The International Cricket Thread 2018

[manic-road]

Jennings gone for nothing, pretty much an unplayable delivery though to be fair.

Was a great ball. It did look pretty comical on Jennings part though. You'd expect Broad to be out in such a fashion.

Just seen the clip and it looks like Jennings didn't see it.  He seemed genuinely shocked when it hit his pad. 

Didn't even play a shot.

[manic-road]

Successful review this time, Root out.

[taylorsworkrate]

Another batting masterclass under way.

We will struggle to bat until tea.

[Villan For Life]

Given our batting frailties I’d have bowled first today.

We can’t rely on our batsmen to score a decent total, our bowling attack is good so I’d have gone with them making use of the conditions as India are proving so far this morning.

[paul_e]

Jennings gone for nothing, pretty much an unplayable delivery though to be fair.

Was a great ball. It did look pretty comical on Jennings part though. You'd expect Broad to be out in such a fashion.

Just seen the clip and it looks like Jennings didn't see it.  He seemed genuinely shocked when it hit his pad. 

yeah, the issue is Bumrah has never had a 'back in to the leftie' delivery but has clearly worked on it because of the amount we have. That's what I mean by unplayable, we know how he bowls and that line is one that you just get the bat out of the way and let it go through to the slips. I can see the argument that he should be playing at it but I think it's pretty harsh.

Now onto the question, Jennings is nowhere near international class for me, he's barely more than an average county opener, in pretty much any other era he'd be 7-8th choice up there.  I don't know who could replace him though, Burns and Gubbins are doing pretty well this year and deserve a chance but I'm not convinced by either.  Whenever we get someone break through who looks to have the talent (Duckett, Hameed, Bell-Drummond) they seem to wilt under the pressure and their game collapses. Maybe we need to look at ways to help with mentality as much as technique.

[Villan For Life]

Jennings gone for nothing, pretty much an unplayable delivery though to be fair.

Was a great ball. It did look pretty comical on Jennings part though. You'd expect Broad to be out in such a fashion.

Just seen the clip and it looks like Jennings didn't see it.  He seemed genuinely shocked when it hit his pad. 

Now onto the question, Jennings is nowhere near international class for me, he's barely more than an average county opener, in pretty much any other era he'd be 7-8th choice up there.  I don't know who could replace him though, Burns and Gubbins are doing pretty well this year and deserve a chance but I'm not convinced by either.  Whenever we get someone break through who looks to have the talent (Duckett, Hameed, Bell-Drummond) they seem to wilt under the pressure and their game collapses. Maybe we need to look at ways to help with mentality as much as technique.

Jennings just isn’t good enough.

I’m convinced that the collective problem is as much mental as technical and that malaise extends to most of the batting line up. That would appear to be one of the reasons we lose wickets in clusters and a collapse is never more than a few balls away.

[paul_e]

Really poor shot from Cook, absolute gift.

[taylorsworkrate]

Such a poor "effort" yet again.

[paul_e]

Buttler and Stokes started to build a partnership but couldn't keep it going, it's now really important for Ali, Rashid and Curran to deliver with the bat. The movement seems to be lessening now so we really need to try to put something together.

[taylorsworkrate]

Poor batting, poor selection. How on earth is moving Ben Stokes to 5 an adequate response to continual batting failures? How the fuck can Jennings keep his place? Why did Ali come in after Stokes and Buttler, after scoring a double century?

Its just crap. Bayliss is not a test coach and as batting coach Ramprakash surely has to take some responsibility for the constant stream of shit the batsmen produce.

[paul_e]

Not happening again, poor from Stokes.

I still think the key problem here is the top 3.  Root looks wrong at 3, Jennings isn't good enough and Cook has fallen apart.  I'd push Root back to 4 and then find a new top 3 for the next test.

[paul_e]

Over a 100 now so at least we're not bowling with double digits to defend.

[tomd2103]

Not happening again, poor from Stokes.

I still think the key problem here is the top 3.  Root looks wrong at 3, Jennings isn't good enough and Cook has fallen apart.  I'd push Root back to 4 and then find a new top 3 for the next test.

I'm not sure what the answer is to be honest Paul.  Pretty much all of the top order batsmen who have been introduced since Strauss and Trott left the scene have failed to cement a place in the side and we look as far away from sorting those problems as we ever have.

[paul_e]

Not happening again, poor from Stokes.

I still think the key problem here is the top 3.  Root looks wrong at 3, Jennings isn't good enough and Cook has fallen apart.  I'd push Root back to 4 and then find a new top 3 for the next test.

I'm not sure what the answer is to be honest Paul.  Pretty much all of the top order batsmen who have been introduced since Strauss and Trott left the scene have failed to cement a place in the side and we look as far away from sorting those problems as we ever have.

The issue, for me, is that we have plenty of middle order batsmen and no openers, Pope and Woakes probably both deserve to be in the side at the minute (as does Burns really) so is there any way we can accommodate that?  Could Ali play in the top 3? Could Buttler or Bairstow open?

Would we be any weaker of we lined up with:
Burns
Buttler
Ali
Root
Pope
Stokes
Bairstow
Woakes
Curran
Broad
Anderson

Maybe Cook stays to offer some extra experience, maybe you change one of the bowlers to get Rashid into the team but that's the way I'd be looking at things right now because the 'proper' openers have all failed so lets try moving things about and see if we can find a way to get some runs in at the beginning, being 1 down in the first 5-6 overs is the biggest problem to address right now.

[Villan For Life]

Not happening again, poor from Stokes.

I still think the key problem here is the top 3.  Root looks wrong at 3, Jennings isn't good enough and Cook has fallen apart.  I'd push Root back to 4 and then find a new top 3 for the next test.

I'm not sure what the answer is to be honest Paul.  Pretty much all of the top order batsmen who have been introduced since Strauss and Trott left the scene have failed to cement a place in the side and we look as far away from sorting those problems as we ever have.

The issue, for me, is that we have plenty of middle order batsmen and no openers, Pope and Woakes probably both deserve to be in the side at the minute (as does Burns really) so is there any way we can accommodate that?  Could Ali play in the top 3? Could Buttler or Bairstow open?

Would we be any weaker of we lined up with:
Burns
Buttler
Ali
Root
Pope
Stokes
Bairstow
Woakes
Curran
Broad
Anderson

Maybe Cook stays to offer some extra experience, maybe you change one of the bowlers to get Rashid into the team but that's the way I'd be looking at things right now because the 'proper' openers have all failed so lets try moving things about and see if we can find a way to get some runs in at the beginning, being 1 down in the first 5-6 overs is the biggest problem to address right now.

If as seems likely, they go with Buttler as wicketkeeper then I don’t think he will open.  I See Bairstow as a potential opener but I think that to open and keep wicket is a huge ask. I know Alec Stewart did it but he’s one of a small group.