TOPIC:

Englands team selection is relatively straight forward, Archer and Leach in for Anderson and Ali. Langer has hinted that they may go in to Lords with the same XI perhaps keeping Hazlewood and Starc up his sleeve for the 3rd test which starts 4 days after the 2nd, they are obviously taking a squad mentality to this series which might also open up opportunities for Neser and Marsh later on to share the bowling load. I think this test may get down to how well Archer makes the switch from white ball to red ball. If he is all over the shop,our batsmen may prosper again but he has the potential to run through us along with Broad and Woakes if he gets it right. Smith papered over a lot of cracks in the batting in the first test and they were a bowler short don't forget. England will hit back hard in this test I believe.

Pattinson has been left out of the 12 man squad, would have to be management issues given his injury history and the possibility that the bowlers will have to do a lot of work on what looks like a flat wicket.
With Cummins and Lyon certainties it will be 2 out of Starc, Hazlewood and Siddle. It will be a difficult decision which may come down to a final assessment of the pitch in the morning. Siddle was widely praised for his low economy rate at Edgbaston which enabled the other bowlers to attack without fear of the game getting out of control, so it might get down to a choice between Starc and Hazlewood. Whoever misses out here may well come in for the 3rd test which starts only a few days after this one finishes. Pattinson will probably be back for that as well. We can expect some rotation of the fast bowlers to keep them all fit and firing till the 5th test. We are indeed lucky to have so many good fast bowlers augmented by the current best spinner in world cricket.

Hazelwood gets the nod over Starc....sensible decision to manage Pattinson.....Siddle probably next test match to miss out....Cummins will play all 5 I reckon barring injury....

If Aust bat first, a score of 350-400 will be important to keep their momentum....Will be interesting to see the impact of Archer....comes in with huge wraps.....only young in terms of the longer format....be important to keep bringing him back to bowl....to do so the likes of Broad and Woakes will need to be scored off....Stokes whilst handy picking up a few wickets always goes at 4 runs an over....Leach is unkown TBH....the way Aust batsmen play spin anything could happen...LOL

Seriously how piss poor a fieldsman is Khawaja and the Poms know it too.
Not sure about Paine’s decision to bowl first either despite early wickets by Hazlewood.

Looks like Lords will be hard work for the bowlers. The wicket looks really flat and almost white.Like a wicket in Asia.

Especially hard work for the bowlers when you have piss poor catching from Khawaja and Paine GTR!!!

BH....let's hope Uzzie redeems himself with the bat then.....definitely need a grinding innings from Bancroft on day 3.....can't expect Smith to deliver all the time....be great if Aust can bat deep into day 3 and into day 4....grab a lead of 150 and then put the Poms under the pump....big ask tho....

BH we all know how strange test cricket is as a game.Not long after my last post.The game turned and England are knee deep.

The bowlers did a great job as a unit although they had an opportunity at 6-138 to get them out for less than 200, but Woakes and Bairstow played well. Warner is becoming a bit of a concern and would need some runs in the 2nd innings. May be all academic anyway because there is more rain forecast today.

Similar start to the Poms, Warner is becoming areal liability and Bancroft needs to grind out a long innings and let the attacking players make the runs, would need to be 100+ ahead at close of play today then bat deep into day 3 (4) aim for at least a 300 lead so the poms have to bat on a dry dusty 5th day pitch, could be a field day for the Goat.