Placing our bets on "Test Cricket's Young Fab Four"

[OverratedSanity]

He looks like a crab

 

[Shri]

What would be interesting is people's best current world Test XI to take on India in India.

Cook
Amla
Root
Smith*
De Villiers+
Shakib
Stokes
Amir
Shah
Starc
Steyn

 

[Shady Slim]

OS really has this massive downhill skiing on shady slim likes down

 

[Gnske]

Azhar
Cook
Williamson
Root
Smith
Sarfraz
Stokes
Shakib
Yasir
Starc
Hazlewood

12th - Abbott (Switch for Starc)

 

[TheJediBrah]

He looks like a crab

If anything Smith's face most resembles that of a crab

 

[Spark]

Azhar
Cook
Williamson
Root
Smith
Sarfraz
Stokes
Shakib
Yasir
Starc
Hazlewood

12th - Abbott (Switch for Starc)

Williamson hasn't done that much in the subcontinent since his first tour of India, right?

 

[Zinzan]

Cook
Amla
Root
Smith*
De Villiers+
Shakib
Stokes
Amir
Shah
Starc
Steyn

I'd probably have A Ali opening with Cook, dropping Amla to 3 & Root at 4 instead of Smith. Also surely one spinner light aren't you? Herath instead of Amir for me.

 

[Zinzan]

Azhar
Cook
Williamson
Root
Smith
Sarfraz
Stokes
Shakib
Yasir
Starc
Hazlewood

12th - Abbott (Switch for Starc)

Williamson was eaten for breakfast by Ashwin in the last series truth be told.

 

[Spark]

I'd probably have A Ali opening with Cook, dropping Amla to 3 & Root at 4 instead of Smith. Also surely one spinner light aren't you? Herath instead of Amir for me.

Yeah I don't know what Amir's done to get into that side. Has he even played more than a handful of Tests in Asian conditions?

EDIT: Haze is a no as well. Has to be Steyn, or someone else who can bowl stump to stump with reverse swing.

 

[Zinzan]

Yeah I don't know what Amir's done to get into that side. Has he even played more than a handful of Tests in Asian conditions?

Agree, there's little evidence to suggest Amir would do any better than Boult (who actually had reasonable returns in India)m and I wouldn't have him in there either.

Shakib is a nice bonus batting in the top 7 giving you a bowling attack of

Starc
Steyn
Stokes
Herath
Shah
Shakib

without effecting the batting depth too much, quite a luxury. Bairstow would have to be thereabouts after what he's just done as well.

Cook/Warner
A Ali
Amla
Root
Stokes
Bairstow+
Shakib
Starc
Shah
Steyn
Herath

 

[Spark]

To be honest Amir could go there and absolutely carve it up, we just don't know. Entirely conjecture at this point.

 

[Zinzan]

To be honest Amir could go there and absolutely carve it up, we just don't know. Entirely conjecture at this point.

Point being, why risk it when you know what you'll get from Steyn and Starc with support from Stokes in the seam dept.

 

[Spark]

Point being, why risk it when you know what you'll get from Steyn and Starc with support from Stokes in the seam dept.

Yeah indeed. Needs justification at a minimum.

 

[indiaholic]

Williamson was eaten for breakfast by Ashwin in the last series truth be told.

How did he get him out?

 

[Zinzan]

Incidentally, you could make a half decent current day Test side of "Ss" atm eh?

Shafiq
Sharma
Smith
Stokes
Shakib
Santner
Saha +
Starc
Southee
Shah
Steyn

Even if a little bowling heavy

 

[Spark]

Bit much of Southee to make him bowl first change and carry the drinks at the same time.

 

[vcs]

How did he get him out?

Bowled on a couple of occasions at least, deceiving him with his length.

 

[Zinzan]

How did he get him out?

2 LBWs and 2 Bowled

 

[indiaholic]

Bowled on a couple of occasions at least, deceiving him with his length.

Ah well I will make my point now.. He was doing what Root was trying to do too, which is play Ashwin off the back foot. Worked for a time until the ball spun too sharply.. I absolutely hate hate this narrative that Root proved he was some magnificent creature of light in that India series because he averaged more than Williamson.

 

[Zinzan]

Ah well I will make my point now.. He was doing what Root was trying to do too, which is play Ashwin off the back foot. Worked for a time until the ball spun too sharply.. I absolutely hate hate this narrative that Root proved he was some magnificent creature of light in that India series because he averaged more than Williamson.

I'm missing your point here, you may hate it, but obviously Root handled it better.