I really don't understand why we didn't pick Woakes here to bat at 8 and to give us that extra seamer. This wicket also looks more receptive to seam and we've dropped two fast bowlers! Bringing Lawrence in at 7 and dropping Foakes one further down the order to 7 isn't a solution for this game or the future either.
Who would you have left out to accommodate Woakes?
I really don't understand why we didn't pick Woakes here to bat at 8 and to give us that extra seamer. This wicket also looks more receptive to seam and we've dropped two fast bowlers! Bringing Lawrence in at 7 and dropping Foakes one further down the order to 7 isn't a solution for this game or the future either.
Who would you have left out to accommodate Woakes?
I mentioned in the last Test how well Crawley plays pace but needs to work on his game against spin. Today he came down the pitch for three consecutive balls and it didn't need Axar to be a genius to drop it short on the third occasion.
That was Crawley's 7th consecutive dismissal by a left arm spinner and he has now been out only once more against pace than he has to spin. And the victors include Royston Chase and Asad Shafiq who has the grand total of three wickets from 77 Tests to his name.
The difficulty is where does Crawley or any other Test player hone his game? Certainly not on the county circuit where so many of the fixtures take place in April/May and September when the likes of Darren Stevens are king?
Spot on. I forgot about that one - ironically because he'd been non stop in bubbles without playing!!! Curran? He's gone home too? In which case we should have had Archer/Broad/ Wood or anyone else available. Bess improves the tail anyway at 8.
Whisper it but Stokes is looking like Stokes can look when in form although as I type this he decides to have a "one day waft" at a wide one! Hopefully Pope can just occupy the crease and play himself into form too.
Whisper it but Stokes is looking like Stokes can look when in form although as I type this he decides to have a "one day waft" at a wide one! Hopefully Pope can just occupy the crease and play himself into form too.
Can’t blame pitch or losing the toss this time .. it’s just down to very poor batting and even poorer shot selection ... playing around straight balls !!!!
He is finding some different ways to get out. Shame for the lad because he fought really hard for his wicket here but never actually looked that comfortable. Not that many of our batsmen do at the moment!
Horrendously unlucky for Pope there having done a lot of the hard work.
Foakes at 8 is ridiculous, he has actually looked comfortable (ish) against the spinners but has been left with the tail every time. He should be moving up the order not down.
Was really expecting Stone to play this match though would have preferred Woakes. Feel desperately sorry for Woakes. Arrived in Sri lanka expecting to be the premier all rounder in the absence of Stokes. Its decided that despite evryone being on the plane with Moeen Ali he was the only one who was a "close contact" (whatever the fuck that means) so missed both tests and so Sam Curran plays both matches despite being completely unsuited to the conditions. Arrive in india and Stokes plus Archer etc are back. Then get sent home for a rest from the bubble for the one match you actually would have played.
Fed up with this series now, feels like we’re stuck in Groundhog Day. Really tough for a mainly young and inexperienced England batting line-up, but we haven’t managed the conditions well after an exceptional effort in the first test.
i still dont understand why we dropped lawrence for bairstow, think lawrence has constantly looked good and just been unlucky with crap pitches. A decent pitch and he's looking very positive.
Horrendously unlucky for Pope there having done a lot of the hard work.
Foakes at 8 is ridiculous, he has actually looked comfortable (ish) against the spinners but has been left with the tail every time. He should be moving up the order not down.
Was really expecting Stone to play this match though would have preferred Woakes. Feel desperately sorry for Woakes. Arrived in Sri lanka expecting to be the premier all rounder in the absence of Stokes. Its decided that despite evryone being on the plane with Moeen Ali he was the only one who was a "close contact" (whatever the fuck that means) so missed both tests and so Sam Curran plays both matches despite being completely unsuited to the conditions. Arrive in india and Stokes plus Archer etc are back. Then get sent home for a rest from the bubble for the one match you actually would have played.
There's only two ways that he can possibly move up from 7. One is to drop Pope and the other is for Pope to bat at.........................
i still dont understand why we dropped lawrence for bairstow, think lawrence has constantly looked good and just been unlucky with crap pitches. A decent pitch and he's looking very positive.
i still dont understand why we dropped lawrence for bairstow, think lawrence has constantly looked good and just been unlucky with crap pitches. A decent pitch and he's looking very positive.
Horrendously unlucky for Pope there having done a lot of the hard work.
Foakes at 8 is ridiculous, he has actually looked comfortable (ish) against the spinners but has been left with the tail every time. He should be moving up the order not down.
Was really expecting Stone to play this match though would have preferred Woakes. Feel desperately sorry for Woakes. Arrived in Sri lanka expecting to be the premier all rounder in the absence of Stokes. Its decided that despite evryone being on the plane with Moeen Ali he was the only one who was a "close contact" (whatever the fuck that means) so missed both tests and so Sam Curran plays both matches despite being completely unsuited to the conditions. Arrive in india and Stokes plus Archer etc are back. Then get sent home for a rest from the bubble for the one match you actually would have played.
There's only two ways that he can possibly move up from 7. One is to drop Pope and the other is for Pope to bat at.........................
I actually think (and TMS/the cricket social were agreeing with me this morning) that Stokes should have moved down the order.
Comments
That was Crawley's 7th consecutive dismissal by a left arm spinner and he has now been out only once more against pace than he has to spin. And the victors include Royston Chase and Asad Shafiq who has the grand total of three wickets from 77 Tests to his name.
The difficulty is where does Crawley or any other Test player hone his game? Certainly not on the county circuit where so many of the fixtures take place in April/May and September when the likes of Darren Stevens are king?
Got out next ball, obviously.
He is finding some different ways to get out. Shame for the lad because he fought really hard for his wicket here but never actually looked that comfortable. Not that many of our batsmen do at the moment!
Foakes at 8 is ridiculous, he has actually looked comfortable (ish) against the spinners but has been left with the tail every time. He should be moving up the order not down.
Was really expecting Stone to play this match though would have preferred Woakes. Feel desperately sorry for Woakes. Arrived in Sri lanka expecting to be the premier all rounder in the absence of Stokes. Its decided that despite evryone being on the plane with Moeen Ali he was the only one who was a "close contact" (whatever the fuck that means) so missed both tests and so Sam Curran plays both matches despite being completely unsuited to the conditions. Arrive in india and Stokes plus Archer etc are back. Then get sent home for a rest from the bubble for the one match you actually would have played.