posted Dec 16, 2008

Hoggard anyone: In India last time Sehwag scored the following:

2 c Pietersen b Hoggard
0 b Hoggard
11 c G Jones b Harmison
76 not out
6 c Shah b Hoggard
0 lbw b Anderson

As you can see, Sehwag was defeated by intelligent, accurate swing bowling and well-directed bouncers (see the catches).

Hoggard:106.5 40 232 13 17.84 6-57 49.3 2.17

Should he not be returned quickly to the team?

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posted Dec 16, 2008

i think monty should be sent back to county cricket after this tour until he has learnt variations and gets his confidence back.
I would bring in rashid, who cares if he's young.For the ashes my attack would be freddie,jones,harmison,jimmy and rashid!

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posted Dec 16, 2008

tests_r_best,

Bringing back Simon Jones would be a brave and exciting move. And what about Sidebottom, if he ever gets fit again? And why was Hoggard discarded in the first place? He still has plenty of life and mileage. Far too early, in my view.

Stuart Broad is still our best and youngest prospect and should now be used leading up to next year's Ashes.

Reading between the lines, Pietersen is tiring of Monty, so Rashid would make a good replacement. England must start planning for the Ashes after this difficult Indian series.

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posted Dec 16, 2008

Don't blame Monty. Harmison should never have played in this match/pitch/at India, which didn't suite reverse and he lacks reverse of Fred! People/media were depending on Monty,

The Bowling line up (on the Chennai)should have been

Freddie
Jimmy Anderson
Monty
Swanny
Rashid

Collingwood as Utility Bowler

Shah should have played instead of Bell

Mohali is a faster pitch that will suite the quicks much better. The climates different and suites early swing/seam as Matty Hoggard found out a few years back.

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posted Dec 17, 2008

Softandfluffy,

i wouldnt mind sidebottom being in the team but if he was it would be at Andersons expense.I just think personally jimmy's a better option IF Pietersen puts some faith in him.He outbowled sidebottom during the summer and im worried about his fitness as after a year of international cricket his body just broke down.I dont think hoggard is an option even if he should never have dropped in the 1st place as he has lost a yard of pace.

I understand people wanting Broad in the team but at this time is he really better than any of the other pace bowlers

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posted Dec 17, 2008

tests_r_best,

"I understand people wanting Broad in the team but at this time is he really better than any of the other pace bowlers."

In my view, Broad is the most exciting prospect England have and has the potential of becoming the next all-rounder to follow Botham and Flintoff.

The player is highly talented and should be carefully groomed. He must be picked for the Ashes '09.

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posted Dec 17, 2008

This article (link given below) summarizes why England lost. It is absurd to see that a lot of people blame Panesar for the loss (including coach, Prior, Boycott ....)

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/17/stories/2008121753021900.htm

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posted Dec 18, 2008

A lot of people ar'nt blaming Panesar for the defeat but for his inept performance on the last day on a sub-continent wicket, the whole of the bowling attack was to blame for a really poor effort. Monty is getting critisised for not improving in 4 years of learning.

Yet again we get the same tired old lines of he's learning every day, when he quite clearly is'nt. With time on his side he can still be a very good Test bowler but he needs rapid improvement over the next 5 months to give himself some confidence for what will be his biggest test.......The Ashes.......i'm craping myself already.

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posted Dec 18, 2008

"Aggers" is leading the Anti-Monty voice. For me, the spinner simply lacks "street nouse". At 26 years-old, I am told he still lives with his parents when not on tour. It may be a closely knit family but even so! And supporting Luton FC can't help either!!

Monty also lacks maturity and guile along with a cutting edge. And his self esteem must suffer when the crowd cheer after he fields the ball or successfully defends a ball with bat. There is a tight line between being popular and being the classroom clown.

A man-building month at boot camp would toughen him up!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Panesar

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posted Dec 19, 2008

Slightly embarrassing that England have put out a bowling unit for this test which includes 5 recognised bowlers, none of whom can boast a test average of less than 32. Since I'd class below 30 as "good to very good", this is quite depressing. And it's not as if we are just debuting a bunch of newbies - we've got 3 guys each with > 100 test wickets!

We clearly miss SiBo, but I was also thinking about our next crop. I have to say that England currently have coming through the best crop of young bowlers we have had in my lifetime (although I'm not that old ) - I can foresee a lineup of Broad, Rashid, Woakes, Harris and Finn.

I have to say that those chaps look rather better than what we have out there at the moment. Perhaps they will hold a candle to Gough, Caddick and Cork....

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