Fifth Test: India v England, 16-20 Dec (Chennai)

[Arthur Crabtree]

I THINK YOU ARE NAS.

Nas is probably my least liked commentator now. So that's pretty complicated.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I'm nominating Broad and Ball to start the day.

[rich1uk]

I'm nominating Broad and Ball to start the day.

and so cook starts with dawson ?

[Arthur Crabtree]

I guess if Broad gets something going, they'll get Ball on. Maybe should have started the session with their best bowlers, and I doubt Daws is England's best spinner. With a lhb, maybe try Moeen. Dawson isn't emitting much star quality as a spinner, not a lot happening in the flight so far, but maybe he's better than he looks...

[rich1uk]

I guess if Broad gets something going, they'll get Ball on. Maybe should have started the session with their best bowlers, and I doubt Daws is England's best spinner. With a lhb, maybe try Moeen. Dawson isn't emitting much star quality as a spinner, not a lot happening in the flight so far, but maybe he's better than he looks...

and according to the commentators cook has broad bowling from the end the indian spinners were bowling from and dawson from the end the seamers were

[meninblue]

6 er

[Arthur Crabtree]

Yes, perhaps the breeze has moved or something.

Rahul getting after Dawson. VJ is fit to bat.

Indian coverage has the usual tea and money transfer ads. But the high volume of rusk adverts have disappeared.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I was thinking about spinners with flight, and remembered Tuffers who had the ball on a string when he started and had a lovely loop, but lost it bowling flatter and faster, often on a leg stump line. I think that's happened with Moeen (though the cricinfo commentators say he got drift yesterday). England seem to promote their spinners bowling faster, and were disappointed in Rashid for a long time because he was 'too slow'. But around the turn of 2015, Moeen seemed to lose some natural drift bowling ever faster. Ideally they can bowl both ways, but Mo at least has only ever been a support spinner for his county so maybe never needed too many strings to his bow and so lacks versatility.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Ball will be looking to improve that Test bowling average of 73.

[rich1uk]

Ball will be looking to improve that Test bowling average of 73.

wouldn't be putting much money on him doing it with how easy its looking for the batsmen atm

[rich1uk]

why are we 30 overs into this innings and rashid has only bowled 2 overs ?

[meninblue]

101 / 0

Wonderful response to the big total.

Nice 50 by Rahul and Pappu nearing 50 as well.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Wonder, with regards to how things have gone on this tour, what England plans are for Australia next winter. There won't be much sideways movement other than reverse swing. And none of the bowlers in India have threatened that way. But there'll be bounce. Broad/Anderson/Woakes/Ball/Stokes feels a bit samey. The Currans are supposed to be only medium-fast. They'd want Finn if he was the bowler he was. Wood might be handy. Could Footitt re-emerge as an option with his pace?

Nas has been listening to me again...

[rich1uk]

Wonder, with regards to this tour, what England are thinking about their bowlers for Australia next next winter. There won't be much sideways movement other than reverse swing. But there'll be bounce. Broad/Anderson/Woakes/Ball/Stokes feels a bit samey. The Curran's are supposed to be only medium-fast. They'd want Finn if he was the bowler he was. Wood might be handy. Could Footitt re-emerge as an option with his pace?

you are probably making the fatal assumption there is any actual thought involved in selection, they appear to be just making it up as they go along

[Arthur Crabtree]

These five Tests have been a classic case of using the whole series to find a side to play in the conditions. Typical of an England WC campaign. And then if you take that into the next series in different conditions, you start all over again. England needed to be planning for Australia a while ago, given the age and fallibility of their pacemen. Plus, will Mo be able to bat at 4/5 on bouncy pitches? Will a leg spinner work? Otherwise, they end up being reactive.