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Re-arranging deckchairs on the Titanic for the 3rd test


The thing that’s frustrated me so much with all these suggested teams is that the same mistakes are being made.

Even the ‘picks’ by Cook and Prior in the studio. Picking the same failed bowlers and the same out of nick batsmen.

Now I know the cupboard is bare, but to pick Woakes at the MCG would be ridiculous. As would Bess - but I’ve seen plenty of people wanting him involved.

What’s worse though than everything was Root’s crack after the Adelaide test talking about bowlers not executing plans. Whether they did or didn’t, when you can’t score with 20 wickets what the opposition managed with 10 you’re never going to be competitive.
 
I agreed with prior and cook re the batting bar pope who should be dropped. Like prior said I don’t see the point of dropping burns after he batted for 100 balls for someone whose only had net practice. However woakes shouldn’t play in Australia ever and Bess is being suggested purely to give a bit more batting at 8. They have to get away from that thinking. 1-7 have to up there game and we have to pick our best attack.
 
I haven't posted for yonks, so much so that my old account has been deleted after I closed it.

I'm as dismayed as anyone by the current debacle and I appreciate fully the current covid situation makes it difficult, but how on earth are any players supposed to find form and/or force their way into the team when there's no competitive cricket outside of the Test Matches.

Burns, Pope, Hameed, Buttler and Woakes are either hopeless and/or out of form depending on your viewpoint. So, they need to be replaced...Wood looks in decent nick, but Overton, Leach, Bess, Lawrence, Crawley, Bairstow have played nowt.

We really need to get back to having 1st class games (not 12 a side, 25 and your out shit) before and during the tours otherwise we'll continue to replace out of form players with players who don't even know if they have any form.

Giles, Harrison and Silverwood should be told to clear off. The ECB's obsession with white ball cricket will sharp come to an end if/when the Test team keep getting thrashed meaning spectators, sponsors and TV companies are no longer happy to pay top prices for 3rd rate performance
 
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rentaghost said:
I agreed with prior and cook re the batting bar pope who should be dropped. Like prior said I don’t see the point of dropping burns after he batted for 100 balls for someone whose only had net practice. However woakes shouldn’t play in Australia ever and Bess is being suggested purely to give a bit more batting at 8. They have to get away from that thinking. 1-7 have to up there game and we have to pick our best attack.
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4 left handers in Australia’s batting line up, maybe a reason to play Bess
 
brandon said:
The thing that’s frustrated me so much with all these suggested teams is that the same mistakes are being made.

Even the ‘picks’ by Cook and Prior in the studio. Picking the same failed bowlers and the same out of nick batsmen.

Now I know the cupboard is bare, but to pick Woakes at the MCG would be ridiculous. As would Bess - but I’ve seen plenty of people wanting him involved.

What’s worse though than everything was Root’s crack after the Adelaide test talking about bowlers not executing plans. Whether they did or didn’t, when you can’t score with 20 wickets what the opposition managed with 10 you’re never going to be competitive.
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Agreed, and changes are needed. However it does feel like whatever we do will be more of the same.

On Root, while I can sort of see the logic behind going after the more experienced bowling attack, who will presumably handle the criticism better, and going easy on the beleaguered batsman with the aim of boosting their confidence - if indeed that is the logic - it seems unfair.

Saying they got their lengths wrong so didn’t execute their plans may be true, but that fails to address the major reason why; when the batsmen keep failing and we keep posting woefully inadequate scores, the bowlers have little choice not to bowl fuller lengths, to try and contain.

We follow the same pattern again and again and again. The top order fail and the bowling attack gets the blame. I’m really, really bored of it.
 
Salem Street South said:
Agreed, and changes are needed. However it does feel like whatever we do will be more of the same.

On Root, while I can sort of see the logic behind going after the more experienced bowling attack, who will presumably handle the criticism better, and going easy on the beleaguered batsman with the aim of boosting their confidence - if indeed that is the logic - it seems unfair.

Saying they got their lengths wrong so didn’t execute their plans may be true, but that fails to address the major reason why; when the batsmen keep failing and we keep posting woefully inadequate scores, the bowlers have little choice not to bowl fuller lengths, to try and contain.

We follow the same pattern again and again and again. The top order fail and the bowling attack gets the blame. I’m really, really bored of it.
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Absolutely.

If the fielders took their catches and the batsmen showed atleast some of a backbone - the bowlers wouldn’t need to work so hard just to give us a chance of winning.

So much was made of the likes of Anderson, Broad and even Woakes being suited to bowling under lights with a new ball. Well, we didn’t ever give them much of a chance to do that.
 
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The way Buttler batted and defended in the second innings, I'd put in Bairstow as wicketkeeper and replace one of the openers for Buttler! At least then the collapse would only be at one end.

(No, I'm not being serious, just fed up that we go into each innings effectively starting at 0 for 1 or 2)
 
Selection is just one problem among many. The problems are deep-rooted and whoever we play will get a hiding.

I'd have been inclined to write off the result and try out some new players but the muppets have sent them home for Christmas.
 
Assuming you can't draft Lions or other players not there in, like Parkinson or Livingstone, I'd go:

Burns,
Hameed,
Malan,
Root,
Stokes,
Crawley,
Buttler,
Robinson,
Wood,
Broad,
Anderson.

I don't think Leach is viable and I don't think Melbourne is a (usually) a pitch where you definitely need a spinner, like Adelaide or Sydney. It's usually a bit like this year's Gaba pitch, which was slower than usual, usually has the most seam friendly conditions, not too fast. It's a beautiful deck if you get in.

I would be saying to Broad and Anderson: look, you pricks, this is it. We lose this match, that's you over, so don't be giving me 1-45 back of a length stuff, I want you to pitch it up because your future career depends on us winning. For once, they might listen, because it's probably true.
 
Comeback_Kenwyne said:
Assuming you can't draft Lions or other players not there in, like Parkinson or Livingstone, I'd go:

Burns,
Hameed,
Malan,
Root,
Stokes,
Crawley,
Buttler,
Robinson,
Wood,
Broad,
Anderson.

I don't think Leach is viable and I don't think Melbourne is a (usually) a pitch where you definitely need a spinner, like Adelaide or Sydney. It's usually a bit like this year's Gaba pitch, which was slower than usual, usually has the most seam friendly conditions, not too fast. It's a beautiful deck if you get in.

I would be saying to Broad and Anderson: look, you pricks, this is it. We lose this match, that's you over, so don't be giving me 1-45 back of a length stuff, I want you to pitch it up because your future career depends on us winning. For once, they might listen, because it's probably true.
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Close to my team. The call for batting at 6 could be any of the 3 depending on how they are showing in practice. Each choice is a Hail Mary. I would probably play Leach for Broad. I don’t really see the point of the 5 seamers. The commentators were saying that the Melbourne pitch has been a bit quicker than usual but I think I would pick that side regardless.
 
Woakes
Crawley
Malan
Root
Stokes
Buttler
Bairstow (wk)
Bess
Robinson
Wood
Anderson

It doesn't matter who we have open so may as well stick Woakes in.
Mahmood & Vince would come in for me for the last 2 tests if Buttler fails and if one of the bowlers need a rest
I am Boss said:
Arguably the worst decision of the series. Even at 3-0 I'd still have stayed up to watch the last 2 if we were giving some new faces a chance. Not sure I'll bother now
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Bracey and Foakes deserved to be kept on going off their performances
 
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