39-4 is the sign of a team relying on the bottom order to get them out of trouble...…

I don't think our openers technique would stand up to the Aussies or RSA attack at the moment, maybe Hales and Roy although they are principally one day specialists.

As Rooty says, test match cricket is changing all the time, for me the number one game, the PL is really the richest team wins each time, a bit of a bore.

That's quite a combination, Rashid at one end with his tricks and Stokes with a totally unexpected attack of hostile short pitched bowling.

We are assuming of course, that the hosts at 53-4 are out for the count, but if it was us at 53-4 we would still be well in the game.

That's test cricket, you really never know, remember Headingly 1981.

Hales can't play Test cricket as he only has a white ball contract with Notts and the rules have changed for next season to say that only those with red ball contracts will play Test cricket.

One of the pundits (I forget who) has been saying for a while that Jason Roy should be given a go but he doesn't even open for Surrey but if he played regularly for Surrey at number three that should show whether he has the technique or not

It will be interesting to see what happens next as it's quite possible that two of England's heroes will be dumped for the next series (away to West Indies) as I expect that we will drop the three spinner scenario which probably means saying goodbye to Leach and Foakes could also lose out to Bairstow behind the stumps in order to make way for Sam Curran or another seamer

Terrific result in Sri Lanka, but I'm not sure about Bayliss comments.

When we play back in England then the team dynamic will change with us playing more seamers than spinners.

However, I think that applies to battling as well. Jennings is more cut out for slow pitches than pitches where the ball is seaming at pace. I would use him for tours on the sub-continent.

I think he will struggle badly again next summer. Jason Roy would be a better option opening with Burns.

Edited by Crystal_Clear (26 Nov 2018 3.17pm)

It would've been a record on that ground but they got mighty close. Their two innings couldn't have been more different in terms of who got stuck in got the runs for them.

Optimistic as ever

He was just with the Lions and batted at 3. Didn't do that well either.

It's getting to the point where we are looking like the openers are just there to protect the rest of the batting order, if only for a short amount of time in the test.

Optimistic as ever