Andy Gilder wrote:
Same team for Sydney, or does Finn regain his place at the expense of Bresnan? If Bresnan genuinely was a selection solely for the pitch England expected at the MCG, do they revert to the faster, bouncier Finn on a traditionally drier, harder surface?
From the limited amount of highlights I saw from Melbourne it appeared Bresnan was at least as fast as the other England bowlers according to the speedgun readings. His porky appearance masks impressive strength and stamina that allows him to bowl long accurate spells without dropping his pace. Given the fact we now need just a draw to win the series I suspect his superior batting and the way he helped stifle the run rate at Melbourne will be enough to keep him in.
Andy Gilder wrote:
Sydney has also been a two-spinner pitch in the past, but I can't see England seriously shifting the balance of the side by dropping a batter to include Panesar.
If the bowling attack stays the same, does Morgan come in for Collingwood?
Panesar (or Finn) might have replaced Collingwood if we needed a win to square the series, but not now.
I'd keep Collingwood in despite his poor form. Morgan remains inexperienced at Test level and could be undercooked given the itinerary we've had so far. He's the type of batsman who might come in and blast a thrilling century in quick time, but given the selectors' inherant conservatism regarding unforced changes I can't see them discarding Collingwood's vast experience at the climax of such a high profile series.
What I would do is swap Bell & Collingwood in the order (which is what a lot of people advocated before Melbourne) with a view to Morgan possibly replacing Collingwood at 6 during next summer.
