The Stokes and Woakes Thread

[Daemon]

Going in with one spinner isn't an option if the pitches stay the same. Rashid is pretty rubbish though. Hows Kerrigan these days? Or any other left arm spinner not named Patel?

 

[Cabinet96]

England really miss a left arm darts bowler.

 

[Prince EWS]

Going in with one spinner isn't an option if the pitches stay the same. Rashid is pretty rubbish though. Hows Kerrigan these days? Or any other left arm spinner not named Patel?

Ansari is by far the best of the left arm spinners IMO, but like most of England's talented spinners spends more than half his time working on his batting.

 

[glosfan94]

Just keep it simple and play Bairstow, your best 5 batsman and then your best 3 seamers and 2 spinners in Asia, stop over complicating things.

 

[Dan]

But what if one of your best three seamers, or two spinners, is also one of your best five batsmen?

 

[Prince EWS]

But what if one of your best three seamers, or two spinners, is also one of your best five batsmen?

What if all your best bowlers bat like Mustafizur Rahman?

What if your second best spinner is also your third best seamer?

Complicating things ftw.

 

[glosfan94]

But what if one of your best three seamers, or two spinners, is also one of your best five batsmen?

If this is true then play another batsman, you shouldn't need more than a 5 man bowling attack in test cricket.

 

[Furball]

Not really. He averages nigh on 40 with the ball in Asia and he's now a number 11 with the bat. If India are preparing the sort of 150 v 200 bunsens they had for South Africa then Broad bowling a few overs in the match with the new ball is a waste given he's not great with the new ball anyway and he offers nowt else. If you go 3 seamers and 2 spinners, where the spinners bowl 50-60% of the overs then Broad is the one to go. Anderson has a good record in Asia and the skillset for those pitches. Broad doesn't.

If they prepare the same sort of pitches as they did against South Africa then Broad will wreck their batting lineup with cutters.

 

[glosfan94]

What if all your best bowlers bat like Mustafizur Rahman?

Pretty sure whatever bowlers England pick our tail will be strong enough. I'm saying this as a structure of the side specific to England because we shouldn't need to worry about whether we bat deep enough or not.

 

[Furball]

Clearly including all of the games instead of cherry picking the ones you like makes more of a compelling argument.

It's amazing that someone so intelligent could be so stupid.

 

[Howe_zat]

If you think Rashid is going to be a decisively better bowler than Stokes or Woakes in India then you drop one of them. If not then you don't play him. We're not going to get a functioning middle order in India by ignoring it and not bothering to put one together.

This is why we needed Taylor at five in the UAE, because we had a bunch of allrounders and keeper-batsmen all not building an innings properly. I'd sooner play Samit Patel and I think Patel's a rubbish Test cricketer.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Pretty sure whatever bowlers England pick our tail will be strong enough. I'm saying this as a structure of the side specific to England because we shouldn't need to worry about whether we bat deep enough or not.

Yes I think all realistic options will add more batting depth to England than they have right now. Broad at 9 gives England a long tail as he's batting like a number 11. In India Finn will be out and Broad at 10 on slower pitches may be slightly less bunny-like. That helps the guys at 7-8 who can bat properly for longer once England are 7 down.

I'd be more in favour Ansari than Rashid. If the pitches are bunsens then bog standard finger spin is more effective than an erratic leg spinner.

 

[Furball]

In India I reckon Finn might be a better option than Broad.

 

[GIMH]

In India I reckon Finn might be a better option than Broad.

Absurd

 

[Pothas]

Or just pick Gareth Batty, not that they will.

Moeen has batted so well recently that I kind of think he should get a go as a batsman and then we pick the best spinner possible, just have no idea who the hell that is, it is such a shame about Monty really.

 

[Furball]

Absurd

We'll see. Reckon Finn is a better exponent of reverse swing and is also faster.

 

[theegyptian]

Doesn't really matter who we pick imo - the spin options are so bad. We're probably going to lose 4-1 or 5-0.

 

[Pothas]

How we bat is just as important, maybe more. Root and Cook just need to have mad good series really.

 

[theegyptian]

They all be results wickets and whilst we probably won't be that much worse than India once we're 2-0 down it's hard to make a comeback. Only real hope is that India haven't exactly played spin well themselves in recent times.

If the wickets are so much in favour of spin (over seam) then it just won't matter that we have good seamers because whilst they might keep india to 300 - we'll be rushed out by Ashwin and whoever for 180. The tactics last winter in UAE were hopeless as well so if it was a close series we are probably not going to win on a tactical note.

Speculating but best case scenario England somehow win on a minefield in the first test with Moeen and some other spinner luckboxing a load of wickets - forcing India to prepare flatter wickets for the rest where England seamers bowl great dry spells and we win 2-1.

Moeen seems to bowl worse the more it spins. And it turning loads means it's a lot easier to pick Rashid.

 

[harsh.ag]

They should think about getting another keeper and have Bairstow as a specialist bat. He won't be able to recreate the same form with the bat because the keeping work will be more draining in India.

Sarfraz such a wonderful guy to have in the team. India would be enhanced considerably with someone like him.