In fairness, even a Test against Ireland matters more to me than the death of a monarch! C4 picked up the last series in India, wonder if they'll be interested in any of the last 4 Tests? We did actually win the first one last time out, but it felt like a fluke, this one feels different because it didn't just finish in 2 days with a comically bad pitch
Except what is the current likelihood of Hartley being regularly picked for an England home series? My point was he was very unlikely to be away from his county this summer when they decided to sign Lyon, thus limiting his potential progression at a time when people are bemoaning the lack of opportunity offered to English spinners in the domestic game.
I think it's quite likely he will play, actually. Leach doesn't look fit. Obviously depends on whether yesterday was a flash in the pan. In any case, they might award him a central contract and not play him. Now that's dumb, but it would still leave Lancs needing a spinner.
More bad news for India . Two key players out of the next test. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/68127753
Unlikely as yet; and Lancs signed Lyon before Hartley’s 1st Test heroics, so I think it was always in their minds to treat him as 2nd choice at best.
We will only ever need 1 spinner at home. When we go to India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan its slightly different and we will always take 3 or 4 options, even if they are bang average. Any win in India is a good win even with a depleted side. Well played Ollie Pope ! What ever happened to Matt Parkinson, surely this would have been about his time.
We've played two before now, esp at the Oval and OT. But Root is good enough that even then we would only need to pick one specialist. Read an interesting article about Parkinson, apparently he got the yips, to use a golfing term. This isn't the same one but it gives some idea: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2023/05/19/matt-parkinson-england-lancashire-vitality-blast/
Leach out of the next test - will young Bashir get called up ? Or play another quick /batter and rely on Root as a 3rd spinner ?
Yes he does @wfc4ever Us Somerset supporters are all very nervous (although pleased for him) He’s hardly played any first-class cricket and struggled at times last season. Very very raw, though of good character and with undoubted promise. We had a wonderful batsman a few years ago who was called up by England for two test matches, hated the experience and was never the same player after and retired early. You could even say that Dom Bess regressed badly after getting a taste of international cricket. So we are all praying it won’t do the same to Bashir.
Depends on why he hated the experience…if it was the seeming non-stop intensity of it, then it clearly was not him, but if it was more the apparent joylessness that used to surround the squad, then he may have found the current environment less hateful.
Bowled them out for 255, so a target of 399 to win. You feel with this team they will either get it with a day to spare or be all out for half of that.
Unfortunatly Jasprit Bumrah seems to be in the mood to seam the ball well. Gill was almost out twice on DRS early in his innings - fine margins i guess.
Nice to see SA send a third XI to NZ. Domestic T20 seems to be more important and financially more lucrative. Test cricket diminished again.
445 all out for India which seems a lot but we are currently going at six an over in reply. Duckett batting superbly and close to a heck of a century. 137-1
Keep attacking, even Bumrah and Ashwin are not sure where to bowl. When I say they has scored 445 I thought we don't have a chance but I under estimate Bazball. Going to need 600 though I reckon as batting fourth is likely to be tough
450 is pretty standard in the first innings in India. If we can get to 500 or even better 550 then its in our hands. That was a great innings by Duckett. Crawley couldn't get his timing, but did well to hang about. Root is due a big score and Bairstow has a point to prove, its a great foundation to build from.
