The Cricket Thread

25-2 Cook gone.

 

182-3 at tea . Root out for 88 .

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/38331083

 

253-4 , Bairstow just gone for 49 .

 

Moeen gets his ton.

 

284-4 COP . Moeen 120 .

 

352-7 at lunch.

 

Dawson 56 not out at tea!

 

477 all out.

 

this has Draw written all over it , esp as rain is forecast for the 5th day .

And well played Dawson . 66 not out .

 

India 173-1 at lunch.

 

The good news is India have just lost a wicket, the bad news is, Kohli is now at the crease.......

 

Kohli out for 15

 

I am desperately disappointed with Pakistan who are heading for a vey heavy defeat in the first test against the "Old Enemy" in Brisbane.

Why? They have enormous talent but their batting lacks one essential ingredient that Imran Khan alluded to years ago in one of his autobiographies ..... the ability to tough it out. Their batsmen look fantastic scoring a quick 30 or 40 but then they lose it. Their bowling attack is as good as any in the world of cricket at the moment. Hopefully, they can turn the Aussies over in the remaining test but I think that is wishful thinking.

 

So . Can England bat for an entire day to draw the test ?

India declared on 757-7 a lead of 282 .

 

131-4 . we have lost 4 wickets for 26 runs since lunch .........

 

193-6

 

7 down.

 

200-8 . pathetic . 2 wickets left & 1 hour to go .

 

Talk about horses for courses. When the Indians come to the UK they look ordinary as they are often blown away by the English seamers and swingers. In India, the shoe is on the other foot where the spinning ball has just completely outfoxed many of the England batsmen. There are parallels in other sports where Sampras used to look a very average tennis player trying to play on the red clay at Roland Garros yet was the supreme tennis player at Wimbledon where he emerged as the champion on many occasions. My point is that England are not a bad team, just can't play on the sub continent.