Off Topic England cricket 2021

225-3 @tea

Summary

1. Foakes takes fine catch to remove Shreyas off Hartley
2. India opener Jaiswal brings up superb century off 151 balls
3. Bashir has Rohit caught at leg slip for first Test wicket; Gill nicks Anderson behind for 34
4. Second Test, day one, Visakhapatnam
5. England lead five-Test series 1-0

 

Anderson is our one fast bowling option, assuming Stokes knee doesn't allow him to bowl.

 

One of our bowlers, Anderson, is older than the sum age of two of our bowlers, Ahmed and Bashir. I would hazard a guess that this has not happened in test cricket ever. Maybe W.G.Grace may have done that in the past but I doubt it.

 

Summary at tea 155-4
Bumrah nicks off Root before bowling Pope with a sublime yorker
Crawley makes fluent 76 before he is caught off Axar; Duckett nicks to short leg for 21
India 396 all out: Jaiswal 209; Anderson 3-47, Ahmed 3-65, Bashir 3-138

 

We only added another 100, not looking good and knowing how this wicket is likely to deteriorate I don't think lightning will strike twice

 

We all like 'Bazball' to one degree or another, but, in terms of batting out there, I'm sorry, when the hosts have scored 396, and you know you are more than likely to need a decent first innings lead batting last, there has to be some kind of sensible approach. You are not going to win many games in India batting 50 or 60 overs. I know it's better to watch than previous tours where they have just looked like sitting ducks, but this is pure gambling. I know the Indians (well, Bumrah) bowled amazingly but its the thinking behind it that starts to annoy me. Maybe I'm just old (I'm 43).

 

I will take some of this back having seen FULL highlights of the days play, there was some fantastic bowling. There’s no way we can beat them over a 5-test series with this side. It would take a world-class era side to beat them. But Norwich won a massive game and this is a football forum - so I’m writing this test off and hoping for better in the 3rd.

 

I think it really does depend so much on who wins the toss. I always think it is very important in India and Australia, but are there any other countries where it depends more?

we need 400 to win (well 399). Never gonna happen as the pitch is already deteriorating and keeping low on occation

 

Unless Joe Root can find a bit of form whilst Stokes smashes the bowlers out of their stride at the other end. Unlikely but we can but hope,

 

Like that lovely Yorker in that first innings.

 

Second Test, Visakhapatnam (day four of five):
India 396 (Jaiswal 209; Anderson 3-47) & 255 (Gill 104; Hartley 4-77)
England 253 (Crawley 76; Bumrah 6-45) & 292 (Crawley 73; Bumrah 3-46, Ashwin 3-72)
India won by 106 runs; series level at 1-1

 

As said before, it was a big ask on a deteriorating wicket.

 

I believe that winning the toss and batting 1st is crucial.
I am a firm advocate of the visiting team having the choose of who bat's 1st.in all Test Matches.
Would encourage better "batting friendly" wickets imo

 

I think it would make for more even games doing it that way

 

Or after first winning test, loser has say in next. When series tied, normal toss, when one team wins a game, opponent has the choice in the next test.

 

Shouldn't we learn from Football that the more you change the rules to try and make things fairer the more chaos and unfairness you cause. Leave things alone I say.

 

Third Test, Rajkot (day one of five):
India 326-5: Rohit 131, Jadeja 110*, Sarfaraz 62; Wood 3-69
England: Yet to bat

Good start by England but India finish on top.

 

India inching towards 400 7 wickets down

 

India got 445, Duckett obviously wasn't waiting for the pitch to deteriorate. At the close of play he has smashed 133 off 118 balls to leave England 207/2 at the close

 

Great knock by Duckett