. But to be brutally honest, whoever is selected, I fancy India over England in all three departments - bat, seam and spin.

 

[Idaho]

I want to see:

Sibley
Burns
Stokes
Root
Lawrence
Foakes
Ali
Archer
Broad
Anderson
Leach

 

[littlebabyjesus]

You won't get Foakes until test 2. I think we can say that with confidence.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I'd be a bit nervous if they went with Moeen. Moeen of 4 or 5 years ago would be a definite pick but Moeen of the last couple of years would be like starting with ten men. Hopefully they're seeing enough of him to be confident he's over those issues but it's still incredibly risky against a team like India.

tbf Moeen's batting fell apart, but his recent bowling record in the last dozen or so tests he's played is good. He was damaged massively by that Aus tour where he clearly wasn't right and should have been dropped after a couple of matches, but his bowling recovered from that. Batting not so much.

ETA: I'm a bit nervous whoever they go with.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

India are allegedly looking to prepare flat, high scoring wickets for days 1-3 with second innings spin. It's no good playing 3 spinners if the game is out of sight with a 760-5 declared first innings - seamers have to be right too, and Stokes can't do everything - batting at 3 (in 2nd ball) after bowling 50 overs over 2 days, don't envy him that.

Burns
Sibley
Stokes
Root
Pope
Buttler
Moeen
Archer
Broad
Leach
Anderson

Wouldn't have an issue with picking Woakes ahead of Broad or Anderson either - more batting, and keeps one fresh for the 2nd test. There are going to be a lot of long, hard overs with ball in hand.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

India are allegedly looking to prepare flat, high scoring wickets for days 1-3 with second innings spin. It's no good playing 3 spinners if the game is out of sight with a 760-5 declared first innings - seamers have to be right too, and Stokes can't do everything - batting at 3 (in 2nd ball) after bowling 50 overs over 2 days, don't envy him that.

Burns
Sibley
Stokes
Root
Pope
Buttler
Moeen
Archer
Broad
Leach
Anderson

Wouldn't have an issue with picking Woakes ahead of Broad or Anderson either - more batting, and keeps one fresh for the 2nd test. There are going to be a lot of long, hard overs with ball in hand.

Yeah, that looks about right to me. Long tail, but fuck it. England are massive underdogs. Better to go down trying to win.

 

[Idaho]

I'm not nearly as gloomy as you lot. I think we have a good chance. India have just come off a big win. England currently at 10/1 for the series which is crazy good value.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I'm not nearly as gloomy as you lot. I think we have a good chance. India have just come off a big win. England currently at 10/1 for the series which is crazy good value.

There's a pink ball test, which could provide an upset. It's unlikely to rain anywhere, but maybe there could be one draw. So England would have to win one red ball match somewhere. I don't think it's impossible. But I also think those odds are probably about right.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

tbf Moeen's batting fell apart, but his recent bowling record in the last dozen or so tests he's played is good. He was damaged massively by that Aus tour where he clearly wasn't right and should have been dropped after a couple of matches, but his bowling recovered from that. Batting not so much.

ETA: I'm a bit nervous whoever they go with.

Well I hope so, I'd love to see him playing well again. I'm not confident though - and England will need runs from whoever bats at 7/8 I don't think that side can be written off.

Actually at the moment I think comparing Bess and Ali the thing I'd be most confident of would be that Bess would score a few runs at least. Which probably isn't a great sign.

 

[planetgeli]

. I wouldn't pick both of them - don't need three off spinners in the team,

I think you're wrong. Or at least, England selectors won't agree with you.

They will be looking at the possibility of having to bowl nearly 200 overs at India in the first innings. There is no way you can do that without bowling three spinners. You'd completely knacker at least one, or more, of the pacemen. With 3 tests to come.

Even if it may realistically mean the same as the last time they played at Chennai. As a reminder, Moeen, Rashid and Liam Dawson had combined figures then of

113.4-6-472-4

Six maidens in 114 overs for god's sake.

 

[planetgeli]

Guardian seem to think Lawrence and Pope will both play. Packing the batting and putting Buttler at 7 instead of 6. His average is miles better at 6 than 7.

I have some sympathy with packing the batting. But it definitely means flogging whatever bowlers you play.

We need to find a way of fielding 12.

 

[Mumbles274]

Ffs Burns

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Good partnership here. Glad to see Sibley there - sometimes you need a player who is happy to just grind it out as long as possible. They need to keep it going though, a long way to go yet.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

This is proper test stuff, and on terrestrial TV too!

Sibley and Root look beautifully well set, Sibley especially with his slow and deliberate accumulation. Root may not quite be Kohli, Williamson, Smith but in this form he's pretty close.

Stat watch - at 101 not out, Root's average would go over 50. 151+ and out to finish the innings like that.

 

[Idaho]

Perfect winter morning. I can feel the Indian sun watching this partnership.

 

[Teaboy]

1st innings runs seem like they will be very important in this match as it usually is in India. A solid start but need to go big. Good ton for Root.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

When was the last time our top 4 had a duck but were still 250-2?

Bat long, 2 days straight. Could even bring spin into play as an attacking rather than containing option before the end of the Indian first innings.

 

[two sheds]

Great to see, thank you Channel 4

Last match I remember watching was Anderson's first test match when it was clear he'd be something else (my first reaction this morning that I've seen more test matches on B&W tv but that can't be right). Anderson is in fact the only cricketer from today that I think I'd actually recognize assuming he's playing.

 

[Teaboy]

Great to see, thank you Channel 4

Rare role reversal going on in that the TV commentary is far more preferable to the radio. 30 seconds of Andrew McKenna on Talk Sport creaming his pants because Joe Root had played a forward defensive was enough for me.

 

[Idaho]

Pissed away that review. That's plum (plumb?!)

 

[two sheds]

Never heard Talk Sport - I normally listen to R5 TMS special but it doesn't seem to covering it.

 

[Teaboy]

Never heard Talk Sport - I normally listen to R5 TMS special but it doesn't seem to covering it.

Some of it is alright and a break from the private school boys club that TMS can sometimes be. This morning was too much though.

Annoying wicket to lose at the end there. Still need a lot more runs.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Still England's day, but that just takes the shine off it a bit.

A minus - Stokes coming in to face a newish ball under 10 overs old. A plus - it's not because it's 27-3.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Sibley and Root look beautifully well set, Sibley especially with his slow and deliberate accumulation. Root may not quite be Kohli, Williamson, Smith but in this form he's pretty close.

Got to disagree there. In this form, he is on the same level as those three - making it look like a different game. It's just his dip in form over a couple of years that took him a bit lower.

Massive shame about the wicket, but fantastic from Sibley as well. Perfect foil for Root to do his thing. That extra half hour on the final session is soooo dangerous, but no doubt England will bowl a slow over rate as well.

263-3 is a great platform. Still lots to do in this innings, but a brilliant start, begun by winning the toss, which is going to play a big part in this series.

ETA: I will never understand why a wicket in the final over ends the day's play. Batsman should have to come out and face the rest of the over imo. I see no reason why not.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Some of it is alright and a break from the private school boys club that TMS can sometimes be.

TMS is much less like that nowadays tbf, with the likes of Blofeld and Martin-Jenkins gone, although Dan Norcross can be very annoying. But there's much less cheery incompetence in the commentary.

 

[souljacker]

I've said it before but it needs repeating. TMS losing coverage should be a criminal offence. It's the only issue that makes me want to go full gammon.

 

[planetgeli]

Absolute necessity of a toss to win else we'd all be a lot less happy this morning. Shame for Sibley, he batted well, but I fear that's going to be a feature of his game, out for 80+ at the end of a long day because he scores so slowly. It was just a fast-ish full toss wasn't it? Not a bad ball to bowl in the 90th over to a tired batsman.

Root, imperious. Made India look like they had no choice but to go through the motions against him.

Flat, flat pitch. Need to do it all over again tomorrow. Need 500.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Absolute necessity of a toss to win else we'd all be a lot less happy this morning. Shame for Sibley, he batted well, but I fear that's going to be a feature of his game, out for 80+ at the end of a long day because he scores so slowly.

I'll take that, though, especially with the likes of Root, Crawley, Stokes, Pope and Buttler around. There are plenty of strokemakers who can play around Sibley. Sibley's job is to face balls, look ugly and frustrate the opposition bowlers. Delighted for him that he's starting to prove himself in different conditions. It's never going to be pretty to look at, but when he gets in, he stays in.

 

[Idaho]

So fantasy target should be 500 by the last hour of tomorrow - then a few cheap wickets.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Yeah, mindful of what happened last time England played here. This is a good start but nothing more.

Amazingly, the last time India lost a home test series was to England nine years ago.

Regarding selection, no major surprises. They decided to pack the batting, which is fair enough, but there is going to be a lot of pressure on Bess and Leach to bowl consistent, long spells. That's going to be key when India bat.