If it is all down to spin and we played slow to ensure our players were well rested... what was the point? Dom Bess spent a lot of time out in the heat doing nothing. The pace bowlers are getting a fairly light work load. I am sure we will win but that was still a very odd hour.
I honestly don’t know why England played like they did after Pope got out, All I can say is that Joe Root is a very astute captain with some wise cricket heads advising him, and he’ll have had a plan in mind. If England don’t win, or even worse, actually contrive to lose, I’ll be the first in line to criticise, but let’s just trust that a 5th day Chennai minefield and some urgency from the England bowlers play a big part tomorrow.
That patch on the pitch reminds me of the one on our square at Penns Place, Petersfield (no idea if it’s still there) I was a part time gentle seam/off-spin right-armer (not really knowing what I was doing) who the skipper (me) would turn to when things weren’t going too well (usually because our other bowlers were getting tonked all over the place and I felt bad for them). There was a patch just short of a length which, if you hit it, the ball would scuttle forward like a demented beetle at about 1/2 inch high. I managed to hit it 3 times in an over once and came the closest I’ve ever been to a hat-trick. The team thought I had done it on purpose, so they insisted I opened the bowling in the next game (which was away). After I’d been hit for about 16 or 18 in the first over, I took myself off. Never quite managed to hit that patch again, but I remember it fondly
I'd imagine that we'll continue as planned for the second test, with Broad and Foakes replacing Jimmy and Buttler. But nothing else. Means Lawrence keeps his place, but he'll be under a little pressure to score, with Bairstow to return for the third test. Presumably it'll be between Lawrence and Foakes to make way then. I'm sure they'll be thinking about Moeen for Bess, but I think they will stick with him for at least one more test. For all his full tosses, he did take wickets. Might be that we only play one spinner for the pink ball third test though. My guess is that it's the one test that we'll play both Jimmy and Broad.
Apologies if you have seen this before . (2328) cheeky insulty words of james Anderson to alastair Cook on his retirement - YouTube
Archer being injured has thrown a bit of a spanner in the works. I wonder if they will take a punt on Stone. He's the only other genuine fast bowler in the squad. I hope so, a varied bowling attack is key.
Bess has been dropped so Moeen will be playing. I like that call, Bess hasn't convinced either in the first test or in Sri Lanka.
The England team lacks singular talents, but ye gods it seems to find people who can put up numbers or wickets (while being really frustrating half of the time).
