*Official* 3rd Test at Edgbaston

[wpdavid]

A look back at the past shows many players weren't successful the first time around.
Matthew Hayden only established himself at the third attempt. Same with Justin Langer.

Ditto Damien Martyn iirc? And Steve Waugh took forever to adjust to test cricket.

From an English pov, Gooch springs immediately to mind. Plus there are loads of others, of course.

 

[GIMH]

Bairstow in for Ballance then. Surprised to see no mention? Unless it's elsewhere.

Right decision. England to win by an innings.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Beeb saying Ding Dong to 3.

Hmm.

 

[wpdavid]

Beeb saying Ding Dong to 3.

Hmm.

Given Bairstow for Ballance, that would be my punt. Not that I fancy Bell to do much at 3, but I'd rather leave Root reasonably close to where he's been scoring heavily. And given his form lately, I quite like the idea of telling Bell to man up and score some tough runs or piss off next time around. Technically he's probably better equipped than the alternatives. Maybe the promotion will do something to his state of mind. He must know he's lucky to be there at all, so who knows.

 

[WalkingWicket]

Whilst I'm happy Bairstow has been selected - averaging 100 in a County Season merits selection - him coming in a number 5 is going to solve absolutely nothing. Our problem is in the top order, we regularly fall to not very many for 3, and having a new number 5 isn't going to solve that. Bell at three is going to expose him more and we'll still lose early wickets. Right player dropped, but not the right replacement made.

 

[Antihippy]

Root has been coming in so early so often already anyway that batting 4 really shouldn't be that much of a step up.

 

[Gob]

Whilst I'm happy Bairstow has been selected - averaging 100 in a County Season merits selection - him coming in a number 5 is going to solve absolutely nothing. Our problem is in the top order, we regularly fall to not very many for 3, and having a new number 5 isn't going to solve that. Bell at three is going to expose him more and we'll still lose early wickets. Right player dropped, but not the right replacement made.

Cummo

 

[WalkingWicket]

Cummo

You're a cummo.

 

[King Pietersen]

Bell's stats by position:

#3: 38 innings 1453 runs at 39 with 2 hundreds
#4: 49 innings 1558 runs at 33 with 4 hundreds
#5: 60 innings 2461 runs at 48 with 9 hundreds
#6: 37 innings 1618 runs at 60 with 6 hundreds

Not great at 3 and 4. Not sure this is the solution.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Happy enough with that. Ballance has looked awful and Bairstow deserves his chance.

Glad we didn't make too many changes. Would have been silly.

 

[Howe_zat]

Ominous. Bluey was dominating county cricket in 2012. Got picked, then dropped. Next year Gary Ballance did the same, got picked, now dropped.

plus ca change...

 

[OverratedSanity]

Would've dropped Bell if given the choice between him and Ballance. But fair enough, this is a decent enough change. Best they can do in the circumstances.

 

[Howe_zat]

That said it's not like there isn't an Ashes player who was dropped from his first, technically-quite-crap run in the side at the age of 22, then then made heaps of runs in domestic cricket before coming back successfully two years later

You might of heard of him

 

[Furball]

Cool, so we're all for players being brave and positive but we'll drop you after a couple of crap scores


OK then.

 

[YorksLanka]

amazed that Bell has been kept in rather than bringing in James Taylor..agree with Bairstow coming in for Balance..

 

[Gob]

Would've dropped Bell if given the choice between him and Ballance. But fair enough, this is a decent enough change. Best they can do in the circumstances.

Ding Dong can score against this Aust attack though he has done it in the past he is just totally out of nick. Nothing that i saw from Garry convince me that he is up for it against a attack of this quality

 

[Tangles]

Ballance gone for the series then I suspect. So Bairstow gets 3 tests regardless of performance? Nice planning there.

 

[Howe_zat]

Ballance gone for the series then I suspect. So Bairstow gets 3 tests regardless of performance? Nice planning there.

I dread to think how ****ed we'd be for him to be back before the end of the series.

 

[GIMH]

Cool, so we're all for players being brave and positive but we'll drop you after a couple of crap scores


OK then.

He wasn't going to score any runs ffs. Attacking cricket /= keeping players who are failing.

Keeping Ballance in longer could have done long term damage. He needed putting out if his misery.

100% correct decision and right replacement.

 

[Spark]

Ding Dong can score against this Aust attack though he has done it in the past he is just totally out of nick. Nothing that i saw from Garry convince me that he is up for it against a attack of this quality

What? The attack he faced in 2013 looked very little like the attack now. Obviously it was a very good attack, but this one presents a fairly different set of challenges.