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[ppccopener]

Now England cannot win the series  think ahead towards our summer give the lions a go  Gubbions or Jennings and also Billings  as the extra batsman lets   see what they can do  not much point picking balance or Duckett.

Yes.....but not sure what England will do re Balance and Duckett. I doubt very much they will want to be seen to be discarding either......

Vic Marks has written an article arguing for the fringe players to be sent home. Not sure myself what the right thing to do there would be....

England have to have an eye on the future,Duckett will play in the one dayers later but Balance wont....

[rickjames]

I hope the selectors never read this board, and I don't even like the selectors

[Johnny]

Not a Ballance fan, but sincerely hope they stick with Duckett. Hope he'll play at 4 in the summer. Let him learn test cricket in more familiar surroundings, with a view to him moving to the top of the order once Cook retires

[Seniorplayer]

Yes.....but not sure what England will do re Balance and Duckett. I doubt very much they will want to be seen to be discarding either......

Vic Marks has written an article arguing for the fringe players to be sent home. Not sure myself what the right thing to do there would be....

England have to have an eye on the future,Duckett will play in the one dayers later but Balance wont....

Wouldn't discard them or send them home keep them there that way they will want it more nothing worse than not getting a game specially on tour.

[six and out]

Yes.....but not sure what England will do re Balance and Duckett. I doubt very much they will want to be seen to be discarding either......

Vic Marks has written an article arguing for the fringe players to be sent home. Not sure myself what the right thing to do there would be....

England have to have an eye on the future,Duckett will play in the one dayers later but Balance wont....

If they are going to call someone up then Ballance might as well go home now... the 1st warm up for the one-dayers isn't until 10th Jan, so everyone will go home for Christmas anyway (last day of the 5th Test is 20th December).

Duckett can stay and carry on practicing for the one-dayers.

interestingly people saying about Billings - this was announced yesterday - i do realise an England call would change this!

https://twitter.com/SixersBBL/status/803357883928756224?lang=en

[SOULMAN1012]

England have a problem with left handers and the fact that the Indian spinners bowl far better to left handers Bell-Drummond is the only RH opening bat as I believe Jennings & gubbings are both LH but DBD has on,y played lions international and even though he is a Kent player which normally means in biased that's one hell of a step up.
Billings? Well why the hell not, except he isn't a specialist opnener but he has done very well any time he has played for England.
Compton? Opening maybe as left field but don't think he fits in the dressing room or team environment.

[Felix Tito]

Don't think an opener should have to be RHB just to nullify the effect of R Ashwin and J Yadav.

Cook(C)
Ali
Root
Bairstow(W/K)
Billings
Stokes
Buttler
Rashid
Broad
Ball
Anderson

Woakes is injured according to a few reports, if he's fit he takes Ball's place. Billings is said to be 'an exceptional player of spin' so if he plays bat him at #5 to build his confidence. Only three LHBs in top 7.

[ppccopener]

Cook now saying they mis-read the pitch and conditions.

I think that is right, total credit to India, they are Number 1 in their home conditions and deserve 2-0 up......but we have got it wrong.

2 spinners, the best 2 which is rash and Ali and then the extra seamer would of been better.

but credit to India, they are strong at home.

[wasted_talent]

well the trouble is, the seamers they have played haven't been threatening?
ie if you look at the india seamers, they seem to have more zip and threat thus far... or am I been too harsh?

[ppccopener]

well the trouble is, the seamers they have played haven't been threatening?
ie if you look at the india seamers, they seem to have more zip and threat thus far... or am I been too harsh?

I think myself Ball should have been in, he has extra pace and height, in place of one of the spinners.

but no, I agree with you, the Indian seamers have got more out of the pitches than we have.

That's a very good point, it's no good sugar coating it......we have been outplayed.

[edge]

Still don't understand why we are playing 6 bowlers to be honest... There's only so many overs in a day, 5 bowlers is plenty!

[procricket]

Well I think the Indians are just better all round than England in them conditions...

They have 2/3 of the best players in them conditions in the world so they should be really.

However we march on and lets see some fight...

[Buzz]

Don't think an opener should have to be RHB just to nullify the effect of R Ashwin and J Yadav.

Rory Hamilton-Brown is a bold pick...😉

[Stuey]

How did we end up with so many left handed batsman? When I were lad, you had maybe 1 or 2 at most. I blame left handed scissors.

[Johnny]

All this talk of picking too many bowlers is a nonsense. We had a specialist batsman at 7! The top order simply didn't score enough runs in the first innings