25-05-2015, 01:21
Difficult to review the day really. Root came in and continued where he's been for a while. Stokes showed what he can do, he bats higher up for durham so he is technically a batter who bowls and if he keeps going as he has been he will be up at 5 in no time.
Bell looked error prone throughout his innings last night so the fact he chased a wide one with no foot movement is no surprise. He has scored 42 runs in total since his hundred in the first test in West indies, he's seeming like a fair weather batter now but he's always had that feel about him but pulls a big score out in adversity every now and then. Dont think england will change him but he and ballance will have some serious question marks over their heads, atm ballance is the one i fear for the most.
Buttler has been struggling but he's always moving up and done the order so once he's settled he should deliver hopefully.
Moeen could be and possibly should be higher up the order too, but he's down because he is the 'specialist' spinner but in all fairness he could be number 3 and second spinner. However boy does he have a problem with the short ball, even at 78mph. Mitch will eat him if he gets fired up.
Not mentioned cook. He was solid away and let root and stokes play their game whilst he kept his own game and it shows how hes changed little aspects of his technique since last summer and it does show, hes looking more like the cook who average 80 odd in 2011 than the one who averaged 30 odd the last few years.
Tomorrow hopefully cook and ali continue and get us a few more runs, hopefully broad can confront his fears with the bat. I do think that this test is one we have to look at giving them a carrot to chase but also one that we cant really lose from purely on the basis of how this test has gone for us
Bell looked error prone throughout his innings last night so the fact he chased a wide one with no foot movement is no surprise. He has scored 42 runs in total since his hundred in the first test in West indies, he's seeming like a fair weather batter now but he's always had that feel about him but pulls a big score out in adversity every now and then. Dont think england will change him but he and ballance will have some serious question marks over their heads, atm ballance is the one i fear for the most.
Buttler has been struggling but he's always moving up and done the order so once he's settled he should deliver hopefully.
Moeen could be and possibly should be higher up the order too, but he's down because he is the 'specialist' spinner but in all fairness he could be number 3 and second spinner. However boy does he have a problem with the short ball, even at 78mph. Mitch will eat him if he gets fired up.
Not mentioned cook. He was solid away and let root and stokes play their game whilst he kept his own game and it shows how hes changed little aspects of his technique since last summer and it does show, hes looking more like the cook who average 80 odd in 2011 than the one who averaged 30 odd the last few years.
Tomorrow hopefully cook and ali continue and get us a few more runs, hopefully broad can confront his fears with the bat. I do think that this test is one we have to look at giving them a carrot to chase but also one that we cant really lose from purely on the basis of how this test has gone for us