He’s already ruled out of T2 with his wrist injury. Otherwise, yes.
My answer to that has to be yes. Three tests in Asian conditions and he didn't put a glove wrong. Above all, he's looked relaxed, not going at the ball, not snatching. We were purring about Foakes because of three tests in Asian conditions, so fair's fair to do likewise for Buttler.
I think I would stick with him for the next match, but I'm not a fan of the idea of giving players time to develop their game at test match level. Isn't that what first class cricket is for? Eg Graeme Swann made his test debut in his late 20s and was the real deal pretty much straight away.
One consideration is the pink ball game, which I think is the third test? Definitely want Archer in for that one, I would think. The plan was no doubt to rotate Anderson and Broad for the first two tests, but you've got to be flexible. It might even be tempting to rest Archer for the next one and keep him fresh for the pink ball test. But I would go with Archer and Anderson again. They weren't bowled into the ground this match.
Yep. Of the two, Leach is the better bowler at the moment. And on another day, Pant will spoon one to a fielder sooner rather than later. I like Pant and I'd encourage him always to play like that, but he was full-on t20 mode against Leach, and we know from t20 that that only comes off about one in every three times, even for the best t20 players. Pant gambled by playing like that and Root gambled by keeping Leach on. On that occasion, Pant won. He won't win every time, and of course Root doesn't have to accept the bet. He can whisk Leach off.
You have described the traditional 1st class cricket to test relationship of year's past. I think with central contacts it's a different dynamic. Players are brought in young and trained into the role.
Well I guess the problem is that spinners haven't emerged through county cricket since Swann really, except for Bess and Leach at Ciderabad, a pitch for which Somerset get way too much stick. And it wasn't a coincidence that both Swann and Panesar came through at Northampton. Most counties don't give much space for spinners, or if they do it is to an overseas player like Harmer or Jeetan Patel. Even Moeen learned on the job in tests - and he was picked because there really wasn't anybody else at that point.
Is Moeen a batsman who bowls a bit or a bowler who bats a bit? That's always been the unresolved question. He started out as the former and ended up as the latter. But it seems he can only ever be one or the other - his form with the bat mostly coincided with barren spells with ball, and vice versa. Was he ever a genuine allrounder? Not quite, I would say, maybe briefly in the middle, but he had glorious moments with both bat and ball at different times. It's been an odd career.
