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*Official* 1st Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, 05 - 09 Feb 2021

cnerd123

cnerd123

likes this
Bess Vs Moeen is a toss up. At his best Moeen offers more, but what Moeen will show up is the question while you know what you get from Bess

It makes sense to play Moeen if you think about the series as a whole. If he sucks in the 1st Test, you know Bess can come in and do a job. If he goes well, you're set for the series.

I'd probably bat Crawley at 3 in the first test despite his troubles in SL. He was batting out of position and mainly struggled with Embuldenya bowling with the new ball on ragging pitches. Unlikely to face the same problems batting 3 Vs India

As for India's bowling attack - it seems like Ishant, Ashwin and Bumrah are all playing. I'd prefer to go with Sundar and Siraj just because they're the ones in form. But if they feel Kuldeep has to be the 2nd spinner, then it's either Pandya at 7 and bowling 10 overs a day or Thakur at 8 and being the 3rd quick. Idk if Pandya is fit enough to bowl, so Thakur it is. Pant 6 and Ashwin 7. I can see the argument for debuting Axar as a like for like replacement to Jaddu, but I think that's getting too funky. Can always turn to him later in the series if need be.
 
Red_Ink_Squid

Red_Ink_Squid

Global Moderator
Shri said:
oh parkinson and crane are in the squad too
Click to expand...
Both in the touring party as reserves but not in the official squad I don't think. Neither would be likely to terrorise the India top order if they found themselves as Sundar-esque suprise picks. Both struggle to get red ball games for their respective Counties.

Moeen over Bess is one of those 'meh' calls that doesn't bother me much either way. Bess struggled in Sri Lanka more than his figures suggested and Moeen you'd say has the higher ceiling of the two. Neither are likely to make decisive (positive) contributions in this tour if we're being honest - either they're picking Bess and hoping he learns on the job extremely fast after bowling erratically in Sri Lanka or they're picking Moeen and hoping he recaptures some old magic after not really bowling anywhere at all. They're both reasonable picks given the options available but both equally likely to struggle simply because India away is a really tough ask. I expect Bess will get some game time during the series even if they go with Moeen for the first Test.
 
Gremlin

Gremlin

U19 Vice-Captain
Crawley reportedly an injury concern, awaiting results from a scan after landing on his wrist. Lawrence or Pope to bat at 3 if the results go against him?
 
Red_Ink_Squid

Red_Ink_Squid

Global Moderator
Gremlin said:
Crawley reportedly an injury concern, awaiting results from a scan after landing on his wrist. Lawrence or Pope to bat at 3 if the results go against him?
Click to expand...
Hopefully it's nothing serious. If he can't play then I'd guess most likely Lawrence would slot in at 3 and Pope gets his usual spot back at 6.

Alternatively, if they don't think Lawrence would cope there and assuming Root doesn't want to move up (I expect he wouldn't), they could even slot Moeen in at 3 as a stop gap measure. Could do a job or it could be very ugly, again depending on which version of Moeen shows up. He has got experience of scoring hundreds in India at least, and given the actual reserve number 3 batsman has been flown home to England for a rest we've not got great options there. Would also be a way of fitting in an extra bowler which might appeal given all the talk of workload management on this tour.
 
honestbharani

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
How exactly is Bairstow gonna be available for the second test? We have a 6 day mandatory quarantine here and it should mean he should be here by tomorrow right?
 
theegyptian

theegyptian

International Vice-Captain
Would be very much on brand of Moeen's career for him to come back at 3. That being said I don't think it will happen this time.
 
P

Pup Clarke

Cricketer Of The Year
Thing I worry about the Moeen selection is if he plays the 1st test and does nothing, I can see England being reluctant to drop him and continually play him with the hope he'll come good. But maybe Silverwood is wiser about this than Bayliss and will rotate accordingly
 
BoyBrumby

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Pup Clarke said:
Thing I worry about the Moeen selection is if he plays the 1st test and does nothing, I can see England being reluctant to drop him and continually play him with the hope he'll come good. But maybe Silverwood is wiser about this than Bayliss and will rotate accordingly
Click to expand...
Not convinced it'll be a problem. He got the arse after only one test of the last Ashes.

Admittedly that was under Bayliss's watch, but Smith was still the head honcho. Think he's quite prepared to be brutal if needs be, Pope got the chop after only two tests of the Indian series the year before.
 
wpdavid

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
Gremlin said:
Crawley reportedly an injury concern, awaiting results from a scan after landing on his wrist. Lawrence or Pope to bat at 3 if the results go against him?
Click to expand...
I suppose that delays the tough call between which one of them should be playing. Lawrence at 3 maybe as he bats closer to that position for his county than Pope does? Lawrence's first test certainly showed signs of the requisite character to step up, although I know that's not a watertight case. I'm not convinced about Moeen. Wasn't he mentally shot last summer? And he's barely played since then.
 
J

JOJOXI

International Captain
BoyBrumby said:
Not convinced it'll be a problem. He got the arse after only one test of the last Ashes.

Admittedly that was under Bayliss's watch, but Smith was still the head honcho. Think he's quite prepared to be brutal if needs be, Pope got the chop after only two tests of the Indian series the year before.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure Moeen was in good form with the ball before that Test too. Yes he didn't take many wickets in the World Cup and in white ball cricket but bowling on very different pitches and a different format.

Biggest issue for him would be how ready he is having had Covid in SL, to then play your first Test in India on decent batting pitches to start with could be troubling.

With that in mind they might think why break a winning formula in the spin pairing - Moeen with more time and bowling fitness in the nets if the spin pairing fail and you've got a great pairing in Bess and Leach if they succeed. Sri Lankan batting didn't look great at many times but if they get success v an India side at home in the first Test that should earn them the 2nd and 3rd Tests together at the very least.
 
Gremlin

Gremlin

U19 Vice-Captain
I think Stokes is the best option at 3.

He's demonstrated he can build an innings prior to playing the big shots too.

I hope it's not Moeen, I think it'll just be too much for him at this stage. The 2016 version of Moeen would have been worthy of consideration but not now. If he plays he bats at 8 for me.
 
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