Fifth Test: India v England, 16-20 Dec (Chennai)

[Arthur Crabtree]

Ha! I was thinking about the response when Bhaves has been banging a subject on a match thread. I still don't feel I've got my point out right, but probably best to give it a rest.

Blimey. As an all rounder, Jadeja's premier skill is easily his appealing. Nailed it this time.

[hopeforthebest]

Kohli gets a referral right and Root is out sweeping again. Another wicket in this session and it could be curtains for England in this game.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Halfway through the day though. Plenty of batting left. Just the panic factor to take into account.

[rich1uk]

jadeja is like the boy who cried wolf, just a case of whether they have any reviews left by the time the wolf appears

[alfie]

Not saying that at all , rich.

Just that it is possible to take either view : what selectors are for. Sometimes they make a wrong choice - or at least one that fails ; but armchair observers sometimes tend to assume the other option would have been better - when in fact we don't know . And can't , since isn't tested.

but you were saying that

you said why should we take a player who has taken their wickets on county pitches when its going to be more of a challenge to bowl against the likes of kohli, but defended picking guys that aren't anywhere near as successful on those helpful county pitches when there is also no guarantee they can step up to the task at test level

doesn't common sense suggest if you have 2 bowlers, neither has played test cricket, one has taken 68 wickets at 22 in the CC, the other took 20 wickets at 44 that you go with the first one ?

neither has any guarantee of success but you have to pick the one that has at least shown he might

and its not like dawson just had a really down year, that was a fairly typical year for him in FC cricket

Look we clearly aren't going to agree on this - which is fair enough , everyone entitled to a view , etc ; but I don't think it's as black and white as you are claiming. I wouldn't mind if they'd picked Leach but I don't think his non selection is indefensible ( didn't know about the query on his action) ; and the fact that Dawson had been around the limited over squad probably helped his cause - as did the fact that he can bat. Call it conservative if you like. But you couldn't say he's proved a total flop anyway.

I think I'll leave it there. Each to his own...

[rich1uk]

Look we clearly aren't going to agree on this - which is fair enough , everyone entitled to a view , etc ; but I don't think it's as black and white as you are claiming. I wouldn't mind if they'd picked Leach but I don't think his non selection is indefensible ( didn't know about the query on his action) ; and the fact that Dawson had been around the limited over squad probably helped his cause - as did the fact that he can bat. Call it conservative if you like. But you couldn't say he's proved a total flop anyway.

I think I'll leave it there. Each to his own...

i dont think i've said dawson was a flop

to me he performed exactly to the level i expected him to, problem with that was it didn't actually make us a better team

i would prefer to see us pick someone who if they do perform at the level they have shown in county cricket will make us a better team, rather than just settle for mediocrity, which is what i think his call up to the squad was

[hopeforthebest]

Dawson will come in and play the game saving innings.

[rich1uk]

Dawson will come in and play the game saving innings.

he might be in soon

[Arthur Crabtree]

Great catch. Some non-percentage shots being played for a game where a draw is the best England can hope for. Big blow losing JB1.

Big question of the day. Can Stokes score 16 runs?

[hopeforthebest]

Baistow gone, the fact that it took a fantastic catch to get him is little compensation. This looks a familiar picture, deja vu all over again.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Root is four runs short of MPV's England record for most runs in a year, and Bairstow 11 short. Have to start again next year.

[Durhamfootman]

don't know if this has been discussed, but I wonder if England feel like having a crack at winning the toss, batting first, scoring 477 but still finding a way to lose by an innings

I imagine that the England dressing room now looks like a scene from 'airplane'

[Arthur Crabtree]

MPV scored twice as many tons in 2002 as either Joe or JB1.

[Durhamfootman]

"are there any batsmen in here who didn't have the fish?"

[rich1uk]

don't know if this has been discussed, but I wonder if England feel like having a crack at winning the toss, batting first, scoring 477 but still finding a way to lose by an innings

I imagine that the England dressing room now looks like a scene from 'airplane'

they just switched this light on