England v Australia, 2nd test, Lord's, July 16-20

Changes for England? After the miraculous escape in the first test, i'd imagine the only change will be either Sidebottom or Onions for Panesar. I'm guessing they'll go with Onions- Deserves a crack. I think Broad will survive, although there must be a temptation to get Harmison in there.

I hope Broad does NOT survive.

He served up sh!t practically every time he was asked to bowl in this match - with perhaps one maybe two "exceptional" balls - which I'm convinced he knew bugger all about. A captain's 'mare ...

For me, Broad farts around tinkering with his deliveries far too much - Strauss should just take him aside and tell him to bowl straight on an off stump line and not to try "different" things with balls that invariably finish up racing to the ropes. Right now, Broad is a luxury England cannot afford.

Drop Monty and Broad and fetch in Onions and SiBo.... and give Chef one more crack at it. If he fails at Lord's playing across the line to straight balls, then swap him for Moore or Blob.

BS, frankly - re Cook. When did England get so good they can afford to drop a 24 year old with 9 test hundreds and an average of 44 because of 1 poor game?

Broad - he's on borrowed time if he continues to bowl like that. They've invested a lot of time and effort in him though and he bowled pretty well at Lords earlier in the year so will give him another go.

Me? I'd bring in Onions for Monty.

Problem with Cook is his technical flaws were totally dismantled by the Aussies in 07, and he hasn't been the same player since.

Out in the first innings at Cardiff fencing away from his body in the first innings, and playing in front of his pad in the second.

Nothing's changed. He hasn't improved as a player in the slightest.

Excellent... Aus already proclaiming Horrie the new spin king
http://www.cricinfo.com/engvaus2009/content/current/story/413955.html

Not that he won't do a useful job but the longer he's in the side the longer Clark is out of it.

Dello wrote:Problem with Cook is his technical flaws were totally dismantled by the Aussies in 07, and he hasn't been the same player since.

Out in the first innings at Cardiff fencing away from his body in the first innings, and playing in front of his pad in the second.

Nothing's changed. He hasn't improved as a player in the slightest.

Maybe, but excuse me if I don't get wazzed at the thought of Rob Key and his form this year opening the batting as seems to be the call....

Quite. But I do think Cook has been over-indulged. He should have been given a "time out" a while back, as his game has been ragged for a long time.

Incidentally, Keysie has suddenly found some form - a hundred today. First time he's passed 50 this season...

Dello wrote:Quite. But I do think Cook has been over-indulged. He should have been given a "time out" a while back, as his game has been ragged for a long time.

Incidentally, Keysie has suddenly found some form - a hundred today. First time he's passed 50 this season...

Hasn't Cook been in decent nick recently? I'm all for dropping people not performing but he's scored 52,58,94,139* * 160 in his last 5 tests.

Bit much to be holding someones 2007 form against them.

Get rid of Bopara too the WI basher, how dare he not score a century in 1 game. See where i'm going with this...

JKLever wrote:BS, frankly - re Cook. When did England get so good they can afford to drop a 24 year old with 9 test hundreds and an average of 44 because of 1 poor game?
.

He's been sussed as playing across the line by the World No 1's Lever, not by the minnows he likes carting around on dead tracks ( 4 v WIndies, 1 v IndiA at Nagpur(!) and 2 v Paks .... just the 1 v Oz at Perth) !

Unless he cuts that shot out he's dead in the water hereon in this series, no matter how many freakin' hundreds he's scored.
Youth doesn't count against the Aussies ... Ian Bell proved this in '05 ...

Anyway, like I said, one more test for the Chef ...

JKLever wrote:

Maybe, but excuse me if I don't get wazzed at the thought of Rob Key and his form this year opening the batting as seems to be the call....

And you'd use that as a reason to defend Cook!

Oh wait .. Cook has youth AND a central contract on his side ... so sod the outsiders!

PS . Didn't Moore get a ton against the Aussies last week ? Or was I dreaming it!

Merlin wrote:

Oh wait .. Cook has youth AND a central contract on his side ... so sod the outsiders!

No... sod wanting a bloke who hadn't passed 50 this year in the side again. Stop wetting your knickers FFS, it's just my opinion.

Wasn't that 139 his first hundred in about 2 years?

And there's been no evidence at any point during that time that his technical flaws have been addressed. Certainly not solved.

It's all well and good cementing your place against the Windies, but - as has been evidenced throughout the team - that was just papering over the cracks.

I think Cook's got it all to prove. At the top level, against the best sides, he looks a walking wicket.

Not that Strauss was any better in this game or the last tour of Oz...

Merlin wrote:
Youth doesn't count against the Aussies ... Ian Bell proved this in '05 ...

youth? He's a 44 test veteran! I don't care what anyone did 2 years ago, dropping a player because of one bad game leads us straight back to the 1980's.... they all will know as a team that collectively they need to improve to compete in this series.

Dello wrote:Wasn't that 139 his first hundred in about 2 years?

And there's been no evidence at any point during that time that his technical flaws have been addressed. Certainly not solved.

It's all well and good cementing your place against the Windies, but - as has been evidenced throughout the team - that was just papering over the cracks.

I think Cook's got it all to prove. At the top level, against the best sides, he looks a walking wicket.

Sure, but its not like he was getting out for single figures in that time is it? He was infuriatingly getting out for 50-60, including against decent attacks like SA & IND.