It's encouraging to see a few Englishmen doing well in the Big Bash - Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Eoin Morgan worth keeping an eye on. Sam Robson and Scott Borthwick also interesting for the forthcoming season.
Yes, I've got to agree that this is probably the worst beating we've taken in sport in my lifetime in terms of a series. However, losing 76-0 to Australia in the Rugby Union in 1998 - England's worst ever defeat - still makes me shudder. Out of that adversity England rebuilt and won the World...
The selectors liked Bairstow because in theory he could bat and keep, freeing up another spot in the squad for Rankin. Now they have a problem because if they drop Bairstow after one match he'll be scarred. It also goes against the selector's policy of giving players a decent opportunity.
I...
I made the point after Perth that Swann's decision to retire will impact on Cook's captaincy because of the advice he gives whilst fielding next to Cook in the slip cordon. His natural positivity could also have helped Bairstow in his first match keeping.
Is it any coincidence Cook looked even...
I can understand why they took Finn and Tremlett. Rankin I don't get. I thought Onions should have been on the tour, as he is a key part of a successful county team.
I don't believe he would have made much difference here thoughe; we simply don't have a bowler like Johnson at the present time...
Two things I find worrying there are Carberry's run rate and the collapse of the tail.
Cook was scoring freely at one end, indicating a good pitch and below par bowling. Yet Carberry's inability to score gave Australia hope that if they could get Cook out they'd be able to contain the other...
Carberry's start apart, I don't see the scoring rate being an issue. This pitch is a belter and the weather's hot. We should be able to score at three and a half an over or more, so by the time the new ball is due the lead will be 330-odd.
I fancy Cook might overtake Gooch as top tests runs scorer for England before the end of next summer. There's this test and eight more to go, he needs another 900-odd runs and is a fine player of spin, so India and Sri Lanka should suit. Would be remarkable to do that before his 30th birthday.
Fair play to our bowlers, they all stepped up and made a contribution. England are now odds-on to win this match and the 5-0 whitewash is out to 11-4.
It's a lot easier to be philosophical about the series if we can nick one or more of the last two tests - if we manage this then we'll have won...
Coaches have had a mare. They've picked 3 players who were never even in contention, no preparation for Johnson, no answer to what they saw in the first couple of tests, half the team are blocking and the other half in one-day mode.
If you made a composite team based on this series not one...
Some good analysis on Sky, some real difference of opinion on why things are going tits up for England. I think the England coaches have questions to answer - It was obvious Bresnan was going to get short balls into his body, while Broad's lbw was identical to Perth. Johnson on Sky saying "...