Cricket

A hugely difficult selection meeting coming up for the second test in Pallakele starting on Wednesday.

Foakes is undroppable after being named man of the match on his debut and having an absolutely exceptional game with both with the bat and the gloves, leaving a fit again Jonny Bairstow having to accept he will not be keeping wicket for a while.

Bairstow's best hope is that a space will open up in the middle order with perhaps Ben Stokes or Jos Buttler taking over at three and Ali slipping down to six.

Both Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler are certainties for the next test after their contributions in this one and are now also undroppable.

This only really leaves Bairstow's chances of playing totally dependent on only playing two spinners rather than the three. However the three spinners took sixteen wickets between them in the game and Root handled them all well. Moeen Ali and Jack Leach look absolutely secure for the next few tests which possibly leaves a choice between Bairstow and Rashid for that last place.

The policy of three spinners on this surface worked to perfection and it could be a mistake to change a winning formula. A lot depends on the Pallekele wicket, it usually offers a bit more bounce early on before dying on days 4 and 5 (Russell Arnold) and so again could suit the same seam spin balance we had here.

I can't see them dropping either opener, Burns after one test and unlucky dismissals or Jennings who made over 200 runs, so it really does look as if Jonny may have to bide his time.

Stuart Broad is also pushing for a place and this possibly could be for Jimmy, the rotation possibly dependent on how Jimmy feels about playing back to back tests.

I would envisage exactly the same side again with only a possible shift in the batting order to let Ali move down to six, although even this is dependent on another putting his hand up to go three. If Joe won't bat there it has to be Stokes or Buttler, there is no other option unless Moeen is willing to sacrifice his wicket again.
 
With the slight bit of extra pace and bounce at Pallekele there maybe a chance of an extra seamer (Broad or Stone, or even Woakes to keep the batting strong too) for Rashid, it will very much depend on the look of the wicket they prepare.
 
Chris O'Connor said:
A word on Rangana Herath,

It wasn't the perfect way to leave the scene but he was truly one of Sri Lanka's all time top cricketers and perhaps the last of a special generation. Sangakkara, Murali, Malinga, Jayawardene and Chaminda Vaas have all gone and now Rangana too, these are tough times for Sri Lanka with only Angelo Matthews left to soldier on.

As a spinner he was always a first class performer but was perhaps eclipsed by the great Murali for much of his career, almost playing second fiddle hence the relatively low number of tests.

Even so the man has been a phenomenon and has almost single handedly carried their spin department for many years and highly successfully too, not least in Galle which is his spiritual home. At forty the body is creaking and he's having to call it a day.

Another great leaves the stage but will be remembered by many grateful cricket followers.
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Reminded me of mcgill having to pay second fiddle to Warne.
 
Chris O'Connor said:
A hugely difficult selection meeting coming up for the second test in Pallakele starting on Wednesday.

Foakes is undroppable after being named man of the match on his debut and having an absolutely exceptional game with both with the bat and the gloves, leaving a fit again Jonny Bairstow having to accept he will not be keeping wicket for a while.

Bairstow's best hope is that a space will open up in the middle order with perhaps Ben Stokes or Jos Buttler taking over at three and Ali slipping down to six.

Both Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler are certainties for the next test after their contributions in this one and are now also undroppable.

This only really leaves Bairstow's chances of playing totally dependent on only playing two spinners rather than the three. However the three spinners took sixteen wickets between them in the game and Root handled them all well. Moeen Ali and Jack Leach look absolutely secure for the next few tests which possibly leaves a choice between Bairstow and Rashid for that last place.

The policy of three spinners on this surface worked to perfection and it could be a mistake to change a winning formula. A lot depends on the Pallekele wicket, it usually offers a bit more bounce early on before dying on days 4 and 5 (Russell Arnold) and so again could suit the same seam spin balance we had here.

I can't see them dropping either opener, Burns after one test and unlucky dismissals or Jennings who made over 200 runs, so it really does look as if Jonny may have to bide his time.

Stuart Broad is also pushing for a place and this possibly could be for Jimmy, the rotation possibly dependent on how Jimmy feels about playing back to back tests.

I would envisage exactly the same side again with only a possible shift in the batting order to let Ali move down to six, although even this is dependent on another putting his hand up to go three. If Joe won't bat there it has to be Stokes or Buttler, there is no other option unless Moeen is willing to sacrifice his wicket again.
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Got to be stokes for me, it should be root but there we go. I don't see how coming in at 10-2 makes a difference to him compared to 10-1, I'd understand if he'd spent his whole career coming in after a decent opening two wicket stands, but that never happens. Stokes is the only one with the temperament for me, he's a number 5 or 6 really, but he's shown over the last couple of years that he does play a lengthy innings. Moeen is an all rounder who shouldn't be that high in test cricket, we lose a lot of what he brings to the team up there.

I'm unsure as to whether bairstow comes back in here which is unfortunate.
 
toffeejack said:
Got to be stokes for me, it should be root but there we go. I don't see how coming in at 10-2 makes a difference to him compared to 10-1, I'd understand if he'd spent his whole career coming in after a decent opening two wicket stands, but that never happens. Stokes is the only one with the temperament for me, he's a number 5 or 6 really, but he's shown over the last couple of years that he does play a lengthy innings. Moeen is an all rounder who shouldn't be that high in test cricket, we lose a lot of what he brings to the team up there.

I'm unsure as to whether bairstow comes back in here which is unfortunate.
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A few have suggested Buttler for Bairstow in a like for like batsmen swap with maybe Bairstow in at three.

I would be surprised, but everything is possible
 
toffeejack said:
I wouldn't take Buttler out now. He has the x factor to win a match in a session imo, he's played well a lot of times after we've had a top order collapse.
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No I really don't think they'll change the team.

Bairstow will bide his time and be back for the West Indies anyway when we're highly unlikely to play all three spinners.

Stokes also faces a disciplinary panel before then ( They seem to have sidestepped the fact he effectively was for out for the last iconic ashes series, a huge punishment, now they're saying he wasn't banned just not picked so they can legally ban him again, ludicrous but legal - not something the Aussies would do, Smith Warner etc will all be back in time)

If we win the second to take the series, they'll probably change the side as the edge and motivation will be gone when it doesn't matter and it's a third a dead game.

Conversely Sri Lanka have shown once before on this tour that they take the ones that are totally meaningless and don't mean anything to anyone, extremely seriously reserving their very best efforts for these games.

Usually the series awards and team winners trophies are awarded to the series winners against the backdrop of a completely meaningless and heavy defeat in the last dead match, one they couldn't care a jot about.

Its a senseless practice tgat should have changed , but still there
 
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Trevor Bayliss suggests it will be Jos Buttler or Ben Stokes at three.

"Moeen has had a few opportunities, let's be honest, up the order, and at this stage hasn't really taken them," Bayliss said. "He's obviously going to be in the team somewhere. And there's still a chance he'll bat at No. 3 in Kandy, but I think he's had the most success in that middle-lower order.

"He sees himself as a batter first and a bowler second. And yes, he's been a guy we have thrown around a little bit. That's sometimes the lot of an all-rounder in the team. But he has had the most success in that middle-lower order and we're starting to get a little closer to a stable order.

"Everyone knows my thoughts on the captain batting at three. But Buttler and Stokes are quite capable of batting there. It'll be a bit of a discussion and we'll sit down with those two as well.

"In the Galle Test, if we had bowled first and Moeen had bowled 40 overs, Buttler was going to bat at No 3. Jonny Bairstow is an option and Ben Stokes as well. We feel, in England, that Stokes has as good a technique as anyone else to bat No 3. So we'll sit down with Buttler and Stokes. They are quite capable of batting there."
 
i suspect the same team is likely from what I've heard/read, with Buttler at three and Ali at six as it's possibly asking too much for Stokes to double up as one of the main seamers and bat at three.

Stokes is certainly more than capable of doing both but it will more likely be on the West Indies leg, if he's not banned, when there will definitely be an extra seam option.

Burns, Jennings, Buttler, Root, Stokes, Ali, Foakes, Curran, Rashid, Leach, Anderson

Source cricinfo - pretty much hints this is now more than likely
 
Chris O'Connor said:
i suspect the same team is likely from what I've heard/read, with Buttler at three and Ali at six as it's possibly asking too much for Stokes to double up as one of the main seamers and bat at three.

Stokes is certainly more than capable of doing both but it will more likely be on the West Indies leg, if he's not banned, when there will definitely be an extra seam option.

Burns, Jennings, Buttler, Root, Stokes, Ali, Foakes, Curran, Rashid, Leach, Anderson

Source cricinfo - pretty much hints this is now more than likely
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Be interesting to see Buttler at 3, he is wonderful at reading the situation and adapting to it so it's definitely a worthwhile experiment
 
Root has two main jobs

One the most crucial:- Win his seventh toss in a row

Two:- Bat as the match demands, although perversely considering the pitch they've prepared, going for it in one day style, as in the last test first innings collapse, may just be the right tactics this time round if this really is a turner

Apparently the pitch is far drier than they expected as Sri Lanka gamble all or nothing on winning the toss - it will turn and crumble

- A real win the toss and virtually win the match pitch
 

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