India in England Aug-Sep 2021 (& July 2022)

[sussexpob]

Maybe they have found a way to convince him every test match is against South Africa

[Arthur Crabtree]

Always seems to be a lot of ways to get him out.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Honest Joe has got to between 30-90 again...

[DiligentDefence]

I know third man is an unfashionable position in tests, but surely you would have one against Joe Root.

[sussexpob]

Bairstow gets a start at least, but then pinging infront for 29

[Arthur Crabtree]

The ultimate Ramprakash score.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Then Lawrence in the same over. England in big trouble.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Old ball wickets. Wonder if there is reverse.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Lawrence has three out of four ducks for England this summer according to BBC. And an 81*

[Arthur Crabtree]

BBC over by over: 'Bairstow showing he's a fine player in all four formats'.

Yes, its his legacy in 100 ball cricket he will be remembered for.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Nine down.

Cue Rich's collapsing building.

[sussexpob]

Went out to get bread at 158/4.. what the hell happened there.

[bigfluffylemon]

Don't know what's worse about this. That it happened, or that it was so predictable.

Cue comments about 'England's worst batting line up since whenever', but we haven't had a strong or remotely reliable batting line-up for many years. We are fielding a top 7 with 6 players averaging under 35, including 3 that barely hit 30. And it was pointed out on TMS that Bairstow and Curran have had no red ball cricket since the winter tours - not a single county game, let alone a warm up. They have been playing 100% white ball - IPL, then straight to the domestic T20/100. How the hell can a batting line-up perform without first class games?

It's easy to say clean out the rubbish, but we've had this debate before and we'll continue to have it - who is there that is better? It's not as though there are run machines in county cricket being overlooked. Pope has a superb county record and hasn't been able to translate it to the test arena (although he isn't playing today). Of the players who have been doing well recently, most have either been tried or don't have anything in the career records to suggest they'll be any better. Maybe I've missed one or two rising stars - I don't follow the county game that closely.

Can't see how this can be reversed in the short term. I think we are reaping what has been sown for many years now in the marginalisation of the county game in the summer schedule combined with the absence of test cricket from TV. There just isn't the talent coming through, and what there is is not being well enough honed at first class level to be able to make the step up to test level. We haven't introduced a single batsman in the last five years who can be said to have been even a modest success.

[bigfluffylemon]

I posted that, then found Dobell is saying almost the same thing
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/engl ... em-1272148

[Arthur Crabtree]

The county game has fallen apart out of neglect. And there's no A team/Lions as a stepping off point.

I think even a newspaper headline writer with a deadline is going to struggle to nominate someone out of the county game to step in. Saving some kind of cricketing savant who can predict greatness out of those currently underachieving in CC, England are going to remain in mediocrity for the forseeable future.

But the unknown factor is how bad everyone else is. It looks like many countries are struggling with Test cricket at the moment.