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

[sussexpob]

Yeah. But you can also give runs away quick trying to be over aggressive.

India should win by 5 wickets ish

[Arthur Crabtree]

Broad's first wicket of the match.

India will be very pleased with that start.

[Arthur Crabtree]

A lot of rain around today. Looks like a draw. Which is a bit of a steal for England.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Yes, no play. Like a monsoon in Nottingham today. Not even a retired player in a commentary box with a twitter account would suggest they should be playing right now.

[sussexpob]

A lot of rain around today. Looks like a draw. Which is a bit of a steal for England.

Definitely got away with that, yes.

[Durhamfootman]

dodged a bullet, I see

[bigfluffylemon]

England got away with one there.

[bigfluffylemon]

Vaughan is advocating for bringing Malan back into the side. Admittedly Malan scored 199 in his last first class game - back in May. As far as I can tell that's his only first class cricket in the last two years. Hasn't played a test since 2018 and averaged 27 when he played tests. Meanwhile this is the same Malan who is the number 1 T20I batter in the world. Guess who Vaughan advocates dropping from the T20I side?

[bigfluffylemon]

Moeen recalled.

[Arthur Crabtree]

No one left out though.

So they have three spinners now, and they didn't pick one in the first Test, or I think v NZ.

I guess they want a spinner again who looks like he's extending the batting. It feels like sci-fi multiverse story, we go back and live the day again with only the minutest variation.

[sussexpob]

I guess they want a spinner again who looks like he's extending the batting. It feels like sci-fi multiverse story, we go back and live the day again with only the minutest variation.

The spinners spot really does serve as proof that the team havent got any plan of selection whatsoever, nor have even a shape or model they want to base that team around.

Moeen is often presented as the guy who has failed recently and is finished, but if anything his bowling has improved in the second half of his career, and he averages under 30 since 2017, and maintains a pretty consistent output around the high 20s per wicket for every year. He had a disaster in OZ in 17/18, but then so did pretty much all of England save for Anderson - 4 bowlers that tour went over a 100 per wicket, another two were around 50 per wicket.

So you would be inclined to think England want a batter, but they then drafted Mason Crane in (best FC score of 29 and a bowling average of 50 at the time) who had the worst test debut in history and never got seen again.

They then went to Bess, who promotly delivered 2 x 50 in his first two tests, took 3/30 including both Pakistan top scorers, and was dropped for 2 years as congratulations.

Leach is currently not getting a game despite the fact he just went to India and averaged 27 in a series..... a feat so rare, only 11 players in history have taken as many wickets as cheaply in India, and 8 of those are in the period before or around the time India win their first test and hadnt won a series between 1930 and 1960s. The 9th, Saqlain Musthaq, took all his wickets in 1999 when Hindi Nationalists dug up both pitches to try to get the game cancelled, and the resultant pitches they re-put together last about 5 minutes before breaking up - Kumble for instance took the second best figures ever recorded in the same test.

His reward was to be dropped afterwards because he only did it in India, easy for spinners right?? On the contrary, away spinners taking wickets in India is as rare as hens teeth.... just look at murali and Warne's record there.

[sussexpob]

Vaughan is advocating for bringing Malan back into the side. Admittedly Malan scored 199 in his last first class game - back in May. As far as I can tell that's his only first class cricket in the last two years. Hasn't played a test since 2018 and averaged 27 when he played tests. Meanwhile this is the same Malan who is the number 1 T20I batter in the world. Guess who Vaughan advocates dropping from the T20I side?

I guess if Vaughan's opinion was based on anything but looking at a stats page, he would have noticed Malan's 199 came against probably one of the worst attacks in FC history.

A 16 year old with 0 FC wickets
An 18 year old with 0 FC wickets
A 19 year old specialist bowler who averages 70 per wicket in 9 games.
A 20 year old spinner who had a back injury and only played because no one else was available - had bowled only 3 overs in the game before because of said injury.
A 32 year old ex-England player who came out since to say he's receiving therapy for a mental health issue and acknowledged he maybe should call it a day because he no longer can bowl and has lost total confidence in his ability (averages 70 in 6 matches this year with the ball)

Being a Sussex fan, I did notice we had our Z team attack out and promptly predicted any half decent batter should be targeting Lara's 501 record.

[westoelad]

Broad and Anderson both injured to be replaced by Wood and Mahmood with Ali replacing Lawrence and Hameed in for Crawley/Sibley.

[sussexpob]

Broad and Anderson both injured to be replaced by Wood and Mahmood with Ali replacing Lawrence and Hameed in for Crawley/Sibley.

It would be some redemption for Hameed to get back into an England a shirt after the hell he's gone through. Capped with an average in the high 50s, that average sunk to the mid 25s only two years ago. He had one year where he averaged 9 in the CC - I couldnt off hand name a person who has been picked as a specialist in either discipline for a test, and who's form has gone to such depths as Hameed has gone. Even with players who were past their peak or had catastrophic injuries.

Paul Allott was always at odds to explain how Hameed had sunk that bad. Said even when Lancs released him, he remained the best talent he ever worked with. Looked class in the nets, acted professionally, trained hard. Got out in the middle, and was walking back straight away.

That for me is a real question mark. Its weird, but a lot of people seem to put faith in him still because they blame the depth of that poor form on pressure and the expectation he was under. If 3 odd test matches turned him from the next Boycott into a person actually putting up the numbers of a tailender for 2-3 years, then to me picking him again is a huge risk. He couldnt have failed the test of character with a worse mark.

Obviously I wish him well if they do pick him, but I remain skeptical. I think he needs a longer period of sustained form to build that confidence. Batting to a level that makes test selection a possibility for a handful of matches will mean he gets a few good balls on comeback, those wounds can be opened up quick.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Start delayed by rain.