I'm not referring to Brook because he is a freak (and he does this anyway) but I do think most of our top order could learn when and who to pick their battles from Root. The likes of Crawley and Pope went too hard at the NZ openers and failed to give themselves time to actually assess the pace and bounce, specifically, of the deck. Root did just that and picked his battle with the weak link of their attack, Bracewell (match figures of 28-2-127-2), who was nowhere near as effective to the right hander as he was to the left handed Stokes. Crawley in that "see ball/hit ball" mindset was in no position to adjust to the ball off a good length coming back and despite the fact that he had taken a leg stump guard left himself with a gap the size of the Mersey Tunnel. Pope suffered from a "do I stick or do I go" moment in that he either had to leave the delivery that got him out or throw the kitchen sink at it. Instead it ended up as catching practice.
Bazball can take many forms. Its definition should be all about taking the game away from the opposition by playing positive cricket but the idea that a batsman has to go out and hit every ball out of the park is wrong especially when the track does not lend itself to that. On the roads we played on in Pakistan it was fine to do so but I hope that those other players take a look at Root and the way he looks to utilise the numerous gaps that are available in Test cricket and specifically his use of the dab (albeit he ran Brook out playing it). Nobody will ever complain about someone scoring 248 runs in a match off 337 balls as Root did. We didn't lose this game because of that. We lost it because we went too hard too early and a "leave", early doors especially, is far more of a positive act than a waft at a ball you have no right to be trying to hit. Messrs Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood will expect us to go at them. Let's be a bit more savvy in doing that.
I said this last night, or in the early hours, specifically about Stokes. He is/was a world class batsman when he plays "properly" as you suggest.
His two world cup winning knocks, Headingly ect weren't slap everything as hard as I can jobs. Some of his innings since he has been captain have actually been farcical.
He isn't a player that can come in and start clearing the ropes from ball one but he is a player that can get a run a ball 100 from being 5 off 40 balls.
So, you have to pick your 15 for the 50 over World Cup in India. These are the players at your disposal (I've included Stokes in this because I can't help thinking that if England ask him, he will go - that doesn't mean that you have to pick him of course). Mine are in bold. Good luck - just the 35 to pick fro!!!
I see India's extremely good, non-cynical and endlessly watchable approach to pitch preparation has backfired then
14 wickets falling on Day 1, 13 to spinners and 1 to a seamer runout!
In the same way that teams in the CC can be docked points for substandard pitches, surely the same needs to apply to Test pitches, if there is to be a World Championship
This is why we have to have the best players of spin in the WC side and that includes Duckett for his ability to sweep and Root because he rotates and acts as the glue.
If the Bangladesh captain lucky or a genius, the way Buttler's nick went straight to the slip?
I would like to think that it was good cricket. The slip was standing at 3rd slip and specifically for the one that does bounce a bit more or the one that the batsman throws his hands at rather than the one that he knicks - the keeper will cover most of the area around 1st slip anyway
There's a time and a place to be selfish and this is one of them. Chewing up balls in a T20, especially in the Power Play, isn't. But, if you are going to quote me, then remember what I said about being selfish "on and off the pitch".
Equally, if you look above, I've included him in my 15 man squad for the WC. Root has to play (followed by Brook, Buttler, Livingstone, Moeen, Curran, Rashid, Wood and Archer) simply because he plays spin so well, rotates from the very first ball but also because he would give us that 4th spin option which might prove important. That effectively means that, in my squad, two from Malan, Duckett and Bairstow would have to open and on current form one of them would have to be Malan.
A dull watch, but a very professional knock by Malan which was what was needed.
If the conditions in India for the WC are similar, then the "stand and deliver" style of batting won't be very effective.
Didn't find it a dull watch personally.
On a bowler friendly surface, I thought Bangladesh threw everything at Malan, but he came up with as good an innings as you could hope to see in an ODI.
I don't want to see every game played on that sort of pitch but, when conditions do favour the ball, it often makes for a low scoring thriller - the 2019 final being the most obvious example.
I like seeing the odd 50 over game on pitches like that. Serious knock from Malan, he's the most underappreciated white ball player England have ever had
A dull watch, but a very professional knock by Malan which was what was needed.
If the conditions in India for the WC are similar, then the "stand and deliver" style of batting won't be very effective.
Didn't find it a dull watch personally.
On a bowler friendly surface, I thought Bangladesh threw everything at Malan, but he came up with as good an innings as you could hope to see in an ODI.
I don't want to see every game played on that sort of pitch but, when conditions do favour the ball, it often makes for a low scoring thriller - the 2019 final being the most obvious example.
If the game REALLY matters, then yes a low scoring thriller can be unforgettable, but when the game doesn't actually matter that much, you lose that tension.
A dull watch, but a very professional knock by Malan which was what was needed.
If the conditions in India for the WC are similar, then the "stand and deliver" style of batting won't be very effective.
Didn't find it a dull watch personally.
On a bowler friendly surface, I thought Bangladesh threw everything at Malan, but he came up with as good an innings as you could hope to see in an ODI.
I don't want to see every game played on that sort of pitch but, when conditions do favour the ball, it often makes for a low scoring thriller - the 2019 final being the most obvious example.
If the game REALLY matters, then yes a low scoring thriller can be unforgettable, but when the game doesn't actually matter that much, you lose that tension.
All subjective of course. I believe these bilateral series do have meaning in their own right. It's not like an England football friendly.
Perfectly clear that numb nuts Joe Root (by some distance the thickest captain England has ever had) has learned (or remembered) precisely nothing at all in his years as a professional athlete. I'm not accusing him of not caring, ask him that, wait long enough for him to muster an answer and I'm sure he'll say the right things. BUT Pope's just got out so losing another wicket is the last thing needed - so numb nuts ignores the field changes and sets off for a suicidal run, sawing off Brook before he faces a ball If Joe wasn't so grievously dense one might suspect him of undermining his vastly superior young colleague.
Not content with demonstrating such stultifying stupidity he tosses away his own wicket just an over after Stokes got out. One blunder might be forgivable, two equally moronic faux-pas defy polite description.
All the bleating about a wide for height by the time Jimmy came in misses the point. Any of the so called batsmen pay 1% more attention to Wagner's military medium long hops and the match and series are secured without breaking sweat. Baz and Stokesy can poke all this "entertain at all costs" bullshit, they're professional competitors winning is the only metric, grasping defeat from the yawing jaws of facile victory is wilful dereliction of duty Now where's my 'unpopular opinion tin hat'..?
Perfectly clear that numb nuts Joe Root (by some distance the thickest captain England has ever had) has learned (or remembered) precisely nothing at all in his years as a professional athlete. I'm not accusing him of not caring, ask him that, wait long enough for him to muster an answer and I'm sure he'll say the right things. BUT Pope's just got out so losing another wicket is the last thing needed - so numb nuts ignores the field changes and sets off for a suicidal run, sawing off Brook before he faces a ball If Joe wasn't so grievously dense one might suspect him of undermining his vastly superior young colleague.
Not content with demonstrating such stultifying stupidity he tosses away his own wicket just an over after Stokes got out. One blunder might be forgivable, two equally moronic faux-pas defy polite description.
All the bleating about a wide for height by the time Jimmy came in misses the point. Any of the so called batsmen pay 1% more attention to Wagner's military medium long hops and the match and series are secured without breaking sweat. Baz and Stokesy can poke all this "entertain at all costs" bullshit, they're professional competitors winning is the only metric, grasping defeat from the yawing jaws of facile victory is wilful dereliction of duty Now where's my 'unpopular opinion tin hat'..?
Wow, that is quite some take down of a player who scored over 200 in the match and has averaged over 50 in a long test career. Would you prefer his place was taken by someone with less natural batting ability but was never prone to an error of judgement ?
Comments
His two world cup winning knocks, Headingly ect weren't slap everything as hard as I can jobs. Some of his innings since he has been captain have actually been farcical.
He isn't a player that can come in and start clearing the ropes from ball one but he is a player that can get a run a ball 100 from being 5 off 40 balls.
Bangladesh won toss and will bat
Ahmed
Ali
Archer
Bairstow
Banton
Billings
Brook
Buttler
Carse
Crawley
Curran (S)
Curran (T)
Dawson
Duckett
Gregory
Hales
Jacks
Livingstone
Mahmood
Malan
Overton (C)
Parkinson
Payne
Potts
Rashid
Root
Roy
Salt
Simpson
Stokes
Stone
Topley
Vince
Willey
Woakes
Wood
In the same way that teams in the CC can be docked points for substandard pitches, surely the same needs to apply to Test pitches, if there is to be a World Championship
65-4 off 16.1
Lord's can have the Cillit Bang and Pot Noodle ends
There's a time and a place to be selfish and this is one of them. Chewing up balls in a T20, especially in the Power Play, isn't. But, if you are going to quote me, then remember what I said about being selfish "on and off the pitch".
Equally, if you look above, I've included him in my 15 man squad for the WC. Root has to play (followed by Brook, Buttler, Livingstone, Moeen, Curran, Rashid, Wood and Archer) simply because he plays spin so well, rotates from the very first ball but also because he would give us that 4th spin option which might prove important. That effectively means that, in my squad, two from Malan, Duckett and Bairstow would have to open and on current form one of them would have to be Malan.
In the 50 overs format he's a very good player.
If the conditions in India for the WC are similar, then the "stand and deliver" style of batting won't be very effective.
On a bowler friendly surface, I thought Bangladesh threw everything at Malan, but he came up with as good an innings as you could hope to see in an ODI.
I don't want to see every game played on that sort of pitch but, when conditions do favour the ball, it often makes for a low scoring thriller - the 2019 final being the most obvious example.
I believe these bilateral series do have meaning in their own right.
It's not like an England football friendly.
BUT
Pope's just got out so losing another wicket is the last thing needed - so numb nuts ignores the field changes and sets off for a suicidal run, sawing off Brook before he faces a ball
If Joe wasn't so grievously dense one might suspect him of undermining his vastly superior young colleague.
Not content with demonstrating such stultifying stupidity he tosses away his own wicket just an over after Stokes got out. One blunder might be forgivable, two equally moronic faux-pas defy polite description.
All the bleating about a wide for height by the time Jimmy came in misses the point. Any of the so called batsmen pay 1% more attention to Wagner's military medium long hops and the match and series are secured without breaking sweat.
Baz and Stokesy can poke all this "entertain at all costs" bullshit, they're professional competitors winning is the only metric, grasping defeat from the yawing jaws of facile victory is wilful dereliction of duty
Now where's my 'unpopular opinion tin hat'..?
It wasn’t really that long ago that we only ever played Australia every other year and you had to wait 4 years to see them here again.