Sometimes the captaincy just doesnt agree with some players. Root has being doing the job a year now and his own game along with on field decisions seem to have deteriorated rapidly in that time.
westham,eggyandchips wrote:Sometimes the captaincy just doesnt agree with some players. Root has being doing the job a year now and his own game along with on field decisions seem to have deteriorated rapidly in that time.
I'm starting to suspect this is the case. Root looked a great batsman before the captaincy. Now he looks a poor batter and a poor captain.
I don't think they can adapt to play the situation, they don't have the grit to get through difficult sessions to then have the freedom to play the way they want. Far too often we are looking at needing to save the test after 1 days play.
Whilst they have done a wonderful job in turning around the 1 Day/T20 teams, the Test team appears to be in freefall
Not another test where we don't take 20 wickets? The batting is a huge problem but we aren't taking wickets either. Once Anderson calls it a day.............
Not another test where we don't take 20 wickets? The batting is a huge problem but we aren't taking wickets either. Once Anderson calls it a day.............
What do you mean once.... he's looked decidedly non-threatening so far in this innings apart from one spell in and around lunch
smuts wrote:309 - 5 and Cook shells one Boycott's nan would have caught in her pinney.
Another first innings failure followed by the opposition racking up a big lead.
Been amateur hour all round, they seem completely disorganised. More and more it looks like Root is not a captain. No visible plans or innovation, fielders seem unmotivated. Terrible really.
I think it was Michael Vaughan that said, when you keep posting low first innings scores it puts the whole team under pressure.... Bowlers bowl poor line and lengths, catches get dropped, misfields happen more often etc
westham,eggyandchips wrote:I think it was Michael Vaughan that said, when you keep posting low first innings scores it puts the whole team under pressure.... Bowlers bowl poor line and lengths, catches get dropped, misfields happen more often etc
This. We are going to keep getting hammered until we start posting scores. In the past our bowlers have got out of trouble but you can't keep going to the well.
Lets face it. 350 - 8 is not a monster score for a first innings.
The problem is our 184. We are MINIMUM 120 short.
You can't win matches with a top order that fail again and again. Root's shot was a disaster. Smith before the ban was batting his side into a dominant position. Root is a shadow of the player he was.
I'm at the point where I'm starting to think they should take the captaincy away from him and tell him he can have it back in a few years time.
Vaughan was one of those clamouring for Root to be captain, loads of non Yorkshire suggested he was too young and inexperienced but there you go.
You can't blame this on limited overs/too much cricket etc, Australia,India and others seem to be able to cope. I think there's lots of things that are wrong,but the problem lies at the top. Poor pre test tour preparation, key players being shoved up and down the order, ludicrous selection decisions ( Malan....??! ) Complete inability to sort out the openers(remind me, where did Strauss play?).
A young, inexperienced,but crucially determined, motivated and well prepared Pakistan side has just outplayed England for 6 sessions on the bounce.
Test cricket is already under pressure, if one of it's prime movers can't get it's act together and at least compete in time for next year's ashes, then I fear for it.