Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

Thu, 25 Jan '24
1st Test • Hyderabad, January 25 - 29, 2024, ICC World Test Championship
India
England

Fri, 02 Feb '24
2nd Test • Visakhapatnam, February 02 - 06, 2024, ICC World Test Championship
India
England

Thu, 15 Feb '24
3rd Test • Rajkot, February 15 - 19, 2024, ICC World Test Championship
India
England

Fri, 23 Feb '24
4th Test • Ranchi, February 23 - 27, 2024, ICC World Test Championship
India
England

Thu, 07 Mar '24
5th Test • Dharamsala, March 07 - 11, 2024, ICC World Test Championship
India
England

This series unbelievably dosent have a TV broadcaster in the UK, sky and TNT have both been put off by the 4am starts and England's poor record in India

TNT have last minute bought the rights

Do touring teams not play warm up matches any more? Good job we're experts in these conditions!

I think they're doing their preparation in the UAE

Gingerfinch wrote:Do touring teams not play warm up matches any more? Good job we're experts in these conditions!

Due to franchise tournaments everywhere teams say there isn't time...also let's be honest the standard of oppo and pitches never reflect what times are going to face during the series....however at least 1 form of warm up match should be played IMO

Harry brook is returning home due to personal reasons...family asking for privacy......

A replacement will be named shortly......

Ben Stokes (capt), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood.

Lawence in for Brook. Interesting squad for those with access. A few new faces.

Stokes won't be bowling.

England spinners- Rehan is 19 and Shoaib is 20. Uncapped 24 year old Harley is the old hand.

BBC says Foakes will play.

Arthur Crabtree wrote:BBC says Foakes will play.

as usual, stating the bleeding obvious. With no Brook there is no Bairstow/Foakes debate.

Seeing reports that this first pitch is going to be Spin Crazy from the off...

A pity I think. India don't need to produce two day result pitches for their own excellent spinners : in fact having strips on which the likes of Joe Root can take 5/8 actually give lesser skilled opponents more chance than a more "normal" Indian pitch on which the superior spin bowlers will almost always prevail. But while I do not mind a (very occasional) feast for bowlers - spin or pace - and I suppose I'd have to also allow the odd very flat surface that really tests all the bowlers ; I do think Tests on which all aspects of the game are able to have some influence , are preferable. And which tend to last four or five days rather than finish before lunch on day three !

Of course this talk may be just that. Wouldn't be the first time England (reportedly planning to pick three spinners ) have misjudged a pitch. Will see on Thursday , eh ?

What we do know is that Brook and Kohli have both left the scene for personal reasons already (and for both of them we hope for the best outcome to whatever family crisis has caused their departure) so team planning has inevitably changed . Still several options for both teams ; but looking something like :

England : Crawley Duckett Pope Root Bairstow Stokes Foakes Ahmed Leach + Hartley and one seamer /two seamers...no idea which "one seamer" they'd want : Maybe Robinson if they'd trust him not to break down ??

India : Rohit Jaiswal Gill Iyer Rahul Bharat Jadeja Axar Ashwin Bumrah Siraj. Guess they could change that keeper selection but after his hundred in the Lions game I think KS is the most likely starter. They rather make up for a somewhat underwhelming top five with their all rounder strength - which basically won them the series against Australia last year. And might be as important as their bowling in deciding the contest because by comparison , any England 8-11 looks super fragile...

Also suppose if England are indeed wanting to load up the spin department they'll be even more annoyed about young Bashir still being locked out of India over visa problems that surely ought to have been resolved ages ago. This messing about of players with Pakistani heritage really should not be tolerated by the ICC.

India's delaying of Shoaib Bashir's visa is very dodgy. They did the same thing with Khawaja, but at least Uzzie was in the country ion time for the first test.

It is almost enough for me to start supporting England in this series. (note that I did say almost)

no fantasy team comp for this series?

not my area