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[mdg20]

Completely Surrey biased of course but I'd love to see:

Cook
stoneman
Jennings
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Ali
Foakes
Woakes
Broad
Anderson

Foakes to keep and let Bairstow concentrate on scoring stacks of runs

[LEACHY48]

Because, rightly or wrongly, we've not had confidence to bat Moeen in the top six? Moeen is himself a part-time bowler, really!

I agree in so far as he is a part timer but he is also the fastest English bowler to take 50 test wickets - can't be that part time.

[Bats_Entertainment]

I agree in so far as he is a part timer but he is also the fastest English bowler to take 50 test wickets - can't be that part time.

Worth having, I agree. Alongside Rashid.

[six and out]

For those putting Ballance in, he has a crunch game next week to see if he gets selected because even though he's scored hundreds of runs so far, i don't see how England can pick him if he can't see the pink ball in the day/night tests we are going to have.

[Manormanic]

It is the first time in a while that I think there is genuine debate - as opposed to panicked scratching around for just about any name.  As I see it, we have got seven names nailed on for the first test at present:

Cook
X
Root
X
Bairstow
Stokes
X
Ali
X
Broad
Wood

Now, the first problem to consider is the make up of the side - do they want five bowlers or, bearing in mind the number of games and players with injury histories, do they prefer six?  Then you have the question of what side the selectors would ideally like to take Down Under (which is why I have Wood as a certainty but Anderson not, and why later on I discount the idea of Ballance winning a recall at the moment)

So, you need four names - an opener and four bat, a third quick and one "moveable feast" player.

In terms of the batting options, I think England will consider Hameed (but discount him if he has not recovered his form) Stoneman (he's been scoring consistently for a long time now), Jennings and possibly James Vince, as well as two keepers who can bat in Buttler and Foakes.  Ballance will be mentioned, but I think his exclusively hang back game might count against him for another year. For the bowling options, Rashid would give them a second spinner, whereas amongst the quicks there are Woakes and Anderson, if fit, as well as Roland-Jones and Plunkett.

What would I do?

Cook
Stoneman
Root
Jennings
Bairstow
Stokes
Ali
Woakes
Roland-Jones
Broad
Wood

With Anderson to be rotated in if he recovers form and fitness. 

[Bats_Entertainment]

For those putting Ballance in, he has a crunch game next week to see if he gets selected because even though he's scored hundreds of runs so far, i don't see how England can pick him if he can't see the pink ball in the day/night tests we are going to have.

I'd forgotten about that. My logic was that he's been picked so often when he's out of form, that he perhaps deserves a chance when he's clearly in form.

[Manormanic]

I'd forgotten about that. My logic was that he's been picked so often when he's out of form, that he perhaps deserves a chance when he's clearly in form.

he will never be able to play day night with the pink ball, there is nothing England can do about that.  Personally, I think the big bar to Ballance being recalled - as much as he is the right choice on form for the summer ahead - is that I do not see his game as being particularly well suited to Australian pitches, and everything will be centred on getting the right team on the field come the WACA.

[six and out]

he will never be able to play day night with the pink ball, there is nothing England can do about that.  Personally, I think the big bar to Ballance being recalled - as much as he is the right choice on form for the summer ahead - is that I do not see his game as being particularly well suited to Australian pitches, and everything will be centred on getting the right team on the field come the WACA.

The press are saying he has got some special glasses made up that he will bat in which will allow him to see the ball?

But its very trial and error.

[Manormanic]

The press are saying he has got some special glasses made up that he will bat in which will allow him to see the ball?

But its very trial and error.

Wow, thats a brave call.  Though given the state of our batting at the moment, I suspect he wants to lead from the front.

[six and out]

Wow, thats a brave call.  Though given the state of our batting at the moment, I suspect he wants to lead from the front.

He is definitely going to play in the Yorkshire D/N game and then i suppose its see what happens.

For me unless he nails it in that game i dont think he is selectable.

I go with...

Cook
Stoneman
Jennings
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Ali
Foakes (wk)
Woakes
Broad
Wood

This assumes everyone is fully fit of course!

[Johnny]

I like @Manormanic 's team most at the moment.

I think anyone who doesn't have YJB in their top 6 is doing him a massive disservice, and I think Root should stick at 3.

FWIW my team would be:

Cook
Hameed/Stoneman (HH literally needs one performance and he's in for me)
Root
Jennings (long term I think he'll open, but think a few years in the middle order until Cook retired is a good plan)
Bairstow (wk)
Stokes
Ali
Woakes (is he gonna be fit in time?)
Rashid/Wood (dependent on pitch)
Broad
Anderson

I think Jake Ball is ahead of TRJ in the pecking order at the mo. And I don't see Wood as a test regular. I think he'll be used periodically for conditions that suit.

[northernboy1987]

I like @Manormanic 's team most at the moment.

I think anyone who doesn't have YJB in their top 6 is doing him a massive disservice, and I think Root should stick at 3.

FWIW my team would be:

Cook
Hameed/Stoneman (HH literally needs one performance and he's in for me)
Root
Jennings (long term I think he'll open, but think a few years in the middle order until Cook retired is a good plan)
Bairstow (wk)
Stokes
Ali
Woakes (is he gonna be fit in time?)
Rashid/Wood (dependent on pitch)
Broad
Anderson

I think Jake Ball is ahead of TRJ in the pecking order at the mo. And I don't see Wood as a test regular. I think he'll be used periodically for conditions that suit.

I purely leave YJB at 7 because that's where I like my keeper to bat in a test side (just seems right to me for some reason) and that's where he's been scoring hatfulls of runs for us (don't change a winning team type of logic). He's clearly good enough to bat at 5 though, I don't think anyone would debate that.

[edge]

This always confuses me whenever the England side conversation comes around... what do we need 6 bowlers for? There's only 90 overs in a test day, one of them will just end up kicking his heels at fine leg.

For me - even though it means two relative newcomers in the top 3, I'd rather Root at 4 than 3, and the keeper bats 7. So:

Cook
Hameed/Jennings/Stoneman, pick two. Unless we have a good reason to leave either Hameed or Jennings out, almost certainly those two.
See above
Root
Middle order bat. Could be Bairstow if picking another keeper, could be whoever misses out from the top 3 shootout, could be someone called up from county cricket.
Stokes
Keeper. Bairstow if keeping the gloves, if he's at 5 then Buttler or Foakes take the gloves. Buttler in possession, Foakes in great domestic form.
Ali
Woakes
Broad
Jimmy

Wood when conditions suit (Perth anyone), then various untried or unconvincing backup seamers. Interesting that the middle order choices in the Lions currently are Gubbins and Lawrence, who knows if that means they're ahead of Ballance/Northeast/Westley and the like in the pecking order should the no5 slot open up. Livingstone as well.

[Johnny]

But if 2 of those 6 bowlers bat in your top 7 anyway, then why not. Need to take 20 wickets to win the game, so give yourself as many means as possible to do it! If stokes or Ali were injured I don't think I'd look to replace with an alternative all-rounder necessarily.

[Bats_Entertainment]

Buttler is not the man in possession of the gloves!