N N N N Nine thousand....

....test runs for Joe Root. Holding England's batting together almost single-handedly again.

He's something else isn't he. Totally unflappable.

Like all the greats, he makes it look so easy.

Quoted from ginnywings

He's something else isn't he. Totally unflappable.

Like all the greats, he makes it look so easy.

Always has done - first time I saw him bat I thought he was going to be something special.

We were discussing at Trent Bridge, take out Joe Root (and assuming Stokes is out for a while), is the worst England batting lineup in our lifetime - we are all 50 somethings? Openers are shocking, no. 3 has been a problem for a long time and we've no decent all-rounder. I fear for the Ashes series...

FFS, what a shambles. Records tumble, first time ever both openers get ducks in a Lords Test. First king pair in a Lords test - (Curran)

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

FFS, what a shambles. Records tumble, first time ever both openers get ducks in a Lords Test. First king pair in a Lords test - (Curran)

A shambles indeed.
We absolutely need Root the batsman but not so much the captain.
We were in the game owing to his sublime skill with the bat and out of it again due to his poor captaincy.
Of course saying Root shouldn’t be captain is easy and there are no outstanding candidates available right now.
We do need to have a look at the structure of cricket in this country as we’re set up to fail at test level. Ridiculous really.

Why, in cricket, do they always make the best batsman the Captain (which usually affects their form as well)? Surely better to have the best leader/tactician in the role instead.

Quoted from Maringer

Why, in cricket, do they always make the best batsman the Captain (which usually affects their form as well)? Surely better to have the best leader/tactician in the role instead.

Not that I agree with this logic necessarily but, it’s mainly due to that person barring injury, is guaranteed their place in the side.

We are in danger of burning Root out. He’s nearly an opener as it is and he’s then the mainstay of our innings too, meaning he gets little rest even before we talk captaincy, slip fielding and his occasional bowling.  Not ideal for someone with back trouble.

Not his finest hour yesterday morning I agree, but there is a total lack of other candidates, and not even any other senior players having a word in his ear to help him out - it shouldn't all rest on the captain's shoulders - you need other leaders on the pitch - as we know too well from having James Mck as captain.

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

Not his finest hour yesterday morning I agree, but there is a total lack of other candidates, and not even any other senior players having a word in his ear to help him out - it shouldn't all rest on the captain's shoulders - you need other leaders on the pitch - as we know too well from having James Mck as captain.

I agree about other candidates and that’s the problem. I don’t think there is any desire from the ECB to replace him at all either.
I would personally but I never wanted him as captain in the first place. On paper his tenure doesn’t look too bad but it doesn’t even come close to telling the full story.
Of course there are mitigating factors not least the ECBs approach to test cricket but I just don’t think he’s improved enough to warrant staying in post. He instinctively is a defensive and negative skipper and at a time when the best form of the game is fighting for its life I think it’s dangerous.
I would like to see some changes to the side for the next test for sure- batting wise anyway. I liked the balance of the attack for the game we threw away.