5th Test (The Oval) - 31st July to 4th August

[Johan]

it feels like the build up to each match this series has been 'this pitch is gonna be flat' as though that's not the norm throughout England atm.

And after 4 flat decks we're apparently heading to the flattest of them all.

Lord's was the perfect deck, awarded good batting, awarded good bowling and broke up well on day 4 and 5

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

The last Championship game at The Oval saw Surrey rack up 820-9 before Durham secured the draw by being 262-0 in their second knock.

Probably not what these 2 bowling units wanted to hear.

At least they won’t be using the Kookaburra!

 

[Johan]

whoever wins the toss should just bat first, bat for three days, get like 1000+ runs and then ask the other team to bat and hope fatigue and preassure does them in.

 

[Molehill]

it feels like the build up to each match this series has been 'this pitch is gonna be flat' as though that's not the norm throughout England atm.

And after 4 flat decks we're apparently heading to the flattest of them all.

To be fair, that was the only bore draw at The Oval this year and as was pointed out, it featured the Kookaburra too. The other draw they had there would've undoubtedly seen a result if Day 5 was available with 37 wickets having fallen. It won't be as remotely as bad as Old Trafford.

I'd like to see England completely change their seamers, Atkinson, Tongue and Cook. India will need to take 20 wickets, they'll surely need to lose a batsman somewhere to make that happen.

 

[Spark]

The new Kookaburra > the new Dukes tbh

 

[Shri]

Carse is English m8

Carsehole is english

Arsedeep is indian

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

The new Kookaburra > the new Dukes tbh

Is the Kookaburra that they use Down Under different to the one they use here? The first Kookaburra round was as dull a round as there’s ever been in the County Championship, last week was a bit better, but there was rain and cloud cover

 

[Spark]

Is the Kookaburra that they use Down Under different to the one they use here? The first Kookaburra round was as dull a round as there’s ever been in the County Championship, last week was a bit better, but there was rain and cloud cover

Yeah I've wondered that too, because the new Kookaburra in use in the last few years is by all accounts much harder with a much more prominent seam, but it could well be that it needs a bit pace and life in the pitch to begin with to actually respond, otherwise it just slides on nicely to the bat.

What I do know is that there are some grounds these days in the Shield where 180 is a pretty regularly a decent first innings score, and a lot of players think the ball is the reason for that.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Then they have the WTC champions South Africa, who may be a bit tougher. But still, no need to play.

SA won in Bangladesh last year. No reason why they can't emulate NZ and win in India.

 

[Spark]

Anyway, for India, I'd push Jadeja up a place, Sundar in at 6, Jurel at 7 and Kuldeep for Thakur.

Then I'd probably hold my nose and pray to the Lord for my sins against cricket and pick Prasidh, because if you're going to bowl tripe you may as well bowl tripe which flukes wickets every now and then.

SA won in Bangladesh last year. No reason why they can't emulate NZ and win in India.

SA are baaaad against spin last I checked though. Like, truly abysmal.

 

[Johan]

SA are baaaad against spin last I checked though. Like, truly abysmal.

can't be worse than Pope and he made a match winning ton in India.

 

[govinda indian fan]

No bumrah plz. I would rather have him pick easy wickets vs wi then bowling on roady oval. Kuldeep should play and hopefully he replicates chandra from 71

 

[Johan]

No bumrah plz. I would rather have him pick easy wickets vs wi then bowling on roady oval. Kuldeep should play and hopefully he replicates chandra from 71

what a mindset!

 

[govinda indian fan]

what a mindset!

I dont want him to breakdown on flatest pitch in england. Better he picks easy wickets vs wi then getting injured again

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

England:
Crawley
Duckett
Pope
Root
Brook
Stokes
Smith
Dawson
Atkinson
Woakes
Tongue

Not that it makes any difference, but Woakes would absolutely come out at 9 ahead of Atkinson, no matter that he’s averaging 10 for the summer and no matter that Atkinson hit a ton against Sri Lanka!

 

[the big bambino]

India should #bowldeep and play all 3 of them with preferably Bumrah over Siraj - or whichever is least cooked. Kamboj and Thakur swapped out for the Deeps should give India the resources to manage Bumrah's overs.

Jaiswal, KL, Sudharsan, Shubman, Sundar, Jadeja, Jurel, Kuldeep, Arshdeep, Akash Deep, Bumrah.

That keeps Jadeja at six and only bats Sundar out of position at 5. I've gone that way because Indian posters here have a high opinion of his batting. I think that's the best way for them to level the series and have enough genuine bowlers to protect Bumrah, though it comes with the risk of small runs from the tail.

England just have to change the bowling and spell Archer and Carse, bringing in Atkinson and one of Potts or Tongue.

 

[honestbharani]

Lord's was the perfect deck, awarded good batting, awarded good bowling and broke up well on day 4 and 5

That's never perfect. Its the worst as it disproportionately advantages the side winning the toss.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

India should #bowldeep and play all 3 of them with preferably Bumrah over Siraj - or whichever is least cooked. Kamboj and Thakur swapped out for the Deeps should give India the resources to manage Bumrah's overs.

Jaiswal, KL, Sudharsan, Shubman, Sundar, Jadeja, Jurel, Kuldeep, Arshdeep, Akash Deep, Bumrah.

That keeps Jadeja at six and only bats Sundar out of position at 5. I've gone that way because Indian posters here have a high opinion of his batting. I think that's the best way for them to level the series and have enough genuine bowlers to protect Bumrah, though it comes with the risk of small runs from the tail.

England just have to change the bowling and spell Archer and Carse, bringing in Atkinson and one of Potts or Tongue.

Gone for the same India team, different batting order but I think that’s a minor quibble. Overton is in the squad instead of Potts, which I don’t like, think Atkinson and Tongue come in, and maybe Overton gets a game too

 

[Spark]

India should #bowldeep and play all 3 of them with preferably Bumrah over Siraj - or whichever is least cooked. Kamboj and Thakur swapped out for the Deeps should give India the resources to manage Bumrah's overs.

Jaiswal, KL, Sudharsan, Shubman, Sundar, Jadeja, Jurel, Kuldeep, Arshdeep, Akash Deep, Bumrah.

That keeps Jadeja at six and only bats Sundar out of position at 5. I've gone that way because Indian posters here have a high opinion of his batting. I think that's the best way for them to level the series and have enough genuine bowlers to protect Bumrah, though it comes with the risk of small runs from the tail.

England just have to change the bowling and spell Archer and Carse, bringing in Atkinson and one of Potts or Tongue.

Swap Jadeja and Sundar but otherwise this is the side I'd pick too, fitness notwithstanding.

 

[Johan]

That's never perfect. Its the worst as it disproportionately advantages the side winning the toss.

Headingley was the perfect track, never broke up at all