This match showed for me why we need buttler as a finisher. We lack anyone that can do what he can. He also breaks up the 4 left handers in a row which would have been key tonight.
Bairstow (Hales) to open. Root for Malan and Moeen for Curran and suddenly we have a world cup winning side.
This match showed for me why we need buttler as a finisher. We lack anyone that can do what he can. He also breaks up the 4 left handers in a row which would have been key tonight.
Bairstow (Hales) to open. Root for Malan and Moeen for Curran and suddenly we have a world cup winning side.
You took the words out of my mouth. We just need to be flexible but Root/Morgan/Buttler/Stokes as the middle order makes most sense as a starting point
This match showed for me why we need buttler as a finisher. We lack anyone that can do what he can. He also breaks up the 4 left handers in a row which would have been key tonight.
Bairstow (Hales) to open. Root for Malan and Moeen for Curran and suddenly we have a world cup winning side.
You took the words out of my mouth. We just need to be flexible but Root/Morgan/Buttler/Stokes as the middle order makes most sense as a starting point
Exactly, when things go well it might mean we dont get the most out of Jos but when they go badly he can be the difference between a win and a loss. You can argue that when things go well you dont need to get the most out of him!
The other option to break up those 4 lefties and bring in a finisher is to bring Billings in and stick someone up to 3 (Probably Stokes as suggested by Dinesh Kartik on sky).
Think we've got to be flexible with the order. If you're Stokes, Malan, Morgan, Root, Bairstow, Buttler you have to be prepared to bat anywhere from 2 to 7 depending on what the game situation dictates. Let's make sure we have a healthy mix (4/3) right handers and left handers one way or the other and have them all padded up ready to go when called upon. The only solid choice in that line up for me is Roy opening and the tail starts at 8 through 11.
The other option to break up those 4 lefties and bring in a finisher is to bring Billings in and stick someone up to 3 (Probably Stokes as suggested by Dinesh Kartik on sky).
As much as I'm a big Bilbo fan I really don't believe that he is the solution. Promoting Stokes instead of playing Root at 3 makes no sense. All the best T20 sides have someone who can play Test cricket as a top order batsman - Kohli, Williamson, Smith, Babar Azam etc - specifically as an alternative to the hitters especially for the times when the pitch proves difficult to bat on i.e. when 150 is likely to be a winning score.
“You don’t play your best player opening the batting in t20” - kohli’s opening for India
But Kohli isn't being asked to play like Buttler is he? 25 off 23 suggests he's doing the Root role that I spoke about previously i.e. rotating every ball and getting the hitter on strike. I've never seen Buttler do that opening.
But now partially makes up for those failings by catching Kohli. Will hopefully make him feel better about things because he is a player who is affected by confidence.
That could be an absolute shocker for Billings. I really hope that isn't the shoulder he previously dislocated and had to have an operation on.
Ollie Pope had the exact same injury as Billings before and Pope did his again whilst fielding. It seems that it makes you more likely to do it again.
Would be a real shame for Billings if he we're to miss out on the World T20 squad through injury having missed out on the 50 Over wold cup (and a winners medal) due to injury. The side would have been much better off with him than with James Vince ffs.
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Bairstow (Hales) to open. Root for Malan and Moeen for Curran and suddenly we have a world cup winning side.
The other option to break up those 4 lefties and bring in a finisher is to bring Billings in and stick someone up to 3 (Probably Stokes as suggested by Dinesh Kartik on sky).
But England have bowled very poor and not stuck to any kind of game plan.
Would be a real shame for Billings if he we're to miss out on the World T20 squad through injury having missed out on the 50 Over wold cup (and a winners medal) due to injury. The side would have been much better off with him than with James Vince ffs.
Great batting from K L Rahul and Krunal Pandya late on but really poor execution and plans from England - 112 off 9.3 overs without loss