England in India Feb 2021

[Sir Virgs and Zamora]

I don’t get why they pick someone for one test. What is the point?

[Jock McTuffnel v3]

The England National Selectors have named a 16-strong squad and six travelling reserves for the first and second Test matches against India.

The first Test of the series starts on Friday 5 February at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.

England Men’s Test Squad:
Joe Root (Yorkshire) (captain), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Dom Bess (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Dom Sibley (Warwickshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Olly Stone (Warwickshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).

Reserves:
James Bracey (Gloucestershire), Mason Crane (Hampshire), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Matthew Parkinson (Lancashire), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Amar Virdi (Surrey).

Jofra Archer, Rory Burns and Ben Stokes return to the squad. Archer and Stokes were rested for the Sri Lanka series and Burns was at home for the birth of his first child.

Surrey’s Ollie Pope will travel to India and will be added to the squad when passed fit. Pope is recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in September during the Test series against Pakistan.

The National Selectors have provided a block of rest for Jonathan Bairstow, Sam Curran and Mark Wood. The three players, who are currently in Sri Lanka, will miss the first and second Tests in India.

This is consistent with the selection policy of finding a block of rest for all multi-format players at some point during post-Christmas winter schedule.

With Archer and Stokes returning, and subject to fitness of the rest of the squad, Somerset’s Craig Overton will return home after the Sri Lanka series.

[Jock McTuffnel v3]

BBC has more

Jonny Bairstow, Mark Wood and Sam Curran will all be rested for the first half of the four-Test series.

The series begins on 5 February, with the first two Tests taking place in Chennai. The third match, a day-nighter, and fourth Test are in Ahmedabad.

England have only named a squad for the first two Tests, with further players due to be rested for the second half of the series as workloads are managed in a year that is set to include 17 Tests and a T20 World Cup, potentially all in bio-secure conditions.

National selector Ed Smith has confirmed that Jos Buttler will leave the tour after the first Test, meaning Ben Foakes will keep wicket in the second.

[Sir Coolerking]

So most likely team is:

Sibley, Burns, Crawley, Root, Stokes, Lawrence, Buttler/Foakes, Bess, Leach, Archer, Broad/Anderson

If one of the top 3 is struggling then Bairstow could come in for the last 2 Tests.

[Jock McTuffnel v3]

Originally Posted by Sir Coolerking

So most likely team is:

Sibley, Burns, Crawley, Root, Stokes, Lawrence, Buttler/Foakes, Bess, Leach, Archer, Broad/Anderson

If one of the top 3 is struggling then Bairstow could come in for the last 2 Tests.

Depending on the pitch then Woakes for Bess ?

[Psyduck]

Resting multi-format players is absolutely necessary but it seems to me that Big Ed is over complicating things. Surprise, surprise.

[sanskritsimon]

Originally Posted by Psyduck

Resting multi-format players is absolutely necessary but it seems to me that Big Ed is over complicating things. Surprise, surprise.

I think it is a better plan just not to have multi-format players. OK if there's a world cup then you might want to shift a few of the better players into the ODI team for a while, but almost all ODIs are a waste of everyone's time, so most of the so-called "multi-format players" need not be so.

I think the rotational plan will have the effect of reducing the integrity of the series. One of the things about a series is seeing players work out oppo players and set them new challenges. If they're being rotated out all the time in a pre-planned manner then that aspect is lost, or at least significantly reduced. Broad getting Warner cheaply every time is somewhat diminished if it is only in every other test and Warner capitalises in the other ones. Effectively this current policy is an admission that the ECB doesn't really respect test cricket. I mean, they've announced they are "resting" Broad tomorrow. FFS it is a two-test series and he was obviously our best seamer in the first test. The plans for the India series are particularly egregious as India are the best team in the world and we should be wanting to have our best team on the field for every test. What's the point in having crammed Buttler into the test side years ago on the basis of his IPL performances and then invested in him for about five years while he was usually poor if when it comes down to it you're going to drop him as soon as it actually matters because he might be a bit tired?

[sharky]

Originally Posted by Sir Coolerking

So most likely team is:

Sibley, Burns, Crawley, Root, Stokes, Lawrence, Buttler/Foakes, Bess, Leach, Archer, Broad/Anderson

If one of the top 3 is struggling then Bairstow could come in for the last 2 Tests.

I think Mo will play instead of one of the top 3, probably Sibley.

Burns, Crawley, Root, Stokes, Lawrence, keeper, Mo, Bess, Leach, Archer, Broad/Anderson

[Jock McTuffnel v3]

Originally Posted by sharky

I think Mo will play instead of one of the top 3, probably Sibley.

I don't - no test ton since Dec 2016 , averages 28 and dropping.

[ConfusedMale]

Originally Posted by Jock McTuffnel v3

I can't make much of a case for England.

2 of Englands best players haven't played for months
2 opening bowlers have a combined age of 72
Englands opening batsmen can't score a run
Our keeper couldn't catch Covid in a Scottish care home
Our spinners serve up pies.
Our captain doesn't even play in the IPL.
Moeen Ali may get picked.

Only ray of light is that India played better without Kohli as captain - and he's back.

2 of Englands best players haven't played for months - Most of the first-choice Indian team didn't play in Australia and we still won, so it shows how it doesn't matter.
2 opening bowlers have a combined age of 72 - They also have around 1000 wickets, so that means they are vastly experienced.
Englands opening batsmen can't score a run - We'll see how our guys cope against the AB attack.
Our keeper couldn't catch Covid in a Scottish care home - Neither can ours.
Our spinners serve up pies. - We might not have anyone who can spin.
Our captain doesn't even play in the IPL. - How does matter in tests?
Moeen Ali may get picked. - Kohli will be captaining India.

[Michelle Fivefer]

Originally Posted by Jock McTuffnel v3

I can't make much of a case for England.

2 of Englands best players haven't played for months
2 opening bowlers have a combined age of 72
Englands opening batsmen can't score a run
Our keeper couldn't catch Covid in a Scottish care home
Our spinners serve up pies.
Our captain doesn't even play in the IPL.
Moeen Ali may get picked.

Only ray of light is that India played better without Kohli as captain - and he's back.

A case of: predict the worst, hope for the best?

[ConfusedMale]

Originally Posted by Michelle Fivefer

A case of: predict the worst, hope for the best?

Yeah, just an anticipatory bail.

From England's performance in Sri Lanka, it definitely isn't going to be a 4-0 win for India. In fact, I expect the series to be quite close, but India probably would just nudge ahead.

[luckyluke]

Originally Posted by ConfusedMale

Yeah, just an anticipatory bail.

From England's performance in Sri Lanka, it definitely isn't going to be a 4-0 win for India.

Nothing is impossible in cricket, and especially where England and whitewashes are concerned!

[ConfusedMale]

Originally Posted by luckyluke

Nothing is impossible in cricket, and especially where England and whitewashes are concerned!

Be as it may, I fear the Indian team might be a bit emotionally drained after the Aussie series and might struggle to have the intensity against England. On top of that, Root seems to be in pristine form, and he almost always scores runs against us. So, this series might actually turn out to be a lot closer than most people believe.

Of course, it could very well be a whitewash when we travel to England later in the year.

[Sir Coolerking]

Originally Posted by ConfusedMale

Be as it may, I fear the Indian team might be a bit emotionally drained after the Aussie series and might struggle to have the intensity against England. On top of that, Root seems to be in pristine form, and he almost always scores runs against us. So, this series might actually turn out to be a lot closer than most people believe.

Of course, it could very well be a whitewash when we travel to England later in the year.

I'd say both teams look more equipped now to compete in each other's conditions. The home sides will of course start favourites, but they should be competitive.

[ConfusedMale]

Originally Posted by Sir Coolerking

I'd say both teams look more equipped now to compete in each other's conditions. The home sides will of course start favourites, but they should be competitive.

I've been hoping for that when we tour England since I watched Kapil's team win 2-0 back in 1986. Since then, I can only recall 2002 and 2007 when we were really competitive. Most other times, we definitely were the second best team.

In India, England has gotten much better and competitive, so I expect a closely fought series.

[mustardcharlie]

Originally Posted by ConfusedMale

I've been hoping for that when we tour England since I watched Kapil's team win 2-0 back in 1986. Since then, I can only recall 2002 and 2007 when we were really competitive. Most other times, we definitely were the second best team.

In India, England has gotten much better and competitive, so I expect a closely fought series.

India have ignored seam and pace for years. They have developed probably their best pace attack in my lifetime and I go back to the years long before Kapil. Similarly the batsmen have learned how to play in Australian/English conditions. This thread is England in India however.

[sanskritsimon]

Originally Posted by Sir Coolerking

Sibley, Burns, Crawley, Root, Stokes, Lawrence, Buttler/Foakes, Bess, Leach, Archer, Broad/Anderson

Originally Posted by sharky

Burns, Crawley, Root, Stokes, Lawrence, keeper, Mo, Bess, Leach, Archer, Broad/Anderson

I'm thinking:

Burns, Sibley, Root, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, Foakes, Moeen, Leach, Broad, Anderson.

However, I expect they will play Archer instead of either Broad or Anderson, and Crawley or Lawrence (rejigging the order) instead of Foakes.

[Sir Coolerking]

Originally Posted by sanskritsimon

I'm thinking:

Burns, Sibley, Root, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, Foakes, Moeen, Leach, Broad, Anderson.

However, I expect they will play Archer instead of either Broad or Anderson, and Crawley or Lawrence (rejigging the order) instead of Foakes.

I don't believe that Pope is a viable option yet (he can't field).

[sanskritsimon]

Originally Posted by Sir Coolerking

I don't believe that Pope is a viable option yet (he can't field).

Poor chap. That's been a nasty injury.