Ashes 2013/14

[eastie]

Good to see Cook and Root failing completely again. Morgan's innings backed up my belief he should have a shot at the test side though.

Good to see cook and root failing again ?  Amazing comment!!!!

[PaulWinch again]

Good to see Cook and Root failing completely again. Morgan's innings backed up my belief he should have a shot at the test side though.

Good to see cook and root failing again ?  Amazing comment!!!!

It was sarcasm, I don't actually want them to fail. It's frankly ridiculous that they're playing in this series.

[eastie]

Good to see Cook and Root failing completely again. Morgan's innings backed up my belief he should have a shot at the test side though.

Good to see cook and root failing again ?  Amazing comment!!!!

It was sarcasm, I don't actually want them to fail. It's frankly ridiculous that they're playing in this series.

I will be glad when the series is over - it's been one to forget !

[bertlambshank]

Cook needs a long rest should if come home with a bad back,even if he hasn't got one.

[OCD]

Awful team selection today. Root's done nothing to be playing number 3. If he was going to play, he should have been used as the spinner and batting in the lower order. Too weak in the bowling department.

It's interesting to see the young players performing well. It really says a lot for the direction we need to take.

[PaulWinch again]

The fielding shows how much is wrong in the England set up. Root is really beginning to worry me now.

[paul_e]

Again though, Root wouldn't have been  expecting to go in so early, Cook needs to start doing his job as an opener, he's been woeful with the bat all tour (and was pretty average in the summer), if he wasn't the captain his spot would be under huge threat.

[PaulWinch again]

Again though, Root wouldn't have been  expecting to go in so early, Cook needs to start doing his job as an opener, he's been woeful with the bat all tour (and was pretty average in the summer), if he wasn't the captain his spot would be under huge threat.

I agree but at the same time Root's stock and trade is meant to be an opener and he doesn't look up to it at the moment. I really think Morgan could be a good option for the middle order in the Test team now that he appears to have found his form.

[PaulWinch again]

Once again our timid tactics at the top of the order don't help either, through all forms of the game we have to learn to be a lot more proactive.

[paul_e]

I think Root has completely lost his confidence, we need to let him get a few county games at the start of the season to get himself into a bit of form, he seems to be scared to get out playing big shots and has just drawn himself into a dangerously defensive game.

What I find a bit strange is that we didn't rest Cook and let Carberry open, for me Cook's head has gone completely, he's a free wicket with the bat and looks lost as the captain.  Rest him for Carberry and give the captaincy to Morgan.  I know ODI and test cricket is a very different environment but form in 1 feeds into the other and this series is going to do nothing to help Cook sort out his form, in my opinion.

[OCD]

The problem is we won't make the required changes. There was even talk in the commentary that we won't admit to our mistakes and the only way selections are changed is if there is a convenient injury.

Announcing that we're resting Broad for 2 games was like holding up a white flag too. We're not in a strong enough position to choose to rest key players and certainly not one's who have looked in form (certainly his bowling in Broad's case).

[PaulWinch again]

I agree with both of you, Cook shouldn't be playing here at all and neither should Root. The scapegoating of KP suggests to me like they are ignoring the obvious problems we have and don't have the stomach to make the required changes. If Prior doesn't recapture his form I'd definitely like to see Buttler in the Test side. I think to add a bit of freshness I'd like to see Morgan, Robson, Buttler, Jordan and Overton all come into the Test reckoning. We need to get more positive cricketers into the squad, the group seems toxic at the moment.

[eastie]

I agree with both of you, Cook shouldn't be playing here at all and neither should Root. The scapegoating of KP suggests to me like they are ignoring the obvious problems we have and don't have the stomach to make the required changes. If Prior doesn't recapture his form I'd definitely like to see Buttler in the Test side. I think to add a bit of freshness I'd like to see Morgan, Robson, Buttler, Jordan and Overton all come into the Test reckoning. We need to get more positive cricketers into the squad, the group seems toxic at the moment.

It's no good saying we don't have the stomach to make the required changes until the summer and we see what changes are made - I expect a very different England side this summer with a few changes teamwise and also in our approach - downton will see to that - Flower and cook will be well aware that things need to change .

[tomd2103]

I think Root has completely lost his confidence, we need to let him get a few county games at the start of the season to get himself into a bit of form, he seems to be scared to get out playing big shots and has just drawn himself into a dangerously defensive game.

What I find a bit strange is that we didn't rest Cook and let Carberry open, for me Cook's head has gone completely, he's a free wicket with the bat and looks lost as the captain.  Rest him for Carberry and give the captaincy to Morgan.  I know ODI and test cricket is a very different environment but form in 1 feeds into the other and this series is going to do nothing to help Cook sort out his form, in my opinion.

Couldn't agree more.  Cook should have been on the first plane home after the test series finished.  He looks a beaten man at the moment both on and off the field.  Carberry should have opened with Bell, or if they didn't fancy that then call up Hales or Lumb and give them a go.  Why KP isn't there and batting number three is a complete mystery to me, as he has hardly warranted needing a rest.  Why was Broad left out of the first game of a big ODI series when we desperately needed a win?  Why didn't we play a recognised spinner? Why did Buttler come in as low down as 8?   

[PaulWinch again]

I agree with both of you, Cook shouldn't be playing here at all and neither should Root. The scapegoating of KP suggests to me like they are ignoring the obvious problems we have and don't have the stomach to make the required changes. If Prior doesn't recapture his form I'd definitely like to see Buttler in the Test side. I think to add a bit of freshness I'd like to see Morgan, Robson, Buttler, Jordan and Overton all come into the Test reckoning. We need to get more positive cricketers into the squad, the group seems toxic at the moment.

It's no good saying we don't have the stomach to make the required changes until the summer and we see what changes are made - I expect a very different England side this summer with a few changes teamwise and also in our approach - downton will see to that - Flower and cook will be well aware that things need to change .

Maybe not but the initial signs are not great.