That’s the dilemma facing England’s selectors when they meet on Tuesday to select a team for the third Ashes test following a 405-run humbling at the hands of Australia in the second test at Lord’s that finished prematurely on Sunday. The lack of a regular opening partner for Alastair Cook; a number of players have been selected and with Adam Lyth the latest to struggle for form his stay in the side may yet be short lived.
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Cook said the problem was not with England’s batting order.
“It is incredibly frustrating”.
“It is something the selectors might have to look at. Australia can beat them anywhere”.
“It’s never a great start when they’re 300-1 and we were always chasing the game from there”.
England are still 481 runs behind the Australia first innings total and will need almost 300 more runs from somewhere to avoid the follow on.
From the 169-run loss in Cardiff to the blood bath at Lords, it was the biggest turnaround in Ashes history, the Daily Telegraph said. Here, we did not do things at all well.
“We didn’t bowl with the same discipline and control”. “We have been totally outplayed for 4 days“.
Opener David Warner scored 83 and Steve Smith added to his first innings 215 with a sparkling 58 with some outrageous shots, including three consecutive fours in one over from Stuart Broad, bowling a yard outside the off stump.
England, set what would have been a new fourth innings record of 509 to win a Test after Australia declared, collapsed to 64/7 either side of tea on the fourth day.
“I’m sure it certainly will be”.
“But credit to the boys, to be able to turn that around and come out and play some fantastic cricket (here)”.
As we approach the Second Test, Australia are the team with questions to answer. “That is obviously an area of concern”.
That left England on 85-4, looking perilously like they could be toppled all out within the first half of Day 3 and put back into bat the follow on.
“We have to take this on the chin”.
“You’ve seen plenty examples of that recently (in world cricket) that have been fantastic. What you have also got to do is to give the players who are in there as much confidence as possible as well”.
The series is now level 1-1 with three matches to play. By the end of the day Australia were 337 for one with Rogers and Smith 158 and 129 not out respectively.
“As long as the players are giving their best I am not going to get raging – I very rarely get raging anyway”.
“That is the challenge we have”. If the same top four roll up to Edgbaston next week, Australia will be delighted.
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England were skittled out for a pitiful 103 in their second innings on Sunday and Bayliss is hoping a combination of a track to suit the England’s bowlers along with an improved display with the bat will enable the hosts to respond in Birmingham – with the third Test starting next Wednesday.
