Ashes 2021-22.

[yuppie]

I agree England problem is their batting and its harsh to have a go at the bowlers. But i cant see anyone in the squad that makes the batting better. There is no KP not being selected.

But bowling wise i dont think England went into the first test with their best bowlers. There was a stage where Australia had a lead of 40 runs and had just lost 2 quick wickets. 5 Down one could argue they were vulnerable. That was probably the only time that England had a chance to get back into the game. But with Leach and Stokes not firing the game got away from them.

Englands problems are down to poor batting and not enough good fielding to support the bowlers. I can not see how England can rectify the batting. they can how ever pick their best bowling attack.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Changing the batting probably weakens it.

I think they'll just bring Anderson in for Leach... which feels crazy at Adelaide, but there you are. England will pick a team for the game they've just lost.

[sussexpob]

Is there a reason why Matt Parkinson is not in the touring party.

With the Lions I believe. Lots of people question his delivery speed being too slow for test cricket as he bowls routinely around 45mph for his stock ball, often used as justification for not picking him....

[sussexpob]

As for batters v bowlers, I guess you can make a point either way. Yes the batting was the biggest fail, but when your opponent scores 200 for their last 4 stands, you also have to ask what the bowlers were doing.

For me you rest bowlers once they've worked and need it, not assuming they are tired. England need to go out and play well, saving miles in the legs for a series that might all but be over after next test is just foolish.

[Durhamfootman]

I see that England have been docked 5 WTC points and the players fined 100% of their match fee for taking the ssip with their over rates at the Gabba.

England?

Those lovely get on with it and give the crowd their money's worth guys?

Surely not?

An extra 8 overs added to day 2 with time added to do this, yet they still only managed 84 overs in the day.... a mere 14 overs short

They probably think that their best chance of taking any test match to a 5th day is to cut their daily number of overs to 60.... and who could possibly object to that?

Chancers!

[Arthur Crabtree]

Foakes and Bracey made runs in the second innings for the Lions.

[bigfluffylemon]

Good to see the ICC finally doing something about over rates. England were frankly taking the p1ss.

But 100% match fee for the entire squad seems to be a little unfair. It's hardly Rory Burns' fault England didn't bowl their overs. Not sure why he gets fined 20k.

[alfie]

I agree England problem is their batting and its harsh to have a go at the bowlers. But i cant see anyone in the squad that makes the batting better. There is no KP not being selected.

But bowling wise i dont think England went into the first test with their best bowlers. There was a stage where Australia had a lead of 40 runs and had just lost 2 quick wickets. 5 Down one could argue they were vulnerable. That was probably the only time that England had a chance to get back into the game. But with Leach and Stokes not firing the game got away from them.

Englands problems are down to poor batting and not enough good fielding to support the bowlers. I can not see how England can rectify the batting. they can how ever pick their best bowling attack.

This in bold. Head and Carey were struggling to get started and there was a chance - if both could have been removed quickly - for the lead to be kept under 100. But with Robinson and Wood deemed to be needing a good rest ahead of the second new ball , England turned to the "change bowlers"...and the pressure vanished. A fully fit Stokes might have been fine but this version , hampered by the leg issue , gave away three boundaries in his first over...

It was a bit of a "no good solution available" problem for Root , to be fair. Keep his main bowlers going and risk having no fuel left when the new ball came ? Or hope the spinners might fluke a result... As it was things could not have ended up worse so even running the pace men into the ground wouldn't have cost any more ; but England seem always to err on the side of caution.

Easy for me to say but I would have kept the pace attack going longer as I felt this was a "make or break" situation and , given where England were placed , now was the time to throw everything into it. Have to admit though it might have made little difference to the eventual result on this occasion : even a lead of 100-150 would probably have seen Australia winners . I just hope if a critical situation arises in the next game , Root is minded to take the aggressive approach as I suspect that is the only way England can hope to get one back...

And they would still need some good luck of course ; but they will get nowhere sitting back against this Australian team.

[sussexpob]

I agree with that, Alfie.

It annoys me somewhat that I always have to read articles about the England team's genius data crunchers, because they never seem to do anything based around sound analytics. With a deficit of 50 and 5 wickets left, in short you are statistically almost dead in the match. The average last 5 wicket score is about 125 runs in history, a figure that has swelled in recent times, and gets even bigger when considering the most recent period of Australia batting in Australia (about 150 runs on average in the last decade).

Assuming therefore that the Australian's merely bat to their last decade par score, you would be facing roughly 200 deficit - a mark that has been overturned only 6 times in the history of the game, and the last time it was achieved involved several calamitous drop catches by a team that one series later would have three players end in prison for Match fixing for bookies. Even if England in the absolute best case scenario were to bowl Australia out for an extra 50 runs and only 100 run deficit overall, only 10 teams have won from such a position since 2009.

So it made no sense not to throw everything at Australia. England were pretty much already in an unsalvageable position, the only way they were getting out was to go all in. Because once passed 100 deficit, which was pretty much a given, each run extra reduces your chances of winning to fractions of a percent. Saving bowlers to the point of miracles was poor captaincy, and had no tactical sense.

England needed to go under the average par score and by some distance..... you dont do that with your 3/4/5th bowling options.

[sussexpob]

Sometimes I think I inhabit a different reality to the England management, though. We dropped our best player citing the fact we want him saved for better pitches, and replace him with a finger spinner.

If there is one golden rule of cricket in Australia what is it? What has history proven beyond absolute doubt? That finger spinners are about as useful as chocolate fireguards on Australian pitches.... yet at one stage, we had finger spin going from both ends, supplemented by the second string pace of a man who hadnt played in an age and looked knackered after his first over, at a stage the game was drifting away.

Its beggars belief really. Silverwood doesnt have a clue... I can imagine the Aussies looked at Anderson not being there and were quite happy.

[Durhamfootman]

There is an injury cloud hanging over Anderson, I believe, which England are trying to underplay.... but yes, with Broad also left out, I'm sure Australia were delighted to see them both rested before they even had a chance to get tired

[bigfluffylemon]

News is they will both be back for Adelaide, while Hazlewood is out.

No excuses now. Australia have the injury problem, England should be playing their first choice XI. The conditions should be as helpful as they ever get in Australia (which is to say not very, but better than Brisbane). Root has showed how to make runs against the Australian attack.

Make or break time - this will tell us if there's any chance of a competitive series, or if we're doomed to another 5-0.

At least it's Adelaide, so no rain to worry about. 100% bat first if you win the toss. Obviously the ideal situation is to bat well into day 2, then set your opponents up for an evening session under lights with a relatively new ball and 400+ on the board...

[Durhamfootman]

Jhye's in

[bigfluffylemon]

Cummins might be out as a COVID close contact

Apparently there was a confirmed case in a restaurant he dined in last night. Which raises the question to me of why the hell either team are not having catering brought in? I know the risk is fairly low, but indoor hospitality venues seem to be where most non-household or school transmission occurs, both in the UK and here.

You'd have to say, if Cummins and Hazlewood are both out, and a pink ball test, England will never have a better chance to get back in to the series. If they can't find a way to get something out of this game, we might as well fly them all home on Monday and concede 5-0.

[bigfluffylemon]

Confirmed Cummins is out.

Will the optimism make it past the evening session?