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England v Pakistan
- Thread starter Emu
- Start date
112/2 at close, we need 55 to win and become the first ever team to take a 3-0 clean sweep victory in Pakistan. Who would have seen any of this coming after the Ashes/West Indies last winter??
In his commentary Boycott was always very appreciative of attacking cricket. I think he'd be loving it given that England have been very successful since the change in mentaility.
Given that Bazball is here to stay Bairstow could definitely open and do a similar job to what he does in the 1 day game. It'd be nice to have some pressure on our openers given until recently the dearth of decent options.
This is a really interesting article on England's bowling, rather than focussing on the batsmen. The article says that, as good as England's batting has been under Stokes, they wouldn't have won 9 tests out of 10 without being able to bowl the opposition out, and went on to say that this side was only the second to manage to go to Pakistan and grab 60 wickets in a 3-match series, with the other being Sri Lanka in 99/00 when Muralitharan took nearly half of them.
www.theguardian.com
Englandâs bowlers have cast a spell in Pakistan without a magician | Tim de Lisle
Only one other side has taken all 60 wickets in a three-Test series in Pakistan – and Sri Lanka had Muttiah Muralitharan
www.theguardian.com
The batters getting super quick runs and big scores put time into the game which allowed the bowlers more time to get 20 wickets in each Test. It also allowed experimental and different field settings plus there was scoreboard pressure.
The Pakistan series was just about perfect for bowlers and batters.
The Pakistan series was just about perfect for bowlers and batters.
Interested to get others thoughts on this, if the Ashes started tomorrow and providing everyone is fit, what would your XI for the first test be? For me its;
Duckett, Bairstow, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes, Foakes, Broad, Wood, Anderson, Leach.
That XI would mean dropping the undroppable Crawley to have Bairstow opening - Bairstow has to play after last summer, but how can you drop Brook and Foakes is arguably the best wicketkeeper in the world. It also means no Archer, Potts, Woakes or Robinson - the latter 3 have all been excellent for England and Archer is great when he's fit. It also doesn't account for Ahmed who has taken the world by storm or anyone getting off to a blinder in the CCC.
I guess of the bowlers I've selected Broad would be the one to drop out for a Woakes/Robinson but we all know what Broad does against the Aussies.
Duckett, Bairstow, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes, Foakes, Broad, Wood, Anderson, Leach.
That XI would mean dropping the undroppable Crawley to have Bairstow opening - Bairstow has to play after last summer, but how can you drop Brook and Foakes is arguably the best wicketkeeper in the world. It also means no Archer, Potts, Woakes or Robinson - the latter 3 have all been excellent for England and Archer is great when he's fit. It also doesn't account for Ahmed who has taken the world by storm or anyone getting off to a blinder in the CCC.
I guess of the bowlers I've selected Broad would be the one to drop out for a Woakes/Robinson but we all know what Broad does against the Aussies.
I'd say you'd have to pick Robinson, and at least rotate Broad and Anderson as neither are getting any younger (Broad being first choice of the two for me, personally). And at least the third Test against Pakistan has shown that England can win a match without either of those two in the starting XI (for the first time in many years).
It's difficult isn't it. Woakes is superb in English conditions.
There will be injuries, Wood is usually injured but I would go for the same team except Crawley to keep his place and Bairstow having to wait and Archer in for Wood.
Crawley, Duckett, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes, Foakes, Archer, Broad, Leach, Anderson.
Its a nice problem to have for a change!
I see Stokes said in the dressing room before England started their second innings that he wanted the game finished that night (it didn't) and he would come in and hit six's if the others wouldn't.
Difficult selection problem. I think Bairstow has to play and, unfortunately for Woakes, as wicketkeeper as its the only way to get all the batsmen in who can play 'Bazball'.
Archer in if fit, if not Broad.
Duckett has forced his way in with his performances in Pakistan
Crawley, Duckett, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes, Bairstow, Archer (if fit) , Wood, Leach, Anderson.
The batting order can be moved to suit the game at the time!
I see Stokes said in the dressing room before England started their second innings that he wanted the game finished that night (it didn't) and he would come in and hit six's if the others wouldn't.
Difficult selection problem. I think Bairstow has to play and, unfortunately for Woakes, as wicketkeeper as its the only way to get all the batsmen in who can play 'Bazball'.
Archer in if fit, if not Broad.
Duckett has forced his way in with his performances in Pakistan
Crawley, Duckett, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes, Bairstow, Archer (if fit) , Wood, Leach, Anderson.
The batting order can be moved to suit the game at the time!
I think Archer will struggle to get into the Ashes squad as he hasn't played competitive cricket for nearly 18 months (I don't think that run out a few weeks ago really counts at the moment). I don't see any harm him maybe playing in that one-off Ireland Test, but I'd have thought getting some match fitness back with some county matches under his belt first and then maybe the winter New Zealand Tests after the Ashes might be a more realistic target.
