How do England mask their flaws and make the most of their assets in the make-or-break third Test? ESPNcricinfo assesses the options
Andrew McGlashan in Sharjah28-Oct-2015Jos Buttler is set to be dropped for the final Test against Pakistan in Sharjah which would mean Jonny Bairstow taking the gloves and James Taylor being recalled. That may be the only change for England as they aim to level the series, but what other options do they have? Here are some of the permutations, in no particular order of likelihood. You are welcome to offer your own in the comments section below.New selections in bold, positional changes in italics1. Hail Alex?Getty ImagesAlastair Cook, Alex Hales, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James AndersonThis team would involve Alex Hales making his Test debut to become Alastair Cook’s eighth opening partner since Andrew Strauss retired. He would come into the XI in place of Jos Buttler, with Bairstow keeping wicket and Taylor missing out again. A greater reshuffle of the batting order would also involve Moeen slipping down to the middle order. It would be tough for Hales, he has had just one brief innings on tour, but he is at least a specialist opening batsman.2. Back to the summerCook, Hales, Bell, Root, James Taylor, Stokes, Bairstow (wk), Moeen, Broad, Wood, AndersonThe model is the same balance which reclaimed the Ashes for England last summer. Adil Rashid misses out as the junior spinner, Hales fills Adam Lyth’s role as a specialist opener, Moeen returns to No. 8 where he prospered throughout the English season while Bairstow moves to No. 7 with the gloves. It wasn’t broke, but they tried to fix it.3. Hit them hardMark Butcher: Moeen is wasted as an opener
“Moeen Ali is an asset to England. In English conditions he provides – in that rather dismissive phrase – a “spin option” and gives the opposition kittens when they think they are through the batting line-up. However, in Asian conditions, he is so much more. A potential match-winner if his bowling is in top order and, as an excellent player of spin, a “horses for courses” option at No. 5, leaving room for a second spinner in the process.
By opening with Moeen, an asset has been turned into a liability. Given a truly specialist role at No. 2 (on top of the one as main spinner that he already has) his bowling has suffered. Not only that, he has not been able to reassure the middle order with his expertise against the spinners; because he has been nailed by the new ball, tired and befuddled after bowling and fielding in extreme heat for hundreds of overs.
There has been much to admire about England’s performances in the UAE so far and, with a little luck, they might even be 1-0 up. But their experiment with Moeen could also have a knock-on effect because, while he’s been doing the role, a specialist opener has been denied the chance to get his feet under the table on flat tracks ahead of a tough tour of South Africa later this year.”
Cook, Moeen, Bell, Root, Taylor, Stokes, Bairstow (wk), Broad, Liam Plunkett, Wood, AndersonEngland’s strength is not in spin, that is abundantly clear, but they do have a strong stable of quick bowlers. So why not deploy arguably the quickest of them? It was an idea put forward by the ‘s Mike Selvey and would involve one of the spinners making way. If we presume that Taylor replaces Buttler, then Rashid would have to sit this one out so that Moeen could continue to open. Liam Plunkett would then come in as a battering-ram of a fast bowler to ensure there is rarely a time when Pakistan aren’t facing pace from both ends.4. Do three spinners equal one?Cook, Moeen, Bell, Root, Taylor, Samit Patel, Stokes, Bairstow (wk), Rashid, Wood, AndersonTrevor Bayliss said that England had put some serious thought before the series started to playing three spinners in Sharjah – something New Zealand did last year when Daniel Vettori was recalled for a one-off Test and they won. And that would mean a Test recall for Samit Patel, three years after his last appearance on the tour of India in 2012-13. This option is now highly unlikely given the success of England’s quicks, but if one were to be left out, in terms of wickets taken, Stuart Broad would be the unlucky man.5. Bell tolls?Cook, Hales, Root, Taylor, Moeen, Stokes, Bairstow (wk), Rashid, Broad, Wood, AndersonHas time taken its toll of Ian Bell? The selectors don’t yet think so, but his numbers are not adding up. He has averaged 20.94 since his hundred in Antigua and, though he looked more confident in his second-innings 46 in Dubai, scores of 40 and 50 aren’t really sufficient for a player of his experience. In this option, both Hales and Taylor come in at the expense of Bell and Buttler, with Moeen relocating to the middle order. Joe Root, the world’s No. 1-ranked batsman, is more than capable of batting at No. 36. The 1990s answerCook, Hales, Root, Taylor, Patel, Bairstow (wk), Rashid, Chris Jordan, Plunkett, Wood, AndersonWhat would Ted Dexter, England’s chairman of selectors during an era where consistency was not a buzzword, have done? It would never happen – not these days, at least – but, just for fun, here’s an XI featuring all five squad players who haven’t featured yet. Four quicks, two spinners. Rashid and Moeen could be interchangeable – as they doubtless would have been, 20 years ago.
