Bairstow To Replace Ballance In Next Test

[toalisi]

Not surprisingly the selectors have made changes to the personnel
& batting order for the next test at Edgbaston next week.

Johnny Bairstow will replace his Yorkshire teammate & Ian Bell
will bat at number 3

Can't think it will make much difference as the Aussies are on a roll.

[jourdain2]

I can't think it will make a lot of difference either, other than to give the team a feeling that maybe it will! Ballance needed resting to give him a chance to get back on form. I hope they don't move Joe Root further up the order, he's best in the middle I.M.O.. Don't know if I dare listen to this next Test!

[janzman]

Question:- What have the following got in common....
Don Bradham
Rahul Dravid
Ricky Ponting
Viv Richards
Wally Hammond
Kuman Sangakkara
Answer.... They all batted a number 3... and so should Joe Root.

[Sqad]

janzman...they were all world class...Root isn't.

He should stay in the middle order, as his technique is suspect and the Aussie openers would soon find him out.

[jim360]

Not sure how you can say Joe Root isn't World Class given the way he's been playing lately. Last test was bad, sure, but then so was the rest of the team.

[Sqad]

Jim,
I take your point and do agree that Root is our best batsman and is a fine batsman, with a good test record.
We clearly differ over our interpretation of "World Class" and my answer was initially aimed at the post of janzman who provided a list of World Class batsmen. I have looked at the list again and quite honestly can't find a place for Root, at the moment.

However, we clearly differ in our opinion.

[jim360]

The difference between the two lists seems to be more that all the others have come to the end of their careers, whereas Root still has easily a decade of cricket left. Perhaps he's not yet ready to be classed among the greats, but it seems likely to expect him to make it there once we look back on his career.

[1ozzy]

Go the Aussies!!!

Hmmm, time I collected my hat and departed ;-)

[Ellipsis]

When you consistently find yourself three or four wickets down with less than 50 runs on the board, recognised middle order batting positions go out of the window.

That said, the Aussies usually win at Lords, as the setup there allows their bowlers' slightly faster pace to make a big difference. Edgbaston and Trent Bridge should be interesting.

[SeaJayPea]

I think Ian Bell should have been rested as well. But who to replace him with. I believe that Surrey have a guy with a bit of test match experience who might fit the bill.