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[edge]

It's already been announced - unchanged, Stokes 3 Ali 6.

[LateBloomer]

Correct call - well done selectors

The way Root explained Bairstows absence read like he's a 9 year old boy whose feelings get hurt if he's left out of the school team.

[Bats_Entertainment]

Liking it.

[edge]

Good team selection, but I feel a bit sorry for Moeen. Got to be more value in giving him a good go at 3 than sticking Stokes there for two games.

[edge]

On a side note, this means Stokes fights back in his little-publicised battle with Moeen to bat in every spot from 1-11 for England. Assuming he does actually bat 3, he'll have walked out everywhere from 3-11 in tests. Moeen has batted in every spot from 1-9... who will get there and complete the set first?!

[petehosk]

I reckon Mo will be happy that he is given the opportunity to bat in mid order! He is not a number 3 and as he has hit some great knocks down the order, I suspect he will be more confident there?
So we need to either bat Stokes there and see if he can adapt his game to be more patient? (no optimistic but he has been trainingthis week to bat that way, so who knows)
And if Stokes doesn't bat well there, then surely the next option will be to get Clarke/Vince/Gubbins/etc/etc long term? So a "proper" opener/top order batsman to bed in?
I can understand that it is not easy to do now, as England are trying to get the opening pair settled and bedded in. And also because we have to play extra spinners in these conditions.
But once we are back in greener fields, then it would surely be the next step?

[edge]

Given that Moeen has batted pretty much his entire county career at 3 you'd imagine he'd be fairly comfortable with the spot! Also it's in his interest to bat there - outside the subcontinent Stokes is going to bowl too many overs to bat 3 (last home test he bowled more overs than Curran and only 3 less than Broad), he has the technical game to do it but this is a short term fix only. Long term, we'll need a 3 for all conditions. Moeen's a candidate for that, even if you're unconvinced how good he'd be. If he doesn't bat 3, where is he getting in when we go back to picking one spinner?

[petehosk]

I genuinely hope that Mo does flourish batting at 3, because it would give us a fantiastic option to play Leach all the time and still have Mo and Root who can bowl spin!

[six and out]

Correct decision made by the selectors..... will be interesting how Bairstow takes it.

In SL news Akila Dananjaya is going to play despite being reported for a suspect bowling action in the 1st test.

[ppccopener]

Given that Moeen has batted pretty much his entire county career at 3 you'd imagine he'd be fairly comfortable with the spot! Also it's in his interest to bat there - outside the subcontinent Stokes is going to bowl too many overs to bat 3 (last home test he bowled more overs than Curran and only 3 less than Broad), he has the technical game to do it but this is a short term fix only. Long term, we'll need a 3 for all conditions. Moeen's a candidate for that, even if you're unconvinced how good he'd be. If he doesn't bat 3, where is he getting in when we go back to picking one spinner?

and therein lies the problem

however Mr Edge, it does not become any problem whatsoever if youre view is if we are only picking one spinner, Moeen is the best in that position

im not saying he is, but he has just gone past 150 wickets for England which is no mean achievement

some of the ex players on the telly believe the best spinner we have is Moeen

[edge]

I genuinely hope that Mo does flourish batting at 3, because it would give us a fantiastic option to play Leach all the time and still have Mo and Root who can bowl spin!

Exactly, would be handy. But that's gone now, Moeen won't be seen at 3 again after getting binned off down the order one test into a tour.

I think if we only pick one spinner it has to be Leach.

[Bats_Entertainment]

Exactly, would be handy. But that's gone now, Moeen won't be seen at 3 again after getting binned off down the order one test into a tour.

I think if we only pick one spinner it has to be Leach.

Leach (or Rashid), plus Mo at 6, surely?  Broad comes in for Rashid (or Leach) in more seamer-friendly conditions.

Battle for no.5 between Buttler and Bairstow, as I suggested earlier.

Bairstow might also be considered a contender for an opener's spot longer tterm.  A top 3 with Bairstow and Stokes in? Wow!

[Bats_Entertainment]

And let's not forget Chris Woakes...

[edge]

Leach (or Rashid), plus Mo at 6, surely?  Broad comes in for Rashid (or Leach) in more seamer-friendly conditions.

Battle for no.5 between Buttler and Bairstow, as I suggested earlier.

Bairstow might also be considered a contender for an opener's spot longer tterm.  A top 3 with Bairstow and Stokes in? Wow!

That would only work if Stokes bats 3, which was my point really - hard to see him making a sustained success of batting 3 while also bowling 30 overs a game.

[hammersjr]

Good call by the selectors here