Pakistan v England 2nd Test, Dubai, Oct 22-26

[Aidan11]

Good to see we're still hanging in there.

Lost cause but at least we're putting up a bit of resistance.

[Aidan11]

Stokes struggled against the spin again this morning.

[sussexpob]

I'd bring in Taylor and Hales, and drop Buttler and Bell for the last test. Bairstow can keep.

Good plan. Swanny is currently saying the same thing.

Bairstow has as many 50's as Buttler in tests, but Buttler has played 7 less test matches. Buttler averages more and is a full time keeper.... Buttler is out of form, but Bairstow is hardly bang on fire, with 1 x 50 in 9 tests.......

Im struggling to see what swapping an inferior keeper is doing for the team, Im struggling to see how giving an additional responsibility to a person struggling in his main role lamely is going to be helped by this, and I am struggling to see how Bairstow stays in the team in any role.

[Gingerfinch]

I'd bring in Taylor and Hales, and drop Buttler and Bell for the last test. Bairstow can keep.

Good plan. Swanny is currently saying the same thing.

Bairstow has as many 50's as Buttler in tests, but Buttler has played 7 less test matches. Buttler averages more and is a full time keeper.... Buttler is out of form, but Bairstow is hardly bang on fire, with 1 x 50 in 9 tests.......

Im struggling to see what swapping an inferior keeper is doing for the team, Im struggling to see how giving an additional responsibility to a person struggling in his main role lamely is going to be helped by this, and I am struggling to see how Bairstow stays in the team in any role.

Bairstow is a better bat than Buttler. Whether he's a better keeper is another question, which I don't know the answer to.

[sussexpob]

Bairstow is a better bat than Buttler. Whether he's a better keeper is another question, which I don't know the answer to.

Bairstow has a lower 50 rate per innings, lower runs per innings, lower average per wicket.

Bairstow can smash around trundlers in front of 10 blokes on deck chairs reading papers, but so far in test cricket he has been outclassed.

[Gingerfinch]

Bairstow is a better bat than Buttler. Whether he's a better keeper is another question, which I don't know the answer to.

Bairstow has a lower 50 rate per innings, lower runs per innings, lower average per wicket.

Bairstow can smash around trundlers in front of 10 blokes on deck chairs reading papers, but so far in test cricket he has been outclassed.

You got me there.

[sussexpob]

That feels like dogma. The fact he's an all rounder doesn't matter. Should Kallis not have batted in the top six? Or the young Steve Waugh? He's there because he's rated a top six bat. Not because England only need five batters. There's a case for dropping him, but not because he can bowl.

You seem to have misunderstood the point. I dont say that you drop him because he bowls, but I also dont think you could seriously suggest that Stokes would be in the team if you took one of his skills completely away from him. To bat in the 1-6 slot you need to be a batter, one that justifies selection in FC cricket through performance. Stokes is averaging dead on 30 now in near 20 tests, and his FC record is only 33 odd with the bat, which is inferior to a long list of other specialists.

A team that has only two undroppable batsman at the moment and a keeper struggling for runs needs to be playing Taylor and Hales over Stokes at the moment. If he cant bowl well enough to be the fifth man in an attack that contains Ali, Wood, Anderson and Broad, then realistically why is he there?

[Gingerfinch]

Well we have survived till tea. Could this game have an Edgbaston style finish?

[Aidan11]

28 overs left according to cricinfo. The clocks going back has confused me. I think there is potentially just over another couple of hours left to hang on.

[mikesiva]

Rashid gets his half-century....

[hopeforthebest]

The heat is getting to wood and he's getting weary.

[hopeforthebest]

A bit of time wasting from the England batsmen would a good idea.

[budgetmeansbudget]

It will be moral justice if we go off for bad light before all of the last 15 overs are bowled.

[hopeforthebest]

A bit of time wasting from the England batsmen would a good idea.

That nonsense they have 15 overs anyway.

[Gingerfinch]

Two tests, and two exciting endings, whatever happens.