Off Topic Cricket - England 2021

All the more frustrating that they've not bowled since tea! I get that he can't overbowl them and is probably waiting for the new ball but think Root is missing a trick here. The seamers have been both more economical and threatening than the spinners

 

I think this guy Pant thinks this is a T20.... brilliant innings...

His hundred off a 6.... 100 off 115 balls.... England have lost the plot here 62 with the new ball off 19.....

EDIT...And with that he's holed out...

 

Match winning innings that. Sometimes you just have to applaud a great opposition innings. I'm trying to convince myself that if we keep the lead below 100 we're still in it but that feels pretty optimistic

 

I spoke a bit too soon then...

 

Be all over by tea tomorrow. Beaten by an innings. That over by Bess straight after tea, full toss first ball and ten off the over ! let them off the hook and set the pace. Not a good move by Joe Root.

 

Nah, India'll still be batting at tea tomorrow!

 

Well, we had a good morning, but after that India and Pant, in particular, took control. It's looking like 120-150 behind after the first innings, and with the pitch deteriorating, we could well get bowled out and lose by an innings.

This India side with their pace attack now is going to be no pushover when they come to England, and gone are the days when we can prepare a pitch that will not suit them, they have a really good pace attack now.

 

I agree in some way John ,but i think we'll give them a good hammering at home tbh,very disappointed in kohli's behavior recently too,glad he got a big fat globe!!!!

 

Root was bowling himself because the lad had lost it.... massive mistake going in with an extra batsman..

 

Made us look like a pub team after tea.

 

The selectors seem to have got it spectacularly wrong the last two games.
3 seamers plus Stokes and one spinner last test, when almost all wickets fell to spin. It was a massive vote of no confidence to Bess.
This test they go for the extra batsman, but then one seamer plus stokes and two spinners (including Bess who has lost all confidence), and guess what the ball seams all over the place!
On top of the 'planned' rotation policy which for me has proved totally flawed so far, I just think they have maybe tried to be too clever.

 

Can you get there for the final day?!

 

To be fair, I suspect this Indian team is evolving into something very special and could dominate world cricket for several years. Apart from the usual production line of spin bowlers, they now have a an abundance of world class pace bowlers now, with others coming through so with their batting, will be strong away from home.
I watched a documentary about Indian cricket. Their schoolboy matches attract 30 odd thousand spectators. Not just elite, but across the country. By the time someone like Pant plays for India, he is already the elite of the elite, but also battle hardened for tough cricket. Sounds a different environment to our traditional public schoolboy backgrounds.
Add that to the population, national sport, huge lower base of the pyramid. This has always existed in India, but they also now have the riches generated from the IPL to invest into Indian cricket.
For me, this scenario sounds really scary in terms of how they could dominate world cricket.

 

Spot on.

 

Well, finally got them out for 365, a long way behind. Went into lunch 5-0, a few balls after lunch 11-2, Crawley for 5 & Bairstow for a duck.

Whoops, 20-3 Sibley gone for 3.

Double whoops, Stokes gone for 2, 30-4.

We're just not good enough, and even though better than we were as a test team, still a long way short of where we need to be. Where are the Strauss's, Trotts and Gooch's of this world?

 

Couple of really poor shots to get out
36/4 now

 

We’ve fallen apart.

 

With the 8th wicket falling in beginning to think we might not win this...

 

Super Jack Leach.

 

Gone?