England starting XI v India first test

move trott up to open , bell at 3 , kp 4 and morgan at 5 proven player of spin and imo a quality player who has a lot more to give to england than just 1 day cricket, and for me at number 11 iwould definately pick panasar , that gives us 2 main line spinners and 2 part time spinners, which is exactly how india will play it . That my opinion rob dylan

Morgan is NOT a good player of spin. Its a total myth.

Cook
Trott
Bell
kp
Bairstow
Patel
Prior
Broad
Swann
Finn/Bresnan/monty- depending on fitness/pitch
Anderson

Even before todays game Bairstow is infront of Morgan in the pecking order, his 95 in the 3rd Test agst SA was a sign of huge promise, he is talented and the real deal in the making, although not the finished article which is understandable. The wickets are going to turn, so personally feel we need to find a way of getting Monty into the side, Sammy will tie up an end to an extent but wont overly trouble the Indians in respect of wkts taken, KP should get a few overs, he bowls to many bad balls but with the amount of overs he gets thats not surprising, but he does bowl the odd pearler. Compo/Root need to get a decent hit otherwise I would promote Bell to top of the order, cant see that happening if they go with that strategy Trott will prob get the nod. On the the seam bowling front Broad worries me, he has lost some nip imho, Finn injury concerns and i think Bressy will be ineffective on the flat wkts. My side would be:

1 COOK
2 BELL
3 TROTT
4 KP
5 BAIRSTOW
6 PATEL
7 PRIOR
8 BROAD
9 SWANN
10 ANDERSON
11 MONTY

Would love to have a "freddie" in at 7 and promote prior up to 6 !!

Trott will bat at 3.

Straight shootout between Compton and Root to partner Cook. Which is ludicrous, because Compton is not an opener. Got an average of 0.5 on this tour so far opening. At Somerset he bats after Trescothick and Suppiah. Even when Trescothick was injured this summer, Compton was not promoted to opener, Somerset going with the likes of Alex Barrow instead.

So on that basis I'd go for Root, because he is an opener, although he's nowhere near as accomplished a batsman as Compton. But I think England will select Compton, simply because to do otherwise would be admitting they'd made a blunder.

I agree with Lix that Morgan is poor against spin. But as long as he keeps playing the sweep, Flower and Gooch will keep selecting him. And against moderate, predictable spinners like Harbhajan and Ojha he will get away with it. It's when he meets unpredictable ones, like Ajmal (and probably Ashwin) that he gets found out.

The problem with these mystery spinners is not which way the ball turns - often it doesn't turn at all. Instead, the variable actions result in variable bounce, particularly with the ball being thrown instead of bowled. And the sweep is suicidal against variable bounce.

The likes of Flower and Gooch are yesterday's men - they can't see that what worked for them against spinners who bowled won't work now against spinners who throw.

The problem with these mystery spinners is not which way the ball turns - often it doesn't turn at all. Instead, the variable actions result in variable bounce, particularly with the ball being thrown instead of bowled






Nail on the head screaming - the amount of spinners chucking at the moment is unbelievable. The authorities have accepted throwing.

morgan has to be in the side..

why? he's sh1t. side will be

Compton
Cook
Trott
KP
Bell
Patel
Prior
Bresnan
Broad
Swann
Anderson

Draw 2.4 for the 1st test looks laughably short.

No Finn ? Is he going to be injured for first test ?

yeah think so

Swann coming home as his young daughter's ill according to bbc.co.uk

It's worrying that so far this tour resembles ones of the past where people drop like flies and return home for babies etc.

Bell may come home and I'm not sure if Swann's wife has given birth yet.

Any disruption will hand India a massive advantage. Very frustrating as this is a massive opportunity if we're up for it.

england will get butchered here.. dot dot dot dot dot dot dot dot -leg sweep lbw.. - dot dot dot - sweep out...

Right, think Ive got it....

Cook, Compton, Trott, KP, Bell, Patel, Prior, Bresnan, Broad, Swann, Anderson

Unlucky for Bairstow I suppose.  Would they consider Panesar for Bresnan if they were predicting a real turner, that would be two frontline spinners, plus Patel plus KP.  Can Compton bowl?

Interestingly, there's still effective "free money" on KP playing in the first test

Paper this morning said Finn might be fit, thatll confuse things further.  Good that the top six have now all got runs in the three warm up games.   I hope Swann's daughter's ok, not really giving any news out about that which is understandable.

nigel - KP 'yes' to play in First Test at 1.01 is a terrible bet.

Five days to go - illness, injury, Delhi belly, row with team-mates or management, problem at home.

Many reasons why he might not play. All of them unlikely, I grant you, but backing 1.01 would be a mistake imho.

I wouldnt back me at 1.01 to make it into work next Thursday,  and I dont have delhi belly or a significant chance of a work related injury in the next 5 days.

well put rob