First Test: England v India at Edgbaston, 1-5 August 2018.

[sussexpob]

reading reports Stokes, Anderson and curran were knackered because of their earlier spells and didn't have much left in the tank when the last 2 batsman were at the crease

Think Root can be forgiven for his bowling choices. He whipped Broad off early, and Curran then ran through India's top order. He had Stokes and Anderson bowl, but had it not been for the three drops, they would have punched through the end of the real batter resistance. At 100-5 with both batters dropped in consecutive balls, and both looking out at sea in front of quality bowling, I dont think taking either off was the right thing to do.

Catches put down was the only reason you could see why India may have gotten to 150-200.

[Dr Cricket]

Yeah you can’t blame him because of how good those 3 were at the time.

[sussexpob]

His record would be similar to Steve Smith's if he was more ruthless

Or if he was continually playing on the easiest wickets in the world like Smith. In the period of Smith's captaincy, Australia are averaging a score of 550 per completed 10 wicket innings. In the same period :-

Voges averages 86. Khawaja 68. Warner 62. Shaun Marsh 60. Handscomb 65. Rogers 65. Renshaw 63. Paine 48. The only real "failures" are Burns at a hardly disasterous 37, and Mitch Marsh who is a shade under 40, and whos last 3 dismissals come at over a 120 average...... oh and Bancroft.

Make the pitch dead as a do-do, score massive..... rub sandpaper on the ball to make pitch less playable for opposition, win big. Thats the Steve Smith/ Aussie way.

Batting stats coming out of Australia in the last 3-4 years can be completely ignored. Remember Adam "the Don" Voges when he came to England.... he was annihilated. He had no technique.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Some big runs scored by the home side on Indian pitches too.

[sussexpob]

Some big runs scored by the home side on Indian pitches too.

Not in the same league. India at home with Kohli average a 10 runs per dismissal less than the Aussies.

Kohli's last 5 tests in Australia, hes scored 5 100s...... no doubt he'd love to bat there a lot more.

[Dr Cricket]

the bowlers got something to work on in india as well.
rahane struggles a bit in india because he always vulnerable to the turning ball.
Australia any decent batsman will score *modded* loads of runs.

Smith will always have the Australia bogey tag around him till Australia changes decks at home.

[Durhamfootman]

I also see that my joke about Rashid getting Kohli after he'd scored 150 over on the headline thread was pretty close to accurate

yes, I spotted that. well done!

[sussexpob]

Jennings joins Cook. Straight forward piece of bowling, straight forward edge.

[sussexpob]

Malan really needs a score here

[Durhamfootman]

thank goodness we have Adil R

[backfootpunch]

Jennings joins Cook. Straight forward piece of bowling, straight forward edge.

I'd imagine malan and stokes will suffer a similar fate

Down to the right handers

Malans owes the team 130 runs after dropping kohli

[backfootpunch]

thank goodness we have Adil R

Can he defend a double figure total?

[sussexpob]

Malan looks like he wants to have a bit of a whack here. Not encouraging

[Durhamfootman]

Malans owes the team 130 runs after dropping kohli

good point

[sussexpob]

Malans owes the team 130 runs after dropping kohli

good point

Sounds like a Matt Prior quote from KPs biography....