England v India - 5 Test series

[Fauxstralian]

1st Test June 20-24 @ Headingley
England team : Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

No Bethell & various fast bowlers .. Atkinson, Wood, Archer unavailable

India lose Kohli and Rohit Sharma to retirement after the debacle in Australia

[Eerie Decent]

Westham67 » 14 Jul 2025, 20:44

Foakes is what he is with the bat, they want someone who can bat both long and with the tail, and don't think he can do that. Whether you agree or not, his time with England is done. Personally, I'd give Pope the gloves, his skittish batting won't be such a problem down the order at 6/7, he looks so much more comfortable down there. Or go for Ollie Robinson, who has a high strike rate and probably deserves a chance.

They should give Liam Dawson a go, not just with the ball but his batting has been superb for a few years, which they will want as I think Woakes won't play in the next one. I've got a sneaky feeling they might go with Ahmed though, he's really come on with the bat this season.

The top 3 scored 123 between them in this test, and 68 in the 2nd Test, that is an absolute disgrace. I'd have Bethell open, the lad has just got it and looks so confident. Atkinson to come back, Archer to play the next and Wood to come in for the 5th Test. Below is a realistic 11, with not too much change but a must if we are preparing for the Ashes, we can beat them out there but not with the current top 3 and Bashir.

Bethell
Duckett
Smith
Root
Brook
Stokes (c)
Pope (wk)
Dawson/Ahmed
Carse
Atkinson
Archer

[Fauxstralian]

West Indies in a little trouble chasing 204
5 wickets for 11
Mitchell Starc 3 overs 5 wickets for 6

[Westham67]

Will Leach be brought back? Bethell is a left handed spinner, dunno about  test cricket level though he should be brought into bat. Our openers and 3 are suspects 

Smith is wasted as a keeper; he should be higher up the batting order. I don't keep up with the England players' form what happened to Foakes ?

[only1billybonds]

Excellent game, India really gave it a good go. Would have preferred to see a middle stump go flying or an insane catch to end it but the way the  last wicket was taken doesn't detract from an absorbing match. 

[violator]

Athers correctly described Stokes as man of the match, before immediately changing it to player of the match.

[Fauxstralian]

That’s how you want Test matches to play out
5pm on Day 5 with 20 odd runs the margin

[goose]

India will be kicking themselves again.
 

[El Scorchio]

Good match, that. 

[Fauxstralian]

Excellent opening session by England & should wrap it up pretty quickly
Does mean the last two Tests should be quite HEATED 

[Far Cough UKunt]

FOMB

[violator]

Hopefully Siraj has to have a bat

[El Scorchio]

This is set up for a barnstorming finish. You'd have to fancy England but you never know.

[violator]

Great catch by Archer, giving them some proper verbals as well...all going on out there

[only1billybonds]

82-7. What a first 45 minutes.

[only1billybonds]

58-4 at the close. Didn't see that coming 40 minutes ago.

[goose]

Stokes!!!

[only1billybonds]

England all out, India need 193 to win. 
Some very good bowling but fuck me, the decision making of some of our batsmen was shocking.

[only1billybonds]

Root gone. 154/5

[only1billybonds]

Just as well the Aussie batting line up is a little better than average, our bowlers wont be facing a prolific top 5/6. ED is bang on about Crawley and Pope, both fall short of being genuine test batsmen. As for the current game, it's good to watch the opposite of bazball,thiscis quite intense and beautifuly poised. Lot of very disgruntled voices in the radio commentary box over the over rates. Financial penalties don't seem to make a difference so maybe deduct 5 runs from a teams total per over they lose?
 

[Westham67]

The lack of Swann type spinner worries me. We have to see how Archer does over the next 2 and a half tests. I cannot see Lyon retiring for the Ashes, Cummins, Hazelwood and Starc bowling with a ball that doesn't go out of shape after 10 overs will be knocking over our current top 3 or 4 with ease

[Eerie Decent]

You need both.

I think we'll be OK bowling out there, and the Aussie batting line up is worse than ours. Definitely need a bit of luck with fitness, but they are shit batting wise. Also, surely this Bashir madness will come to an end.

The big problem is Root has never made runs over there, and their bowling line up is top notch. Our 1 & 3 in particular is clearly not fit for purpose, and the pitches out there are not exactly made for Duckett. Big worry.

[Westham67]

It doesn't matter what's going on here with our top 3 or 4, and in the Windies, it takes 20 wickets to win a test match. We don't have a strong enough bowling attack to win the Ashes, lucky if we win one test match

[Eerie Decent]

Crawley & Pope in the top 3, and Jamie Smith at 7, if it's the line up in the next Test, might just be the maddest cricketing decision by England ever. Should've been changed ages ago, but absolutely has to be changed now.

Crawley continuing to be picked is hands down the single most shocking pick ever. I said before, it doesn't matter if he makes a century next up, or his record against the Aussies, he averages fucking 30 in 50 odd tests, I think that's a record low.

Pope should either be given the gloves and bat ahead of Stokes at 6, or dropped for Robinson. Too skittish at 3, doesn't look in even on a century.

[Fauxstralian]

It’s Burlington not Berlington you tedious moronic cock sucking retard
 

[BerlingtonBertie]

You’re like the fucking talking clock Sven. Fuck off you boring Aussie cսnt.