Moeen's the only one who took a wicket in the 2nd innings

Opening options are pretty much limited to Alex Hales

#3 options would be Borthwick, Taylor or moving Root up (or even Stokes, he's batted that high before)

#4 options would be shifting our middle order up and bringing in either Rashid at 8 or Bairstow at 6/7



For what it's worth I think Lyth and Ballance will keep their places, and I'd be surprised in all honesty if Bell is dropped. I think we can expect a maximum of 1 player to be changed and Bairstow will probably come in.

I always forget Eoin Morgan but I'd rather see him kept out of the test team, don't want it getting in the way of his improving ODI form

Jonny Bairstow is on 125* (152) as we speak, batting at 5 for Yorks (and keeping wicket)

James Taylor currently 107* (197) for Notts batting at 4 (though he usually bats 3)

Not entirely convinced myself that Taylor is a test standard player - slightly ropey technique, could be exposed the same way as Lyth - but he can't do any worse than Bell or Ballance at the mo

comment by Chris HaaKsworth (U11574)
posted 2 minutes ago
James Taylor currently 107* (197) for Notts batting at 4 (though he usually bats 3)
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apparently the first time he has passed 60 in the CC this season.

comment by englandwhoelse (U16825)
posted 27 minutes ago
sheriff, you still gotta score runs..England need to bat first that's for sure 350 is a must.. if we don't get that or 200...they deserve to lose the series.. you cant get 400 runs in total in a test match over 2 innings and expect to get a win.
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No argument frm me on that chief..

Yeah... Borthwick's form hasn't exactly been stellar either

Bairstow and Hales, though, have plenty of international experience and they're on stunning form

comment by Chris HaaKsworth (U11574)
posted 8 minutes ago
Yeah... Borthwick's form hasn't exactly been stellar either

Bairstow and Hales, though, have plenty of international experience and they're on stunning form
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Aren't they one day or 20/20 players tho

Bairstow has had 5 hundreds and 3 fifties in 7 division one games this season with a current batting average of 112, (currently 130 not out at Scarborough).

Surely he deserves another chance. I won`t be surprised if the clueless selectors pick the same XI for Edgbaston though

Playing county cricket against some rubbish medium pace bowlers and scoring hundreds and fifties is not the same as against world class bowlers like Johnson, Starc
and Hazlewood with 90 mph.

comment by The little Brazilian magician Coutinho (U19731)
posted 11 minutes ago
Playing county cricket against some rubbish medium pace bowlers and scoring hundreds and fifties is not the same as against world class bowlers like Johnson, Starc
and Hazlewood with 90 mph.
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There are plenty of quality international bowlers in county cricket, and no matter who you pick they all earn their chance through their county form.

Outside the SA and Australian bowlers there are no international class bowlers.

When you face Johnson or Starc is something different than when you face some rubbish bowler in county who plays for some rubbish cricket country like India.

Name me an international class player who bowls now in the county cricket who is of the same calibre as Johnson, Steyn, Morkel or Philander.

There really aren't any. Yes there are plenty of decent country bowlers but they don't bowl at 90+ mph and if they did they would be in the England team.

I like bell and think he should bat at 5 but if u put him back in county cricket he will looks world class like he did earlier in the season. However defo think Bairstow has to be considered due to the vast amount of runs he's been scoring.

comment by BO$$™ (U6401)
posted 56 seconds ago
There really aren't any. Yes there are plenty of decent country bowlers but they don't bowl at 90+ mph and if they did they would be in the England team.

I like bell and think he should bat at 5 but if u put him back in county cricket he will looks world class like he did earlier in the season. However defo think Bairstow has to be considered due to the vast amount of runs he's been scoring.
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Why dont the english cricketers go to play in the Sheffield Shield or the Supersport Series to get some experience like South Africans and Ozzies do here in the county cricket.

Still can't believe Balance place doesn't seem to be under threat compared to Bell. He literally is a walking wicket. No foot movement at all and just wafts his bat around. Yes he looked great against the connon fodder bowlers from WI and India but against class bowlers he looks like a proper donkey.

He's the biggest cause of England being 30-3/4 all the time.

comment by The little Brazilian magician Coutinho (U19731)
posted 40 minutes ago
Outside the SA and Australian bowlers there are no international class bowlers.

When you face Johnson or Starc is something different than when you face some rubbish bowler in county who plays for some rubbish cricket country like India.

Name me an international class player who bowls now in the county cricket who is of the same calibre as Johnson, Steyn, Morkel or Philander.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

And your point is what?

Are you saying somebody like Bairstow should not be selected for England because he scores lots of runs against medium pace county bowling, and has not scored those runs against bowlers like Johnson and Starc?

Guess what, the eleven players who failed so miserably today at Lords also never face bowling of that calibre, other than when they play Test matches for England.

There have been plenty of fine England test players who have earned their call up through scoring runs against county attacks. Also, it is not all about pace bowling, Bairstow for example has scored 140 today against Saeed Ajmal, one of the finest spin bowlers around.

I would open with cook and hales, compton 3 root 4 bell 5 bairstow 6 stokes 7 Rashid 8 broad 9 wood 10 anderson 11. Not happy about dropping butler but he doesn't look up to this level. Keep him as odi specialist.

Maybe james taylor at 3 rather than compton.

comment by Billy The Yidd (U3924)
posted 20 minutes ago
comment by The little Brazilian magician Coutinho (U19731)
posted 40 minutes ago
Outside the SA and Australian bowlers there are no international class bowlers.

When you face Johnson or Starc is something different than when you face some rubbish bowler in county who plays for some rubbish cricket country like India.

Name me an international class player who bowls now in the county cricket who is of the same calibre as Johnson, Steyn, Morkel or Philander.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

And your point is what?

Are you saying somebody like Bairstow should not be selected for England because he scores lots of runs against medium pace county bowling, and has not scored those runs against bowlers like Johnson and Starc?

Guess what, the eleven players who failed so miserably today at Lords also never face bowling of that calibre, other than when they play Test matches for England.

There have been plenty of fine England test players who have earned their call up through scoring runs against county attacks. Also, it is not all about pace bowling, Bairstow for example has scored 140 today against Saeed Ajmal, one of the finest spin bowlers around.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Facing Saeed Ajmal in england conditions which have spin unfriendly pitches is different than facing him in the sub continent.

I remember Saeed Ajmal demolish England in the UAE.

That is my point my friend.

I think picking bairstow either as a specialist batsman or instead of buttler for the next test is a no brainer. At the very least move root to 3 and bairstow 4 bell 5 if they want to keep changes to a minimum.

comment by The little Brazilian magician Coutinho (U19731)
posted 27 minutes ago
comment by Billy The Yidd (U3924)
posted 20 minutes ago
comment by The little Brazilian magician Coutinho (U19731)
posted 40 minutes ago
Outside the SA and Australian bowlers there are no international class bowlers.

When you face Johnson or Starc is something different than when you face some rubbish bowler in county who plays for some rubbish cricket country like India.

Name me an international class player who bowls now in the county cricket who is of the same calibre as Johnson, Steyn, Morkel or Philander.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

And your point is what?

Are you saying somebody like Bairstow should not be selected for England because he scores lots of runs against medium pace county bowling, and has not scored those runs against bowlers like Johnson and Starc?

Guess what, the eleven players who failed so miserably today at Lords also never face bowling of that calibre, other than when they play Test matches for England.

There have been plenty of fine England test players who have earned their call up through scoring runs against county attacks. Also, it is not all about pace bowling, Bairstow for example has scored 140 today against Saeed Ajmal, one of the finest spin bowlers around.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Facing Saeed Ajmal in england conditions which have spin unfriendly pitches is different than facing him in the sub continent.

I remember Saeed Ajmal demolish England in the UAE.

That is my point my friend.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Who do you suggest they pick?

Finn is an option. Give him time to develop and the confidence will come. Test cricket is a mind game a lot of the time. The cardif test is an example of this.

I remember Johnson in the past here in England who did nothing with the ball.

Magnificent win for Australia.

Dominated this match from start t finish.

Rogers & Smith were bot superb. The bowling unit is fantastic with great variety & balance. Mitchell Johnson ahs been brilliant in this match & Mitchell Marsh with some key wickets of Cook & Stokes.

405 run is a massive margin compared o 169 run win for England in Cardiff.

From a neutral point of view - this is a fantatsic series now.

Hopefully The Edgbaston groundsmen wont listen to any demands from ECB & produce a much better wicket with a more even contest with bat & ball.