The cricket thread

Stuckfast

Thank goodness for some proper batting from Root and Bairstow at the end there. Poor cricket otherwise.

crunchman

Stuckfast said:

Thank goodness for some proper batting from Root and Bairstow at the end there. Poor cricket otherwise.

That was better.  The only problem is that Bairstow is getting runs againts medium pacers and spinners on slow Sri Lankan pitches.  This means he will keep his place in the team.  He will then get eaten alive by Starc and Cummins in the Ashes in a year's time.

Stuckfast

TBF getting runs against spinners is something English batters have traditionally struggled with. And we play India in India next month.

Nitefly

Very pleasing that Root finishes the day on 66 

crunchman

I wish they would lose the fake crowd noise.

Heartfeltdawn

crunchman said:

Stuckfast said:

Thank goodness for some proper batting from Root and Bairstow at the end there. Poor cricket otherwise.

That was better.  The only problem is that Bairstow is getting runs againts medium pacers and spinners on slow Sri Lankan pitches.  This means he will keep his place in the team.  He will then get eaten alive by Starc and Cummins in the Ashes in a year's time.

That's if he survives the summer. India have some proper quick bowlers and some more than useful swing and seam bowlers now. 

Excellent to see the spinners getting back into things in the 2nd innings. Shock: bowlers need overs under their belt if they're to bowl well. Jack Leach bowled 52 first class overs in the whole of 2020. The side had one warm up game before this Test. It stands to reason that both spinners haven't been on top of their game. 

Dom Sibley is in deep trouble with that technique. If you haven't seen his dismissal second knock, it's a horror show. The way he picks up the bat means he's coming from out to in facing a left arm around spinner turning it away from him and the foot movement is horrible. 



Still, we should win it. Two wicket victory, chortle. 

Teetonetal

India beat Australia - what a performance!! 

guitars4you

Teetonetal said:

India beat Australia - what a performance!! 

Just seen that - Plus the 3rd test, to hang on and draw was excellent and at one time in the 4th innings a win looked on the cards as well - Looking forward to our series there in a few weeks - Plus, covid allowing, I have tickets for Eng v Ind at Headingley in Aug - So something to look forward to

scrumhalf

It's been a hell if a turn-round from 36 all out. I wonder how many of them will keep their place for the next test when the likes of Kohli & co will be back. 

Stuckfast

Yes for players with no Test experience to come in and perform like that was amazing. Still think Aus should've rested Starc for this game, he's not been at his best.

guitars4you

scrumhalf said:

It's been a hell if a turn-round from 36 all out. I wonder how many of them will keep their place for the next test when the likes of Kohli & co will be back. 

just my 10 penneth but I suspect that secretly Kohli will be pretty pee'd off that they won without him - Great batsman but does not come across as a decent person 

Heartfeltdawn

Stuckfast said:

Yes for players with no Test experience to come in and perform like that was amazing. Still think Aus should've rested Starc for this game, he's not been at his best.

He's changed his action quite a bit over the last year. the left arm is tighter to the body. 

https://circleofcricket.com/category/Latest_news/55416/mitchell-starc-ready-to-challenge-speed-limits-after-modifying-his-bowling-action

After the first Test and India collapsing, we had articles heralding Paine's leadership, Lyon possibly hitting 700 or 800 Test wickets, and that this is the best Australian attack of all time. 

Since that Test, Paine's folded under the pressure and resorted to classic Australian sledging. It doesn't work though. It's one thing to be sledged by Ponting, Border, Ponting, Warne, and the like, and another to be sledged by a 'keeper-captain without a Test ton, a dickhead like Matt Wade, and a Saffer turned Oz in Labuschagne (when I played, the Saffers were always the worst sledgers because they tried to do it the Oz way and it would come out sounding like playground language. It really was pathetic). 

The best attacking Australian history couldn't dismiss India in the fourth innings in the last 3 tests (OK, they were chasing sod all in the 2nd but that ain't true of the 3rd and 4th Tests). 

Mr 700/800 wickets off spinner has ended another major series being outbowled by his opposition spinners (Leach outbowled him in 2019, Ashwin, Jadeja, and Sundar have all outbowled him here). 

The opening berths are still anyone's guess. Warner ain't getting any younger, Wade isn't good enough, Burns has had his chance and probably won't come back now, Marcus Harris looks good but doesn't seem to go on, Will Pucovski has talent but will get peppered with the short ball with his history of concussions and his injury record is not great. Outside of Marnus and Smith, there is nobody who gets an automatic berth in that side. Cameron Green came in on a stack of runs but so did Hilton Cartwright a few years ago and he's nowhere now. 

The bowlers: Hazlewood and Cummins bowled out of their skins and looked flat by the end. India by virtue of injuries had fresh people there. There are some really good young quick bowlers in Australia: Billy Stanlake, Riley Meredith, Wes Agar. Folk like Michael Neser have been knocking on the door for some time. Needed someone in there fresh for that final test. As for the slow bowling, I like Lyon but it's just not been there. It is rare for oppo slow bowlers to come to Australia and outbowl the home guys. 

Stuckfast

Yes I wonder whether the selectors will keep faith with Paine. He hasn't had the runs to justify his place as a batsman, his keeping was poor and he lost his cool under pressure as captain. Is Labuschagne considered captaincy material? Warner and Smith can't take over, and none of the other batters has a secure enough place.

guitars4you

Stuckfast said:

Yes I wonder whether the selectors will keep faith with Paine. He hasn't had the runs to justify his place as a batsman, his keeping was poor and he lost his cool under pressure as captain. Is Labuschagne considered captaincy material? Warner and Smith can't take over, and none of the other batters has a secure enough place.

I've not seen to much of this series - A few hi-light shows - But when they were over in 2019 for the Ashes, it was okay to say Paine was the captain, as far as the media were concerned etc, but on the pitch Smith was certainly having a major say - Not sure if this has undermined Paine and the team or not - Agree with @Heartfeltdawn about Paine's sledging - I'm not against good banter and the appropriate digs, but coming from Paine doesn't mean the same thing

As always you can never be upset about any Aussie team losing a match/series - But you know they will be back - They might be our enemy, but they are an enemy that we like to watch and truth be known admire, especially when they are at the top of their game

Heartfeltdawn

Stuckfast said:

Yes I wonder whether the selectors will keep faith with Paine. He hasn't had the runs to justify his place as a batsman, his keeping was poor and he lost his cool under pressure as captain. Is Labuschagne considered captaincy material? Warner and Smith can't take over, and none of the other batters has a secure enough place.

Considering it's his weakest forte, the runs haven't been the problem in this series ironically enough. His keeping has been bad, no question. Third Test saw one of the classic 'trying to make up for earlier mistakes' moves when he moved in gor a catch going straight to first slip and shelled it. the mental side of it has been an utter collapse. When India last came over, there was a lot said about the jokey sledging that happened. it was refreshing and rather amusing. That faded very quickly this year to simply stupid annoying stuff. 

Over the last few decades, Australia have gone for the gun batsman as captain. Problem is, both guns in the team now (Warner and Smith) can't do it because of their involvement in the sandpaper cheating, a previous vice captain in Travis Head is out of the side, and Labuschagne isn't the captain of his state at the minute (Usman Khawaja is). There is talk of this changing in order to boost his Test captaincy chances. However it's also fair that some might not see him as a fair dinkum Aussie. Two commentators ripping the piss like this out of a SA-born Aussie player seems rather pointed when you have Smith with just as many quirks. 

So if you can't find a gun batsman to be captain, you go to a gun bowler and that is Cummins. 

sixstringsupplies

guitars4you said:

scrumhalf said:

It's been a hell if a turn-round from 36 all out. I wonder how many of them will keep their place for the next test when the likes of Kohli & co will be back. 

just my 10 penneth but I suspect that secretly Kohli will be pretty pee'd off that they won without him - Great batsman but does not come across as a decent person 

I'm not so sure. He is India through and through and actually incredibly modest....despite his fame and riches. (At least how I perceive him anyway). He had a reputation as a very cocky wonderkid when he burst onto the scene 10 years ago but he has matured.

HOWEVER, there have been murmurings for the past few years within India (pundits, dressing room, coaching staff)  that he is incredibly intense as a Captain. So intense that it puts undue pressure on players. As Justin Langer said earlier, out of a country of 1billion+ the 11 best cricketers are obviously going to be the highest quality. Their "net bowlers" who stepped up this series have proved this. 

Ajinke Rahane's performance as captain was so laid back, that I suspect, and expect, the likes of Sunil Gavaskar and other pundits will push for Rahane to become captain over Kohli. It won't happen, but it is probably a wise move.

I would go as far as saying that India would not have won this series had Kohli stayed and captained. 

As a test cricket lover, that was a fantastic series. High level cricket. Can't believe Australia did not change their bowling attack.

It gives me a *little* confidence for next winter but I just can't see England winning. 

And yes, I think Cummins will be the next captain, he is vice captain already. Bowler captains are few and far between.

So...what is your honest assessment regarding England's chances in India? 

scrumhalf

I can't see England doing well in India unless Moeen finds some form. I don't think Leach or Bess are, yet, good enough.

Stuckfast

Yes I reckon you have to give a lot of credit to Kohli for the resilience of this Indian team. That's not something you build up overnight. But Rahane did an amazing job.

It'll be interesting to see what sort of pitches they prepare for the England series. Supposedly the pitches in India have been more seam-friendly in recent years.

Heartfeltdawn

sixstringsupplies said:

Ajinke Rahane's performance as captain was so laid back, that I suspect, and expect, the likes of Sunil Gavaskar and other pundits will push for Rahane to become captain over Kohli. It won't happen, but it is probably a wise move.

I would go as far as saying that India would not have won this series had Kohli stayed and captained. 

As a test cricket lover, that was a fantastic series. High level cricket. Can't believe Australia did not change their bowling attack.

It gives me a *little* confidence for next winter but I just can't see England winning. 

And yes, I think Cummins will be the next captain, he is vice captain already. Bowler captains are few and far between.

So...what is your honest assessment regarding England's chances in India? 

I'd liken Kohli as captain to Nasser Hussain. He took India up a level as Hussain did and brought a backbone into the side. When Vaughan came in and did things his way, a bit more relaxed than Nasser, he found the backbone was retained. I'd say Rahane has found the same thing. You could also say that Shastri is like Fletcher, a tough as old boots type coach who will still let players go out and express themselves (Pant = Pietersen at the Oval). 

And like Ponting in 2005, once you've made the captain blow up mentally, you know they're ripe for the taking. 

Not even going to think of the Ashes next winter. So much is unknown until then, not least how much cricket everyone might get in. 

England in India:

Opening worries: Burns injured now, SIbley looking iffy against the slowies. Wouldn't rule out the Sam Curran or Stokes to open option being brought out if Sibbers gets sod all runs next Test. An all-rounder who can give you a few overs and open for some decent runs would be a useful asset compared to an opener who only bats and might contribute nothing as part of a horror show run. 

Middle order: oddly this looks secure. We must now surely keep Root in at 4 so we need a three. I know my combination... Pope at 5 if fit (YJB if he isn't), Stokes at 6, Buttler at 7 (kept well so far so keep waiting, Mr Foakes). 

Then we have the bowlers. Bess and Leach obviously. Anderson (Broad as senior reserve), one quick. For India, probably go Wood ahead of Archer on the basis of reserve swing but purely down to the pitch. One quick and Stokes for the short sharp spells. Curran is there for any swing that might pop up. 

So 1st Test for me: 

Curran
Sibley
Crawley
Root
Pope
Stokes
Buttler
Bess
One quick - Wood or Archer 
Anderson (his record in India is very good
Leach

Stuckfast

If they're both fit, I'd pick Woakes ahead of Curran. I think he's better at both disciplines, even if he doesn't offer the variety of left-arm and the gift of picking up wickets with rank bad balls.

And if he's back to any sort of form I'd like to see Moeen Ali in the side, though I don't know who you'd leave out to make way for him. When he's at his best I think he's a more threatening bowler than Bess, but it's been so long since he was.