The Cricket Thread

[Timbo Tottenham]

Could be over today.

 

[Arnoldtoo]

I don't want to sound pessimistic, but 28/4 doesn't look good when we need another 529.

 

[Buggsy61]

Bairstow needs to be on drinks duty next test. Waste of a place as he is a walking wicket at present.

 

[Dunc2610]

I don't want to sound pessimistic, but 28/4 doesn't look good when we need another 529.

Yeah, but bazball it doesn't matter if they lose theyll still go for it even if it means they look shit in the process!

 

[SargeantMeatCurtains]

I don’t really understand what Stokes and Root are doing? Trying to play for a draw by batting out 100+ overs? That’s not really Bazball, is it?

 

[dvdhopeful]

Foakes and Hartley looking good, we are winning this lads.

 

[Timbo Tottenham]

Could be over today.

All too predictable.

 

[SE Spurs]

Seems like the first test really woke India up, even after injuries and withdrawals.

This was a real battering though, which is gonna happen occasionally playing this way. But you've got no hope in India with 2 or 3 players so hopelessly out of form. That middle order with Root and Bairstow are giving nothing, and it's killing Englands chances. Only hope is it's usually on the brink of being dropped when Bairstow hits a selection saving ton. It's a big hope.

Also, I love watching the way England go about playing now. But scoring at the rate they do means very little rest time for the bowlers when they have collapses with the bat. I think they paid for that in this test also.

 

[PCozzie]

Seems like the first test really woke India up, even after injuries and withdrawals.

This was a real battering though, which is gonna happen occasionally playing this way. But you've got no hope in India with 2 or 3 players so hopelessly out of form. That middle order with Root and Bairstow are giving nothing, and it's killing Englands chances. Only hope is it's usually on the brink of being dropped when Bairstow hits a selection saving ton. It's a big hope.

Also, I love watching the way England go about playing now. But scoring at the rate they do means very little rest time for the bowlers when they have collapses with the bat. I think they paid for that in this test also.

I find a lot of parallels between the way England play cricket and Spurs play football. Both are undeniably better to watch than the previous version, but the balance is a bit off. When we (I mean both cricket and football) play against disorganised and surprised teams in favourable conditions we can blow them away. But when the opposition has got its shit together and starts to implement its own counter-plans and strategies we begin to look wide open.

I think a little humility wouldn't go amiss. There's a line between taking the game to the opposition and not respecting their ability, and we're more and more often on the wrong side of that line.

 

[SE Spurs]

I find a lot of parallels between the way England play cricket and Spurs play football. Both are undeniably better to watch than the previous version, but the balance is a bit off. When we (I mean both cricket and football) play against disorganised and surprised teams in favourable conditions we can blow them away. But when the opposition has got its shit together and starts to implement its own counter-plans and strategies we begin to look wide open.

I think a little humility wouldn't go amiss. There's a line between taking the game to the opposition and not respecting their ability, and we're more and more often on the wrong side of that line.

Yeah, I agree .
And just like Spurs, only one or two have to be off their game for them to be on the wrong side, due to the aggressive chaotic nature they play.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

It's worth remembering England's last tour of India (that I can see 2020/21)

Last time around we went one nil up and then lost the remaining test matches. By some margin too. Including batting collapses galore within innings totals of 134, 164, 112, 81, 178, 205 and 135. The one stand out was the very first innings of the tour with 578. So defeats by 317 runs, 10 wickets and an innings + runs. (I can't see a 5th test so maybe it was a four test series)

There's your playing 'proper' cricket for you. So It isn't 'bazball' at all, India is a fucking hard tour and we're probably doing slightly better on the batting front so far with far better innings totals. I know not very much at all about cricket but some of you make me look like the fucking editor of Wisden

I miss Spurs Bear

 

[Buggsy61]

India is a very hard tour for sure. The Sun is starting to move into the Northern hemisphere and the pre monsoon heat starts to build up and it’s unbearable in South Asia if you are not used to it - saps all your energy, so things aren’t getting any easier. Add into that the pitches, the food and inevitable homesickness as the tour wears on and we could find ourselves on the end of a severe beating if we don’t get a grip on it.
oh and India are a top side as well - there’s no getting away from it.

 

[dellybelly]

India is a very hard tour for sure. The Sun is starting to move into the Northern hemisphere and the pre monsoon heat starts to build up and it’s unbearable in South Asia if you are not used to it - saps all your energy, so things aren’t getting any easier. Add into that the pitches, the food and inevitable homesickness as the tour wears on and we could find ourselves on the end of a severe beating if we don’t get a grip on it.
oh and India are a top side as well - there’s no getting away from it.

Every single excuse imaginable. It seems like India is the only place that has a climate and pitches that are not prepared to favour tourists. The food? Do you really think touring cricketers are forced to eat roti and daal makhani? Why is none of this ever a problem when they're earning a fortune sitting on the bench in the IPL?

 

[Buggsy61]

Every single excuse imaginable. It seems like India is the only place that has a climate and pitches that are not prepared to favour tourists. The food? Do you really think touring cricketers are forced to eat roti and daal makhani? Why is none of this ever a problem when they're earning a fortune sitting on the bench in the IPL?

Don’t get me wrong - I’m not making excuses, and I highlighted that India are a top side, who comprehensively outplayed us, but they are even more difficult to beat on their own turf for a reason.
Flip it around the other way and some Indian touring teams have struggled in England in a cool, wet climate on a seaming pitch.
I know England have their own chefs as well but some people just don’t adapt well to a new culture and climate. Pre monsoon climate is stifling, and I speak as someone who has worked in a climate like that and I was only sat on my arse and walking between offices!. The heat will crank up in the coming weeks.
India massively outplayed England who were sloppy themselves, with dropped catches, missed reviews and poor shot selection etc. You can’t do that against quality opposition so England need to massively raise their game.

 

[Nav420]

Comments like this from Duckett need to be stopped too, so bloody cringe-

Duckett on Jaiswal’s knock: England should take credit for teams batting aggressively in Tests

 

[dellybelly]

Comments like this from Duckett need to be stopped too, so bloody cringe-

Duckett on Jaiswal’s knock: England should take credit for teams batting aggressively in Tests

Yes. That was just silly. Players played aggressively long before the concept of Bazball came along.

 

[Dunc2610]

I have to say Stokes post match comments smacked of arrogance.

 

[dimiSpur]

I suppose we have to take the rough with the smooth given the team's mentality. A bit like Ange's style of football when we surrender possession halfway in our own half.

It's 2-1 but annoyingly, England arguably could be ahead. Batting collapses have cost us in both of the last two tests. From 230-2 to 300 all out is just unacceptable. I don't care how good their bowling attack was. 100-8 and then 100 all out on a pitch which was not at all bad, is pathetic.

And it's got nothing to do with Bazball or style. It's a matter of application and form.

Both defeats have been due to poor first innings performances. In the 2nd Test we would have chased down a score of even 300 if the first innings was closer to India's total.

In the 3rd, falling 150 runs behind was always leaving England susceptible to another chase which was beyond reach. That they collapsed to 130 all out chasing 900 or whatever it was, is to be expected. The problem was the first innings.

There's no doubt that England's style has rattled India on more than one occasion. There's potential there. It's just a matter of getting everything clicking at the same time. It seems we now have a steady opening partnership and the middle order, which would traditionally bail England out on multiple occasions, has now disintegrated. Stokes, Bairstow and Root have all been poor.

It does help that India bat all the way down to Ashwin/Jadeja, whereas England being 6 down sees bowlers who "can bat a bit" come in. But the middle order just needs to wake up.

 

[jazz15c]

it's the line between being aggressive and being reckless. we all love it when it comes off, but perhaps when you're 200 behind a notoriously difficult place to bat 4th might be a time to play the situation a bit better, especially when, in Roots case, he's short on runs.

I'm more disappointed in Bairstow who just seems devoid of technique and ideas at the moment.

plus we're letting possibly the worst international captain I've ever seen in Rohit, off far too lightly.

Bairstow will never dig you out of a hole; if you're 300-3 then he'll stride out to the crease and make a swashbucklingly-fast 80, almost bullying the attack. If you're 30-3 he'll get bowled through the gate for a single-figure score trying to hit through midwicket.

 

[Buggsy61]

Stokes has 'never seen' anything like Ranchi pitch

England captain Ben Stokes says he has never seen anything like the cracked pitch for the fourth Test against India in Ranchi.

www.bbc.co.uk

Pitch sounds like a cat litter tray. This could get messy and be interesting to see what attack we go with.
Talk of Ollie Robinson getting a game which is probably a good move. Bairstow will probably keep his place but doesn’t deserve to.