DARL wrote:
Who will open against Sri Lanka - Surely Burns but who will partner?
Ideally it needs to be somebody with test experience as you don't want tow debutantes at the top of the order especially with only six tests to get if right before The Ashes - my vote would be for Bairstow as a short term fix as Stoneman and Jennings cannot get any more chances.
the worry is six years on Strauss has not been replaced - how long will it take to replace Cookie.
Burns is a definite. But Bairstow to open? Not a chance. He doesn't have the game or style to open in a Test side. He's much better lower down the order so keep him where he's strongest. I don't even think he opens in the four-day game for Yorkshire does he? So it would be unusual for him to open at test level.
I wouldn't even say we need short-term fixes. We've got Sri Lanka and West Indies this Winter, where the pitches are flatter and better suited for batting. If anything now is the time to let two people try and bed in.
I wouldn't have a massive issue with two debutantes opening. Having two experienced players in Cook and Jennings wasn't working, so we're not losing anything by trying two newcomers.
I reckon they'll take someone like Joe Denly, who's been successful around the county game for a while and has done well at county level. And he can bowl spin, which will be handy in Sri Lanka. Or even James Vince again, who has Test experience and has had a decent summer (albeit he's never broken through at Test level and has had loads of chances). Nick Gubbins perhaps as well could be an idea.
But I don't see why you'd take Jennings. If we're building for the Ashes next year, you need to start afresh. Not with someone who averaged less than 20 this summer. The Aussies would marmalise Jennings so may as well chuck him now.
Given the shortage of quality at the top of the order, I'm guessing: Burns, Denly/Vince Moeen, Root, Bairstow, Buttler, Stokes, Curran, Anderson, Broad, Leach/Rashid.
Given the Sri Lankan pitches render seam bowling totally ineffective, they may even rest one of Anderson or Broad - which may be sensible as they're both cracking on now.
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