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[Kulli]

To be fair, if Root had managed to kick on like say smith the couple of times he got set we might not be in this mess.

[manno]

Last time Eng won the Ashes in Aus: 2011
Last time Aus won the Ashes in Eng: 2001

Tests won in Eng since 2001: Aus - 8
                                           Eng - 11

Tests won in Aus since 2001: Aus - 18
                                           Eng - 4

Just sayin....

[edge]

Not sure county cricket is to blame for Broad falling over and forgetting how to hold his wrist properly. Or for Cook not getting any, or Moeen having a shocker.

Realistically, Australia always start favourites in their home conditions (I still think England would win this series at home), the big difference is that our players mostly fell into two categories - established players who we expected to do well, and rookies who we didn't really know about. Issue for us has been most of the key players have failed! Although at least some of the rookies have given a good account of themselves. Jimmy's bowled really well too, but he doesn't have the tools to take a side apart in Australia like at home.

Time for Broad to be told to fix his action and given a break to do it, and Moeen needs to bowl to stay in the side for me. With that in mind, I'd consider going back to four bowlers while we don't have that batting all-rounder. Foakes gets the gloves and YJB gets told to suck it up and score some runs.
Cook, Stoneman, Vince, Root, Malan, Bairstow, Foakes, Woakes, Overton if fit/Curran, Crane, Jimmy.

[Manormanic]

Ball. what does he do that plunkett doesn't? I understand that plunkett barely bowled in CC last season (42 overs from bumble on twitter) but surely that's Yorkshire managing his workload to get the best/quickest from him when it mattered to them?

Not really - its a combination of one day call ups meaning he was not always available, combined wit the kicker that he is not actually a first choice pick at Yorkshire.  Sidebottom, Brooks and Bresnan are.  Coad came through at the start of the season and Patterson has tended to be the go-to.  Meant that Drunky was a luxury pick in the Championship, much like Willey.

[Bats_Entertainment]

One Test match ago, Dawid Malan was being called a 'waste of space'.

And I'm glad the 'jury is out' now, at least, on the highly-talented James Vince. Most people thought him a joke of a selection.
 
Two top batsmen never showed up. Bowling was always going to be ineffectual, although perhaps not to the extent we have seen.

As I have said before, the bigger pictue needs looking at, not just the players being picked.

[Bats_Entertainment]

Not really - its a combination of one day call ups meaning he was not always available, combined wit the kicker that he is not actually a first choice pick at Yorkshire.  Sidebottom, Brooks and Bresnan are.  Coad came through at the start of the season and Patterson has tended to be the go-to.  Meant that Drunky was a luxury pick in the Championship, much like Willey.

Good players sat on benches, while we're being told standards are poor in Div 2?

[six and out]

I keep asking myself.... if we are being brutally honest, with the squad that we took over and if the Aussie quicks stayed fit, did we actually think we would compete in these conditions?

the answer has to be no.

yes maybe the margin of the defeats might/should have been smaller but none the less winning in Oz is ridiculously difficult, especially when you are missing players, have off field issues and a number of debutantes etc....

So i actually find myself looking for the positives....

1. Stoneman - We have finally found a partner for Cook - impressed by how he has handled himself and he will surely only get better
2. Malan - our batsman of the tour and i think could actually move to number 3
3. Overton - thoroughly impressive young man - bowled well, kept running in for his captain - even with a busted rib - and also then to walk out to bat when the game was over when you know you are going to get pinned.

[Kulli]

I think you can tentatively add Vince to that, he was 'unlucky' when set in the first test and showed real grit yesterday before getting one with his name on it. If he can put away the big drive outside off until he's set in the final 2 tests then he will be set for a good run in the side.

[Northern monkey]

Definitely add vince

[mo_town]

Cant really expect the new guys to win you games when the seniors in the team continue to fail. Cook and Root have been well below average and that has put a lot of burden on the other guys.

[Kulli]

Cant really expect the new guys to win you games when the seniors in the team continue to fail. Cook and Root have been well below average and that has put a lot of burden on the other guys.

As the experienced batsmen i wonder what Cook, Root, Bairstow and Ali's combined returns have been.

[brokenbat]

England's biggest problem is that nobody else can be captain. Root is not up for it - yes, he may be a "very good" captain, but it is affecting his batting. He did not lead from the front (with the bat) like Smith. 

[Alvaro]

Isn't Pat Cummins a glorious cricketer?

[joeljonno]

As the experienced batsmen i wonder what Cook, Root, Bairstow and Ali's combined returns have been.

Malan - 302 / 50.33
Bairstow - 241 / 40.16
Stoneman - 193 / 32.16
Vince - 182 / 30.33
Root - 176 / 29.33
Ali - 116 / 19.33
Woakes - 88 / 14.66
Cook - 83 / 13.83

[Rob580]

England's biggest problem is that nobody else can be captain. Root is not up for it - yes, he may be a "very good" captain, but it is affecting his batting. He did not lead from the front (with the bat) like Smith.

Not affecting it too much, although I will admit I thought it would be a lot lower for when he is captain!

is captain       2017-2017   10 18  0   905  190 50.27 1430 63.28    2  7 0 131 1
is not captain 2012-2016   53  98 11 4594 254 52.80 8352 55.00 11 27 3 507 15