den

No Jimmy then. .@englandcricket have announced a twelve-man squad for the second Test against India. Out go Dom Bess, Jimmy Anderson, Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer. In come Ben Foakes, Moeen Ali, Olly Stone, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes.

Yep, it was superb. I just wish there had been English fans present to give the lads the ovation and a bit of atmosphere they deserved at the final wicket. Also, channel4 did a great job, but apart from the live coverage I saw very little of the game anywhere. We’re there highlights broadcast anywhere?

We haven’t got a real one J*B

Makes no sense in any way. we are a side that can only play the one way, - a team that tries to play out from the back and on the floor. Obviously that demands a good playing surface. Training on it when it’s in such a poor condition to start with, is far more hindrance to results than any dubious extra risk there is from training indoors. No logic to this at all in my view. If we had a Shefki Kuqi to throw on and revert to a lumping forwards game, then at least there’s a back up plan. There isn’t even that though. “let’s churn the pitch up even more than it already is, then try to out pass the opposition” is a strange approach.

I don’t know, but the talk was of resting Jimmy for this one.

The great Stanley Baxter. It’s funny😀

Archer out of 2nd test through elbow injury. ☹️

What I want here, is a win for a friend of mine and mad keen Rovers fan Graham Swarbrick from Leyland, who died of Covid this week only two weeks after diagnosis. Rovers.... make this one for Graham. Edit... This is Graham. https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/19080547.tributes-paid-blackburn-rovers-season-ticket-holder-graham-swarbrick-died-coronavirus/

Oh god Mercer. 🤨

Only one thing matters. WIN.

It’s true that it looks like England just haven’t been positive enough. It isn’t what we would expect from a side so far ahead in the game. I do understand why they’re doing what they’re doing though. If England had gone more guns ho in their approach, they could quite easily have got all out with a lead of under 400 and still a heck of a lot of overs remaining. England know India are quite capable of getting big scores quickly. Let’s be honest, if England lose this test, their chances of winning a 4 test series in India against this particular team would be close to zero. Time will tell.

Genius. So what do we do with our slowest player - put him up against their quickest? Is that how football tactics work? That really is wired thinking. I have an idea. If the only way you team can score goals is to give it to Armstrong and let him shoot every time he gets the ball, then at least play him where he can reach the goals.

I know we’ve moved on, but Don Martin finished up playing centre half didn’t he? Very underrated player IMO. Got better with age. Excellent technique for a front man, but as others said more of a foil for others, than a goal scorer himself.

Good news indeed. Not showing on TV listings yet.

Is Pickering a Premier League standard player? If he’s not then have we given up on promotion, and if he is what use is it having PL class players on loan in league one? Trying to work this one out.

We had a full back called Pickering once before. He was converted to centre forward, turned out to be as good as Shearer (according to Bryan Douglas who played with him) and left for a British record transfer fee. Can Harry play centre forward?

8th 3 points behind 6th.

It’s boring watching soccer Saturday when rovers are playing. Nothing happens. Are we at the stage yet when Luton have realised we can’t score, so they might as well have a go?

Is that Peter White at the end of the bar?

but 11 against 11, they weren’t good enough. Boro should have got on with it and won the game via their own ability. Virtually every game teams have penalty appeals brushed aside, ignore it and get on and win the game without the refs help. I have little sympathy Mercer. Win the game yourself, don’t rely on the ref to win it for you.

Apart from that penalty appeal, there were another 89 mins of football for Boro to score goals and they didn’t. They weren’t good enough. The talk of the penalty is just diverting away from that.

Well it turned out well. Much better second half and for once the subs made the difference. Boro should have had a pen, but there was still a lot of football to be played and they just weren’t good enough. Defensively we did really well, but again Boro contributed to that with their continual high balls into the box which suited us. Good day, move on.

Branthwaite very raw, midfield too slow, too small and losing their own personal battles. Has to get Dack in there. It’s always going to be difficult with no centre forward.

Just spent 90 mins watching the masked singer. Trying to guess the name of someone disguised behind a costume, who’s voice is disguised as well and can’t sing anyhow. Which soddin’ genius thought that one up?