New players but the same old issues? Guess they need time to adjust against a strong side. Or maybe we will be slow starters again like v the Aussies?
I was being a bit harsh I think as this is the perfect time to try new blood, but four debuts and two others that had five caps between them was a bit of a stretch. 2027 is a long way off so we have time and there is promise but this tour might be a disaster result-wise..
Windies are a decent short format team too so we can't look too much into things. New players need to be blooded in so take the rough short term to get that long term gain.
Our horror run with bat continues. Bundled out for 263, after cleaning up NZ for 235. Huge worry before the Australia tour. On a separate note, interesting retentions in the IPL. Kolkata have released their title winning captain, Shreyas Iyer. Pant & Delhi had a fallout during negotiations & he was therefore released. Both these lads will get massive bids during auction. Their old teams will have the right to match the winning bid. Will be interesting to see if they match them, considering their purses are smaller. Punjab, who have released most of their players, will have the biggest purse. My eyes will be on Fraser-Mcgurk. Surprisingly released by Delhi. The boy is a future star. Really hope Mumbai snap him.
Our batting line up is ridiculously fragile. Sam Curran is not a No.6 on any day of the week and Rasher walking out when we’re six down is taking the proverbial piss isn’t it?
Take a bow Mr Livingstone. Timed his innings to perfection and helped hugely by Curran (he’s still no No.6) who kept the score ticking over. I did not see that coming..
I can't say I was particularly optimistic initially when I saw we were chasing 329 and, once it got down to 100 off the last 10, it probably needed Livingstone and Curran to get most of them. Livingstone is such a powerful player that he doesn't need to try to hit every ball out of the park. He just needs to get himself in and give himself a chance. Thankfully he's done that today and, if he can do it more often, he could become a hugely important player for England going forward. He probably isn't a number six in England's strongest 50 over side but this isn't it, particularly if we assume the side that goes to India and then to the Champions Trophy in Pakistan is going to look quite different. The question may not be so much about where he bats going forward as about whether he gets into England's best XI when everyone is available.
New Zealand must have thought the whitewash was on when they reduced India to 29-5 needing a mere 147 to win, but Risbah Pant, that most cavalier of batsmen, has come out and given his team a bit of hope with a blazing 53 not out at lunch. India still need 55 more runs on a minefield but if Pant can stay there for another six overs that should be enough. Credit to the Kiwis though, they have played some blinding cricket on this tour..
First time India have been clean swept in a three match series, and that by a country that has a population that’s fifteen million less than Mumbai. And cricket’s not even their main sport. Incredible
Nothing short of embarrassment. Heads still won't roll, cause the team for BGT is already declared. But if we do bad in Australia, which is the only thing I can see happening, we might have seen the last of Rohit & Kohli. Personally think it's time to move on. Make Ash or Pant the captain, & start getting the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad & Rinku Singh into the Test squad. Again congratulations to the Kiwis. One of the greatest Test series wins of all times. What a great few weeks they have had. Women won the WC & men have achieved something that was seen as almost impossible.
Realistically isn't it also time to say bye to Ashwin and Jadeja too? Surely there's plenty of players who can step in for them?
Yeah we have quality spinners coming through, but these two have been performing both with bat & ball. & are fairly fit. I mean they saved our butts against Bangladesh in the previous series with the bat as well. The batting has been poor for the past few years now. We kept getting bailed out by all rounders like Ash, Jadeja or newcomers. High time we move on from Rohit & Kohli, & bring in Gaikwad who has been scoring for fun. Or even Rinku who is usually seen as a white ball cricketer but has a really good record in domestic red ball cricket.
Would you change captain before the Australia series? I'm not sure I would even though Rohit's bound to be going there under massive pressure now.
I think the Australian tour will be Rohit's last, and possibly Kohli's as well, but if they both do poorly down here it may not be their decision which will really hurt..
Panja answered it perfectly. To be honest, they both probably were going to retire after WTC. However, a bad Aussie series might take that decision out of their hands.