If he's going to bat like that then stick him down at 7, promote Foakes to 5 and bring Brook in at 6.

I sort of want to see us 40/4 at some point to see if he bats properly or whether he will just bat irresponsibly. I don't mind the big shots but when you've got Root at the other end, you will probably go at 4-5 an over anyway which would have been perfect.

Root has shown you can bat quickly without taking risks, he has a SR of 80 this innings, so I don't know why Stokes felt he had to play like that.

He easily could have got us to win of 50 of NZ playing sensibly and then gone T20 mode.

comment by Edinspur (U1109)
posted 22 minutes ago
I’m waiting for Sandy to come on here and say that in his day a team could bowl the opposition out in a session
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comment by Edinspur (U1109)
posted 27 minutes ago
I’m waiting for Sandy to come on here and say that in his day a team could bowl the opposition out in a session
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Is Joe Root England's greatest ever player?

Best batsman for me. Jimmy the best overall.

Best after wg grace, Botham, Anderson and keaton jennings

It's an absolute joy to watch him bat. I also loved his reaction to Pope's hundred

Hobbs, Botham, Hammond, Hutton, Barrington, Trueman, Jimmy, to name a few are all in the conversation.

comment by Barefoot (U19770)
posted 17 minutes ago
Hobbs, Botham, Hammond, Hutton, Barrington, Trueman, Jimmy, to name a few are all in the conversation.
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It's a great conversation though

I captained him as a 15 year old at Yorkshire - true story

comment by Snooker_49 (U10665)
posted 1 hour, 35 minutes ago
comment by Edinspur (U1109)
posted 27 minutes ago
I’m waiting for Sandy to come on here and say that in his day a team could bowl the opposition out in a session
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Sandy is a complete bell

comment by Sloppy implementer of heroic ideas (U20845)
posted about 2 hours ago
Is Joe Root England's greatest ever player?
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In the last three years...all day

comment by Neo (U9135)
posted 1 hour, 11 minutes ago
Best batsman for me. Jimmy the best overall.
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When they both retire it will be an interesting conversation. If you are talking just test cricket then I'd agree for now but who knows what numbers Root could end up with. He seems to be at the peak of his powers and considering his batting went from strength to strength despite the burden of captaincy then it could well kick on again without it.

Root is only 31, and just looks hungry for runs, the way he plays, he's never grinding it out. He might get out cheaply every now and then but he never looks like he can't buy a run. We used to talk about his conversion rate from 50 to 100 not being good enough for an elite batsmen, but now we talk about his conversion rate from 100 to 150 as he has passed 150 in 13 of the 27 knocks he has reached 100.

Jimmy is remarkable due to his longevity and improvement with age and he is one of the best around at the moment even though he will be 40 next month.

When they both retire, where will we rank Jimmy against other quicks in the game and where will we rank Root against other batsmen in the game?

Root and Williamson are the most elegant players in the modern game.. Steve Smith looks like hes chopping wood. dreadful to watch.

comment by Emile Death Rowe (TCM) (U8959)
posted 25 minutes ago
comment by Neo (U9135)
posted 1 hour, 11 minutes ago
Best batsman for me. Jimmy the best overall.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
When they both retire it will be an interesting conversation. If you are talking just test cricket then I'd agree for now but who knows what numbers Root could end up with. He seems to be at the peak of his powers and considering his batting went from strength to strength despite the burden of captaincy then it could well kick on again without it.

Root is only 31, and just looks hungry for runs, the way he plays, he's never grinding it out. He might get out cheaply every now and then but he never looks like he can't buy a run. We used to talk about his conversion rate from 50 to 100 not being good enough for an elite batsmen, but now we talk about his conversion rate from 100 to 150 as he has passed 150 in 13 of the 27 knocks he has reached 100.

Jimmy is remarkable due to his longevity and improvement with age and he is one of the best around at the moment even though he will be 40 next month.

When they both retire, where will we rank Jimmy against other quicks in the game and where will we rank Root against other batsmen in the game?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Great post.

I always find it hard to compare batsmen with bowlers. To look at in a very simple way, a bowler can bowl a bad ball and be punished but it's that one ball. A batsmen can play one bad shot and he's out. The concentration required is immense and I believe its one of Roots many great qualities. This is not me saying Root is better than Anderson its just a very difficult comparison in my opinion

On the conversation of Jimmy, he deserves massive credit for his bowling this game.

3/62 with an econ of 2.3 when the next best bowler on either side is Boult with 3/89 and an econ of 3.36.

He's still easily our best bowler even on flat decks.

England have never lost a Test match when they've caught all their opponents out in one innings.

Not many people know that!

comment by bestoftherest2021 (U22523)
posted about 10 hours ago
Root and Williamson are the most elegant players in the modern game.. Steve Smith looks like hes chopping wood. dreadful to watch.
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Babar Azam and Virat Kohli are pretty elegant too.

comment by The Welsh Xavi (U15412)
posted 1 hour, 7 minutes ago
On the conversation of Jimmy, he deserves massive credit for his bowling this game.

3/62 with an econ of 2.3 when the next best bowler on either side is Boult with 3/89 and an econ of 3.36.

He's still easily our best bowler even on flat decks.
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That's an excellent point. There still seems to be a lazy point about Jimmy that he's only effective when the ball is swinging. The reality is he's the absolute master of his craft when it's swinging. The control he has and the way he sets batters up is second to none. However he's developed his skills over the years to be able to bowl tight line and lengths to consistently test batters.

He's just so good and his fitness levels are ridiculous plus he's still a top athlete and fielder too. Seems to always have to battle the critics saying we can't have him in the team cos he's not the future or we can't have him and Broad in the same team.

All 3 results are still possible going into day 4. which is a looking like interesting cricket. If i was put my money on it. A draw is the most likely outcome and England second favourites.

Root!! stop dat

If this new style is all about instilling belief and confidence in the players, then fair enough. I'm calling it now though: the collapses will continue and we will lose more tests than we should.

I just don't rate this gung-ho approach. It didn't work under Bayliss and I don't see it working long-term under McCullum either.

To be fair I don't mind it so much from Root. He's earned the right to play a shot or two.

Several of us on here called for Foakes a couple of years ago. Why we stuck to Buttler for so long beggars belief.

Well played root