Annoying winning the toss, batting and giving your wicket away. He is a walking wicket at the minute. If he gets to fifty he down tools. He can't handle breaks in play either.
We lost the toss and were put in. But the team picked, which I don’t necessarily disagree with, meant we couldn’t lose early wickets. Sibley was got out by a good ball - but run out first session of a test? Poor, and inexcusable.
Didn’t Holder win the toss? Can’t argue with the rest of the post though. Odd selection as well. We’ve gone from a batting line up with Bess batting at 10, to having Woakes at 7. Batting seems a bit light. Could’ve had Lawrence replace Crawley to bowl a few overs if needed.
Without necessarily agreeing with the individuals they have picked (eg Butler) for mine the logic of the make-up of the team selection is absolutely sound as it was based around Stokes not being able to bowl. He's England's best batsmen at the moment so you can't drop him and in a game you have to win then it would be even more daft only going in with four bowlers.
It's constant picking of players (such as Butler) when they fail that annoys me. There should be a playing Captain and non playing Captain. Roots innings are becoming like Christmas.
Yep, hope he proves us wrong but there are both better 'keepers than Butler and better batsmen who are 'keepers - it's not as if we are struggling for options in this position.
I think Stokes is carrying an injury so isn't fully fit to bowl - hence the extra bowler. I also think they're bottled selection because they daren't drop Broad or Anderson again.
Think it's purely a selection based on a game we've got to win. There's a day of rain around tomorrow so it's probably going to be a 4 day game at best so in theory you'll not need to rack up the runs like you will in a 5 day match. I'd have been tempted to stick Woakes in at 3 though as he's a very capable batsman and it wouldn't mean shifting 4 players up a position.
Woakes told to bat long is a very capable batsman. Woakes, just go out and do your stuff is a very **** batsman. Wasn't his century as night watchman?
Weather doesn’t look good over the 5 days. Will be lucky to get a 3 day test. We need to win to save the series, so he will be pushing the run rate. Having said that.....
