I'm wondering if Cook's heart is still in it. I thought dropping the captaincy would reinvigorate him... Mind you he had a storming season for Essex, and is, with the exception of one series, crap in Australia
Cook has a 1 year old & 3 year old. It's pretty common for someone's focus to shift to family matters.
Hopefully Ali plays a match-saving knock tomorrow. But even if not, writing him off after the way he's played over the last year or two is fucking ridiculous
I'm afraid he's proved himself to be a 'flat track bully' with a soft underbelly on this tour.TBH, i dont want players in my team who are going to score 90 ball hundreds against Windies or Sri Lanka or Pakistan, there will be plenty of others capable of doing that - i want players who are going to have some guts to go for it toe-to-toe with the Aussies - and he clearly doesnt have 'it'. My view is that if Crane or Leach turn out to be quality spinners, then Ali has to go. At the moment, especially now him and Bairstow have swapped places, the tail starts at Ali. And you cant tell me his bowling performances warrant him staying in the team as a bowler.
Agree with Canters in that Foakes should bat no higher than 6. Apparently Vince played well tody, he opens for Hampshire, let him do it with Stoneman, at least that way its a right-left combo.
I'm wondering if Cook's heart is still in it. I thought dropping the captaincy would reinvigorate him... Mind you he had a storming season for Essex, and is, with the exception of one series, crap in Australia
Cook has a 1 year old & 3 year old. It's pretty common for someone's focus to shift to family matters.
And a farm. Probably worried that the recent cold weather will affect his lambs!
Cricket is like football - play your best players, no matter how old, young or in-experienced. If there is a better spinner than Ali, then play him. I don't think you need to bring in Foakes as Bairstow is doing better than ok batting & as w/k and moving him up to 5 has helped too. Root should play at No 3 - if he don't like it then drop him & take away the captaincy.............which leads me to the 1981 series. It all changed when Botham was "relinquished" of the captaincy & he told the ECB to pick Brearley as captain.........and the rest is history. Root needs to do the same & an old head come in - Collingwood perhaps
As i mentioned above, i have been hugely disappointed with Roots captaincy. Just stinks of a pig-headed Yorkshireman who cant see the obvious changes that need to be done in order to make the side play better than what it is now (well, it couldnt play any worse)
Maybe in the short term it would be better to give it to Jimmy?
There seems to be some sort of unwritten rule that the captain has to be a batsman, but Jimmy has the experience and I can't see it affecting his game as much as it might be affecting Root's
Good to see that modern technology, so far as the maintenance of Test wickets are concerned anyway, has now reached Australia - those hair dryers are something else!
Of course, it is a shame that they won't able to use proper covers in the first place.
Oh Moeen! Gets away with an inside edge to a straight ball from Lyon by virtue of an inside edge and then LBW to exactly the same delivery next ball, That's the 5th time from six innings he's been out to the off spinner in this series.
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My view is that if Crane or Leach turn out to be quality spinners, then Ali has to go.
At the moment, especially now him and Bairstow have swapped places, the tail starts at Ali. And you cant tell me his bowling performances warrant him staying in the team as a bowler.
Bringing Foakes in will enable them to release Bairstow from keeping duties and play him where he should be batting - top 4.
but he's out there so could easily step up to the plate.
There seems to be some sort of unwritten rule that the captain has to be a batsman, but Jimmy has the experience and I can't see it affecting his game as much as it might be affecting Root's
More rain due at around 5 apparently so gives a four or so hour window...
Of course, it is a shame that they won't able to use proper covers in the first place.