India tour of Eng, June 20 - Aug 4

[Arthur Crabtree]

Remember Jimmy and Monty...?

[sussexpob]

Sporting overload at the moment. Got two windows open for the cricket in WI and ENG, got the F1 on the tv, and got the Norwegian ladies coming up

[Arthur Crabtree]

Who says men can't multitask.

[sussexpob]

I know he played well, but caught off the top edge in the deep when you are SAVING a test......



Braindead

[Arthur Crabtree]

Top seven needed to bat at least a couple of hours each. Only Smith managed that.

[sussexpob]

Well at least Lando won

[Arthur Crabtree]

Deserved win for India. Well done. Incredible game for Shubman Gill.

[Durhamfootman]

A tea declaration ought to suit England more, because India probably have enough runs already but equally they’ll have a load of nagging doubts as well. Then it’s up to Stokes on whether to bat normally and go into the third test 1-0 up, or ridiculously try to chase 450 or 500 in 4 sessions with their knobs out and testosterone puddling on the floor and go into the third test 1-1

I knew when I posted this what the answer would be

Maybe India rest bumrah for the third test as well

Maybe rest him for the last 3 tests. 1-0 after two test makes it hard for India to win the series, because they couldn’t afford to make any mistakes in the final 3. At 1-1 India have a real chance to win the series. If they win the 3rd test, they absolutely will

All change on the England bowling bus…… ding, ding

[sussexpob]

A tea declaration ought to suit England more, because India probably have enough runs already but equally they’ll have a load of nagging doubts as well. Then it’s up to Stokes on whether to bat normally and go into the third test 1-0 up, or ridiculously try to chase 450 or 500 in 4 sessions with their knobs out and testosterone puddling on the floor and go into the third test 1-1

I think this is what grates with the way England played in this test. There isn't really anyway to rationalise how they came out to bat late on Day 4, other than to think on some level that the team decided it meant more to them to conserve their superhero image and their swashbuckling identity, rather than any care to what the match situation required. The only other explanation was they sat in the dressing room and honestly thought they could shatter a record score, which I dismissed without any further consideration, as its too remote a possibility to entertain. Even the whole "try to win before all else" stuff doesn't wash, because drawing the match was the only available positive, and man would that have been a hammer blow to India not to come away with a win.

Still, I have to applaud Marcus Trescothick being interviewed after England lost 3 wickets slogging on the evening of Day 4, and him responding with palpable disgust and a condescending tone that England were "not stupid", and that they would of course consider that there was more on the table than winning or losing the test..... the fact it took their top order being blown away in the evening for them to realise this somewhat challenges his point about them not being stupid.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Archer in for Tongue is the only change.

[Durhamfootman]

18 red ball overs in 4 years. what could possibly go wrong?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Cook and Overton might wonder what they are there for.

[Arthur Crabtree]

And their counties.

Though at least they're not being kept out the 100.

[Durhamfootman]

I wonder why that is

[sussexpob]

Cook and Overton might wonder what they are there for.

Its the Kookaburra rounds, thy can hardly believe their luck