Bowling Root ahead of Panesar - pure idiocy

Who says Cook should be dropped? How many people want Flower sacked? Are you sure the rest of the team are trying their best? Calm yourself down man, you're foaming at the mouth, that must be one hell of a chip you on your shoulder. I'm sure if Australia were to capitulate on an English tour and be in danger of getting whitewashed, you'd be a model of equnimity. This team is disintegrating and of course questions will be asked.

I despair

cook must've bumped his head

pain

I've been following English cricket long enough to know who alan igglesdon is. bad old days. just keep haddin off the strike and you'll end the innings. I think the signs are good at the minute.

pack it in, that won't happen. we have the upper hand now

It was certainly difficult for the bowlers in not getting enough respite due to the upper order failing to occupy the crease for any significant time. I should imagine Anderson is absolutely burned out right now.

Yes, I think Cook is the wrong guy to have as captain, but who do you put in his place? Prior?

Every time I think it can't get any worse, it promptly does.

We're taking a doing for sure. On the evidence of say the past 5 years we have the better players, but that counts for nothing. Australia are dominating because they're perfectly executing a game-plan that exploits the weaknesses in the English side. If you're going to go down, go down with a fight, and it's particularly alarming to see the English reversion to the bad old ways of the late eighties and early nineties. The mentality isn't the only reason we're getting done, but it's a large part of it. For God's sakes, let's have some fight back, please. A whitewash is no good for anyone. I can understand that the body language has been awful from England, but they really do have to man up. 90% of this is in their heads. There's far too much frailty an dlack of conviction about England right now. The dressing room must be an unpleasant place to be.

We need to talk about Kevin.

It's all in their heads. They can do it, Cook in particular. I really think it was a mistake to make him captain. More controlled aggression required, you can't create confidence without first performing well, but you can at least be determined that if you go down, then go down fighting. If a few players can take the lead on that, they could take the others with them. But this situation does again make me think that the cricket calendar is too crowded. I'm not talking about the physical effects here, but rather the mental drain. Cricketers are only human. But if some players are so jaded that they've lost all motivation, then they should be removed from the team temporarily, for their own good if no-one else's.

Forget Northern and add in Willey and Robin Smith.

It seems like England are a bit too pampered and bow their heads at the first sign of adversity.

At least Carberry and Root have the right idea. Mentally some of England's players seem all over the shop. 500+ to win and Cook pulls it, not too clever. It seems that Australia are winning not solely by talent, but by guts, nous and application. If England could only just find some fight, it would be far more of a contest. Don't just hand them the bloody urn on a platter.

Close was a proper hardcase

England need to bin the mung bean curry and remember what really wins matches. Razor sharp fielding, iron determination not to give your wicket away and bowlers hunting in packs. But most of all, being up for the fight. There's a thin line between chopping and changing and being too loyal. But surely some pllayers must be close to the push. Johnson's bowling great but we seem to be bereft of fight and spirit

don't have an agenda, that's a good one.

I now have an image of Balaji lobbing one off sat on the couch in pi$$-stained y-fronts. Great. Thanks.

Tapeworm.

I bet you do!

What's motivating these comments? Which international side do you follow?

I wanna see all the blueprints!

Way of the future