The cricket thread

camf

Great performance, especially from the senior players.

guitars4you

Not seen it yet, but many are talking about the over from Jimmy Anderson - Will catch it later

scrumhalf

guitars4you said:

Not seen it yet, but many are talking about the over from Jimmy Anderson - Will catch it later

Do not miss it, the old bugger's getting better with age. Someone's bound to put it up on youtube.

Stuckfast

Brilliant win. Woke up this morning expecting the game to be meandering to a draw and India were nine down.

Imagine how good England will be if Leach and Bess can bowl consistently well for an entire game, not just the odd spell.

Heartfeltdawn

sixstringsupplies said:

I seem to be in the minority in thinking that England have played a master stroke. India will not score 381 in 90 overs, on that wicket. By batting as long as England did, it completely changes the mindset of the Indian batting line up. Now they have to think about survival, for 90 overs, on that wicket. If England had declared with the lead of 370 ish, it would have dangled a carrot which this Indian batting line up could chase, if there were 110-120 overs to get the target. 

I think my own ramblings supported the England approach. Yes, the spell after tea was inexplicable with bat and the plodding around in the field. But all the bases were covered. Too many runs for oppo to score means the draw was absolutely secure. Leave yourself enough time to bowl them out and to ensure a second new ball? Done. 

Neill

guitars4you said:

Not seen it yet, but many are talking about the over from Jimmy Anderson - Will catch it later

There was a patch on the wicket that if hit made the ball unplayable.  Ben Stokes did Kohli with it and he looked truly disgusted, quite right too.   It was a heck of a good toss to win, England shouldn't get too complacent.

Heartfeltdawn

Stuckfast said:

Brilliant win. Woke up this morning expecting the game to be meandering to a draw and India were nine down.

Imagine how good England will be if Leach and Bess can bowl consistently well for an entire game, not just the odd spell.

Leach's match figures were 50 overs, 9 maidens, 178 runs, 6 wickets, SR of 50. 

Take the Pant spell out (9 overs, 0 maidens, 77 runs, 0 wickets) and the end result would be 41 overs, 9 maidens, 101 runs, 6 wickets. 

In other words: he was fine against everyone bar one dude, and that dude in his last three Tests scored heavily against "the best attack in Australian history" at Sydney and Brisbane and has now filled his boots on home turf. What happened to Leach wasn't like Simon Kerrigan collapsing against Shane Watson. It's just a batsman in some serious form trusting his eye and his technique and going for it. 

One of the instructive parts of the Test was the footage of Leach bowling with Jeetan Patel. He was working on firing the ball directly into the coaching mitt as part of the overhaul of his bowling approach that started last year. Going through such a change is hard enough when you have regular cricket under your belt. last summer he wasn't considered the lead spinner and carried drinks and worked in the nets outside of two FC games for Somerset. going into this winter, he's now put in the role of senior spinner whilst still not being totally comfortable with the change in bowling style and the pressure is really on because everyone expects you to take hatloads of wickets whilst going for naff all runs. First time in India, the home team are chock full of confidence after stuffing Australia in their back yard, and then you get tonked. Fair shout to JL to come back the way he has. 

Going to India is a tough bastard task. When Shane Warne played his first Test in India, he had 64 Tests and 303 wickets under his belt. His series figures were not pretty: 

3 Tests, 167 overs, 37 maidens, 10 wickets at 54, SR of 100. 

So if a guy like that can go to India and find it hard then two inexperienced spinners with 26 Tests between them are gonna be hit with a hell of a challenge. 

crunchman

Pant had a bit of luck as well.  There was one six that only just cleared Joffra Archer.  2m less carry and he was gone.  There was also a top edged sweep that went over the keeper's head and fell safe.  I think that was Pant as well.  Playing that kind of game is a risk.

Where England had some luck was with the Pujara dismissal in the first innings.

crunchman

Moeen leaking runs, same as ever.

Bess didn't have a great game last time, but at least he's young, and is improving.  He's probably a better bat than Moeen these days as well.  When Moeen come ins India can just bring Ishant on and bounce him.

bencowling81

crunchman said:

Moeen leaking runs, same as ever.

Bess didn't have a great game last time, but at least he's young, and is improving.  He's probably a better bat than Moeen these days as well.  When Moeen come ins India can just bring Ishant on and bounce him.

Agreed. The only logic I can think for picking Moeen ahead of Bess is to protect Bess from a demoralising hammering so early in his career. Stone looks good.

crunchman

Third umpire seems a bit clueless

scrumhalf

crunchman said:

Third umpire seems a bit clueless

That's very, very kind. We should get that review back given that the third umpire didn't review what was queried. 

crunchman

scrumhalf said:

crunchman said:

Third umpire seems a bit clueless

That's very, very kind. We should get that review back given that the third umpire didn't review what was queried. 

The match referee gave the review back.  What would have happened though if he had gone on to make a big score instead of getting out in the next over?

The stumping a bit before that looked iffy as well.  I couldn't see any part of the batsman's foot grounded behind the line.  Very smart piece of work from Foakes.

Stuckfast

Foakes' keeping was brilliant today. It'll be interesting to see how well Pant does with the gloves on this track.

I am a fan of Moeen even though he's frustrating. He gives the ball a massive rip and although that means he's not always consistent, it does let him produce deliveries like the one that got Kohli.

I fear that big stand between Rohit and Rahane has done for us though.

rocktron

crunchman said:

The stumping a bit before that looked iffy as well.  I couldn't see any part of the batsman's foot grounded behind the line.  Very smart piece of work from Foakes.

From what I could see, the batsman's foot was on the line, and not behind the line.

I don't know what Wisden's rules say about that. 

scrumhalf

The line belongs to the umpire, the foot/bat must be grounded behind the line. 

crunchman

rocktron said:

crunchman said:

The stumping a bit before that looked iffy as well.  I couldn't see any part of the batsman's foot grounded behind the line.  Very smart piece of work from Foakes.

From what I could see, the batsman's foot was on the line, and not behind the line.

I don't know what Wisden's rules say about that. 

On the line is out.  Has to have something behind.

Stuckfast said:

Foakes' keeping was brilliant today. It'll be interesting to see how well Pant does with the gloves on this track.

I am a fan of Moeen even though he's frustrating. He gives the ball a massive rip and although that means he's not always consistent, it does let him produce deliveries like the one that got Kohli.

I fear that big stand between Rohit and Rahane has done for us though.

Michael Vaughan bowled deliveries like that (famously against Tendulkar).  That doesn't mean I'd pick Vaughan as a frontline spinner.

The pitch today was turning a lot more than the one from the first test.  Dom Bess would have got the ball doing things as well.  On that pitch, to go at 4.3 an over is too much.  It's telling that Root was bowling at the end with the new ball.

At this point in his career, we know what Moeen is.  Bess is young and improving.  He would benefit from the experience and get better.

sixstringsupplies

I can't get my head around how India did not lose a review because Kohli did not believe he was bowled?
Or was it not an official review and the umpires decided to check? The silence was deafening.

I wonder if umpires in India feel pressure from the crowds?
I read an article last night about how Dale Steyn was convinced he had Tendulkar out LBW when he was in the 190's (on his way to being the first to score an 200 in an ODI) but the umpire told him he wanted to get home alive haha!

Get the heavy roller on it between innings Somebody else needs to step up with the batting.

Stuckfast

WTF is the third umpire playing at in this game? There is no way the batsman played a shot there.

Leach and Moeen bowling well in tandem here but it's a bit academic now.

guitars4you

I think Rohit had the right idea in the 1st innings on this pitch - Be proactive and take them on - Might as well be out with a quick 30/40 attitude, as against prodding and hoping that you can stay in, yet 40 balls later you are out for 6 - So far it has been the difference - Ultra poor pitch