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[Cedrictoad]

Frightfully early to be starting this thread (12 hours until the game starts) but after the last game I am pumped for this one!

The SCG should take turn so expect to see Tredwell come in for Bresnan... maybe a batting order reshuffle as well with Root coming in lower down (as he will be expected to bowl 10 overs).

There are meant to be a few showers around tomorrow in Sydney so winning the toss and bowling might be the best option!

[smilley792]

Broad will be in for rankin.

Tried well for bresnan.

Carberry for root.



There is talk from Thorpe about Cook changing tactics for this game. But I believe he was talking more about bowling at the death, then he was about a more attacking batting line up as I wish(stokes at 8 is a waste. Send him in at 3 and let him be aggressive)

[beaver5]

There is talk from Thorpe about Cook changing tactics for this game. But I believe he was talking more about bowling at the death, then he was about a more attacking batting line up as I wish(stokes at 8 is a waste. Send him in at 3 and let him be aggressive)

Not a hope in hell of Stokes batting at 3. England are far to conservative to do that. I'll be shocked if Carberry even gets a game as they will be thinking 300 was a good score so no need to change the batting line up.

[Cedrictoad]

Depending on the game situation I can see Stokes being promoted in a "pinch hitter" type role to increase the scoring rate.

I think the days of a set betting order in ODIs are numbered.  20/20 has shown the value in changing the order to suit the game situation.

[Bulldog Cricket]

Which teams change to order depending on the game situation ?

England just need some power up the top of the order imo.

I feel sorry for Carberry. He is a very fine one day player and his form in the one day game got him selected for the test matches. Now ironically his test match form is stopping him getting selected for the ODI's !!!

[Manormanic]

Quite - Carberry is not a great bet for Test cricket but a really strong one day pick.  Aside from anything else, he is a superb boundary fielder, and England are rather short of those.

I'd like to see a bit more oomph up the order, Cook rested and Root play his T20 role:

Carberry
Bell
Bopara
Ballance
Morgan
Buttler
Root
Stokes
Broad
Jordan
Tredwell

[Cedrictoad]

In the recent NZ v WI series McCullum, Taylor and Corey Anderson all moved around the order based on the game situation.  Australia experimented in India as well with the batting order to increase the run rate at certain times.  Pakistan used to do it as well with Boom Boom Afridi.

Surely with the advent of batting powerplays it would make sense to get someone like Stokes to take full advantage of having the field up.

Carberry deserves a game.  He was actually a solid performer in the test series.  He got a good number of starts but just couldn't push on.  If he had turned just one of those starts into a hundred he probably would have played in the first ODI (and like sliding doors could have single handedly won the game and then the second ODI and cemented himself as a regular in both formats).

[Cedrictoad]

or flayed a long hop to point and been dropped... sliding doors are never that good

[Manormanic]

quite - he had ample chances in decent form in the Tests and seemed a shade shy of the top class.

[Cedrictoad]

Are you sure about Bopara at 3 maniac?

I prefer him knocking it around in the middle overs then accelerating at the end.

[csnew]

any idea why Cook keeps batting first even though he's packing the batting.
Surely most teams with weak bowling line ups bowl first and chase .

[jw17]

Huge fan of that line up Maniac.

[Manormanic]

Are you sure about Bopara at 3 maniac?

I prefer him knocking it around in the middle overs then accelerating at the end.

Okay, there are two ways of looking at this.  In a successful, well functioning side Bopara is the ideal guy to have in between Morgan and Buttler - the more conventional and technically sharp guy who can as you say knock it around where needed whilst also hitting big.  In this environment, England tend to sort of stagnate at the start because Cook is out of touch, Bell  steady starter and Root out of form and much better suited to the role you just described for Bopara.  So, Ravi at three.  There are many benefits, not least the fact that nobody really knows whether Ravi is Test class and a few months batting three and building innings in ODIs will give us all more evidence as to whether he might have a test future - because nobody wants him to be another  big question mark like Owais Shah...

[Manormanic]

any idea why Cook keeps batting first even though he's packing the batting.
Surely most teams with weak bowling line ups bowl first and chase .

does not necessarily follow - packing the batting suggests confidence in a run fest batting first or second.

[Cedrictoad]

does not necessarily follow - packing the batting suggests confidence in a run fest batting first or second.

Or indicates total faith in his bowling line up... or a slight insidious madness that is slowly baking Cook's brain...

Okay, there are two ways of looking at this.  In a successful, well functioning side Bopara is the ideal guy to have in between Morgan and Buttler - the more conventional and technically sharp guy who can as you say knock it around where needed whilst also hitting big.  In this environment, England tend to sort of stagnate at the start because Cook is out of touch, Bell  steady starter and Root out of form and much better suited to the role you just described for Bopara.  So, Ravi at three.  There are many benefits, not least the fact that nobody really knows whether Ravi is Test class and a few months batting three and building innings in ODIs will give us all more evidence as to whether he might have a test future - because nobody wants him to be another  big question mark like Owais Shah...

Ha ha Bopara will be offended we are comparing him to Shah... I see your logic.  Hopefully Bopara can live up to your faith in him...