Malan confirming he still wants to play Test cricket:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/55263974

Averaged about 48 last summer first class, and shown he's in top form in the short stuff. How have they picked Bairstow over him ?

No idea mate. I'd much rather see Malan in there. At least he's shown a desire to change his game and grit it out in long form cricket.

Granted if our full squad were available, neither would he anywhere near.

Would be*

I wouldn't rule out him challenging Pope if he got in the side and did well. Or at least become 1st reserve (although I now we might be changing to 6. Buttler 7. Foakes anyway).

The idea of Bairstow playing in the Ashes is just

dawid is a lefty too

Malan was pretty good in Australia last time too, averaged 43 in 17/18

Anyone following the India vs Aus series? Should be a cracker, first day nighter started today.

India made a good start with the bat but just lost Kohli to a run out. 193-4 now.

shame rohit sharma never got a decent run in the test side. fantastic player.

luke shaw opening the batting?

comment by Phenom - least knowledgeable spurs poster 2019/20 (U20037)
posted 12 seconds ago
luke shaw opening the batting?
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<shrugs>

Bit of a collapse from India late on in the day, 207-6 for now.

It's all gone a bit pear-shaped for India. New thread?

It's weird because looking at both teams, you don't really see anything special other than 3/4 players on either side, yet they'd still probably beat us comfortably unless it's in England.

comment by Blue Heaven (U20912)
posted 5 minutes ago
It's all gone a bit pear-shaped for India. New thread?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.ja606.co.uk/articles/viewArticle/429228

Made a simple one

comment by The Welsh Xavi (U15412)
posted 5 minutes ago
It's weird because looking at both teams, you don't really see anything special other than 3/4 players on either side, yet they'd still probably beat us comfortably unless it's in England.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Play away to both in the next 12-13 months. Fully expecting us to get whitewashed in both series.

comment by Neo (U9135)
posted 31 seconds ago
comment by The Welsh Xavi (U15412)
posted 5 minutes ago
It's weird because looking at both teams, you don't really see anything special other than 3/4 players on either side, yet they'd still probably beat us comfortably unless it's in England.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Play away to both in the next 12-13 months. Fully expecting us to get whitewashed in both series.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We'll lose but I don't think we'll get whitewashed, I reckon it'll be something like 3-1 in the Ashes.

We actually have some decent batters and a bowling attack that won't be comprised of 4 identical 82mph bowlers this time

comment by Neo (U9135)
posted 1 hour, 16 minutes ago
comment by Blue Heaven (U20912)
posted 5 minutes ago
It's all gone a bit pear-shaped for India. New thread?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.ja606.co.uk/articles/viewArticle/429228

Made a simple one
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks.

when does this start? i need it

Really pleased to see Dan Lawrence in the squad. He would play as my third spinner instead of Ali who has been very lucky to be recalled

With what’s selected I would be looking at something like the following, bearing in mind the 3 spinners worked well last time (granted one was a league)

Crawley, Sibley, Bairstow, Root, Lawrence, Buttler +, S. Curran, Bess, Leach, Wood, Stone

I’m wanting pace and spin in Sri Lanka. Curran gets in as the all round replacement for Stokes and offers that left arm option to make a mess of the pitch for the spinners

Leggie*

Moeen Ali tests positive for COVID-19. Ali will now observe a period of 10-days self-isolation. Chris Woakes has been deemed as a possible close contact and he will observe a period of self-isolation and further testing.

comment by Yorkie_116 (U2965)
posted 1 week ago
Really pleased to see Dan Lawrence in the squad. He would play as my third spinner instead of Ali who has been very lucky to be recalled

With what’s selected I would be looking at something like the following, bearing in mind the 3 spinners worked well last time (granted one was a league)

Crawley, Sibley, Bairstow, Root, Lawrence, Buttler +, S. Curran, Bess, Leach, Wood, Stone

I’m wanting pace and spin in Sri Lanka. Curran gets in as the all round replacement for Stokes and offers that left arm option to make a mess of the pitch for the spinners
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lawrence is a quality young batsman but if England want to go with 3 spinners then he shouldn't be selected with any thought that he could provide our 3rd spin option.

I wouldn't even really think of him as a part time spin option, certainly not at international level. He's had a little bit of success in T20 where he'd occasionally open the bowling for Essex against batsmen who like pace and not even turn it but just bowl really slow deliveries that batmsen struggle to time.

Class bat though and I'd definitely consider him for the starting XI with Pope out at 5/6.

Bairstow chatting some absolute sh!te:

"I genuinely think that my game is in the best place that it's been.

"There have been periods where I have wanted to work on different bits and my technique's changed - that's fine, techniques do change, they are ever evolving but I think the work that I have put into my game and the runs that I have got left in the tank over the next three, four, five years or however long it may be, I definitely believe that I can be a huge contributor to English cricket in the Test arena.

"I have proved it in the past. I think I'm 60 runs behind Matty Prior's runs at this current moment, on pretty much exactly the same amount of innings; he averaged 40, I am averaging 35 because he had 20-odd not outs where I have only had seven.

"So if you actually do the numbers on it, I am still scoring, it's just the not outs that are a bit different. I am content with where I am in my head at the moment, I am excited about what is still to come with my red-ball stuff and that's a good place to be."

He's was averaging 18 when he got dropped ffs

Good and bad signs from the intra-squad game so far.

Team Root finished 184/2.
Root 74*
Lawrence 46*
Crawley 46

Team Buttler is currently 31/4
S Curran 10
Bairstow 5
Sibley 1
Buttler 0

2 wickets each for Robinson and Anderson.

comment by The Welsh Xavi (U15412)
posted 44 minutes ago
Bairstow chatting some absolute sh!te:

"I genuinely think that my game is in the best place that it's been.

"There have been periods where I have wanted to work on different bits and my technique's changed - that's fine, techniques do change, they are ever evolving but I think the work that I have put into my game and the runs that I have got left in the tank over the next three, four, five years or however long it may be, I definitely believe that I can be a huge contributor to English cricket in the Test arena.

"I have proved it in the past. I think I'm 60 runs behind Matty Prior's runs at this current moment, on pretty much exactly the same amount of innings; he averaged 40, I am averaging 35 because he had 20-odd not outs where I have only had seven.

"So if you actually do the numbers on it, I am still scoring, it's just the not outs that are a bit different. I am content with where I am in my head at the moment, I am excited about what is still to come with my red-ball stuff and that's a good place to be."

He's was averaging 18 when he got dropped ffs
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I saw this. The bloke is a facking plank. There's always a bloody excuse.

I mean, FFS. Bairstow's average would be higher than Bradman's if only he hadn't been out all those times Bairstow has spent most of his bloody Test career batting in the same spot as Prior too, so why's he not got as many NOs? Oh yeah, because he keeps getting facking out clean bowled because he hasn't fixed the technique issues he talks about.

He's such a whiny, defensive little b!tch of a player. Can't facking stand the bloke. Shouldn't be anywhere near the Test side, let alone batting at #3.

I mean, seriously. "My average would be higher than Prior's, it's just he wasn't out as much as me." How facking thick can you be, thinking that is good logic