Second Test: England v India at Lords, 9-13 August 2018.

[Red Devil]

I'll be at Lords on Friday - is anyone else going to be there?

[bigfluffylemon]

England setting Pope up to fail I see

Not surprising, but you'd think they'd learn.

Odds on the poor guy coming in at 40/3 after an hour on the first morning? Assuming England win the toss and bat, at least evens, I'd say.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I'll be at Lords on Friday - is anyone else going to be there?

It'd be a bit of a sods law if it rained.

Have a great day.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Odds on the poor guy coming in at 40/3 after an hour on the first morning?

Is the Pope a catholic?

[bigfluffylemon]

I'll be at Lords on Friday - is anyone else going to be there?

Have fun.

[bigfluffylemon]

Odds on the poor guy coming in at 40/3 after an hour on the first morning?

Is the Pope a catholic?

Even worse, because he's batting at 4, not 5, and apparently I can't count

So it'll be 25/2 after 40 minutes when he walks out.

[meninblue]

Will get to watch full match today. Then weekend if it lasts that long.

[alfie]

In a perfect world - or even one that was reasonably well set up - the new boy would be introduced at six. But as England have already filled up their order with at least four players whose best position is probably six and the requirement is for a new top four batsman it was almost inevitable that Pope should debut there.
Might not be disastrous : we should at least get an idea of just what this young fellow has to offer . I suppose the main query is whether they'd have been wiser to first try one of the prospects who are more accustomed to batting top four for their counties ; but given the modest returns of most recent batting experiments it is debateable whether this one can work out any worse.

You never know : this might be the day one of the first two partnerships clicks and Pope gets in at 120/2 ...

[KipperJohn]

Rain around today so start might be delayed. Forecast tomorrow is cloudy but warmer. Might be spicy? Seamer friendly?

[sussexpob]

Rain around today so start might be delayed. Forecast tomorrow is cloudy but warmer. Might be spicy? Seamer friendly?

Kohli is quoted on cricinfo saying there is a grass cover, the seamers should get something, but that the grass is there to bind the pitch together. When the live grass dies, they expect the pitch to break up, so two spinners is in contention.

[sussexpob]

Re: Pope,

18 years ago we heard similar overtones in South Africa, when at 2-2 the new lad Michael Vaughan strode out at 4 against one of the greatest new ball attacks in history, on a pitch doing everything. The 35 odd he scored might mean very little, but watching it with the ball doing everything, and his team mates folding like chocolate fireguards (the score went to 2-4 virtually straight after he got there), it was a sound effort. He ended up beating the England calendar year record for runs in his first full year as a test player. And would it not have been for those knee injuries that plagued him, he might have retired as one of our better historical players. If you have the technique, if you have the mental strength, you can bat anywhere. Against anyone, and in all conditions.

Hiding him down the order or protecting him will not make him a test class batsman if he is not. Yet like, Vaughan, if he strides in and gives a good account of himself in that tough top order engine room against fresher bowlers and a newer ball, then it will speak volumes about him. He's a 20 year old who has known very little, if any, failure in his career. He's bang on form, hes capable of batting good scorers.... is there anything better in these situations than saying "lad, you're our guy and there on merit. We back you fully, go out and do it"......

[sussexpob]

It might just be me, buts a rare case of inspired selection from England in my book. Really hope he gets a start and a few runs

[Arthur Crabtree]

Going to have to wait awhile. Rain.

What were the chances.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Guardian obo is suggesting there could be no play today.

[sussexpob]

Yeah, weather forecast has rain all day. In fact at the moment, rain tomoroow, rain on sunday and monday.....

If the forecast is right, a result looks out of the question.