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[northernboy1987]

Bairstow at five, Ali seven anyone?

As a batsman yeah but I quite like my keeper at 7, not sure why just do haha

[Felix Tito]

IMO the premier batsman bats at 3 therefore

Cook
Hameed
Root (c)
Bairstow
Stokes
Ali
Foakes (w/k)
Woakes
Broad
Ball
Anderson

Best teams have proper keepers, Bairstow isn't and never will reach the required standard. Foakes is a fabulous keeper.

Stokes for me is batting all rounder and at the most should only be bowling 8-10 overs per day. Ali is decent enough at 6 but no higher.

Jennings might've scored a 100, but he never looked assured. So he gets axed.

The less said about Ballance the better

[six and out]

The way i see it is that there is 1 spot to choose and it all depends how they want to make up the side.

The 10 bankers for the 1st test - Cook, Hameed, Jennings, Root, Stokes, Bairstow, Mo, Woakes, Broad & Anderson

So do they want to -

A. Play an extra batsman - a la Ballance/Livingstone etc... then they bat at either 5 or 7 depending on where Bairstow bats.
or
B. Play an extra bowler - a la Wood/Ball etc... or even a spinner (i think unlikely), then Bairstow definitely bats at 5 and the extra bowler slots in between 9-11

[Manormanic]

Agree on nine of the ten. I think Wood might be ahead of Woakes though, so the question is whether the latter bats eight and everyone's workload is reduced, or they prefer a batsman

[Calzehbhoy]

I'm confused as to how people are seeing Hameed as a dead cert?

He's barely scored a run for Lancashire or the Lions since coming back from injury. Wouldn't someone like Stoneman be a safer choice?

[Manormanic]

Hameed looked the deal in India, the selectors tend to show considerable faith>

[ppccopener]

he has had a broken finger  and did look the part in India. you can only go on potential with young players unless they are a Tendulkar (playing test cricket at 16 still amazes me)

yes the selectors do give players a run now. makes it hard to get it but players like Livingstone for example-who must have been very close to one day selection-know they are going to get a run in the team.

ive got the 10 bankers most have on here, I don't have 2 spinners for home tests in the UK thou

[Johnny]

2 spinners in England may be against convention, but if Bairstow bats 5 (which would be my preference), and Stokes is at 6 then there's plenty of room for spinner no.2

My line up would be:

Cool
Hameed
Root
Jennings
Bairstow
Stokes
Ali
Woakes
Rashid
Broad
Anderson

[edge]

Test matches = keeper bats 7 unless you don't have a decent allrounder, which we're not exactly struggling for! We know the bowling attack for home conditions, and I find it hard to believe that Cook doesn't fancy opening anymore, so assuming we're going back to normal after the usual mucking about with batting orders in the subcontinent to fit 8 bowlers in:

Cook
Hameed/Jennings
Jennings/Hameed
Root (I prefer him at 4, if he wants to bat 3 then only one of Hameed/Jennings gets in and a middle order player gets picked)
Bairstow as a specialist batsman/AN Other
Stokes
Bairstow (wk) or Buttler/Foakes
Ali
Woakes
Broad
Jimmy

[Calzehbhoy]

I wouldn't be that surprised to see

Cook
Stoneman
Jennings/Hameed
Root
Livingstone
Bairstow
Stokes
Ali
Woakes
Broad
Anderson

[Manormanic]

I would!

[ppccopener]

So would I !! Livingston you would guess would come in the one dayers although the squad has been picked already.....they seem to like them being around the team first before straight into a test match.

Stoneman is a helluva player and could of been picked much earlier.but he wasn't and there's loads of players like that.

If he has got runs at Durham opening he would get runs anywhere. Good player.

[petehosk]

I would love to see Stoneman as I genuinely think he would be better for England than Jennings (Just my opinion)
But to see Stoneman, Livingstone AND Hameed/Jennings in the top 5 of the Test team is not going to happen!
That much inexperience at International Test level would be a shock.

[Alvaro]

I expect it will be:
1. Cock 2. Hameed 3. Jennings 4. Root 5. Bairstow 6. Stokes 7. Buttler 8. Ali 9. Woakes 10. Broad 11. Anderson

Given Bairstow has been demoted to 3rd choice keeper in white ball cricket, it will be interesting to see if he or Jos get the gloves in the Test team.

[ppccopener]

I expect it will be:
1. Cock 2. Hameed 3. Jennings 4. Root 5. Bairstow 6. Stokes 7. Buttler 8. Ali 9. Woakes 10. Broad 11. Anderson

Given Bairstow has been demoted to 3rd choice keeper in white ball cricket, it will be interesting to see if he or Jos get the gloves in the Test team.

Deliberate or accidental very amusing spelling for 1.

oh come on who is giggling?