They have an opener who averages <29 after 37 test matches and <31 after 100+ FC matches. And he’s undroppable because he looks the part apparently.
So I expect Bairstow is going to get a LOT of rope under this regime.
There have definitely been times in England’s history when selectors were entirely focused on recent form, and everyone felt that they were playing for their place in every innings. This was bad, because it meant players were constantly on-edge and unsettled. You want your team to have a degree of stability and confidence.
But as so often in life, the opposite a big mistake is another big mistake. This is a team that - for some at least - is more difficult to get out of than in to. There are intangibles. I mean, maybe there are! From the outside it’s hard to say. They have won a lot in the past year. That merits some benefit of the doubt. But it’s in the spirit of notions like “fair play” and “good sport” that people who are best in a position should get to play it!
Are you suggesting that Bairstow looks the part as a keeper?
No. I’m suggesting that performance is not the criterion being used.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka are playing an absorbing match, both teams recovering from a difficult start in the first innings. Pakistan more so with Saud Shakeel scoring 208* including putting on a clinic in batting with the tail. Added 115 for the last two wickets, with ten and Jack contributing 6 and 10.
Sri Lanka trying to make a match of it after being 4 down for 99, still 50 behind. Now they are 61 ahead with four wickets in hand at tea on day 4. If they bat out the day, anything is possible with some rain in the forecast for tomorrow.
Big partnerships with the tail are always good to see, partly for the skill and judgement of the senior batter, and partly for the totally demoralising effect on the fielding team as it just keeps slipping away from them.
Didn’t bat out the day, but Pakistan are no 48/3 with 83 more needed. Tense!
Meanwhile, England won the toss and put Australia in. It hasn’t entirely paid off - Australia are 187/4 at tea, with Head and Marsh the men in. The pitch doesn’t seem to have too much in it.
On which note, I think Jimmy Anderson has been ill-served by the pitches this series. In one of the pre-series media appearances, Stokes said he’d asked groundsmen to prepare flat hard pitches (for Bazball biffing, by implication). That’s fine as far as it goes, but it does mean your world-class seam bowler doesn’t have as much to work with.
Broad got to 600 wickets today, the second pace bowler to do so, behind his old mate Jimmy Anderson.
There’s a lot of people saying nobody will get there again (Glenn McGrath on TMS certainly did), but I don’t see any particular reason why a player for England, who play so many matches, couldn’t do what those two have done. It’ll remain unusual, as it is for any player to get to 600, but doable.
Talking of Anderson, I think he’ll call it a day sooner rather than later. He’s not far off 700, but this has not been a good series for him and I do wonder if he’ll tour.
What the heck is Moeen Ali doing at #3? I thought he was recalled because the spinning cupboard was bare. He hasn’t been considered a proper batter for a decade, has he?
I just came here to comment on the same thing. It seems like absolute madness.
Just to spite us, he’ll post a big number.
Basically, no-one else in the team wants to do it.
So why don’t we select a test-quality No. 3, you ask?
My, how quaint.
I would think the guy wearing jersey 66 would be a perfect #3. 
When I was growing up, my dad told me the best batter bats 3rd. Is that no longer the case. Does Bazball analytics say he should go in at 4?
As to the best batter batting at 3, this is (was) received wisdom but it does slightly depend on what you mean by best. Opening batters have the best defensive technique but don’t necessarily have the ability to score quickly if you put them in down the order. Vice versa a strong 5 or 6 might fail as an opener. But a number 3 could be coming in at 0 for 1 or at 120-1. So they have to be able to do both jobs well (i.e. see off the new ball with well-judged leaves and good defensive technique, and make hay when the sun shines). So definitely for a well-rounded talent with more than one trick up their sleeve.
Root can do that role very well, and has in the past. I don’t know if it’s Bazball analytics or just Root’s strong preference, but he really, really wants to bat at 4. And arguably has earned that. But in that case you need someone to bat at number 3, and when he knackers his shoulder you need someone else who isn’t just the guy who only took one step back while everyone else took two when the coach asked for volunteers.
(As @Mighty_Mouse says, all this is just to speed Ali towards an effervescent 70.)
Moeen’s got to his 50, though not without a few scares. I always said he makes a good #3…
One of these guys needs to go onto turn their 50 into a century now - something the Aussies were not able to do.
BANG - as I type the wicket comes.
This is fun, but this is also in Manchester and there’s a high chance that rain will scupper this match.
Few wickets going down now, the ball to Root kept really low, could get more difficult to bat. 100 lead could be very handy, I think Stokes will look for a fairly early declaration
Amazing that we are talking about a declaration in the afternoon of day 2, when the opposition posted a very respectable 317!
Everything I know about test cricket is now rubbish.
I always said Bairstow was a good pick for this test… 