*Official* Third Test at Edgbaston

[Stapel]

Cook hasn't been all that great barring the Ashes I think

That sentence just doesn't make sense............

And he averaged 97,5 in the series against SL.

 

[MW1304]

Cook hasn't been all that great barring the Ashes I think. I do think that he is quite over rated around here. Was found out by the Pakistani attack and now falling to the Indian bowlers

Clearly your mind is clouded by the series he had against Pakistan.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Cook hasn't been all that great barring the Ashes I think. I do think that he is quite over rated around here. Was found out by the Pakistani attack and now falling to the Indian bowlers

You may find that a guy doesn't score 18 centuries in 70 matches with a career average of 47.75 by just having a good series against Australia.

 

[Howe_zat]

You may find that a guy doesn't score 18 centuries in 70 matches with a career average of 47.75 by just having a good series against Australia.

Or scored 2000 runs at an average of 60 over two years, despite his problems last summer.

 

[Cevno]

Cook is a good player but not a great player,imo. I think he, Smith and perhaps Gambhir(shorter period) are about the same category right now for me. All have had there dominating spells and then fall back a bit.
This series may or may not prove anything but i think he was a being a bit overrated here on the back of the Stellar Ashes he had, which is natural in a way.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Cook is a good player but not a great player,imo. I think he, Smith and perhaps Gambhir(shorter period) are about the same category right now for me. All have had there dominating spells and then fall back a bit.
This series may or may not prove anything but i think he was a being a bit overrated here on the back of the Stellar Ashes he had, which is natural in a way.

You are right there.

I still stand by the statement I made during the ashes that Cook will break all the English batting records (most runs and centuries) simply because he is still only 26 and will go on longer than Bell and KP who have similar records over the same period of matches.

Is Cook an ATG? No. Is he the best opener England have had in the last 20 years? Probably, but Trescothick has a good case.

Will he end up with more test tons than any other Englishman when he reties? YES


Just because he is our best opener for a while and will set new run records doesn't make him an ATG. We should just appreciate him for what he is, a bloody good test opener who will have peaks and troughs like many have before and many will in the future.

 

[Cevno]

Or scored 2000 runs at an average of 60 over two years, despite his problems last summer.

Lol @ Sehwag's strike rate being almost twice to everyone else close to him.

And what is interesting is that his strike rate in this period is more than 10 points quicker than his actual career strike rate.

 

[Jacknife]

I am starting to worry that Strauss' problem is terminal. Hopefully he's just going through one of his bad spells, and not a Vaughan-esque fall from grace - he doesn't look out of touch but isn't converting, which is the worrying thing. Strange how our openers have performed so poorly and yet the team is going so well - I thought they would be vital this series but it isn't proving to be the case.

Always seems the way when you get into the end of July /August, the openers job seems to be about surviving, we'll see if this trend continues in the next test but it was very similar last year, the conditions for the openers are extremely hard.

 

[smalishah84]

Clearly your mind is clouded by the series he had against Pakistan.

Probably.

But he hasn't looked that great against an ATT (All Time Toothless) Indian attack so maybe he is over rated. Tbf I only watched him closely in the Pak series and now.

 

[Howe_zat]

Cook is a good player but not a great player,imo. I think he, Smith and perhaps Gambhir(shorter period) are about the same category right now for me. All have had there dominating spells and then fall back a bit.

Fair. I think Cook and Smith are likely to end up with very similar career figures.

 

[BoyBrumby]

There is a six batsman & four pacemen option should Trott not be fit.

Sammy Patel. His SLA would cover the spin if needed (I don't think he'll be a serious option in tests, but he's better than a part-timer and has decent variations, plus him turning the ball away from right handers is a bonus) and he's a good enough batsman to have a career average in excess of 40.

Tremmers in for Swann and Sammy replaces the injured Trott

 

[wpdavid]

There is a six batsman & four pacemen option should Trott not be fit.

Sammy Patel. His SLA would cover the spin if needed (I don't think he'll be a serious option in tests, but he's better than a part-timer and has decent variations, plus him turning the ball away from right handers is a bonus) and he's a good enough batsman to have a career average in excess of 40.

Tremmers in for Swann and Sammy replaces Swann.

Swann always reckoned it would take two blokes to replace him in the side.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Swann always reckoned it would take two blokes to replace him in the side.

Dunno what you mean...

Seriously, I don't think there's any way Swann won't play if he's fit, but he's not been at his best for some time now.

 

[Howe_zat]

Picking five bowlers and one of them not being Swann doesn't sit well at all.

 

[MW1304]

Dunno what you mean...

Seriously, I don't think there's any way Swann won't play if he's fit, but he's not been at his best for some time now.

I thought he was really good in the First Test, actually, bowled better han his figures/India play spin well/and all that... but no way should he be dropped after how well he's played the last two years. He's earned his place for a while and a few good performances from Bres shouldn't see him leapfrogged so suddenly. It affects the balance of the team to much... in any case I cannot see the England management dropping him for anyone anytime soon. Of course, if he's injured, its a different case.

 

[kp4captain]

Looking forward to this one a lot, great to see test cricket back at Edgbaston after it's one year absence. Does anyone know when they send the tickets out?

 

[Howe_zat]

I bought tickets a couple of weeks ago, they're supposed to have been dispatched out by yesterday.

 

[Woodster]

Please have a read of my experience at the Trent Bridge Test and also a quick review of the days I didn't attend.

Cricket Web - Features: England recover to edge closer to becoming the top Test side

 

[Isura]

There is a six batsman & four pacemen option should Trott not be fit.

Sammy Patel. His SLA would cover the spin if needed (I don't think he'll be a serious option in tests, but he's better than a part-timer and has decent variations, plus him turning the ball away from right handers is a bonus) and he's a good enough batsman to have a career average in excess of 40.

Tremmers in for Swann and Sammy replaces the injured Trott

I really like this idea, but I doubt the selectors would be so innovative

 

[Woodster]

There would have to be very strong suggestions that the pitch would not take any spin for England to leave out Swann. We knew this would be a test for Swann against very accomplished players of his discipline, yet he can still win us matches given some assistance, even against India, imo.

Unfortunately he hasn't been able to give Strauss the control he so often does even if he's not a huge wicket-taking threat. That will no doubt be a slight worry for England. I cannot see them leaving him out, he offers too much.