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[shadowlight]

What happens if Baristow fails with the bat and drops a catch?  If it happens he should be dropped too.  I know wishful thinking on my part  .

I hope the game is a close one and not another blow out on either side.

[Manormanic]

Word is they're considering Denly for Foakes so he can slot in at 3 (and allow Rashid to be replaced by a pacer given the pitch is apparently looking green).

Oh my, that would be an odd selection.

[shadowlight]

the captain and coach feel they need 6 bowlers to take wickets across 5 days play

See this is what I am concerned about.  Didn't they have 6 bowlers in the last test - Anderson, Curran, Stokes, Rashid, Ali, Root.  How many overs is the 5 and 6th bolwer expected to bowl, the primary 4 bowlers do their job?  Isn't this the case of the mgmt getting the team wrong in the first game, where they screwed up picking Ali, Rashid and Curran.  They should have picked 2 out of the 3 or if you are looking for a specialist spinner they should have picked Leach.  It also does not help that Root has confidence issues with Rashid.  I am not saying he is a great bowler but Morgan does a great job of managing Rashid in one days (different format).  They have always known that Rashid is going to be more expensive and if they do not account for that when selecting the team, it's their fault.

Also, how is having 6 bowlers going to help with the batting issues, which got blown away for 77 runs.  If the current thinking is correct the bowling unit will be Anderson, Broad, Stokes, Curran, two from (Ali, Leach, Rashid), Root, Denley.

I have no proof but is it possible that Baristow made a stink about not wanting to bat at 3 or his continued desire to keep and the England mgmt basically folded.  If he is selected to keep he should not bat any higher than 7.

I used to admire Baristow's passion now I think he is a complete crybaby and just being selfish based on the last couple of instances both against India and Sri Lanka and not a team player.

[edge]

Some statistical food for thought - Only four(!) members of the England squad average over 40 in first class cricket. Only two of those also average over 40 in test cricket... Root and Foakes. Amazing that Foakes has batted 8 in the last two tests.

[LateBloomer]

All the best Test teams I can think of had 4 bowlers. Some had an allrounder as 5th option, some had part-timers

Why on earth the England management think they need 6 is beyond me. If your 1st 5 aren't good enough, bowler number 6 is unlikely to make any difference

I will be disgusted if Foakes is dropped!

[jchokshi]

Interesting observation(s)!

An outsider asks: what's going on with English cricket?

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/25880522/outsider-asks-going-english-cricket

[six and out]

I just think Root is one of those captain's who needs to have options at his disposal even if that means they sometimes don't get utilised. He feels they are there as a comfort blanket if you like. Whether that says something about his skills in using a smaller attack or are actual bowlers I am not sure.

What I will say is I think they are really worried about bowling Stokes into the ground.

If Denly for Foakes is true I think that is a bit mad because that's potentially 8 bowlers (including Root & Denly).

I would like to see -

Burns
Denly
Bairstow
Root
Buttler
Stokes
Foakes
Curran
Broad
Leach
Anderson

This gives you 5 main bowlers plus Root and Denly which should be more than enough. Keep Curran as a left arm option but now the extra not main seamer. Broad back and Leach in as specialist spinner will do a better job than Rashid and Ali. Also i think if we don't give Denly a go now when is he?

[Kulli]

Some statistical food for thought - Only four(!) members of the England squad average over 40 in first class cricket. Only two of those also average over 40 in test cricket... Root and Foakes. Amazing that Foakes has batted 8 in the last two tests.

I like Foakes and hope he stays in the side but thats not a very fair measure. He's only played SL, who are rubbish and we smashed. Buttle jennings and Bairstow all also averaged over 40 in the same period, with Root and Curran not far behind.

[Mister Le Chiffre]

The real debate should be why should Bairstow get selected over Foakes, if it is true that the Surrey glove man is getting dropped. Aside from 2016 where Bairstow averaged 59 across 17 Tests, his remaining 44 Tests he averages 30. Yes the supposedly 'second best batsman' averages 30, that means he's fortunate to even to considered. 2016 seems more and more a fluke for Bairstow with every passing year. Dare I say it he seems vastly overrated...

[SD]

All the best Test teams I can think of had 4 bowlers. Some had an allrounder as 5th option, some had part-timers

Why on earth the England management think they need 6 is beyond me. If your 1st 5 aren't good enough, bowler number 6 is unlikely to make any difference

I will be disgusted if Foakes is dropped!

They don't need 6 bowlers at home in conditions to which our bowling attack is well suited, but away from home the view seems to be that they need the extra variety to the attack in order to win games.  Much has been made of our recent away record, particularly the fact that we can't take 20 wickets away from home, so this would appear to be the answer to that.

[SD]

The real debate should be why should Bairstow get selected over Foakes, if it is true that the Surrey glove man is getting dropped. Aside from 2016 where Bairstow averaged 59 across 17 Tests, his remaining 44 Tests he averages 30. Yes the supposedly 'second best batsman' averages 30, that means he's fortunate to even to considered. 2016 seems more and more a fluke for Bairstow with every passing year. Dare I say it he seems vastly overrated...

I tend to agree with this view.  I would be surprised if there is a top order player who gets bowled as many times as Bairstow does and his record with the bat seems to sneak under the radar given England's problems finding players to hold down other positions in the batting line up

[FattusCattus]

Sadly I don;t think England will drop Mo, but he may have reached the stage whereby this is a tour he will struggle to score runs on and therefore becomes a bit of a luxury.

[cricketbadger]

If Foakes is dropped, I will no longer support England. Absolute joke of a decision if it comes to fruition

Of the 3 keepers, Butler has to go if they are dropping 1. He also dropped a catch, didn't score any runs and his technique is by far the worst for Test match cricket. Noticeably he never gets attacked for his ability to build a test match innings, seemingly a Golden Boy

I'd kick Jennings into touch too, Denly in as a stop gap before trying a new option in the summer over here. Rashid and Ali out for for Leach and Broad

[Kulli]

If Foakes is dropped, I will no longer support England. Absolute joke of a decision if it comes to fruition

Of the 3 keepers, Butler has to go if they are dropping 1. He also dropped a catch, didn't score any runs and his technique is by far the worst for Test match cricket. Noticeably he never gets attacked for his ability to build a test match innings, seemingly a Golden Boy

I'd kick Jennings into touch too, Denly in as a stop gap before trying a new option in the summer over here. Rashid and Ali out for for Leach and Broad

I wouldn't say I'm a huge Buttler fan (in the test side) but he's done pretty well since he came back, well enough not to be dropped anyway.

EDIT - Averaging 41 since his come back.

[SD]

Butler has been England's second best batsman after Root since coming back into the side and has shown the ability to bat patiently when required as well as playing his more natural attacking game.  I don't see a better option for England to bat in the middle order