Ashes 2013/14

[PaulWinch again]

We need to throw caution to the wind now and just go for it.

[PaulWinch again]

I'm going through a variety of team selections in my head, but I'd be inclined to leave the batting line up as is. Stokes did decently at number 6 and dropping him would to him no good, he showed good heart in that 28 he scored. Other than that, if we add another batsmen it'll just be negative again. We have to force a result now, so I'd bring in Finn for Panesar and maybe even Bresnan for Swann.

[eastie]

I'm going through a variety of team selections in my head, but I'd be inclined to leave the batting line up as is. Stokes did decently at number 6 and dropping him would to him no good, he showed good heart in that 28 he scored. Other than that, if we add another batsmen it'll just be negative again. We have to force a result now, so I'd bring in Finn for Panesar and maybe even Bresnan for Swann.

Finn for swann and rankin for Anderson - rankin will get far more from the Perth pitch than jimmy would - it won't swing or seam hardly but it will have plenty of bounce and suit taller pace bowlers - I'd go with a pace attack of Finn, rankin, broad and stokes with panesar as the spin  option .

This pitch is made for bowlers like finn and rankin and jimmy is off form as it is .

[PaulWinch again]

It will swing I expect, Perth always has a strong cross breeze and it's what cause Johnson to get some really dangerous swing the last time we toured. I don't think we should fall into the trap of just playing tall bowlers. Anderson should get given another chance, but his performances since Trent Bridge are not good enough.

[eastie]

It will swing I expect, Perth always has a strong cross breeze and it's what cause Johnson to get some really dangerous swing the last time we toured. I don't think we should fall into the trap of just playing tall bowlers. Anderson should get given another chance, but his performances since Trent Bridge are not good enough.

Boycott was pretty dismissive of Anderson his morning , he reckons anderson would get nothing from the Perth pitch and it will favour the pace bowlers - as its a must win game I'd tend to agree that pace is the way to go - jimmy is not on form and Finn and rankin will be chomping at the bit - this will be a result game and either 2-1 or 3-0 , the forecast is for 35deg throughout the test - plenty of bounce and a good toss to win of which we are due.

Anderson will be much more suited to Melbourne and Sydney.

I think we do need a spinner and on current form I'd go with monty - the Aussies have gone after swann and he looks shot on confidence.

[taylorsworkrate]

The stats are so damning on our batsmen.

Out of the 40 wickets we have lost, 21 of them have been caught down the leg side.

That is an unfathomable stat really, I don't know the average in test cricket for leg side catches, but I'm guessing that it's probably about 5 or 6 tops for every 40 lost

[eastie]

The stats are so damning on our batsmen.

Out of the 40 wickets we have lost, 21 of them have been caught down the leg side.

That is an unfathomable stat really, I don't know the average in test cricket for leg side catches, but I'm guessing that it's probably about 5 or 6 tops for every 40 lost

Yes if they didn't go for so many hook and pull shots the Aussies wouldn't bowl so many short balls - the only real positive is 5 of our top 7 scored half centuries in this test so at least confidence may be improving .

[OzVilla]

Brennan for Swann. That'd be all I think.

[PaulWinch again]

The stats are so damning on our batsmen.

Out of the 40 wickets we have lost, 21 of them have been caught down the leg side.

That is an unfathomable stat really, I don't know the average in test cricket for leg side catches, but I'm guessing that it's probably about 5 or 6 tops for every 40 lost

Yes if they didn't go for so many hook and pull shots the Aussies wouldn't bowl so many short balls - the only real positive is 5 of our top 7 scored half centuries in this test so at least confidence may be improving .

I'm not sure it's that positive, it's symptomatic of what we've been doing over the last year or so, getting starts and not going on.

[tomd2103]

The stats are so damning on our batsmen.

Out of the 40 wickets we have lost, 21 of them have been caught down the leg side.

That is an unfathomable stat really, I don't know the average in test cricket for leg side catches, but I'm guessing that it's probably about 5 or 6 tops for every 40 lost

Yes if they didn't go for so many hook and pull shots the Aussies wouldn't bowl so many short balls - the only real positive is 5 of our top 7 scored half centuries in this test so at least confidence may be improving .

I'm not sure it's that positive, it's symptomatic of what we've been doing over the last year or so, getting starts and not going on.

Agree, but there is a little glimmer of hope.  I'd probably go for the same top five, but maybe consider dropping Prior, batting Bairstow at six and Stokes at seven.  I'd probably keep Anderson in, but bring in either Finn or Rankin and keep Monty in ahead of Swann.  After having such a settled line up fo so long, we're back to the kind of chopping and changing we used to see back in the 90's.

I was discussing our batting woes with a work colleague earlier today and said that I wonder if some of the current crop of batsmen have built reputations in era when there hasn't been too much in the way of genuinely world class bowling.  It seems that they struggle badly whenever they come up against genuine top bowlers (Steyn, Ajmal, Johnson on this form) and you have to wonder how they would have fared back in the 90s when the likes of Ambrose, Walsh, Donald, Pollock, Akram, Younis, McGrath and Warne were about.

[eastie]

@bbctms: Andy Flower tells @bbcsport senior players could be dropped "I’m absolutely ready to make tough decisions. There will be changes in Perth”

[PaulWinch again]

I'm not really sure what that means from Flower, I personally don't think there's any point in changing the batting now. Other than Cook they all got some runs in the last game, so you may as well give them another go. I like Stokes at 6 as well, I like his attitude.

[eastie]

I'm not really sure what that means from Flower, I personally don't think there's any point in changing the batting now. Other than Cook they all got some runs in the last game, so you may as well give them another go. I like Stokes at 6 as well, I like his attitude.

In Perth the bowling will be key for changes - we have genuine pace bowlers in rankin and Finn on a pitch thats perfect for them - or do we go with out of form bowlers who have  performed badly .

[OzVilla]

Swann is the obvious one who has consistently underperformed.

Maybe Prior too but that would be a massive call. Maybe it'll be Swann and Monty for Bresnan and Finn. Be happy with that to be honest.

[OzVilla]

I actually feel sorry for the new ball bowlers. We shaded both the 1'st days at both Adelaide and Brisbane and that includes dropped catches. Anderson, for all the critisicm did a good job on day oe at Brisbane as the holding bowler while Broad did the damage. They then get two sessions rest (half of which they are either padded up or batting) and they're back out there again against batsmen who can play their shots as they've a massive lead to play with.

They'd be forgiven for being a tad dispirited with our batting efforts.

It's the batting and fielding that has cost us and a general lack of aggression in comparison to what the Aussies have thrown at us.

Having said that, I think the only changes will be in the bowling department as we have to start giving back a little more of what we've received. That mean Anderson, Broad, Bresnan and Finn in short, quick , aggressive bursts. Forecast is horrendous heat wise - 36-40c every day so maybe that will mean they do go with a spinner depending on the pitch.

Oh, and winning the toss would be nice.........