2nd Test (Edgbaston) - July 2nd

[Arachnödouche2.0]

Well, we continued picking Gill on vibes too and see what's happening. England only need to persist with Crawley.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Crawley is irredeemably awful. He's the worst batsman to get such a long rope and remain unquestionably first choice. He has the record of a dire NZ opener from the 99s so I'm convinced if you gave Blair Hartland 50 tests without having to worry about his spot he'd have similar numbers too. This policy of picking guys on vibes regardless of FC stats only works in the short term before they revert to mean.

There is some method to the madness, for a start Crawley and Duckett are very different dimensions, with one lefty and one righty, plus there aren’t tons of potential openers hammering down the door. I presume Bethell (who hasn’t opened, but effectively did in NZ on account of Crawley’s woeful series there) is next in line, then who else is there? The hype on McKinney seems to have cooled, Haines perhaps? Hit a daddy ton against some of the bowlers England might be facing in the Lions game (on a pancake, but still), Emilio Gay did quite well in that mini-series too, although with him recently turning out for Italy I’m genuinely not sure he’s eligible!

 

[trundler]

Well, we continued picking Gill on vibes too and see what's happening. England only need to persist with Crawley.

Gill has a great record at every level he's played at from age group to FC cricket as well as white ball success internationally. Crawley's first class record is underwhelming as well. He's not even the best opener in his county and I doubt he'd even make a team of the season at any point in his career.

 

[Johan]

Zak is in the team because of his father, we know that.

 

[Shady Slim]

Crawley is irredeemably awful. He's the worst batsman to get such a long rope and remain unquestionably first choice. He has the record of a dire NZ opener from the 99s so I'm convinced if you gave Blair Hartland 50 tests without having to worry about his spot he'd have similar numbers too. This policy of picking guys on vibes regardless of FC stats only works in the short term before they revert to mean.

iirc isn’t this objectively statistically true? worst average ever for an opener with as many runs as he has and that’s with the benefit of the pancake pitches they get at home now

 

[Prince EWS]

Zak is in the team because of his father, we know that.

It's actually because of Garner's batting.

 

[Johan]

iirc isn’t this objectively statistically true? worst average ever for an opener with as many runs as he has and that’s with the benefit of the pancake pitches they get at home now

It is, tho they weren't pancakes in early career but legitmately he is the worst opener I've seen play so much internationally regardless.

 

[MasterBlaster24]

Crawley and Brathwaite are the worst Test openers I've seen who still somehow keep getting picked.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Stokes calling this road a SC pitch

They made it.

 

[Xix2565]

@Xix2565 needs to get down on both knees and suck Akashdeep's dick as an apology for mentioning his name in the same breath as Prasidh Krishna

I'll think about it when you finally stop being a bandwagoner.

 

[Xix2565]

Maybe I'm showing my bias too much but I do think Australia at least have a bit of a claim to the moral high ground with "pitch doctoring". I honestly don't think we've been guilty of ****ing with pitches to get the ideal result the team needs. Most other nations OTOH have. India aren't even that bad in that regard!

Nah, come tf on. Australia recently's been stuck with a lot of seaming wickets after a bunch of roads before. Sounds like ****ery to me.

 

[social]

Nah, come tf on. Australia recently's been stuck with a lot of seaming wickets after a bunch of roads before. Sounds like ****ery to me.

Seaming pitches don’t do Australia any favours as it hurts our batting

Our bowlers are capable of getting batsmen out on roads so all it does is even things up for the opposition

 

[cnerd123]

Well, we continued picking Gill on vibes too and see what's happening. England only need to persist with Crawley.

Should make Crawley captain

 

[cnerd123]

What a great day for world cricket

Almost as good as the WTC Final

 

[Xix2565]

Seaming pitches don’t do Australia any favours as it hurts our batting

Our bowlers are capable of getting batsmen out on roads so all it does is even things up for the opposition

They help your bowling, which matters more. Easier to get wickets and rotate players. Sure, it brings the opposition bowlers more into the game but most teams don't have Boland/Webster/Marsh level bowlers as their 3rd-6th options in such cases. And on roads it bolsters your batting unit which is used to making runs on them.

Tbh it's about time we acknowledge that pitches are made, not wished into thin air where we pretend it's all for the love of the game and no one greatly benefitd from the type of wicket being made.

 

[centurymaker]

India will only make one change. Bumrah in for Krishna.

England -

8) Woakes
9) Atkinson
10) Archer
11) Bashir

 

[the big bambino]

They help your bowling, which matters more. Easier to get wickets and rotate players. Sure, it brings the opposition bowlers more into the game but most teams don't have Boland/Webster/Marsh level bowlers as their 3rd-6th options in such cases. And on roads it bolsters your batting unit which is used to making runs on them.

Tbh it's about time we acknowledge that pitches are made, not wished into thin air where we pretend it's all for the love of the game and no one greatly benefitd from the type of wicket being made.

Nope. I'd much prefer the kind of true to road Aussie wickets before the most recent home series we've played v SA, Eng and India. Our bowlers know how to exploit the conditions better than touring teams.

 

[centurymaker]

India's now won at every major test venue in Australia, South Africa and England, except Old Trafford.

(in chronological order based on first win)

Australia-
MCG, SCG, Adelaide, WACA, Gabba, Optus Perth

South Africa-
Johannesburg, Durban, Centurion, Cape Town

England-
Oval, Lords, Headingley, Trent Bridge, Edgbaston


Just Manchester left. Five of the above venues have been ticked off in the last five years.

 

[the big bambino]

Yeah, I'm not sure electing to bat first on roads can be justified because it worked once or twice before. The risk of conceding a mountain of runs and tiring your own side out mentally and physically is to great then all for the joy of batting last when the pitch finally does start playing up. The risk is amplified with an inexperienced bowling attack. Could be a different situation at Lords but I'm not sure they'll produce the expected green top there if England insists on playing this type of cricket.

 

[centurymaker]

Nope. I'd much prefer the kind of true to road Aussie wickets before the most recent home series we've played v SA, Eng and India. Our bowlers know how to exploit the conditions better than touring teams.

Bazball only know how to play on roads so there's no chance Australia giving them roads, lets be honest.

Curators will prepare mostly good balanced pitches with probably a couple of green tops.