[Cricket] Test Series- England in India- January & February 2024

[ManOfSussex]

I just put TNT Sports on before the drinks break and Kevin Pietersen was commentating.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

I'm not sure there's anything in the interview to criticise Dawson about, more the national coaches and leadership not bothering to keep in contact. Maybe Dawson doesn't play golf, that seems to be where most team selection and managerial stuff is resolved nowadays

I've heard and heard of County players with far less chance of a call up than Dawson does, sound more up for it than he does in that interview.
Frequently to the point of flat out delusion.

To be clear, I don't doubt any of us could come up with an XI with a bowling attack that would have kept India to a slower run rate than they've managed so far. I do doubt whether any of the alternatives would manage much more than us just losing slightly more slowly once we were bowled out for 246 on the first day on this pitch.

As far as Dawson's concerned, I don't see picking an alternative left arm spinning all rounder (presumably instead of Hartley) as a solution to any of the problems England have.

 

[Berty23]

Something the comms keep forgetting when discussing spin bowlers is that these days batsman attack far more than when many of them played. They keep saying “bowl a series of maidens by bowling the ball in the same place”. These days if a spinner bowled 6 in the same spot it would lead to boundary as the batsman don’t just let bowlers bowl.

Haha. Wicket to an absolute pie.

 

[Berty23]

Leach being a bit poorly seems to be right. Leach has bowled really well the last few overs. Two maidens where batsmen beaten a bit. Now taken out of attack.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

If the quotes in this article from the start of October come close to reflecting his actual opinion, then I can see why England might have been reluctant to pick him.

Liam Dawson could turn down England Test recall in favour of lucrative SA20 deal

Stellar summer for Hampshire makes him India tour shoo-in but clash could take priority

www.espncricinfo.com

I should be clear that my objection to Dawson is entirely as a cricketer rather than as a person. Having had the chance to see a bit of Hartley bowling this morning I can see how somebody could convince themselves that he's more likely to take wickets in India than Dawson, even if Dawson would probably take slightly longer to get milked all around the ground on his way to taking 2/120.

Incidentally, since you've met him, does the 5'8" that cricinfo states for Dawson's height sound about right? I don't have much faith in their numbers for player's heights at the best of times but that does seem on the short side for a bowler.

I’d be surprised if that is right.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I've heard and heard of County players with far less chance of a call up than Dawson does, sound more up for it than he does in that interview.
Frequently to the point of flat out delusion.

To be clear, I don't doubt any of us could come up with an XI with a bowling attack that would have kept India to a slower run rate than they've managed so far. I do doubt whether any of the alternatives would manage much more than us just losing slightly more slowly once we were bowled out for 246 on the first day on this pitch.

As far as Dawson's concerned, I don't see picking an alternative left arm spinning all rounder (presumably instead of Hartley) as a solution to any of the problems England have.

Didn’t need to be instead of Hartley, if they are sold on him. Perhaps instead of the kid with 6 (SIX) senior matches under his belt, who from Key’s comments is seemingly just going along for the ride. That was how Key explained away the Dawson call - that the 4th spinner was unlikely to play, and he didn’t think at this stage of his career, Dawson would want to plod round India watching.

Well, a) maybe ask Dawson himself what he thought, and b) why prejudge the selection process like that. How about selecting a competitive squad and asking them to fight for their places?

 

[Gwylan]

How about selecting a competitive squad and asking them to fight for their places?

The trouble with that is how can they do that? It's not like the old days when they play tour matches and someone can force his way into contention? Unless you're suggesting that they literally fight for their places - 10 rounds, Queensbury rules. I wouldn't rate Jack Leach's chances

 

[Berty23]

The lack of warm up games really winds me up. They often talk about batsmen at the start of their knock needing to get themselves in. Imagine being a bowler who has not bowled in the middle for 6 months then being expected to be on the money. They can do as much net bowling as they like but it is very different. Between overs you stand about all day and have to concentrate and then sprint every so often. This can’t be recreated in the nets.

 

[Berty23]

Root has deserved that. Bowled well.

Ahmed and Hartley look like competition winners.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Didn’t need to be instead of Hartley, if they are sold on him. Perhaps instead of the kid with 6 (SIX) senior matches under his belt, who from Key’s comments is seemingly just going along for the ride. That was how Key explained away the Dawson call - that the 4th spinner was unlikely to play, and he didn’t think at this stage of his career, Dawson would want to plod round India watching.

Well, a) maybe ask Dawson himself what he thought, and b) why prejudge the selection process like that. How about selecting a competitive squad and asking them to fight for their places?

Has anybody explicitly said that Key didn't talk to Dawson at all between that interview I posted (in October) and the squad being announced?

If I were to give Key the benefit of the doubt for a moment, it's possible that he preferred not to just come out and say "the obvious pick for this tour said he wasn't particularly keen to go".

I'm not saying that's the case, but I do think that nowadays it's possible for a player to compare the appeal of a 5 test tour of India to playing in T20 tournaments and to opt for the latter.

Alternatively maybe he's just turned into a twat who's forgotten his own experiences of being picked, dropped and ignored by England, and his years of dealing with this sort of thing while captaining Kent. Or maybe he shares my unreasonable anti-Dawson bias.

 

[Titanic]

LOLZ

7 down.

 

[Eeyore]

Root has deserved that. Bowled well.

Ahmed and Hartley look like competition winners.

Bit harsh. Hartley got a century on his Test debut.

 

[Jeremiah]

Hmm - not such a "strong position" as we were told.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Were loose

By a lot.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Hmm - not such a "strong position" as we were told.

Look on the bright side....

Erm. It's night time at the moment, so they're not still scoring runs.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Didn’t need to be instead of Hartley, if they are sold on him. Perhaps instead of the kid with 6 (SIX) senior matches under his belt, who from Key’s comments is seemingly just going along for the ride. That was how Key explained away the Dawson call - that the 4th spinner was unlikely to play, and he didn’t think at this stage of his career, Dawson would want to plod round India watching.

Well, a) maybe ask Dawson himself what he thought, and b) why prejudge the selection process like that. How about selecting a competitive squad and asking them to fight for their places?

I would suggest that one of the reasons he might have that attitude is the ways he's been treated before?

Seems a bit odd for him to hold that attitude without him being messed around before.

 

[Change at Barnham]

Three quick wickets and a reasonable start from Crawley and Duckett.
Eng 39/0 after 8 overs.

It’s the hope that kills you.

 

[Berty23]

Poor leach. Clearly injured again. Who would have thought that net bowling is nothing like match bowling. That bloke has faced so many issues in his career with his health and injuries.

 

[Change at Barnham]

 

[Change at Barnham]