Choosing the Playing XI vs England based on Current Ability and Form

[express bowling]

The Playing XI vs England ( and all other matches )  should be based on Current Ability and Form ... and NOT based on seniority and reputation.

 

Just pick the best 11 players who are most likely to perform in early August in these conditions.

 

.... 4 pacers are needed in England and would definitely help keep individual pacers fresh and bowl with full intensity.

....  1 spinner is sufficient for most venues in England unless we get a really spin friendly track.

....  Rahul plays much better in the middle order and should not open.

....  Pujara's game is most suited to opening in England. Take the shine off the new ball and let others score freely later on.

.... Siraj should definitely play. He can move the ball both ways at sharp pace. 

.... Ishant is looking tired and unfit. Losing steam these days. It would be very risky to play him ahead of Siraj.

.... My preferred team below has 2 swing bowlers, 2 fast bowlers and a spinner  (  5 bowling options ... 4 pacers ... enough variety for different conditions )

 

 

1. Rohit

2. Pujara

3. Rahane / Sundar

4. Kohli

5. Rahul

6. Pant

7. Jadeja / Ashwin

8. Shardul

9. Siraj

10. Shami

11. Bumrah

 

 

....   Since our batting is a bigger problem these days, Jadeja at 7 would lend more solidity to the batting.

....  If Rahane looks unconvincing in the first test then he should be replaced by Sundar.

Edited July 21, 2021 by express bowling

[Suhaan]

1 hour ago, express bowling said:

.  If Rahane looks unconvincing in the first test then he should be replaced by Sundar.

Nice team,but i think we should only play one of them between Rahane and Pujara

These two in these conditions give a scary weak look to the batting lineup

[Suhaan]

26 minutes ago, sarchasm said:

Ashwin's rich haul in the county game and Jadeja's performance here means TM will play safe and include both.

I believe weather will once again be wtc like and playing two spinners will once again be a self goal

What is the weather forcast

Edited July 21, 2021 by Suhaan

[express bowling]

32 minutes ago, Suhaan said:

Nice team,but i think we should only play one of them between Rahane and Pujara

These two in these conditions give a scary weak look to the batting lineup

 

 

I would love this to happen  ... but would the TM have the balls to do this. ?

 

Ideally Sundar can come in straight away.

[Lone Wolf]

I think Sundar will be benched for majority of the series & his batting potential will be wasted so no way he is gonna be in Starting XI. 

For First test

Rohit

Mayank

Rahane 

Kohli 

Pant

Rahul

Ashwin 

Shardul

Siraj

Shami

Bumrah 

 

Playing Pujara would be waste of a batting slot.  He can't even bat on a batting beauty let alone on a seam friendly pitch.  His timing is way too bad to succeed in England & he can't take advantage of run scoring deliveries. 

 

Rohit & Mayank are not solid openers but they know how to score runs on poor balls.  New Dukes don't swing that much early on so we need to get few runs early on. 

Rahane plays with aggressive intent these days..  And scores useful cameos. 

 

 

[Sandeep99]

If you really want to fit in both ashwin and Jadeja, drop that 100 test ghadha 

[Sgattick10]

Drop both Pujara and Rahane (not gonna happen I know) but my preferred 11

Rohit

Mayank

Sundar

Kohli

Rahul

Pant

Shardul/Jaddu (depending on pitch/weather)

Ashwin

Siraj

Shami

Bumraah

[Lord]

Based on current ability and form,Bumrah misses out.

 

Rohit

Pujara

Rahane

Kohli

Rahul

Pant

Jaddu

Ashwin

Thakur

Siraj

Shami

 

[Ankit_sharma03]

How do u find a middle ground between ability n poor form ??

Bumrah, Pujara are not in form, ability isnt the question

[express bowling]

6 minutes ago, Ankit_sharma03 said:

How do u find a middle ground between ability n poor form ??

Bumrah, Pujara are not in form, ability isnt the question

 

 

Regarding Bumrah ... just 1 bad test match cannot be indicative of poor form.

 

He bowled his heart out on the flattest of flat decks in the 1st test in Chennai earlier this year. And hardly got to bowl in the 3rd test.

 

Poor form must mean quite a few bad matches on the trot, especially regarding a player who is at his peak.

[BacktoCricaddict]

2 minutes ago, express bowling said:

 

 

Regarding Bumrah ... just 1 bad test match cannot be indicative of poor form.

 

He bowled his heart out on the flattest of flat decks in the 1st test in Chennai earlier this year. And hardly got to bowl in the 3rd test.

 

Poor form must mean quite a few bad matches on the trot, especially regarding a player who is at his peak.

Knowing his maturity and ability to keep improving, he has probably worked out for himself what flaws he needed to fix from the WTC match and has practiced accordingly.  I am just hoping that he has used this time off to completely heal from his ab injury and is not tentative while delivering the ball.    

[express bowling]

Biggest mistakes we can make

 

.... Dropping Siraj 

.... Playing Umesh as a replacement for somebody.

.... Not playing 4 pacers

.... Opening with Rahul ... he plays much better in the middle order.

 

[Ankit_sharma03]

Key wud be middle order n Tail....that will decide the series .

Batting order 4-9 will make the difference 

Edited July 21, 2021 by Ankit_sharma03

[deepdynamo]

I am going with the best specialist team. Its a long series so no point being over aggressive.

Just have long batting and best bowlers is what I am going for.

 

Rohit

Mayank
Pujara
Kohli

Rahane

Rahul
Pant

Ashwin
Siraj

Shami

Bumrah

 

[figo6762]

Irrespective who opens , we are bound to be 2 down in the first 10 or 15 . So need a solid / confident middle lower…

 

 

by looks of it we don’t have that :

Kohli : has touched his bat since game against NZ

Rahane:  we can always count on single digit or 30 to 40 score in quick time 

rahul : will always play well in warm up games and will mysteriously loose form 

pant : only hope at a fight back .. 

 

 

 

[Lord]

25 minutes ago, express bowling said:

Biggest mistakes we can make

 

.... Dropping Siraj 

.... Playing Umesh as a replacement for somebody.

.... Not playing 4 pacers

.... Opening with Rahul ... he plays much better in the middle order.

 

 

that isnt possible or even necessary if the weather is clear

[express bowling]

21 minutes ago, Lord said:

 

that isnt possible or even necessary if the weather is clear

 

 

It is even more necessary if the weather is clear and the pitch is not aiding spinners.

 

This is because batting conditions mean bowling more overs and 4 pacers will enable everyone to be fresh.

 

 

[Lord]

8 minutes ago, express bowling said:

 

 

It is even more necessary if the weather is clear and the pitch is not aiding spinners.

 

This is because batting conditions mean bowling more overs and 4 pacers will enable everyone to be fresh.

 

 

 

If there is sun,it'll aid spin atleast from 3rd day onwards. We saw spin friendly pitches in recent Pak Eng series too

 

3 pacers can be kept fresh too by bowling the spinners in between.

 

If Hardik was available and bowling,it'd been easy choice

 

Let's see how Thakur goes in this county game.needs to pick up atleast 4 to keep Ashwin out

 

 

 

[Ankit_sharma03]

2 minutes ago, Cricspin said:

but not on 4 seam bowlers.

Same here....dnt agree on 4 seamers

No way im dropping Ashwin

[Ankit_sharma03]

2 minutes ago, Cricspin said:

Rohit

Mayank

Rahane/Gill

Kohli

Rahul
Pant

Jadeja/Sundar

Ashwin
Thakur/Shami

Siraj

Bumrah

 

Mayank will be a no- no for me

Gill has returned home 

Rest agree on all....Thakur ill srsly consider