The International Cricket Thread 2018

[Villan For Life]

He never looks settled at international level. I know sometimes you get a player like Bell who improves after a slow start to their international career but nothing that Jennings does has convinced me he will be good enough.

Get him dropped.

What is concerning is that he's been dismissed in this test in exactly the same fashion he was dismissed regularly last summer by the South Africans.  The only real question lefty is whether he would fare better away from home where the ball doesn't do as much, but I am not sure he is going to get that opportunity. 

Why are we developing players who cannot cope with their home conditions? They are saying the same about Malan too. I imagine Burns from Surrey will be the next in line for a call up and possibly a recall for Ian Bell. I know they want to focus on a group of young players but sometimes a short term selection is the way forward.

[taylorsworkrate]

The inevitable cowardly collapse in full swing. Could be done by lunch

[UK Redsox]

TMS saying earlier that Chef might miss the next test anyway due to his wife giving birth

[PaulWinch again]

Dismal stuff. I think Root has regressed to a degree as well, he’s getting out to poor shots. Our top order constantly fails.

[tomd2103]

Dismal stuff. I think Root has regressed to a degree as well, he’s getting out to poor shots. Our top order constantly fails.

I'm not sure he is comfortable batting at three to be honest Paul.  I think we need to draw a line in the sand and look at getting a top three sorted to start with and work from there.  Burns from Surrey and Gubbins from Middlesex are probably the next two top order batsmen in line and if Cook is out of the next test then I guess I would pick both.  If Cook isn't available (and Bairstow isn't either), then Jennings would probably stay in, but move to three, with Root at four and Pope at five. 

Angus Fraser said on the Debate show last night that he think Bairstow's replacement (if needed) would probably be one from Malan, Vince or Bell.       

[aj2k77]

Fucking hell, Ian Bell? It's 2018.

[UK Redsox]

Vaughan expecting it to be Mo (especially after his latest innings)

[paul_e]

Bell was a fantastic player for us but his time must've gone now, Malan isn't good enough, he keeps making the same mistakes over and over. Vince is badly flawed as well but at least he's a right hander to mix things up a bit more and he'd go in at 3 so Root can go back to 4 where he should be.

[Risso]

I would argue that Cook has been poor for longer than Bell was when he was dropped at the end of 2015.

[Risso]

Bell was a fantastic player for us but his time must've gone now, Malan isn't good enough, he keeps making the same mistakes over and over. Vince is badly flawed as well but at least he's a right hander to mix things up a bit more and he'd go in at 3 so Root can go back to 4 where he should be.

That's fine Paul, and I'd mostly agree, but it's largely just rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic all the time the openers are so poor.

[Villan For Life]

I think a short term fix may be needed. If they go for Burns at the top of the order then with Pope also in there it’s a very inexperienced line up. Bell coming in would bring a calmness to proceedings and enable newcomers to settle in under slightly less pressure.

Of course that assumes that Bell gets runs if he’s selected which no English batsman seems capable of doing at the moment.

[PaulWinch again]

Fair play to Stokes and Buttler here. We’ll lose, but at least they’ve resisted a bit.

[paul_e]

I would argue that Cook has been poor for longer than Bell was when he was dropped at the end of 2015.

I agree, my concern is around recalling a 36 year old who's been out of the squad for 2 1/2 years.

[paul_e]

Fair play to Stokes and Buttler here. We’ll lose, but at least they’ve resisted a bit.

Buttler is so unlucky there, 2 umpire's calls on the review.  Fair play to him though, that's a big innings.

Not sure why Bairstow went out though, looked very nervous playing at that with his hand.

I hope we can rally a bit and get through to tomorrow.  If we can get the chase up over 300 it will help the mentality going into the 4th test, if we can get through the day that would be huge.

[manic-road]

Fair play to Stokes and Buttler here. We’ll lose, but at least they’ve resisted a bit.

Buttler is so unlucky there, 2 umpire's calls on the review.  Fair play to him though, that's a big innings.

Not sure why Bairstow went out though, looked very nervous playing at that with his hand.

I hope we can rally a bit and get through to tomorrow.  If we can get the chase up over 300 it will help the mentality going into the 4th test, if we can get through the day that would be huge.

Bairstow didn't look nervous, he was out to a belting delivery.