India tour of Eng, June 20 - Aug 4

[sussexpob]

There are some pretty crazy stats out there for this game. One of the highest run aggregates in a result (3 of the top 5 have involved England in the last 3 years), second most runs ever chased on the final day to win a test (second only to Headingley 1948 which featured 170* from a certain D Bradman). First time ever a team has lost after scoring 5 centuries. Highest 1st innings score at 3 down to go on and lose

The stat that shocked me the most from yesterday was the fact that its the first time since that Bradman 1948 test that all innings in a match have been over 300 runs, and only the 4th instance all time. Really rams home how rare in test history 300s are in the 4th innings.

[sussexpob]

Obviously Gill is very inexperienced leading sides, but the main worry really in the last day or so of play was how India really didn't seem to have any sort of plan. As the lead went past 300, they had either the choice to start hitting out and declare quickly with as many runs as possible, or try to bat England out the game by taking time out the match - in the end, we had three established bats (Rahul, Jadeja, Nair) who showed no urgency, and at the other end 2 tailenders got out quickly trying to mow the ball into the stand. Speaks to me of a coach or captain who has sent out players with no clear instruction. Even as India went 9 down, Jadeja was taking singles and only had a 3 ball period where he snapped and slogged a few, then weirdly went back i his shell for a few overs.

Then in the field, Gill was far too reactive to where the ball was going. Duckett hit through third man, put a man there... hit through the covers, move him to sweeper...this continued all day. At two different stages of the game he moved his first slip wider to react to where an edge went, only for two crisp edges to fly through first slip. And then in the last 100 odd runs, having his fielders so deep they weren't saving the single, and inviting a player like Root to just knock balls into the onside for a single ... have they seen him bat?

Gill didn't know if he should attack or defend. Even 20-25 runs to the target and a new ball in the bowlers hand, Root flashed a big edge into the 4th slip/gully region.... he had 2 slips out and men saving boundaries on both sides. And this is before we mention the fact he kept his new ball bowlers fresh for a spell at the end that never came.... Smith and Root played out India's lesser seamers to the point the match was over....

I was disappointed by Jadeja too. For a player who has 82 test match caps, he at no stage seemed to realise that flat, quick bowling wasn't working. He didn't react to England's reverse sweeping to his line at all, and didn't even target the rough patches outside the off stump. Late in the game, he started to throw up a few 5mph slower, and the ball gripped. He got Root outside edging, and ripped a few past Smith... then having not got a wicket, went back to bowling 60mph darts and doing nothing.

Gambhir has to answer for some of this, because it really appeared India had no plan at all, or had no clear idea of how they were getting players out. I think the biggest sin was Jamie Smith hitting everything in the offside, and Gill having 3 men on the leg side ring doing nothing. Have they seen Mr Offside bat ever?

[Arthur Crabtree]

India's top order batting was broadly effective- four batters made five tons. Not sure if one game is enough to say they have a long tail.

My impression (from highlights and stats) is their fielding was shoddy and the support bowling was too expensive. The captain's big idea was mostly to give Bumrah another bowl. If he's not playing in the even number Tests, they are in trouble.

Jadeja bowling flat into the pitch is a decent method for bowling on a last day pitch- in India.

Still, they did plenty that went right, on the first four days. It just looks bad when you throw out a winning hand.

Credit to England for staying in the game, with the bowlers pulling back some dismal positions and then the batters dominating the last day. The batting wasn't beautiful, but responded well to pressure in both innings. Plus 838 runs for 15 wickets!

[Arthur Crabtree]

English cricket after the Mitchwash is a bit of a haze to me. But it seems like Duckett's career has been a success too little credited. He had a few early games in the middle order (from memory) and was soon dropped with little regret, and spent a period outside the XI with no one hankering after his return.

He came back in to open when it seemed everyone else had been tried and a sense of hopelessness was settling around the cause.

But he has succeeded. Maybe commentators don't like to celebrate that because he has a limited array of shots, and he hasn't any aesthetic grace. Maybe also because he isn't a willowy, charismatic hero from a public school, in the David Gower tradition. But he's ultimately been a succesful pick for the selectors. And has made one of the opening slots his own.

When he came back into the side, England had what looked like a one man batting line up- Joe Root. And now they do have a functional top seven. OK, not good enough to do well in India- or yet, in Australia. But still a solid improvement.

Someone must have done some good work bringing them together.

[Durhamfootman]

India adamant that Bumrah will only play 3 tests. I'm not so sure, myself. They may rest him for one of the back to back tests coming up, but the only way I think he'll miss another is if England are already cruising the series by decision time. Hey.... I've been wrong before

[bigfluffylemon]

English cricket after the Mitchwash is a bit of a haze to me. But it seems like Duckett's career has been a success too little credited. He had a few early games in the middle order (from memory) and was soon dropped with little regret, and spent a period outside the XI with no one hankering after his return.

He came back in to open when it seemed everyone else had been tried and a sense of hopelessness was settling around the cause.

But he has succeeded. Maybe commentators don't like to celebrate that because he has a limited array of shots, and he hasn't any aesthetic grace. Maybe also because he isn't a willowy, charismatic hero from a public school, in the David Gower tradition. But he's ultimately been a succesful pick for the selectors. And has made one of the opening slots his own.

When he came back into the side, England had what looked like a one man batting line up- Joe Root. And now they do have a functional top seven. OK, not good enough to do well in India- or yet, in Australia. But still a solid improvement.

Someone must have done some good work bringing them together.

Absolutely AC. I think at last he's starting to get the credit he deserves. He's not a classical opener, but as a batsman it's not 'how' but 'how many', and he's made runs, often in tough conditions.

On the numbers, Duckett is one of only six openers to have averaged over 40 since the start of 2023 (qualification - opened in at least 5 matches). Jaiswal's way out in front with 52, then Duckett has 44. Head and P Nissanka are both ahead of Duckett on average too, but from a much smaller sample size. He's ahead in every measure of Khawaja and Markram, the only other 2.
https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engin ... pe=batting

I reckon the current World XI should have Jaiswal and Duckett opening.

[sussexpob]

Playing Devil's advocate, BFL, I think saying he does it in "tough conditions" is a bit of a stretch when to memory the only innings I can think of where he's scored 100s are vs Ireland, Zimbabwe, and twice in Pakistan in test matches that produces 1200/1400 runs in the first innings. I think that is the polar opposite to making runs in tough conditions. He had one 99 at Lords vs Australia, so maybe you can count that also.... but remove some of these dead calories and his record isn't poor, nor is it "world XI". I am sure Markram/Khawaja's of this world would be ahead given some roads or pub attacks to feast on.

Having said that, I think there is some notable maturity in his innings the other day. I cannot pin point the moment, but during the last home Ashes he was batting in about the 4-5th test, and he left a ball wide outside his off stump, at which point the comms mentioned it was only the second time in the series he had done so. I remember chuckling at that, but its a crazy stat to think for an opener he leaves a ball twice every 5 match series. Skip to this game, and first over with Bumrah challenging him with a tight line.... left 1...2....3...in a row. He never did that in the past, but I like it.... more willing to get in and pound teams to dust after he's settled than all out tora tora tora!

Another noticeable thing about Duckett is, a little like Joe Root when he's got a start and is attacking you, he has enough unorthodox strokes to attack any gap you put in the field.... if you respond by moving the field back, its death by nudges.

[sussexpob]

Generally though, I think that was the most encouraging thing about this victory for England was it felt like a more polished version of bazball. I didn't get the sense England were slogging, it felt more measured and controlled to normal. Be ready to attack when the opportunity arises, without being idiotic....

[Arthur Crabtree]

Duckett averages 47 since he came back in the side. Fair enough, his stats are inflated by innings v Zim/Ire. But that's only two actual innings.

The rest of this series and the Ashes will give a more detailed picture.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I presume England will be unchanged. There might be some mutterings about Woakes, but he went past the bat regularly and will probably do better on another day. It would have been nice to get some more second innings wickets from Bashir.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Duckett averages 47 since he came back in the side. Fair enough, his stats are inflated by innings v Zim/Ire. But that's only two actual innings.

The rest of this series and the Ashes will give a more detailed picture.

Not trying to claim that he's another Boycott/Gooch/Cook. Or even another Vaughan/Strauss/Trescothick. Just that he's closed down a big gap in the top order.

[andy]

Archer added to the squad for the second test

[alfie]

Generally though, I think that was the most encouraging thing about this victory for England was it felt like a more polished version of bazball. I didn't get the sense England were slogging, it felt more measured and controlled to normal. Be ready to attack when the opportunity arises, without being idiotic....

Very much agree with this. Will wait to see whether this is an isolated case or a sign of genuine evolution.

Perhaps worth noting that the one higher England chase , three years ago against the same opponent , had a lot in common with this. India (with virtually the same attack as this time , though Shami was surely a better option than Prasidh) seemed to rather lose it in the field once the Crawley/Lees opening stand had set England's chase off to a bright start. Although three wickets fell quickly , they were soon on the defensive again and Root and Bairstow really looked to have the game in hand well before the end. They also rather squandered wickets in their own second innings and failed to bat England out of the game...so some parts of history do repeat.

I'd give Gill time to settle in his role. Looked at times as if he was a bit unsure , taking advice from several more experienced players but without a real plan of his own. He is new to it.

Not so sure about Gambhir.

[Arthur Crabtree]

England unchanged tomorrow.

Leave out Archer, Bethell, J.Overton, S.Cook.

[andy]

Good to see common sense prevailing with jofra not playing however if they are saying he is fully fit now he could have played for Sussex this week and got more overs in him....tad suprised overton isn't getting a run out but is what it is ..

India considering Bumrah...I know they said 3 tests out of 5 but if he is fit then just play him