The International Cricket Thread

[PaulWinch again]

I think that’s a bit harsh on Silverwood. Selection in the last two Tests has been very odd, but the Test team had been heading in the right direction up to the last 3 games.

[paul_e]

I think the biggest problem for this tour has been the way they've tried to manage the bubble, it's forced a lot of strange changes which, combined with some poor form and some questionable technique against spin on dustier pitches we've looked a lot worse than we really are.

[taylorsworkrate]

I fully expected us to lose the series 4-0 in all honesty. Away in India is the hardest test tour you get, and they were in unelievable form and confidence having beaten the Aussies away with half their 1st team missing.

There are positives to take, especially from the 1st test, and its pretty clear that our batsmen need to improve their technique against spin dramatically, but they will probably never have to play on pitches like that again in their career, and rarely will face the quality of spinner that Ashwin is, and a spinner so perfectly tailormade for the conditions like Patel.

Moving forward, our seam bowling stock is exceptional, with Anderson, Broad, Stone, Archer, Wood, Curran and Woakes all very high quality across a variety of conditions. I hope we stick with the likes of Pope and Lawrence who are both extremely talented, and allow them to improve. Lack of a quality spinner is a worry.

[olaftab]

The management need to work on balanced team approach. For far too long England test team has tried to rely on bit part players and trying bat deep rather than 5 1 5. 5  batsman 1 outstanding wicket keeper 5 top bowlers. The 5th bowler should be an all rounder. That’s where Stokes started but now he is under far too much pressure being England’s second best batsman and second best bowler.  He will only perform at top level when test of the team is stronger.  Of course that’s where the problem is. Only Root, Anderson and Foakes are test match standard other than Stokes.

[paul_e]

The management need to work on balanced team approach. For far too long England test team has tried to rely on bit part players and trying bat deep rather than 5 1 5. 5  batsman 1 outstanding wicket keeper 5 top bowlers. The 5th bowler should be an all rounder. That’s where Stokes started but now he is under far too much pressure being England’s second best batsman and second best bowler.  He will only perform at top level when test of the team is stronger.  Of course that’s where the problem is. Only Root, Anderson and Foakes are test match standard other than Stokes.

I think that's a bit unfair and ignores a lot of players who have played well over the last couple of years. Archer, Stone, Wood and Buttler have all done a good job more often than not and Sam Curran has been a very useful option as a bowling all rounder, as has Woakes.

As has been the case for a while our issues the top 3 and the spinners. Crawley and Sibley have, for me, done enough to get more time but 3 is a massive problem, Bairstow just isn't good enough. I'd be tempted to give Lawrence a go there for a series and see how he gets on because he's around the squad now and has done enough to deserve it.

Crawley
Sibley
Lawrence
Root
Pope
Stokes
Buttler/Foakes
Curran/Woakes
Leach/Bess
Broad/Archer/Stone
Anderson/Wood

I just wish we had alternatives for more than 5 spots. I've split the bowlers up into where I think they work in the batting but any 3 from that list of seamers should be competitive.

[PaulWinch again]

I wouldn’t write Burns off yet. Short/medium-term I prefer Crawley at 3.

[Rory]

No shame in losing to India in India, but our batting has been disappointing - and I didn't have high hopes to begin with.

Having said that, I do think this is the best India team I've seen in my lifetime. Not player for player, but the balance is often what has let Indian sides down, and the balance of this side does seem very good.

We have a fair bit of work to do, but well done to India, they absolutely deserve the series. Although I do hope New Zealand beat them. In my opinion, the Kiwis have been the most consistent side in the world, home and away, for the best part of a decade.

[PaulWinch again]

The big difference for India now is they have real depth and quality in their seam attack. That will enable them to compete around the world. If they have Ishant, Bumrah, Siraj, Yadav, and Shami fit and firing this summer they’ll have a seriously dangerous attack, and some selection headaches.

[Rory]

The big difference for India now is they have real depth and quality in their seam attack. That will enable them to compete around the world. If they have Ishant, Bumrah, Siraj, Yadav, and Shami fit and firing this summer they’ll have a seriously dangerous attack, and some selection headaches.

Don't forget Bhuvi Kumar. I have a feeling he'll be particularly dangerous in English conditions.

[UK Redsox]

Foakes is a better keeper than Buttler, but anywhere other than the sub-continent the difference doesn't matter.

Standing back, Buttler's not going to be much less effective than Foakes and, as a batsman, he's far better at shepherding the tail.

Having said that, I think that Foakes has potential to be an excellent higher order batsman if there was any way of giving him more games.

Hopefully, England won't have him sat around for another summer as a reserve and let him play some four day games for Surrey

[paul_e]

Foakes is a better keeper than Buttler, but anywhere other than the sub-continent the difference doesn't matter.

Standing back, Buttler's not going to be much less effective than Foakes and, as a batsman, he's far better at shepherding the tail.

Having said that, I think that Foakes has potential to be an excellent higher order batsman if there was any way of giving him more games.

Hopefully, England won't have him sat around for another summer as a reserve and let him play some four day games for Surrey

That's the real difficulty, I think both are good enough to play every game but can you fit them both in? Would Buttler be happy as a dedicated batsman?

[PaulWinch again]

Blimey we really thumped India today.

[paul_e]

Blimey we really thumped India today.

We're an exceptional team in the shorter formats, that's been clear for a few years now a number English players have starred in the various t20 leagues regularly and the knock-on effect of that is that we play well in the format in almost all conditions.

[manic-road]

Blimey we really thumped India today.

We're an exceptional team in the shorter formats, that's been clear for a few years now a number English players have starred in the various t20 leagues regularly and the knock-on effect of that is that we play well in the format in almost all conditions.

Yep, totally dominated India in all areas of the game, the bowlers were all bang on the right length and the openers practiclly won the game in the first 6 overs.

[taylorsworkrate]

How on earth did every IPL team pass on Jason Roy? I know his form hasn't been brilliant, but bloody hell, he's one of the most destructive openers in limited overs cricket in the world.