Second Test.

[BaggieSingh]

To highlight this my fav ever cricketers are - (just by how much I loved them not by stats etc)

Sachin
Gavaskar
Gower
Botham
Marshall my fav bowler ever
Ambrose
Viv
Waugh - Steve
Terry Alderman - I spent an entire summer just trying to perfect the outswinger in 89 I think
Pietersen
Flintoff
Angus Fraser (ruined by injuries but just would have been unbelievable)
Warne - best bowler ever by a long way to get that many wickets in a team where others were picking up wickets is unreal
McGrath - the most consistent bowler

[Yarmbaggie]

Early days yet but I wonder if cricket, like other sports will see the trend of big home advantage being eroded due to having no crowds. I suspect not, but the stats are interesting (if that sort of thing interests you anyway).

2019
15 Test series world wide (excluding played at Neutral grounds or one off matches played by the ‘fringe’ countries such as Ireland)
Of those 8 won by the home team, 4 by the away side and 3 drawn

2020
11 Test series worldwide. Of them only 2 won by the away side, including England in SA. 9 won by home country.

2021 so far
7 Test series and the last 4 won by the away side - India in Australia, England in SRi Lanka, Pakistan in SA and West Indies in Bangladesh.

Given a lot of countries have difficulty selling Test cricket tickets I am surprised that the presence of supporters has any impact but maybe they will, who knows (who cares).

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

Whether you thinks it's right England Test cricket is all about winning the Ashes. Everything else is second and resting Anderson is part of that strategy. Broad was 'dropped' for Anderson after a successful 1st test v SL.

There is a lot of Test Cricket to be played this year and players are having to isolate away from their families for long periods. I'll be surprised if any of them play every match.

[DaveP67 is back!]

Flick of a coin will decide most of these tests win the toss and bat 1st

Certainly in this test Viaduct, the pitch is shocking and getting worse, massive advantage to the team that won the toss. I’m not moaning about the selection as we won well in the first test on a better wicket.

[Leicesterbaggie]

It's nothing to do with crowds but the toss. Let's face it, win the toss, win the match. This second test, although the wickets aren't the same, is a mirror image of the first test. Probably the only fair method would be to take it in turn to have the choice of batting or bowling. If it's a series of an odd number of games just have the toss for the final game. The toss is influencing results too much.

[Yarmbaggie]

It's nothing to do with crowds but the toss. Let's face it, win the toss, win the match. This second test, although the wickets aren't the same, is a mirror image of the first test. Probably the only fair method would be to take it in turn to have the choice of batting or bowling. If it's a series of an odd number of games just have the toss for the final game. The toss is influencing results too much.

Don’t disagree at all about the toss deciding this Test, and having a great influence on the outcome of the first Test for that matter.

My point is that recent history shows that the home sides in cricket win a lot more series than they lose. That will be down to many factors but it is a lot easier to win if you are at home.

[mickd1961]

With the emergence (not proven) of youngsters Pope, Lawrence and Crawley our middle order batting around Root and Stokes looks stronger. Openers and a reliable No3 still a problem. I'm surprised Sibley's average is as many as 34 but it's barely adequate.In all of history Burns has the lowest average of any England opener bar 2. He has to go but no idea who to replace him with. Remember the days of a 1000 runs before May in English cricket? Now very few get that many in a season. So who to pluck from domestic cricket?

England on 200+ for 3 with Stokes and Buttler to bat is an exciting prospect but too often it's 80-3 and their first job is to reign themselves in and get us out the sticky stuff.

For The Ashes our first choice bowlers might well be Anderson, Broad, Archer, Leach. That gives us awfully long tail.

Bairstow is on the tour. He was sent home from SL for some planned r&r as part of this giving them all time for a break. He's in isolation in Chennai and presumably available for the next test. If fit then either Crawley opens or Bairstow.

In truth you could try almost anyone in place of Burns or Sibley and not end up with a worse average.

Might as well play Foakes as keeper and open with Buttler and Bairstow and try to get off to a flier, at least they have quality.

Watching Burns and Sibley is so painful.

Totally inadequate.

I’m not convinced by Archer at all, a lightweight with a heart the size of a pea, forever injured and throws his wicket away.

We need number 9 and 10
Batsmen like Swann and Broad who have ability and can score quickly.

Leach looks to me like a bloke who feels like he doesn’t deserve to be there.

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

In truth you could try almost anyone in place of Burns or Sibley and not end up with a worse average.

Might as well play Foakes as keeper and open with Buttler and Bairstow and try to get off to a flier, at least they have quality.

Watching Burns and Sibley is so painful.

Totally inadequate.

I’m not convinced by Archer at all, a lightweight with a heart the size of a pea, forever injured and throws his wicket away.

We need number 9 and 10
Batsmen like Swann and Broad who have ability and can score quickly.

Leach looks to me like a bloke who feels like he doesn’t deserve to be there.

I'm not convinced Archer's attitude either. Has a decent record as a batsman in the IPL never seen it in the England side.

The answer to both the long tail and the spinner could be Moeen but for me he is the lightest of all the lightweights. After 1 test he's chosen to come home quoting 'bubble fatigue'

Oops! That's the only two players of colour in the squad and I've chosen to criticise their attitude. Must be my unconscious bias.

[mickd1961]

I'm not convinced Archer's attitude either. Has a decent record as a batsman in the IPL never seen it in the England side.

The answer to both the long tail and the spinner could be Moeen but for me he is the lightest of all the lightweights. After 1 test he's chosen to come home quoting 'bubble fatigue'

Oops! That's the only two players of colour in the squad and I've chosen to criticise their attitude. Must be my unconscious bias.

I didn’t realise Moeen has already folded like a pack of cards.......jeez! 😩

Not good enough, he’s clearly not been interested in playing for England for 18 months now, he seems to have become a very flakey character.

Regardless of the pitch we got what we deserved in this match, team selection looked like it’d been done by Darren Moore and Bilic in cahoots........this was a self inflicted wound.

I’m a big fan of both Anderson and Broad but team management need to stop dancing around their handbags with this pair.

After the last test it was just ridiculous to rest Anderson.

I don’t care if he is coming up to 39 years old, he’s like Tom Brady in the NFL who’s now 43 and still top quality, if he’s fit he’s got to play.

Archer would be nowhere near the side for me, lazy attitude and rarely bowls at his top pace.

I prefer Bess’s attitude and Sam Curran, two real street fighters.

The opening pair stink though, Burns might want to contemplate a haircut because the present mess just adds to his overall look of being a clown.

I would honestly open with Bairstow in the third test.

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

I didn’t realise Moeen has already folded like a pack of cards.......jeez! ��

Not good enough, he’s clearly not been interested in playing for England for 18 months now, he seems to have become a very flakey character.

Regardless of the pitch we got what we deserved in this match, team selection looked like it’d been done by Darren Moore and Bilic in cahoots........this was a self inflicted wound.

I’m a big fan of both Anderson and Broad but team management need to stop dancing around their handbags with this pair.

After the last test it was just ridiculous to rest Anderson.

I don’t care if he is coming up to 39 years old, he’s like Tom Brady in the NFL who’s now 43 and still top quality, if he’s fit he’s got to play.

Archer would be nowhere near the side for me, lazy attitude and rarely bowls at his top pace.

I prefer Bess’s attitude and Sam Curran, two real street fighters.

The opening pair stink though, Burns might want to contemplate a haircut because the present mess just adds to his overall look of being a clown.

I would honestly open with Bairstow in the third test.

Bugger! I've now got an image I can't lose of Moore and Bilic sat down selecting an England Cricket team.