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Any changes for the 4th Test

Classic94 said:
Pretty much agree with the above. I’d go:

Crawley
Cox
Stokes
Root
Brook
Rew
Smith (wk)
Hartley
Atkinson/Potts
Archer
Tongue

Not sure about Cox opening, but he and Rew are next cabs off the rank. Duckett and Pope out. Both look shot. Hartley in as we literally have no other viable spinner in Australia (assuming he still is). Stokes to bat 3 for now, with Rew at 6. Smith currently keeps the gloves.

0% chance they do this though. Way too stubborn.
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Rew is currently in Dubai playing in whatever franchise T20 league is currently being played over there. Coincidentally, so is Tim Southee, and I think that's why he couldn't be our bowling coach for the Ashes.
 

While it’s not the logistic challenge it was in the days when you had to go over by ship (indeed, as early as 1974 they flew Cowdrey in to join the squad) I don’t think there is any chance they are going to ask someone to come to Australia over Christmas on the off chance. So the Melbourne side is being picked from the squad.

That means there is only one change at most in the batting. For me, Smith looks more shot than Pope so I’d drop the latter down the order and give him the gloves. But it’s Hobson’s Choice to some extent. Of course, when Smith’s 150 tomorrow is the basis of our stunning comeback victory, I’ll have to eat my words. I doubt we’ll see much more than one tweak in the bowling either.

They might bring people out for Sydney, but to be honest, particularly if it’s 4-0 by then, it might be better not to bother, and to start the rebuild more calmly in the spring.
 
Ducketts got to be taken out for his own good, just looks like a player in need of a break from cricket.
TallPaul said:
Why are people picking players not in the squad and not even in Australia 🤷🏻
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8 day break, enough time to call someone up and given Bethell is the only spare batter we need more range
England players In the big bash -
Jamie Overton and Luke Wood
Tom Alsop Rehan Ahmed and Chris Jordan
Joe Clarke and Tom Curran
Laurie Evans and David Payne
Sam Curran and Jafer Chohan
Sam Billings and Reece Topley

Some actual options there
 
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Mccullum says they aren't picking anyone outside the squad.
So can only be Bethell as batting replacement
 
scotch said:
Mccullum says they aren't picking anyone outside the squad.
So can only be Bethell as batting replacement
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If Pope plays again then all they’re doing is sending out a message that it doesn’t matter how shit you are, if you’re in the clique you’ll play.

Their refusal to drop people who clearly aren’t good enough is starting to make them a really unlikeable team, it’s almost cultish.
 
DonaldDownTheWing said:
If they’re sticking with the squad, then you need to drop Pope and jiggle the order. Completely unfair to bring in Bethell at 3 and set him up to fail just like Pope has.
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Stokes at 3, or TMS were suggesting bumping Root and Brook up to 3 and 4.
Just as big an issue is the fact Duckett looks shot at the top, we don't have a reserve opener unless Jacks gets promoted to go 1 day mode
 
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scotch said:
Stokes at 3, or TMS were suggesting bumping Root and Brook up to 3 and 4.
Just as big an issue is the fact Duckett looks shot at the top, we don't have a reserve opener unless Jacks gets promoted to go 1 day mode
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I’m not against moving Root or Stokes to 3, but Brook can stay where he is. The last thing we need is another braindead idiot in the top 4 giving his wicket away.
 
GordonMuchallNo1Fan said:
He's not our second best batter at the moment. Absolutely thick as fuck this series and many would argue had be put his brain into gear yesterday instead of batting like a fanny, we would have won this test match.
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There is a difference though for accepting that and speaking to him ( which granted doesn’t seem to be happening) and actually dropping him.

Dropping him ridiculous which I suspect you know tbh
DonaldDownTheWing said:
I’m not against moving Root or Stokes to 3, but Brook can stay where he is. The last thing we need is another braindead idiot in the top 4 giving his wicket away.
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Root should have been at 3 for years and is the most equipped by a country mile of the batsman we have to do that role.

Yes his average is better at 4 than 3.

But how many since Trott have we tried at 3 and not up to the task, too many to mention.

Hoying debutant after debutant in a crucial role is extremely hard to do
 
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Voice of fair play said:
There is a difference though for accepting that and speaking to him ( which granted doesn’t seem to be happening) and actually dropping him.

Dropping him ridiculous which I suspect you know tbh
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He’s going to turn off quite a lot of people if he’s going to do press conferences saying how bad some of his shots have been, before falling over trying to reverse sweep and getting bowled leg stump.

He’s clearly got bags of talent but I think there’s only room for one maverick type in the team, at the minute we’ve got 2.
 
Bethell will come in for Pope. Atkinson will come in for Archer
They MIGHT give Jacks a game as a batter and drop Duckett - who f***ing knows with these clowns in charge?
Bashir will play
 
Voice of fair play said:
There is a difference though for accepting that and speaking to him ( which granted doesn’t seem to be happening) and actually dropping him.

Dropping him ridiculous which I suspect you know tbh
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I don't think it's ridiculous at all. He's no performing and this is the problem with this failing setup... We continue to accept shite because of reputation. Let's see how he goes now the pressure is off in Melbourne, I suspect he'll do well. Fully warranted to be dropped because of his attitude/application /lack of common sense. Ricky Ponting called his dismissal one of the worst shots he's ever seen.... He doesn't seem to learning at all. A strong setup would drop him for a game in hope he wakes up, this setup however isn't strong.
 
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