India lose for the second time, are the pre-tournament favourites even going to make the semis?
Pakistan looking good at the moment.
Pakistan looking good at the moment.
India lose for the second time, are the pre-tournament favourites even going to make the semis?
Pakistan looking good at the moment.
Its a slog fest.....I don't have any interest in it at all20/20 is one of the great levellers though.
Its a slog fest.....I don't have any interest in it at all
Sri Lanka looked like they were making a good fist of the run chase, ahead of the required run rate for a while, might not have the depth of batting though if England get a couple more wickets nowJos Butler when on form is just unplayable. Paced his innings superbly even looked a very low scoring pitch.
I think there's a hell of a lot more to it than that, you can clearly see his eyes open in the slow-mo replays for a start. He is just so much more confident in T20 than tests, i think its a mentality thing with him. I think in his head he thinks "in test cricket you have to play in a certain way, and it's not how T20's are played". He also plays a lot of ramps and flicks, he's clearly thinking about where he can score his runs based on fielding positions, its not all just swinging away.Yes Jos buttler is good at closing his eyes and swinging away confident the ball is in the slot.
In test cricket he looks bang average. That's the difference.
Good luck to him, he will make a fortune off ipl but I'd rate a lot of former big hitters much higher than him. Flintoff, kluesner for example.
I think there's a hell of a lot more to it than that, you can clearly see his eyes open in the slow-mo replays for a start. He is just so much more confident in T20 than tests, i think its a mentality thing with him. I think in his head he thinks "in test cricket you have to play in a certain way, and it's not how T20's are played". He also plays a lot of ramps and flicks, he's clearly thinking about where he can score his runs based on fielding positions, its not all just swinging away.
He also gets criticism for his glove work, but that runout last night was sensational.
I think the wider point is the potential "death" of the test format.Yes I am exaggerating here to make the point. This is not cricket its batting practice.
My prediction is quality.bolwers will get rarer and rarer as they will only be specialist in bowling in a slot, a.few Yorkers and speed variation.
I think the wider point is the potential "death" of the test format.
Player after player keep coming out and saying that the Test format is the most superior form of the game (which i agree with), but the administrators are chasing the money to the detriment of the test game. Moving T20s (or hundreds) to the middle of the summer and pushing 4 day games to the fringes. England letting players "rest" from Test games so they can concentrate on T20s or 1 dayers.
Yeah your rightthey have rather hurt ODI by making the bowling really be a don't think don't create.
both might as well have a machine bowling on the same line all the time with a little pace variation.
It is the equivalent of watching (or rather not bothering to watch) US tour golf. Who wants to watch guys take out max length max weight it it anywhere drives on miles wide fairways and smash it anywhere then ptich and putt and very forgiving greens.
20/20 is the equivalent. just swing away and hit it hard and long.
a score of 65 on a real golf course is a stunning score. a score of 59 is not nothing special to these yanks who are not showing any real skill just brutality.

Was only joking above btw but cricket is pretty much self imploding right now anywayI think the wider point is the potential "death" of the test format.
Player after player keep coming out and saying that the Test format is the most superior form of the game (which i agree with), but the administrators are chasing the money to the detriment of the test game. Moving T20s (or hundreds) to the middle of the summer and pushing 4 day games to the fringes. England letting players "rest" from Test games so they can concentrate on T20s or 1 dayers.
Semi final v NZ about to start. Roy missing will be big but england prob small favourites still.