Just read this on Cricinfo:

England gave them a good fight though, although you wonder if most of that came from one source. Chris Woakes can get into an international team as a specialist bowler, he took 11 wickets in this match. He can get into an international team as a specialist batsman, he faced more balls than any other English batsman in this match

Shows what could have been achieved

said yesterday i think that woakes has been a revelation this year, always looked like someone with the talent but just wasn't sure whether he could step it up at this level, he's proved me wrong over the last few months

Gutted for Woakes he shouldn't of been on the losing side

I was also someone that thought Woakes wasn't good enough for a Test side, but he went away, put on 10mph and upped his game enormously. He must keep his place now, surely.

I think Finn and Moeen should be dropped now. These days, Finn has lost his pace and offers little else. Moeen should not be our front-line spinner, and if he's not going to play as top order batsman, then I don't think he deserves a place. Rashid should be given a chance, I think, and is more than good enough to bat #8. Ballance goes and Stokes comes in. Vince goes and Borthwick comes in, with his bowling as an addition.

I think Root should get some extra coaching on his off-spin, as a back-up. And Ball should be given some 'strength and conditioning' to allow him to bowl quicker for longer. He looks like someone who could generate some real pace in the future.

So for me, it would be:

Cook
Hales
Borthwick
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Woakes
Rashid
Broad
Anderson
Ball

i think vince will get the whole of this series at least , not sure i would do that if it was me making the decision but i reckon they will give him more than just 4 games

I agree, but I think (on balance) that I would prefer the team as above.

Do you think Yasir Shah was the difference on England winning this test as i dont think we are still comfortable facing him

Agree with all this, except Finn has to play at OT, a pitch that will suit his style, Ball didn't do that much this match. If you were to bring someone in Plunkett's the guy. Actually looking again your side has too much bowling, particularly when batting has let us down here.

I'm not as inflexible as I seem at times, I've talked up Moeen, as I believe he's done a job for us, and I don't rate Rashid, but that shot ends it for me, it was disgraceful. Shame Monty isn't in form.

Oh and picking Root at 3 is madness, don't understand why it wasn't questioned more.

Madsen someone that maybe could be considered too, at an unfashionable county, but scores runs and takes catches.

Umm. yes, pretty clearly.

Yay, the stupid questions extend to cricket as well.

Well the rest of them did score nearly 200


Obvious. He was the number I bowler in England's side


My team, assuming that Stokes and Anderson can bowl.

Cook
Hales
Vince or Ballance
Root
Ballance or Vince
Bairstow
Stokes
Woakes
Rashid
Broad
Anderson

That looks a good side, i think that will be the side for the next test

Anderson got a few wickets today. Do we know that he will be picked for the next, and if was fit why did not play in this test

Given his age and importance I think it was a fair decision not to risk him in a gruelling test match. Moreso when you consider expectations were for a lifeless wicket that would require of a lot of patience and bowling from the frontline.

County teams are happy to take a risk on a rare outing for their international stars. If they had to take him out of the attack you can get away with part time alternatives at that level.

Remember Cook and Fairbrace both wanted Jimmy to play.

But as not Sean has pointed out, it wasn't our bowling that cost us

Absolutely. Given the circumstances I think the bowling was excellent, and that was with Finn not at his best too.

My Team for the next test would be:

Cook
Hales
Root
Vince
Stokes
Bairstow
Woakes
Rashid
Broad
Anderson
Finn

I have picked Stokes more of a batsman, but if he needs to bowl he can, it was touched on Cricket Writers this morning could Stokes play as a batsman only.

I quite like Ali, but I feel if we don't get Rashid a go in test cricket this summer, we aren't going to no, how he will manage when he will be needed this Winter

I would have liked to pick Borthwick, but Hales can still be a cheap wicket, You aren't sure what you are going to get from Vince, Next Michael Vaughan he isn't.

To my embarrassment, I forgot about Plunkett, especially as I'm quite a fan of his.

That said, I think Ball was very unlucky this Test and did more than his stats suggest. My pick still bats down to 8, with Rashid, and although I agree it was the batting that let us down, I've replaced Vince and Moeen and Ballance.

It's possible that Vince could end up 'doing a Bell', and turn that good-looking technique into something more consistently robust, but at the moment, I'd prefer to look at Borthwick, not least because of his bowling.

Personally, I think one of the issues of the modern game is that they've tended to value having some batting ability over the primary skill that the person should have been picked for. In some cases, this has worked (see Woakes), but more often I think that doing this has papered over the cracks that are now widening, of a system that doesn't produce batters with the overall package for the Test game. I would still choose a side that demanded the batters stood up and did their job and not have to keep relying on the safety net of a batting tail.

In the background, England need to find a way to invest in spinners and a system that better rewards batsmen that can apply themselves a bit more, IMO. This is a long-term strategy, I appreciate.

Well impressed with Pakistan. .. They would have won more comfortably if they had held their slip catches. Excellent bowling line up.
Should be a cracking series.

I thought Pakistan were only good in the UAE

Looks like i was wrong. Have they got a new coach because the team looks like a side that could go up the rankings

TBH England dropped a few too. Been a problem with us for awhile.

Vince is a poor man bell actually.
Bell actually had a good or decent technique,
Vince doesn't actually have a good technique.
so far in his short test career Vince has been fortunate to score 112 runs to date in his career.

few things that I picked up on his that vince doesn't pick spin, plays the spinner of the back foot and that never end up well when the ball is turning or the guy can spin it both ways.

Also vince loves to play long way outside his body which makes him vulnerable to the extra pace or if their is movement in the wicket.

His average of 33 after 24 games does not make him a number 5 test match batter. He only gets in my side if he can bowl as well.

NB. Our bowling did let us down in this game. After getting the early wickets we let the late middle order get too many, especially in the second innings

True. I don't think they were as costly though.

Agree with that. That batting line up isn't strong enough at the top but is very strong mid to lower order,. Stokes isn't a number 5

You have 5 pace bowlers, and two spinners in the side, even if Borthwick doesn't bowl much now. No team in the World needs five pacers, Old Trafford is a bowlers wicket, Broad Anderson and Woakes might be enough, even without Stokes as back-up. when would Ball even get a bowl? There is no way that's a proper balance. If Borthwick is picked primarily for his batting you only have 4 specialist batsmen, it's madness. Bairstow is keeping so can't expect to bat too high.