England v India Stick to Cricket Preview! No Kohli No Problem?

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1:54Sir Alastair Cook: Show us. That's a stat. Get that bat off the wall. That is a stat. That's it. Show us. That is a stat.

2:05Michael Vaughan: Right, the India-England series. Can't wait. Starts Friday, headingly. England's record against India here in the UK the last three times. They've won 4-1, 3-1, and there were 2-1 down, and they came back the year after, it's 2-0. And primarily, beating India at home, England have bowled to hit the top of Austin better. So that's all I'm talking to the team about. Make sure that you try and press them on that forward defence. That's all you need to do. Keep pressing them on the forward defence and I reckon they snick off.

2:33David 'Bumble' Lloyd: What I can't work out, and we'll find out, obviously, is by taking those two really experienced players out, Rohit and Kohli, who have been on the little bit on the down slide, is the impact they have in the dressing room is now gone. And no matter how... When you take senior players out like that, even if they're great leaders, they might get things wrong, but no one's ever questioning those two in that change. So now there's almost a clean slate. One thing we know, they're going to be so talented. They're so talented. They could pick, I reckon, 18 batsmen almost of the same quality now, aren't they?

3:11David 'Bumble' Lloyd: And it'd be really interesting to see whether that talent, without those two there, and I'm not saying they shouldn't be in the side co-leaders, now flies, they think, I can actually express myself, we can bat how we want to bat. Obviously, you go into a baton's meeting and Coley will be like, this is what we should do. And they all have to nod. And now they might go, actually, we're younger. We want to take on England a bit. We want to be more aggressive. This is what suits us. So it'd be really interesting to see what they've got.

3:34Michael Vaughan: Well, their younger T20 team has flown. Their 50-year-old team, younger stuff through, has flown.

3:40David 'Bumble' Lloyd: It might happen with their testing. That's why I think the crucial thing in England, this first game at Headingley, is that England just don't allow that talent to show. Like you, as Vaughan said, hit top of off more times, suppress their talent to start with. But it's so crucial because in England, long five-test match series or any five-test match series, it's so hard to stop the rot.

4:07Michael Vaughan: Let's start with selection. Where are we going? England's 11. England's 11. They're big players.

4:14Sir Alastair Cook: They're going to stay consistent with what they've got. and that means Crawley and Duckett at the top. Yep. Pope will be three. Oh, not Bethel. Yeah, I think they will stay with what they've got for two.

4:30Michael Vaughan: Yes. And the usual thing, if it didn't work, him will change. I'll ask you as an ex-coach, right? Do you, when you're selecting a team, how much value do you put on a 170 against Zimbabwe? Which, Zimbabwe's attack is just an OK attack. on a flat wicket at Trembridge against what a young player did against a good attack away from home in New Zealand pre-Christmas, where Jacob Bethel owned that number three. So what value do you put on what Jacob did pre-Christmas? Then he stays at the IPL. Then he plays in the West Indies Whiteball Series, 50 overs in T20, and he looks a gun. He looks a player.

5:06Michael Vaughan: He does. Against what Ollie Pope did, who batted in the engine room in New Zealand because he had to take the gloves, did OK. So what value do you put on what he did pre-Christmas to what Ollie Pope did against Zimbabwe? Nothing.

5:17Sir Alastair Cook: Don't put any. I think they'll just go consistent. This in selection will give him a chance. If it doesn't work, we'll change. So the 170 meant nothing then, really.

5:29David 'Bumble' Lloyd: Not to me, no. So I think the 170 meant a lot. Because under pressure, obviously him and Crawley were under the pump and they delivered. And I... When I left New Zealand... A bit of sugar, Dave. A bit of sugar. When I left New Zealand, I thought they'll go Bethel. But the fact he didn't...

5:48Michael Vaughan: I've never seen him have a banana.

5:50Sir Alastair Cook: Well, no, no, they haven't got a spoon, so I was going to use coffee with a banana.

5:53David 'Bumble' Lloyd: Give me a spoon.

5:54Sir Alastair Cook: I must have been talking interesting stuff. No, no, no, sorry. It was really interesting. No, go on, no, it was.

5:58David 'Bumble' Lloyd: No, but I thought they'd gone Bethel. But now, if he ain't leaving the IPL to come and play a test match, for whatever reason that is... Punishment. Oh, you're punishing him. Not punishment, but I'm like, that is the way the cards have fallen, whether it's Bethel's fault or not. And if he was that real desperate, right? Real desperate to play. I'm listening. I would have said he would have come out and played and then he would have guaranteed his England selection. I don't care what's going on behind the scenes on that.

6:20Michael Vaughan: Do you see, in Perth, November, do you see Oli Pope strolling out at number three? If he scores runs against India. I'm just saying, do you think... If he scores runs against India. He's in possession. For me, he's in possession now because of... Do you think he's a good enough number three

6:34David 'Bumble' Lloyd: to face Bummer and Co. Cummins? Well, we'll find out. We'll find out. The issue I've always said about Pope, and I don't think this changes, is the fact his first 20 balls tough as he's more likely to get through his first 20 balls. I think that's a stat. No, that is a stat. That is a stat. Run around, get your bat, show us.

6:52Sir Alastair Cook: That's a stat. Get that bat off the wall. That is a stat. That is a stat. That is a stat. That is a stat. When I come to the crease, I've got half a chance now of surviving. What was it? It came up, didn't it? 20 balls or 15 balls. There you go. Yeah, I've got more of a chance of surviving 20 balls than Olly Pope. Which is obviously slightly worrying for your argument.

7:14David 'Bumble' Lloyd: However, a guy is allowed to improve and he's played 50 test matches now.

7:19Michael Vaughan: Don't you think we're waiting for the inevitable? Possibly.

7:22Sir Alastair Cook: Yes, that's the thing. As a coach, again, that's a very good point. Possibly. When do you make the call if you've got a really good number three and you think you've got a really, really good number three?

7:33David 'Bumble' Lloyd: But we're talking about a number three who's not scored a professional 100.

7:37Michael Vaughan: If he's that good... I totally agree with that. I only go off what I saw against New Zealand, and this kid has got something. But he's got something, right? He's also got a little bit of left-arm tweak. It's boiling hot in Leeds. I know that's going to surprise many, but those little left-arm spinners might come in handy. Don't say little.

7:54David 'Bumble' Lloyd: But the only, like... He's obviously... There's something about lots of good judges of players have said this guy is really good. That's what I mean. Lots of people sitting there. But Warwickshire, he struggled... Like, a year ago, he struggled it and the Warwickshire team was banging six behind. You know, Hayne, Davies. All these guys were picked ahead of him all the time.

8:23Sir Alastair Cook: Is Bashir the best spinner in England? Well, I'm not sure. I think he can bowl a good ball. He can bowl a really good ball, but I am slightly worried about his length. But it depends what kind of spinner you want him to be. I don't think that they play necessarily Bashir. as first innings, do a holding job, you know, do a holding job, go at two and a half, three and over, get yourself a couple of wickets and then when it turns, you know, let the bowlers rotate and everything. I think they almost play Bashir as just a wicket taker and we don't matter about how many runs he goes for, just try and get some wickets.

8:59Sir Alastair Cook: But that can be difficult when you're targeted on flat ones against Australia and India. But don't you think... Because he's not great at holding the length. No, but I don't think that...

9:09Michael Vaughan: That doesn't bother Stokes. He's very young. He's 21 years of age. He's got 58 test wickets as a 21-year-old spinner. He's good. His main strength is Ben Stokes. Absolutely. He bowls good balls. He bowls some bad balls. But having Ben Stokes, if you look at his record when Ben Stokes is in the side to when Oli Pope got the captaincy, it's chalk and cheese. So Stokes, he creates this vibe and this freedom for him to just bowl. And I wouldn't be surprised against India that he gets more wickets in the first innings than in the second when India will probably just try and launch him.

9:40David 'Bumble' Lloyd: Certainly the point that Bashir's record without Stokes... Well, it's incredible. Without Stokes, and also in county cricket this year. He's got two wickets, 130. Exactly. Actually, as a tactic, you're thinking, would you try and whack Bashir? I'd just play him. If you just played him. If you just played him, and actually don't worry about... Yeah. Don't worry about... You'd think, oh, whack him.

10:01Michael Vaughan: If you try and whack him, right, you'd just bring a Seymour back? Yeah, this year, I mean, India 5, Australia 5, there's no doubt we'll be debating Shoei Bashir. There's no doubt. There'll be a debate. He's very young, Mike. You know, if you look at the whole package, that's why I'm interested with Jacob Bethel, because he bats, he bowls a bit, and he's a gun fielder. He's the next. So the whole index of the cricketer is very large. Whereas he doesn't bat and he's OK in the field. So he's got to bowl bloody well. But he has to play. Yeah. So I wouldn't necessarily shoot him in for Australia.

10:33Sir Alastair Cook: He's the bowler, but he wasn't batting, he ain't fielding. So he's bowling. There's no accident, all the captains wanted him in the team.

10:44Michael Vaughan: All right, let's go predictions. What's the score going to be? What, India? I think it'll be 3-1 England. So do I.

10:53Bambara's boomer.

10:56Sir Alastair Cook: The boomer. The boomer's going to be crucial.

11:00Michael Vaughan: Apparently he'll only play 3-5. Wow, there you go. He won't play three out of five if it's 2-2 going to last one.

11:06David 'Bumble' Lloyd: No, definitely.

11:07Sir Alastair Cook: But it's going to be crucial if the Boomba is... What have you just called him? The Boomba. Bumble called him the Boomba. That's easier. Boomba is... The greatest bowler of all time. Absolutely the greatest bowler of all time. Would you agree with that? No. No? No. Who's better than him? Fred Truman? Lightning! Lightning! Give him over! I don't like lightning. it's normally been as quick as Fred right so 3-1, 3-1 what are you going I'm going to say there are a few holes in this Indian batting line up there are a few holes in the bowling line up I think you're right 3-1 I can't all agree Dave what are you going 4-0 England

11:46Michael Vaughan: 4-0 oh good one round off one round off Manchester Manchester yeah

11:51David 'Bumble' Lloyd: yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

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