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[it's_a_pudding]

There is a lot of talk about the pace of the Aussies being too much but every batsmen at that level come across pace like that on a regular basis whether in a game or training. For me they tried to be a bit too positive against the short ball alot of the time its was either leave it or its a boundary. I'm watched pretty much all 5 days and I wouldn't have said the Aussies played the short ball well either but they only recieved maybe half of the short stuff england got.
Especially the first 3 days the ball looked like it was tennis ball bounce especially back of a length and it looked like it was very hard to know how much it was going to bounce and even with the Aussie pace it didn't look like it was coming on much either so playing cuts and pull would be tough to judge never mind score from.
Youll notice throughout between both teams there was alot of pull shots attempted that were above shoulder height which is very hard to control.

England's attack still look too similar to one another and ball and Woakes tried to follow too much line and length would like to have see more variation from both of them.

Ali Is a big worry a cut index finger will be tough to fix quick I've had a blister / cut on my hand from batting twice a week for the last 5 weeks and keeps tearing everytime I bat. So for him to recover it will be tough he is not gonna be able to practise bowling very much so I would suspect we may play crane.

[Seniorplayer]

Apparently the Bairstow incident was gaming around  on a non curfew night there   was no malaice in it no action to be taken against Johnny just an error of judgement as what he did three weeks ago  presented the opportunity to try and undermine and unsettle the England side during the first test.

[Seniorplayer]

Woakes and Ball combined match  bowling 61 overs for 228  runs for  2 wickets tell  you anything.
Okay You can bowl well and not take wickets  but  as the first test progressed they never looked like getting a wicket.

[Northern monkey]

Just watched that Bancroft interview
Wtf is going on? Is it a wind up or something? Am I missing something

Bairstow greets him with a headbutt?
And he didn't react? Other than to have a conversation with him for the rest of the evening
After the whole stokes thing, nah, not adding up

What they feeding these elite,professional athletes? Vodka red bulls and rare steak?

[Bats_Entertainment]

The two bouncers per over law is in place, right?

[Seniorplayer]

Watching the post match Bayless  interview a good performance by Wood in his current match could see him selected for the second test

[jonny77]

Just watched that Bancroft interview
Wtf is going on? Is it a wind up or something? Am I missing something

Bairstow greets him with a headbutt?
And he didn't react? Other than to have a conversation with him for the rest of the evening
After the whole stokes thing, nah, not adding up

What they feeding these elite,professional athletes? Vodka red bulls and rare steak?

I think the term headbutt is the issue here. It obviously wasn't an actual headbutt, otherwise Bancroft would have seen some damage and everyone would have known about it before now.

Struggling if Ali isn't fit enough to bowl for the 2nd test. Not sure you can throw Crane in, which was always a concern.

[Manormanic]

They can't really have Ball or Overton, Broad, Anderson, Crane as a tail - given Woakes is being found out a little, it'd leaves Bairstow having to perform heroics.

[ppccopener]

They can't really have Ball or Overton, Broad, Anderson, Crane as a tail - given Woakes is being found out a little, it'd leaves Bairstow having to perform heroics.

We can't, and we don't have many options. If you look back recent history we have not made the really big first innings scores enough. The ashes tour we won we did put massive scores on the board, Cook was scoring  for fun and trott and the others backed him up.

Root is an excellent player but 50 or 70 won't win games. so we need contributions down the order. Very hard without stokes to do that but Woakes is going to need to score some runs at 8...

It would weaken the bowling but maybe ballance as a spcialist batsman or Foakes in and Bairstow just as a batsman might , I say might, be an option.

That leaves the bowling a bit thin. Broad, Anderson, Ali and Woakes don't look enough really

We are stuck I think for now.

[Six Sixes Cricket]

Apparently Stokes spotted at Heathrow?

[Woodyspin]

Yep with all his kit if someone can post pic beforr i can then great

[csnew]

https://mobile.twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/935254724110102531/photo/1

[Woodyspin]

[ppccopener]

Bairstow best avoid the nut of the head as a 'friendly northern greeting' would be my suggestion. A handshake is good enough down South.

[billyb]

If he really is on his way, our side will be vastly better balanced and more competitive. Would drop Ball... I think Woakes will come good but also appreciate we have a faster option out there too...