Not Test related but, just read that the excellent Kiwi all-rounder, Chris Cairns is in intensive care in Oz and looking to be in a bad way after a ''major medical event''. Fingers crossed for him. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/58159745
Since we're without Broad and probably Anderson I think India should reciprocate by resting Bumrah and Shami, just to make a game of it, you know, take it to the 4th day at least, think of the spectators.
Crawley, Broad and Lawrence out for Moeen Ali, Mark Wood and Haseeb Hamed. Start delayed, bit of rain, England will bowl.
That's how you bat when the ball's moving around. It's also showed that Curran just doesn't have the pace to be a test match bowler.
First choice batters vs mostly reserve bowlers, this is what you get. Can't really criticise Root for electing to bowl, I think Kohli would have done the same, but none of the bowlers really seemed fired up enough. India batted beautifully though, great to watch.
Great credit to India who battered superbly, it's a good track, should Root have opted to bat first?. Looks as if we will be chasing a big score, I guess you cannot make a judgement until both sides have batted, but, apart from Root there doesn't look as if we have the depth of batting to get near a big score. Lets hope I'm wrong.
Robinson and Anderson have taken a wicket apiece already this morning! At 285-5 it's suddenly a different game.
Our top order batsmen really are duffers .. surely around the county circuit there is better batsmen out there then this lot .. they just try and stay there offering the opposing bowlers all the time in the world to find their rhythm and range .. Sibley Crawley Burns and latterly Haseeb really aren't anywhere need test match standards.
My thoughts exactly and no small coincidence that our 'coach' has moved away from the dynamic get at em style that took us to the top of the test rankings !
Burns has some decent innings though, unlike the others. Would Roy be worth another go? He's a quality batsman but maybe just suited to the one day stuff. Sibley just gets bogged down and cant score, then ends up getting out cheaply anyway.
Wouldn't mind seeing Roy given another go but his game is more suited to the one day game, seems he has a weakness against the seaming ball in longer forms of the game. Not sure who else is out there .. but watching Sibley, Crawley etc is painful .. hence my question.. there just has to be better out there who are more fluent.
Tbh he can't be any worse .. our whole top 3 needs looking at because despite the occasional half decent knock from Burns they all fail too often, and bat like rabbits in the headlights. For what it's worth I don't believe Silverwood has the right tactics for them either, I agree in his policy of valuing your wicket but you have to put the bowlers under pressure, they way to do that is to have that aggressive attitude in the locker, scoring at less then 2 an over at times isn't the answer.
