I can't help thinking that Pope's decision making for those two balls was as much to do with mental fatigue as anything else
He really could have done with not batting today.
Indeed. He's kept for 315 overs so far in these two Tests (and batted for 40 plus overs too). That would be tough enough for someone like Foakes who is used to both the physical and mental requirements of having to concentrate for such long periods of time let alone Pope who has less than a dozen games in the longer form of the game doing so - with those spread over a number of years and not days as in this instance.
Can’t see Ahmed batting above 8 though so fitting him in alongside 3 seamers and Leach is difficult.
Not sure that we will play four seamers again if Stokes is fit to bowl - in this game Anderson, Robinson and Stokes have bowled just 10 between them. Stokes plus two other quicks with Foakes coming back to bat at 7, especially as Pope not coming out in the top 5 today suggests that he has struggled to cope in these conditions and bat at 3. Jacks only bowled 4 overs himself.
As I say, should we win this Test then that effectively makes the final one a dead rubber. Ahmed is also potentially a very good all rounder and already has a First Class ton to his name despite having only had half a dozen innings. We won't get a better opportunity to blood the lad.
Fair point, could see us going with 2 seamers. Ahmed could be a decent all rounder but if we want to give him a crack it needs to be with the ball so he won’t bat above 8 (appreciate it should be a dead rubber).
Those balls to take the wickets of Rizwan and Babar from Anderson and Robinson respectively were something else.
I do wonder if Stokes is injured or just resting that knee as he hasn't bowled a ball in the match and hence the reason from leaving Foakes out. That said, Jacks has only bowled 4 overs so we've still only actually used 5 bowlers to date.
There is one potential place for Bairstow in the Ashes but it's not one that is going to please Foakes and that is that he comes back as keeper. Pope has done a good job as a temporary replacement but too many of his takes end up being clung by him to his chest for me to be convinced that he can do it full time. The Pope/Root/Brook/Stokes middle order is now ingrained so the only other way Bairstow gets back in is if he opens but Crawley and Duckett may become immovable too. It's a good position for us to be in though.
There is one potential place for Bairstow in the Ashes but it's not one that is going to please Foakes and that is that he comes back as keeper. Pope has done a good job as a temporary replacement but too many of his takes end up being clung by him to his chest for me to be convinced that he can do it full time. The Pope/Root/Brook/Stokes middle order is now ingrained so the only other way Bairstow gets back in is if he opens but Crawley and Duckett may become immovable too. It's a good position for us to be in though.
There is one potential place for Bairstow in the Ashes but it's not one that is going to please Foakes and that is that he comes back as keeper. Pope has done a good job as a temporary replacement but too many of his takes end up being clung by him to his chest for me to be convinced that he can do it full time. The Pope/Root/Brook/Stokes middle order is now ingrained so the only other way Bairstow gets back in is if he opens but Crawley and Duckett may become immovable too. It's a good position for us to be in though.
. I agree it's a good position to be in. The chances of all our top six batsmen being fit and in form long term is slim. Chances are one will either be injured or out of form. Bairstow has to prove both his fitness and his form to be considered and then wait for an opportunity to play.
Foakes for me is our best keeper but he seems to find ways of not being available for selection which is frustrating to say the least.
Oh dear. Jacks drops a caught and bowled from a ball that is hit firmly back at him. That was one of the few balls from Jacks that have been over pitched because he has had a tendency to drop it short outside the off stump
Leach must have something about him that I just don't see. He's taken roughly 100 test wickets which means he can't be that bad but he hardly ever looks threatening.
Leach must have something about him that I just don't see. He's taken roughly 100 test wickets which means he can't be that bad but he hardly ever looks threatening.
He’s a solid enough county spinner, but he’s not international quality
I do think that is down to the focus being so much on actually taking the ball than the actual attention on whether the batsman touched it or not becomes diminished. Once that process is ingrained, because you do the job day in day out, then that focus changes. The fact that Root and at least one other player heard it means that Pope, in ordinary circumstances, should have done especially as he had a better view from behind rather than side on to the ball.
Abrar, on his Test debut in this match and with just 14 First Class games to his name, has 11-234
Leach is at best a container who will have the odd day in the sun. He's never, sadly, at the age of 31 and with over 150 red ball games to his name, suddenly going to become a spinner who is going to consistently rip through a side
And so Shakeel decides to try to undermine everything I've just said by playing an unnecessary extravagant drive to a wide one from Leach when we are coming to the end of the day. And opening the door for us to in the process.
Touch & go. Usually I'd say its 60/40 Pakistan to win tomorrow but after last week who knows. Lets see how the first session pans out. If we get 2 or more wickets & they dont get more than 90 runs then we are in with a shout. If they get to lunch only needing 50ish to win then odds on them.
Comments
England all out 275
Abrar got 4 of em
Pakistan 355 to win
I do wonder if Stokes is injured or just resting that knee as he hasn't bowled a ball in the match and hence the reason from leaving Foakes out. That said, Jacks has only bowled 4 overs so we've still only actually used 5 bowlers to date.
83-2 and 272 still to get
He's taken roughly 100 test wickets which means he can't be that bad but he hardly ever looks threatening.
Abrar, on his Test debut in this match and with just 14 First Class games to his name, has 11-234
Leach is at best a container who will have the odd day in the sun. He's never, sadly, at the age of 31 and with over 150 red ball games to his name, suddenly going to become a spinner who is going to consistently rip through a side