An unusual statement.
Is Foakes such a particularly good gloveman to spin that he creates chances?
Or that it is unusual for England to select a keeper who is adept at stumping dismissals … when playing in India?
I think the answer is both.
Cards on table: I am somewhat biased about Ben Foakes - I see him play for Surrey a lot due to being a member there and have a high opinion of his ability. He has very fast hands for one and his foot movement is excellent so he makes difficult takes look routine, especially when stood up to the stumps.
Buttler has one stumping in all his time playing wicketkeeper for England. I think Foakes has already at least tripled that in far fewer games. He stood up to the stumps keeping to Broad in Test 2 of this series and managed fine. He keeps batsmen in the crease and is ready to take them if they get it wrong or overbalance. He’s genuinely good. In this sense, he’s a threat. The batsmen have to stay sharp or he’ll have them.
It’s also true that he’s presenting something, in so doing, that England haven’t really picked regularly at the wicket keeper position for some time, probably since Russell played for us (and he didn’t keep all the time, regularly switching with Stewart). Ideally he’d be a better batsman and we could play Buttler as a batsman only. He’s no slouch (average around 40 in first class and is reasonable against spin) but he’s not the best against good quality pace bowling.
https://youtu.be/Xv-JeAdFLns
Some of these are pretty routine but you can see from some of them that he’s got real skills.
Thanks for that.
Only once had the pleasure of playing with a keeper “with quick hands” and a spin based attack. Adds a dimension to the game.
My only real news of the Ind v Eng Test comes from TMS which I’m looking forward to listening on way home. This edition: “Like watching an Eastenders Christmas Special, too much going on.”
I’ve always thought Foakes should be England’s wicketkeeper but the only doubt is his batting. A modern test wicketkeeper needs to be able to contribute meaningfully with the bat. But Buttler is hardly a consistent test batter, yet his wicket keeping has improved a lot. Just like Foakes’s batting would do if he played more tests.
sigh
Whoops, hadn’t realised we were starting again today. Why the sigh? Scoring 170 in the first innings last time might have won us that game!
The singular purpose of the top order is to lead the bowling team into a sense of overconfidence. But could also mean the batting is shite.
My source of “the unvarnished truth” is TMS and Mr Vaughan’s lead today is “England suffer most disappointing day of the winter so far”. Be an interesting listen on way home this arvo.
The English like beating themselves about the head, back and soles of the feet regarding this stuff, principally to lower expectations … then meet them.
unsigh
Thing about fast bowling is, it’s a young man’s game.
Obviously I was joking yesterday. But having switched on this morning to find India 166/6, I’m now (foolishly) wondering if we can somehow get a slender first-innings lead out of this. In reality I think that first innings lead will be India’s, just hoping it won’t be too large. 300 for them is still well within their wheelhouse, I think.
It’s all moot of course unless we can somehow put together a better second innings than we have managed all tour.
Yeah, I think they’ll have a lead, but one that should be theoretically catchable batting third.
Something is going on with India. Kohli has not led from the front, and Pujara is struggling too. Very odd to see after the Australia series. I wonder if after the last test both teams batting line ups are second-guessing themselves.
Unless Pant hits a century or something, obviously.
The England selectors have had a disastrous series. The bowling options for Root have been unforgivable - he may be partly at fault of course as I’m sure he’s part of that selection process.
Can someone summarize why this pitch (or strip) appears to be so much better to bat on than the one for the prior test? It’s all the same soil and grass, right? It’s obvious that the turn isn’t nearly as pronounced and variable, so far. And this is all daytime, so I would think that the heat would break up the ground and form the cracks that were apparent last time. I guess maybe it will rear it’s ugly head on Day 3.
I usually support anyone playing England (though for a few years I got tired of Australia and rooted for England in the Ashes).
But I’m starting to feel sorry for them now. They seem to have lost the plot entirely.
Are they just going through the motions now?
Really? They won their last 4 Test series, including a recent 2-0 sweep at SL. Plus, my guess is that 3-1 India was the likeliest expected outcome before the series started. Finally, they’re ranked in the Top 3 in all 3 forms of the game.
Okay, after the last 2 balls from Ashwin to Crawley and Bairstow, I feel bad for them too!
When I went to sleep last night with India 350-odd for 7 with the #s 8 and 9 looking like they’d bat all day, I certainly didn’t expect to wake up to find the match ended the same day!
I hope this T20 series isn’t going to start and finish the same way as the Test series. Extraordinary performance from the England team so far (although of course, as I type this Buttler is out, but I’m not worried). They look like a different team 
.
There’s really not much overlap these days between the Test team and the T20.
India lost this in the Powerplay though, 23/3 after 6 overs? There’s not much recovering from that, and England are over halfway there after 8 overs.