Second Ashes Test, Lord's, 14-18 August.

[mikesiva]

Root should be batting at four IMHO.

Lara usually batted at four when he was captain.

Root just looks mentally exhausted

Needs a few months off

It's interesting that the commentators always say the teams best bat should be at 3

Yet smith, kohli, sachin, Lara, Kallis, etc etc didnt bat 3

Surely your best player should bat where he will score the most runs. Basically let him bat where he likes as hes your best player and you need him at his best

Including three of modern cricket most successful captains.

Clive Lloyd
Viv Richards
Steve Waugh

Batted 4-5-6 when they were captains.

The argument is that captaincy on the field is so mentally exhausting they needed time to recharge their batteries.

[SaintPowelly]

Archer is such a pr***, hope he tears his ACL

[yuppie]

In recent times, Ponting and Dravid being the main 2 to bat 1st and captain?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Starting to feel this could be a nervous watch today.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Going to be a delay, but the forecast ok for the rest of the day.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I said this was the worst England batting line-up I can remember. There were some pretty dismal ones in the 80s, but that was before I was old enough to follow cricket.
.

Worst Aussie line up too.

[alfie]

This rain spoiling what was looking like a potentially fascinating day. Losing time pretty much rules out any chance of an England win as there just won't be enough overs let for a sixteen wicket day.

Australia still in with a chance though ...and by forcing the England bats into a "nothing to play for but a draw " mindset , possibly even a better chance than they'd have had otherwise... We all know how badly England play when defending !

[Arthur Crabtree]

No Smith to bat for the Aussies.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Labuschagne comes into the XI...

Quiz question of the future.

[Arthur Crabtree]

If they get there, do England declare at the 250 lead?

[alfie]

If they get there, do England declare at the 250 lead?

Perhaps.( IF . ) Guess it depends on how long they'd have left and how their bowlers have pulled up after yesterday. Not much recovery time to the third game...might prefer to keep the Aussies working ?

[alfie]

They do seem to be looking to push on now though...

Interesting to see Bairstow apparently targeting Lyon. Have felt that they've perhaps failed to put enough pressure on him so far in the series... He is a terrific bowler , of course. But he has been rather allowed to bowl as he wants in the first three innings of the series.

Hitting him off his length easier on paper , of course

[Arthur Crabtree]

Once Stokes gets the hundred, could get the Aussies back in.

First ton for a couple of years.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Handy ton given a collapse could have handed the game to Australia. And a collapse always feels likely.

[sussexpob]

Why are England still batting? Should have declared at least 20-30 runs ago