Test Cricket 2021

[Historian]

In fairness to Root, he doesn't seem to have much influence on selection whereas Morgan gets everything he wants. Test cricket is clearly not the priority for the ECB.

Who would we suggest as a replacement captain? Not sure there are that many better options, but would prefer if Root could concentrate on what he does best. Burns has experience and will probably stay in the side. Morgan could have come in to the Test side before if he had wanted to, so I imagine that's not an option.

[jayne lee wilson]

Pretty lively bowling so far - Kohli out for 20! Well done Sam.
This could get very interesting tomorrow, so long as the showers don't reach...but Monday looks generally dry...

Root is fine for me, as batter or captain - I loved his agonised body language today as he tried to decide whether to review an lbw-shout or not...

[antongould]

Great Test Match but not a very impressive performance from the home side …… anyone like to pick the 11 for the next meeting …. ???

[Belgrove]

Shami + Bumrah 90. Root 33, Extras 29, 58 the rest.
Poor Root must be so frustrated by the performance of his team. It will be amusing to see what spin the ECB puts on this. Better perhaps to spend their time devising ways of extracting England from touring Australia in the winter. But it was a good match, and attending the Lord’s Test is also a social occasion, which alleviates the disappointment caused by the home team.

[DracoM]

Harry Brook [Yorks] in at 5.
BUT
the biggest prob is openers: so I'd move Bairstow and Malan to 1 and 2. No, really.
Tell them to stick around for ever - runs or no runs - AND to make a point of rotating strike. Ones and twos are OK.

[LHC]

Shami + Bumrah 90. Root 33, Extras 29, 58 the rest.
Poor Root must be so frustrated by the performance of his team. It will be amusing to see what spin the ECB puts on this. Better perhaps to spend their time devising ways of extracting England from touring Australia in the winter. But it was a good match, and attending the Lord’s Test is also a social occasion, which alleviates the disappointment caused by the home team.

I’m afraid Root must share the blame for England’s dismal performance yesterday. As captain he allowed his bowlers to take entirely the wrong approach to India’s tail-enders. Instead of trying to rough them up, they should have maintained their line and length and bowled as they had on the previous day. England should have dismissed India’s tail in short order, but instead allowed them to build a significant lead, from which England never recovered. That failure really exposed Root’s shortcomings as Captain.

[muzzer]

He’s shockingly poor tactically as soon as his star bowlers get stymied. I don’t care how many runs he makes, that’s his job. And it rather smacks of knowing he won’t get dropped because he’s made the runs. That’s fine but not enough for a captain.

[antongould]

Well I asked for it and easier after today …..Stoneman, Hameed, Borthwick, Root, Malan, Bairstow, Moeen, Robinson, Mahmood , Rushworth, Anderson.

[DracoM]

Yep - Durham superb!!!!

[Historian]

Bit of a turn round on the first day at Headingley. Unaccustomed riches in the opening stand and very good to see Hameed scoring some runs. Let's hope England can keep this going.

[Barbirollians]

Bit of a turn round on the first day at Headingley. Unaccustomed riches in the opening stand and very good to see Hameed scoring some runs. Let's hope England can keep this going.

Yesterday was brilliant and a big lead could be on the cards now.

[jayne lee wilson]

Wonderful quote from Jonathan Liew.....

"The sort of innings that other batsmen play in their dreams, Root has begun to play in his sleep".

[muzzer]

This has been superb from England, they’ve shown the patience and grit needed at this level. Let’s hope they can keep this shape for the rest of the year.

[antongould]

Statistics, and what do they know, would suggest we are in the presence of England’s greatest test batsman for 50 years …… he will now be out …

….. and still he goes on ……

[gradus]

... but eventually oooooot.