England 2012 Cricket Thread

[PaulWinch again]

Additionally our top 3 is far too one paced. I'd bring in Root for Compton in the next game, because we need to be able to attack the Indian bowlers. I don't mean being wreckless, but there is very little aggressive threat from our top 3.

Can't blame Compton it's his first test, Root would/will be the same, the blame lies with Cook,Pietersen,Bell etc all of them have toured the subcontinent multiple times now. Trott has also played there enough now.

I agree Trott has not looked good at all on the subcontinent. At least Cook and Pietersen have performed there before, and they're still at the crease. My concern with Compton is that I've never thought he was remarkable in county cricket, he's not really an opener he's too similar to those in the top 3. We're very one paced with him in the team, Root has a lot more potential and he is an opener and he is more aggressive. You need people to occupy the crease, but you need stroke makers at the top as well.

[Dave Cooper please]

I'll stick this trivia question in here:

What did Chris Gayle do in the current Bangladesh v West Indies Test that has never been done before in any Test match ever?

[spangley1812]

I'll stick this trivia question in here:

What did Chris Gayle do in the current Bangladesh v West Indies Test that has never been done before in any Test match ever?

Hit a 6 off the 1st ball of the match...............

[Dave Cooper please]

I'll stick this trivia question in here:

What did Chris Gayle do in the current Bangladesh v West Indies Test that has never been done before in any Test match ever?

Hit a 6 off the 1st ball of the match...............

Correct.
I was quite amazed that no one had ever done it before. You'd have thought, with all the dead rubber tests that must have been played over the years, someone would have had a go,

[olaftab]

Test match opening batsmen do not have Gayle's mentality. He is unique.

[olaftab]

Is young Compton any relation to Denis?

[PaulWinch again]

He's his grandson. Well yet another utterly embarrassing batting display, disgusting. Frankly if Patel doesn't get a hundred in the second innings he has to go. Trott and Bell have massive question marks against their places in the sub continent. Diabolical.

[PaulWinch again]

Question marks have to be raised over Gooch as a batting coach as well. If we get hammered as well in this series, then question marks must be raised over Flower's future. He's done brilliantly for England, but over the last year we've been in decline and it doesn't look like he can do anything to address it.

[PaulWinch again]

Oh and KP not problem against left arm spin?

[paul_e]

The batsmen haven't been great but the bigger issue is that India should never have got much over 400 on this pitch, 1 for 245 from our seam attack shows exactly where the problem started.  So long as we're reliant on Swann taking 5-6 or more in these matches we're always gonig to struggle to dominate with the ball, which is where we were beating sides a couple of years back.

[PaulWinch again]

Well yes also our seamers looked no threat at all and Yadav looked good for them. I'm really not sure what Broad does to warrant his place at the moment, when he's good he's very good but at the moment he isn't. Cook gets to 50, but he needs 200 here and a couple of hundreds from other players as well.

[OzVilla]

Just a few thoughts on what i've seen so far, can't believe Panesar isn't playing, if they didn't think to play him here then he'll never get a game, our technique against playing spin is still as poor as it was 11 months ago against Pakistan and once we realised that the seamers we're having no effect why did it take so long to bring the keeper up to the stumps, short mid on and short mid off, short cover etc and just try to dry up the runs - bore then out if you like.

Wouldn't be dropping Compton after 1 test, we'd be a laughing stock if we did that and it sends a very poor message.

[PaulWinch again]

Looking at this, I'd be half tempted to switch Compton to the middle order to replace Bell and bring Root in up the top. I may jinx it here, but Cook and Compton has done much much better in the second innings.

[Lsvilla]

A very good option with Bell coming home after this test but I suspect Bairstow will get the nod

[PaulWinch again]

Well woke up late this morning, and very pleasantly surprised by the score. If we lose at least we've put up a fight in this game. Well done, gives us hope for the series if we get the selection right for the next test.