Fourth Test: India v England, 8-12 Dec.

[meninblue]

Team nearing my 3rd target of 150 runs lead

[Arthur Crabtree]

I'd like to consider letting Cook go home, drop Anderson, and play a more forward looking team. Just to give England a reason to try. But you'd have to recruit from outside.

[rich1uk]

the call up of dawson just doesn't make any sense to me

a guy who has a career bowling average of 37 and last year in the county championship took 20 wickets at 43, gets called up in front of two guys who took 51 wickets at 23 and 65 wickets at 22

the reason being he can bat a bit when the last thing we need is another all-rounder, assuming you can call him that

[meninblue]

I'd like to consider letting Cook go home, drop Anderson, and play a more forward looking team. Just to give England a reason to try. But you'd have to recruit from outside.

Cook is second highest scorer for England in this series.

[Arthur Crabtree]

He's looked pretty awful in my view. And arguably his highest score mainly helped stop England from winning that game. But of course I'm no fan of Captain Steely. Of course, he should be in the team on merit. Just wondering with the baby he might not want to be out there. And by taking Cook and Anderson out, I'm giving a younger team a chance to create a new dynamic for a dispiriting game. But it's probably crazy talk.

Third highest I think, and about fifth in the averages?

[hopeforthebest]

Is the way these two are playing because they are just great batsmen (according to Ravi Shastri) or a reflection on the quality of the bowling. Would they be doing this if Swann and Monty were bowling?

[meninblue]

Lead starts. 4 run lead

Make it 50.

Thats it. First target acheived.

Make it 75 now

78 runs lead

2nd target acheived. Time to make it 100.

3rd target acheived as well. Make 150

Yesssssss

200 and maybe we wont have to bat again.

[rich1uk]

Is the way these two are playing because they are just great batsmen (according to Ravi Shastri) or a reflection on the quality of the bowling. Would they be doing this if Swann and Monty were bowling?

i think we can be fairly sure our lot will make the pitch look like a minefield when its our turn to bat

[Arthur Crabtree]

Cook's seventh in the averages for England, behind Root and Stokes for runs scored.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Is the way these two are playing because they are just great batsmen (according to Ravi Shastri) or a reflection on the quality of the bowling. Would they be doing this if Swann and Monty were bowling?

i think we can be fairly sure our lot will make the pitch look like a minefield when its our turn to bat

The bowlers are mentally disintegrated.

[Dr Cricket]

I'd like to consider letting Cook go home, drop Anderson, and play a more forward looking team. Just to give England a reason to try. But you'd have to recruit from outside.

Vaughan pushing this in the last few test and if only Cook was absent for longer yesterday and let root captain for longer.
Reckon Cook close to having a Dhoni moment but just needs root to actually captain one game to show him that the players are not the reason for the performance but the captain is.
Cook certainly not getting the best out of his players.

[Dr Cricket]

Is the way these two are playing because they are just great batsmen (according to Ravi Shastri) or a reflection on the quality of the bowling. Would they be doing this if Swann and Monty were bowling?

isn't it just the best of both.
Yadav and Kohli been batting really great in particular kohli but the bowling been shocking and england given up since yesterday tea.

[Arthur Crabtree]

the call up of dawson just doesn't make any sense to me

a guy who has a career bowling average of 37 and last year in the county championship took 20 wickets at 43, gets called up in front of two guys who took 51 wickets at 23 and 65 wickets at 22

the reason being he can bat a bit when the last thing we need is another all-rounder, assuming you can call him that

No, it offered no useful optimism to the squad. Everyone there will know he's a limited part timer.

[rich1uk]

cook did drop hints before the tour that he might not continue as captain for that much longer

i doubt whats happening at the moment is going to make him want to change his mind on that

just to add tho, whilst i think his captaincy in this game has been terrible, he cant really be blamed for the real cause of the problems

[Arthur Crabtree]

Is the way these two are playing because they are just great batsmen (according to Ravi Shastri) or a reflection on the quality of the bowling. Would they be doing this if Swann and Monty were bowling?

Great knocks. England can reflect they both have been given let offs though. Still, brilliant series winning epic from the captain.