The International Cricket Thread 2019+2020

[PaulWinch again]

Post must have known something!

[paul_e]

Doesn't matter. Never seen them have to call somone back from the dressing room though, that's an interesting change.

[olaftab]

Foakes dropped because the top of the order are crap.

It's the cricket version of subbing  the young right back when things are going pear shape.

[olaftab]

Fuck sake, he took the shot as the post was saving.

Saved by the Post.

[Villafirst]

Jennings is absolute shite. Simply not good enough.

[PaulWinch again]

That is the way to play Test cricket, when it’s tough try and dig in.

[tomd2103]

It's a dead rubber in the series, so hard to measure really I suppose, but that is a much better day from England.  David Lloyd made the point in commentary that the batting line up looks more balanced with Buttler at five, Stokes at six and Bairstow at seven. 

Point just made in the studio that although Burns and Denly didn't make a lot of runs, they did a decent job sticking it out in the early stages.

[olaftab]

tom I think your suggested 5, 6 and 7 are fine in Test arena providing 3 and 4 are absolutely world class nail hard batters. Root is ok but need someone else there at 3.

[Newby]

Root must be concerned about his diminishing test average since he's been captain.  Dropped from 53 to 42 apparently.

Better day for England but I guess we will find out a bit more when we bowl.

[paul_e]

It's a dead rubber in the series, so hard to measure really I suppose, but that is a much better day from England.  David Lloyd made the point in commentary that the batting line up looks more balanced with Buttler at five, Stokes at six and Bairstow at seven. 

Point just made in the studio that although Burns and Denly didn't make a lot of runs, they did a decent job sticking it out in the early stages.

That's always been my stance with the top 3, I don't care if you average 20 or 50 so long as you're regularly there until at least 5-10 overs after lunch, that's the job, get it right with any consistency and 4-8 will score the runs against tiring bowlers with a soft ball, today was almost textbook other than Root who really should've been looking to cash in but the pressure on him has just ground him down.

[PaulWinch again]

Root is a concern, he’s a super bat but he’s been falling over the front pad for a while.

[tomd2103]

Root is a concern, he’s a super bat but he’s been falling over the front pad for a while.

Agree Paul.  Ideally he would step up and take on the challenge of batting at 3, but he is seemingly unwilling to do it.  I think it would solve some problems for us, but doesn't look likely. 

[Woofles The Wonder Dog]

That went well then.

[Newby]

That went well then.

Yet another collapse and we still haven't made 300 on this tour.  I'm looking forward to seeing Mark Wood bowl on this surface though.  277 might be competitive enough but I'd have preferred another 50 or so.

[paul_e]

We needed Buttler to last another 6-7 overs and get them on the back foot.

I still think that's a pretty competitive score though.