India will win this , if it isn’t a draw. I just don’t think the English batsmen have the mentality to bat out for a draw . Hope I am wrong but …..
If Bairstow had taken that diving catch just now, I would have had England down as favourites for the win, but he didn’t catch it and we have just blown our second review, so my money is on the draw.
Trent win tonight = Trent qualify, Superchargers go out, only the winner of Brave v Oval can qualify Manchester win tonight = Trent go out, the loser of Brave v Oval could still qualify (would be between them and Superchargers) Tie tonight = No-one goes out, no-one goes through, four teams continue to fight for two places
Talking of underwhelming, Salt joins Banton in hoping that the 2022 Hundred will go a lot better than the 2021 Hundred.
Couldn’t agree more. I always thought the tactic against tailenders was to stop them scoring easy singles so that the pressure would build up and force a mistake. Even when we have hit the edge or they have hit one through the air, we haven’t had enough players in the right positions to take the catches DESPITE having the new ball. Very negative.
The obsession seems to have been to stop boundaries, by spreading the field, but that has just allowed the batsmen to rotate the strike at will often with aerial shots through positions you would expect a fielder to be. I think you can see when a fielding captain is struggling, when he starts moving players to where the ball went through the air on the previous shot. Reactive rather than proactive and clearly not working to a plan with the bowlers. The game has swung hugely towards a draw or an Indian win, if we have a batting collapse.
So . Do we have the mindset to dug in for a draw ? I fear not . Yes we can win , but India are favourites for a win if there is going to be a winner imho.
If England had any intention of playing for a win, Buttler or Bairstow would have opened the innings. Just switching back on at 1-2 was something else.
