Third Test: West Indies v England, 1-5 May.

[dan08]

I know there one bowler Greyblazer likes but I don't know his name, he been heavily talked about but not yet got a game for the West indies.

Delorn Johnson?

[sussexpob]

It's not Gayle's ability that's the problem, it's mainly his fitness.

He can barely get through a whole ODI now and there's no way he can get through 5 days with all his injuries.

Yep no way he can survive test cricket and I think gayle himself knows that guessing he retiring from ODI/ Test anyway now.

He hasnt retired, he said a month ago he is an all format player for the windies

[shankycricket]

TBH Dan most people that follow cricket in england don't know that lol.

They all think the West indies lads would get into the team.
The only real player that would get into the team would be Gayle and he probably way past his best.

SlogGayle wouldn't. I hope not. Not unless Test cricket is reduced to 20 overs a side, played at the Chinnaswamy in Bangalore with at least 3 non-international bowlers in the opposition and Gayle being allowed to wear orange clothes alongwith a nice bear with Vijay Mallya at the end of every day. Need to give Shai Hope a run. If Simmons was available, I'd maybe consider him at 6 for Chanderpaul (Blackwood moving up of course) but he is hardly a proven Test performer. Shane Dowrich has done well in FC cricket. He'd definitely be a contender for the Aus series, should they (hopefully) move on from Shiv.

Gayle is so utterly useless, since 2008, he averages over 50 in tests.....

Comparable to virtually every legend of the game...

Clearly a player a low ranked test team can afford to drop, and clearly a player incapable of FC and well past his best (he averaged 46 last year, approximately what Justin Langer managed through his career)

He was very good from 2008 till mid 2012, hence those stats. How is that relevant here? Shows what you can twist to present things the way you want. The point is about his decline since. Anyone who has watched him bat in tests and ODIs in that time will tell you he's gone.

As for averaging 46 last year, again a case of presenting stats to depict an untrue picture. Now just to give some context, he played a grand total of THREE Tests last year (6 innings). The average is padded up by a 70 odd not out chasing a score of 120 in quick time vs NZ (T20 type scenario - if you watched that innings, it was a proper T20 innings) and a 65 in the first innings of the first Test where he looked like getting out almost each and every delivery to Southee but somehow managed not to get a nick before feasting on some short deliveries from Ish Sodhi to help himself to a fifty. He failed in the other 4 innings and looked clueless against swing. Anyone who actually WATCHED that series will argue that as a case against Gayle playing tests as opposed to a case for him. Before that, he missed the series in NZ through injury and failed in India and a bit before that, in Bangladesh. I don't understand how anyone who has watched him bat in Tests and ODIs post the 2012 World t20 triumph can argue that he is still fit to play anything more than 20 overs. But sure, you can pretend everything is rosy with those selective stats without any context.

[shankycricket]

I know there one bowler Greyblazer likes but I don't know his name, he been heavily talked about but not yet got a game for the West indies.

Delorn Johnson?

Miguel Cummins

[dan08]

I know there one bowler Greyblazer likes but I don't know his name, he been heavily talked about but not yet got a game for the West indies.

Delorn Johnson?

Miguel Cummins

He's already played for the West Indies. Not in Tests though.

[dan08]

It's not Gayle's ability that's the problem, it's mainly his fitness.

He can barely get through a whole ODI now and there's no way he can get through 5 days with all his injuries.

Yep no way he can survive test cricket and I think gayle himself knows that guessing he retiring from ODI/ Test anyway now.

He hasnt retired, he said a month ago he is an all format player for the windies

Not officially retired but even Gayle himself said that he can't last 5 days due to his back injury but 20 overs is alright for him.

[shankycricket]

Sammy has retired from Test cricket and surely you've gotta be kidding if you think he is a better bowler than any of the seamers they fielded this series regardless of what the stats say.

Maybe looking at a series in isolation and forgetting that these bowlers have been utter tripe in other series. You do seem to make judgement on the short term , Shanky.

No, I am not saying these bowlers are great. I know they've been utter tripe on occasions in the past but to suggest that Sammy would be a better pick as a pure bowler just based on his average, which is boosted by a 7 wicket haul on a seaming track at Headingely in 2007 (8 YEARS BACK!!!) and some cheap wickets against Bangladesh in 2009 (a series which WI lost as they sent their second string team under Floyd Reifer) is one of the daftest things I've heard. If at all you want to look at his "stats", better check his since he became a regular in the Test side when he assumed the captaincy in 2010 and check the average wickets per match too rather than just the average. In any case, anyone who understands Test cricket can see that Sammy doesn't fit in a Test side, certainly not in a 4 man attack. But feel free to live in the rose tinted world of stats without any context...

[shankycricket]

Anyways, where do England go from here? New opener and new coach of course. Is the myth of Moeen Ali as a Test spinner over? Is there a better option? The rest would stay the same I guess. Impressive signs by Jordan in this Test though I'd still like to have a look at Wood.

[Making_Splinters]

To be honest, I don't have much of a problem with Graves' comments before the series. England should have beaten the West Indies comfortably, perhaps the wording was poor but the sentiment was correct.

[Gingerfinch]

Graves' comments would have been fine if we had a good team, ourselves.

[Making_Splinters]

England do have a good team on paper.

[budgetmeansbudget]

After Cooks comments about Graves untimely pre series dissing of the West Indies, there may be some issues between the Captain and the new chairman when he takes over.

[SaintPowelly]

The disappointing thing is we learnt NOTHING positive from this tour ( except Jordan is exceptional at slip )

Had atleast 2 of Rashid,Lyth and Wood got a game, it wouldn't of been too bad.

[SaintPowelly]

Ben Stokes : 28:43 with bat, 39.20 with ball

How is he getting in the side ??

[Aidan11]

I woke up this morning and turns out it wasn't a nightmare....


Moores is still in charge.