It’s been shambolic and while the pandemic has certainly had an impact, the mistakes were already evident long before. I rate Root with the willow and he does an impressive Bob Willis impression, but the idea that he should somehow be a main spin bowler is testimony of how far England have sunk.The "rest and rotation" policy for England has been a joke all year hasn't it?
I know we've played some decent teams in 2021 but it looks like we're going to win 1 series out of 5.
If you'd asked anyone 12 months ago (even 24 months ago) who would be playing for Australia in this Ashes series no doubt everyone would have mentioned Warner, Labuschagne, Smith, Lyon, Cummins, Hazelwood, Starc.
The first test vs India in August England started Burns, Sibley, Crawley, Root, Bairstow, Lawrence, Buttler, Curran, Robinson, Broad, Anderson. Only 4 of that team are playing in this test. I know you play a team for the conditions but surely all this chopping and changing is just demonstrating that we don't really have a clue who our best team is? I think the majority on here love Root as a batsman and rate him as a spinner but know he's a limited captain, but really, who is going to consistently play enough to replace him?
Australia, India and NZ all appear to play both white and red ball cricket successfully so they are not incompatible.White ball cricket has killed the county and test game in our country as the players are only interested in the money now
Australia, India and NZ all appear to play both white and red ball cricket successfully so they are not incompatible.
The issue appears to be the strategic focus on white ball cricket in this country without contemplating that red ball cricket can also be invested and planned for as well.
Yep, and England have helped the crippling by picking Stokes.
Agreed. Rootys at the wheel!It’s been shambolic and while the pandemic has certainly had an impact, the mistakes were already evident long before. I rate Root with the willow and he does an impressive Bob Willis impression, but the idea that he should somehow be a main spin bowler is testimony of how far England have sunk.
I think they’ll need an interim captain, maybe a few, until they can find someone.
England had the Aussies at 236 for 6? Say that again? And then they let them off the hook, and are now in a position where the follow-on in the first match of the series is possible?
It is truly staggering how often England have had their foot on the Australians' neck over the years, and then taken it off again. It has happened not once, but dozens and dozens of times over the last thirty years.
Australia, India and NZ all appear to play both white and red ball cricket successfully so they are not incompatible.
The issue appears to be the strategic focus on white ball cricket in this country without contemplating that red ball cricket can also be invested and planned for as well.
Also they have a truly great captainNZ is a rugby playing nation yet they have a cricket team with seemingly two players for every position.
The ECB are basically using the Red ball game as bookends for the summer where the main stuff is T20 and that shitty Hundred competition. I mean look at the shit highlights on BBC iplayer last night. ECB are just a bunch if suits who are there to make cash.White ball cricket has killed the county and test game in our country as the players are only interested in the money now
The test team either play no red ball stuff, or only in the snow of April and the rain of September. Some of this is because IPL sloggit occur in the English season.
England had the Aussies at 236 for 6? Say that again? And then they let them off the hook, and are now in a position where the follow-on in the first match of the series is possible?
It is truly staggering how often England have had their foot on the Australians' neck over the years, and then taken it off again. It has happened not once, but dozens and dozens of times over the last thirty years.
It doesn't matter. People were making this argument in the summer during the India series until KL Rahul scored a century in his first red ball game in 2 years at any level.
Test cricketers don't need to spend months of the year playing county cricket. They play enough test cricket as it is.
The follow-on? What are you on about?
To be honest 236 all out would have given the Aussies a big lead.England had the Aussies at 236 for 6? Say that again? And then they let them off the hook, and are now in a position where the follow-on in the first match of the series is possible?
It is truly staggering how often England have had their foot on the Australians' neck over the years, and then taken it off again. It has happened not once, but dozens and dozens of times over the last thirty years.
To be honest 236 all out would have given the Aussies a big lead.
No follow on in this match my man.
I was staggered by the run rate which at a tad above 4 an over is almost blitzing it at Test level.
First paragraph explains it well.The bowling attack clearly just got exhausted. No preparation, no practice matches to get time in the legs.
They bowled really well for the first 30 overs, and after lunch got 5 wickets in 16 overs.
They were hovering around two an over for much of the first session.To be honest 236 all out would have given the Aussies a big lead.
No follow on in this match my man.
I was staggered by the run rate which at a tad above 4 an over is almost blitzing it at Test level.
Yes I agree there are some decent/good elements to the bowling especially Ollie Robinson.They were hovering around two an over for much of the first session.
Stokes, Leach and Root have combined figures of 2/174 from 26 overs.
The three frontline seamers all bowled well from what I saw.
The umpires fucked Stokes as well. He'd bowled 14 no balls in his spell and only got told about 1, the wicket ball. He should have been told he needed to get back a few inches.