Australia 🇦🇺 v England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 2nd Test, Adelaide, D/N

If he'd said everything was fine, you'd have criticised him then too, got to say something

I am pleased he mentioned the bowling, it was an issue 4 years ago, and it is why I was completely behind his selection for the first series, they completely fucked up for this test though

How can you not pick a spinner at Adelaide man, it always spins. But then again most on here didn't.

I quite clearly didn’t say he should have said everything was fine. I said he should have said we’ve had two very poor performances and results and that some decisions taken by him and the leadership group obviously haven’t been good enough either. He didn’t do that. He said bowlers bowled bad lengths, insinuated that batsman didn’t apply themselves and that decisions are easier in hindsight. That’s criticism of the batting and bowling units but mitigation entered in defence of those who pick sides and make decisions. I don’t think that’s quite good enough from the skipper at this point.
 


I quite clearly didn’t say he should have said everything was fine. I said he should have said we’ve had two very poor performances and results and that some decisions taken by him and the leadership group obviously haven’t been good enough either. He didn’t do that. He said bowlers bowled bad lengths, insinuated that batsman didn’t apply themselves and that decisions are easier in hindsight. That’s criticism of the batting and bowling units but mitigation entered in defence of those who pick sides and make decisions. I don’t think that’s quite good enough from the skipper at this point.

aye fair enough, I didnt mind his criticism of bowlers and batters anyway.
 
Same. It’s not a wholly unfair comment from Root, it was just a strange place to start. And I suspect the bowlers, who, with his runs, have basically kept this side competitive might have raised an eyebrow at that.
Batting the bigger issue as you say. All I can think is he is trying to take excess attention away from an already massively under the cosh inexperienced batting line-up. The bowling line-up are far more experienced and probably can absorb criticism much easier. As much as Root probably wants to come out and say the top 6 are shite and just can't score enough runs for us to be competitive he probably has to find some way of giving them some confidence to get through these next 3 tests as unfortunately we don't have much better sat on the sidelines.
 
Just saw his interview post match, did sound a bit fed up

Resigned to what’s coming for the rest of the series. If it is a 5-0 loss, it’d be hard to make a case for him to survive as skipper other than there’s no one else to do it. There’s probably only Stokes absolutely guaranteed his spot for the foreseeable future and he’s had his issues recently that might mean captaincy isn’t a great idea for him and his health.

The short and medium term health of English test cricket isn’t great. Not sure about the long term either.
 
Resigned to what’s coming for the rest of the series. If it is a 5-0 loss, it’d be hard to make a case for him to survive as skipper other than there’s no one else to do it. There’s probably only Stokes absolutely guaranteed his spot for the foreseeable future and he’s had his issues recently that might mean captaincy isn’t a great idea for him and his health.

The short and medium term health of English test cricket isn’t great. Not sure about the long term either.
Think he’ll step down as captain regardless of the result but agree no idea who takes over.
 
the more I read I am actually pleased with Root's interview and kind of wish it had come earlier.

Expect changes for Melbourne then
The most likely would be Buttler at this stage I think. Unless England were to do what SA did in the early 00s and chuck the captaincy at a complete novice or a left field choice.

Stokes will be the next captain IMO.

Root would have left even if we won 5-0 in my view.
Just saw his interview post match, did sound a bit fed up

I think he bit his lip all year when players were flying in and out etc, and all the shit that happened, all the lack of preperation

I dont blame him

I dont think he is blameless but I absolutely dont mind him talking straight like that, he is the captain, he gets criticised so he has every right to say his piece

Anderson, Broad and Woakes are 3 senior players and they let him down a bit at times

we all know the batting is the issue but bowling isnt irrelevant
 
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The most likely would be Buttler at this stage I think. Unless England were to do what SA did in the early 00s and chuck the captaincy at a complete novice or a left field choice.
Stokes and Buttler as captain and vice captain perhaps, probably end up rotating as they seem to miss a bit of red ball cricket due to white ball/IPL etc.

Either that or as you say they fast track someone into the side if they want them to be captain but think that would be unlikely
 
I’m talking about today’s specific interview not his performances with the bat.

He was asked about decision making and he evaded the question but he was ready to criticise the bowlers lengths and eventually the batsmen’s application. They’re both legitimate criticisms but if, as you say, confidence is fragile, then as captain he could have conducted that interview very differently and shouldered the responsibility for the last two results more (even if that isn’t wholly fair).

He’s part of a leadership team, and it’s not been good.
He's a non-entity as a captain

Excellent batsman but literally everything else you look for in a captain, he dosent have
 
Batting at 6 as well. An average of 29 is terrible for any batsman but at least the openers have the excuse of facing a new ball, Pope bats in the easiest position and can’t score a run
It’s all relative really. Bairstow averages 20 over the last 4 years. Crawley 11 since his one mammoth score a couple of years ago. Buttler 20s, Burns 31, Sibley low 20s, Hameed high 20s. It’s poor, he needs taking out but not written off. They have all been shite
 

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