*Official* Pakistan tour of Ireland, England and Scotland 2018

[Starfighter]

Ireland were in an equally dire position when the first innings of both teams were completed.

Pakistan are well and truly ahead at the moment; but this match is not yet lost for England.
What England have to do is to score 400 in their second outing, and the boot will be firmly on the other foot.

Yeah, it's not really like this England team to do something like that.

 

[Moonsorrow999]

Pakistan have done well to get into this position, giving England a lesson of how to bat in their own back yard. Not sure why England picked Wood, but since they have they aren't even using him properly. Speeds can be up to 88mph for a couple of balls but most of the time he's down at 84-85mph, when they have Stokes who can do the aggressive bowling who bowled well in my opinion. Wood should be used in short bursts, although I doubt he even has the pace for that.This team looks way better balanced with Mo and Woakes, then again they just end up papering all the cracks in England's batting. About four-five of that England side that shouldn't be there, they may as well give some youngsters a chance.

 

[MW1304]

Woakes and Moeen aren't in the team because they've proven to be largely useless away from home. If we want more of an all-conditions team, they shouldn't be in the picture frankly.

Trouble is Wood sucks.

 

[Spark]

Pakistan have done well to get into this position, giving England a lesson of how to bat in their own back yard. Not sure why England picked Wood, but since they have they aren't even using him properly. Speeds can be up to 88mph for a couple of balls but most of the time he's down at 84-85mph, when they have Stokes who can do the aggressive bowling who bowled well in my opinion. Wood should be used in short bursts, although I doubt he even has the pace for that.This team looks way better balanced with Mo and Woakes, then again they just end up papering all the cracks in England's batting. About four-five of that England side that shouldn't be there, they may as well give some youngsters a chance.

They pick Wood because the entire English cricket establishment and media is utterly convinced that Wood sometimes breaking 85mph makes him super-express and Mitchell Johnson incarnate, ignoring that at no stage at his Test career has he been Test standard at, y'know, taking wickets, or looked like he was about to.

It has been bizarre to see him touted as the "missing link" in the English attack over the last year. He's never shown it at all.

 

[Spark]

Woakes and Moeen aren't in the team because they've proven to be largely useless away from home. If we want more of an all-conditions team, they shouldn't be in the picture frankly.

Trouble is Wood sucks.

See I don't get this. Do India pass over Jadeja for home Tests because they won't pick him away?

 

[Mr Miyagi]

See I don't get this. Do India pass over Jadeja for home Tests because they won't pick him away?

Jadeja is the best reason to watch India play when Rahul isn't, quite frankly.

I sword dance with him when he reaches 50. Good times.

 

[fredfertang]

Well done Pakistan! England will need something epic to get back into the game now.

Cook and Root to row us out of trouble, then Buttler will score a rapid 80 odd to set up the win

 

[Mr Miyagi]

Cook and Root to row us out of trouble, then Buttler will score a rapid 80 odd to set up the win

Keith Richards and Charlie Watts called, they want an 1/8th of what you've been smoking.

Even if England score 400, your bowlers have to save your butts.

 

[Moonsorrow999]

Woakes and Moeen aren't in the team because they've proven to be largely useless away from home. If we want more of an all-conditions team, they shouldn't be in the picture frankly.

Trouble is Wood sucks.

So instead they pick players that are largely useless in all conditions. Brilliant. At least the others have proven success in home conditions.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

So instead they pick players that are largely useless in all conditions. Brilliant. At least the others have proven success in home conditions.

It is a plan so cunning you can pin a tail on it and call it a weasel.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

wrap it up ****s

 

[Borges]

Don't really understand this; why aren't either Anderson or Stokes bowling alongside Broad?

 

[wpdavid]

Woakes and Moeen aren't in the team because they've proven to be largely useless away from home. If we want more of an all-conditions team, they shouldn't be in the picture frankly.

Trouble is Wood sucks.

Actually I used to quite like us to be competitive at home, so Woakes' omission makes no sense whatsoever to me.
Not that I see us being competitive anywhere in the foreseeable future; not in test matches, anyway.

And yeah, Wood can euphemistically be described as 'ordinary'. Shame, because he's a likeable enough lad, but there's naff all evidence that he can cut it at this level.

Anyway, he's obviously been reading this between overs and snaffled the last wicket. Well done for that, anyway.

Odds on an innings defeat given the state of our batting?

 

[YorksLanka]

Woakes and Moeen aren't in the team because they've proven to be largely useless away from home. If we want more of an all-conditions team, they shouldn't be in the picture frankly.

Trouble is Wood sucks.

i would have had Ali in this team all day long..handy with the bat and would have got more wickets than bess.

 

[morgieb]

See I don't get this. Do India pass over Jadeja for home Tests because they won't pick him away?

Ehh I think there's a difference between doing a 3/2 combo on spinning surfaces and 4/1 when it doesn't, and picking two blokes at home and two other blokes away from home because the former two are that poor away from home. I see your point but it's not quite the same comparison and I don't blame England for trying to find options who will be more solid in all conditions rather than guys who do well at home and poor away from it.

Still it's hard to argue Wood would be more effective than Woakes regardless of the conditions, and Moeen's still ahead of Bess as a package (possibly not Leach though).

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

Looks like good batting conditions now

 

[wpdavid]

Maybe it's harsh to write off Bess after one innings on Day 2 at a venue which rarely offers a lot to spinners.

 

[YorksLanka]

Maybe it's harsh to write off Bess after one innings on Day 2 at a venue which rarely offers a lot to spinners.

yeah, not writing him off, just think that he isn't the best option available at the moment..

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

i would have had Ali in this team all day long..handy with the bat and would have got more wickets than bess.

I really dont understand the logic behind moeen sitting out

 

[Borges]

Yup, and England need to bat till tea tomorrow.