Wednesday 22 August 2018 09:39, UK
Bob Willis and Mark Butcher analyse why it keeps going wrong for England's top-order, and praise Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes' application in the latest Cricket Debate podcast.
Once again, England found themselves four wickets down with minimal runs on the board as they slipped to 62-4 in the morning session on day four at Trent Bridge.
Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes led the recovery, the former notching a maiden Test ton in a 169-run stand between the pair for the fifth wicket. Willis and Butcher were effusive in their praise for the duo, but didn't hold back on their criticism of the rest of the order.
Willis' main source of frustration is England's inability to see off the new ball, consistently losing their first four wickets cheaply, while the second new ball even accounted for four further strikes for only 10 runs later in the day.
Willis and Butcher debate whether Alastair Cook's time in Test cricket could be coming to an end, and who are the other options knocking around in county cricket.
Butcher, "angry" with England for picking 20-year-old Ollie Pope out of position at No 4 - a position he has never batted as high as before - suggests Pope's Surrey team-mate, and opener, Rory Burns could be an option, but is critical of the county cricket structure.
Butcher says with so much of the four-day County Championship being played out in the Spring, in conditions more favourable to seam bowling, top-order batsmen selected for England are coming into the international set-up in no form and with their technique shot to bits.
Despite the failings of the England top-order, however, the hosts did manage to take the Test match into day five, with one wicket remaining, and on tomorrow's Cricket Debate the panel will be picking their preferred XI for for the fourth Test at the Ageas Bowl - stay tuned!
Don't miss live coverage of day five of the third Test between England and India at Trent Bridge live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.30am on Wednesday.
