He has a calf strain not a tear and the test is 10 days away I'd imagine he'll be alright. Also if you think Root won't open in the next test you are actually officially retarded. Never mind the next Test, probably the next 10-15 years.

So one big innings and he is opening for life ?
I like root and I think he will open, but our batting as a whole will look more solid with Compton opening, root in the middle order and circus clown bairstow getting the drinks on

Clueless.

He must be the only man outside of Australia that doesnt want Root to open.

As well as forgetting that Root is an opener and always has been.

Was listening to Boycott and Vaughan yesterday discussing other options should they be needed, and for Australia later in the year.

It seems we maybe a bit short in the batting department, but certainly not the bowling.

And whats the odds of Joe Root becoming a genuine alrounder?

If anyone believes DD is anything but s bored, trolling Loid then they need their head read. Just ignore the fooker, it's obvious from every post that he is leaving a bit of bait.

Who replaces KP then? James Taylor may have timed his form well and could slot in at 5, he proved against South Africa last year that he can hang around. Be very interesting if KP's replacement came in and had two big knocks....

Well theres at least one "Trolling Loid" thats been on here for two years....

What about Morgan? He would add a bit of flair to the middle order (perhaps at 5?).

He was there yesterday supposedly receiving some throw downs so it looks like he's in the plans.

the middle order is slightly fragile at the minute, think I'd prefer someone who can hang around than have the occasional flair of Morgan

I would have said that the middle order seems more secure than the top of the order at the moment.

But the good thing is we can beat the aussies with Cook, Trott and Pieterson out of form.

If Pieterson IS injured we need to replace flair for flair. We have enough grinders in the team already.

Hopefully he will be fit.

The fact we are talking about Taylor and Morgan does suggest we are a bit short of back up.

Which other bowlers should be considered for the tour to Aus?

Tremlett if fit must be a guaranteed place?

Trott out of form? Look at what he has done the rest of 2013 and don't just focus a couple of ducks (one of which was undeserved) and a couple of daft shots when he already had a load of runs on the board.

Our best batsmen for me

I would take Patel as he not only is doing ok with his leg spin for Nottinghamshire but he adds a lot with the bat.

I like Tremlett and he's done we'll against the Aussies previously.

God only knows what the Aussies will do next, think I'd be inclined to bring in Lyon for Agar. It's amazing that a player as good as Clarke can't bat higher than 5. A top 6 of Warner, Katich, Khawaja, Clarke, Watson, Smith would be stronger than anything they've played so far but I don't expect to see such wholesale changes

Agreed but as I said Patel adds more with the bat and could be classified as a batter outright. With MJ regarding pitch for spinners this is taken away by Patels batting which I dont think would be the case is Tremlett was picked.

Not a chance, he as good as admitted himself he wasn't good enough to play Test match cricket anymore when he retired

Katich is in great form, it's a no-brainer for me

Patel would only feature if Swann got injured and even then I'd expect us to look to Monty or even Tredwell

True and the fact that I can only see Root getting better with the ball, I can see your point. However I like the idea of picking Patel over Monty (who form isnt great at moment) and Tredwell due to the fact like Bresnan he can bat.

Given how their summer has gone so far I don't think this punt on Ahmed will pay off and can't see him being any more effective than Agar.

Was reading yesterday the David Warner's Brother has gone on Twitter to complain how he has been made had an 'escape goat' of

I Didn't know David Warner's brother lived in Leeds.

You after laugh. Are Lass said.

You know, I can't make my mind up whether he really is a Loid or just somebody who hasn't got a fookin' clue about any sport.

Not that the two conditions are in any way mutually exclusive!

I think we have perfect marriage here of someone who is both clueless and a Loid.

If he does 'Fire and Rain' before the toss-up, he gets my vote.

He's not clueless, he's clearly a Loid on the windup. Hopefully he'll get banned soon

James Pattinson out for the rest of the series. Ordinary with the ball this weekend but he's their top run scorer and its a blow for them.

I'm almost beginning to feel a bit sorry for them.

I'm not.

The Aussies gave us some right hidings since 1989 so it's nice to give something back.

he did say almost. Which means he doesnt really feel sorry for them.

I rate him higher than all of their other batsmen except Clarke. I don't think he's capable of too many big scores like they require though.

The pacemen will be gunning for him though and i wonder what the odds on Root getting him are.

The team they've announce for Friday is bizarre. The more it goes on the more I feel we'll never have such a good chance to beat them 5-0.

You must have watched a different Test to me. Never in doubt!!

I'm looking forward to this one, like. Win and we've pouched the series, lose and it's more interest in the last two.

If we lose to these then something really has gone wrong. A draw should be a minimum and given how few overs they bat for I'd still expect weather to play a part in that.

If Cook and Trott turn up then it could be a pummeling

Well we aren't above a disaster but we do seem to have a couple of steady hands. I wouldn't call us the finished product quite yet.

Nathan Lyon is getting butchered down at Hove. Hopefully this will mean they stick with Agar.

7/2 for 5-0.

Looks a pretty big price that like

Scrap that 4.8 on betfair

It was 16s when I talked a mate out of it before it started!

Weather isn't great for next weekend is it though? Has been known to rain occasionally in Manchester!

That's the only thing preventing me from backing. Al decide Wednesday when a can see a 5 day forecast. If they bat 1st, 4 days should be more than enough

It won't stay at 7/2 if the forecast is bad for next weekend though

Just thinking about the away end at Peterborough away brings me out in a sweat.

2 spinners at Old Trafford perhaps

Yes Swann and root

I'd be very surprised if they changed the bowling line up after Lords. I certainly wouldn't

Only injury will change that team

I took as much from Bresnan's performance at Lords than I did Bells, Roots or Swanns. That third bowling position has been where we've been lacking for consistency for a while and I thought he did well with bat and ball.

I'll be surprised if we don't lose a day and a half to weather and light at Old Trafford though. A draw is on the cards for me like.

well its nearly time again.

And have I just seen a very encouraging weather forecast?

Unchanged team for me.......leaving the pub player in again.

Whats happened to double decker btw? Not seen him about for a while?

5.7 on betfair for 5-0.

So tempted with that, it would be literally down to the gods.

They are awful, weather permitting 5-0 is nailed on

Talking about Cricket:

I was talking to someone at work this morning who asked me who the best players were that I had seen at test matches

I came up with this team:

Geoff Boycott
Gordon Greenidge
Viv Richards
Alan Border
Clive Lloyd
Ian Botham
Richard Hadlee
Rodney Marsh
Derek Underwood
Michael Holding
Jeff Thomson

So many other players that I could have picked incl Bob Willis, Derek Randall, David Gower, Mike Hendricks, Andy Roberts. Jon Snow, Roy Fredricks,

Take some beating that team like.

We've won one but very nearly lost the other, I wouldn't say it was nailed on and what's to say it won't rain at Durham or the Oval?

Thats maybe why he said "weather permitting"

He also said that he would look at the five day forecast for the weekend suggesting he hasn't considered that this isn't the last of the rain for the summer

Never seen any of them but from the top of my head I've seen Lara, Chanderpaul, Ambrose, Sangakarra, Jayawardena, Tendulkar, Kumble, Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist, Hussey, Ponting, Hayden, Flintoff, Pietersen, Cook, Trott, Anderson, Swann, Graeme Smith, Pollock. You could get a half decent team out of that lot.

I've also bowled against PJ Poolie in the nets which remains my claim to fame