Pakistan vs England, 1st Test - Dubai

First topic message reminder :

Early start for this one tomorrow. I hope to catch half hour of play before I head to work.

Bat first is the key on these pitches I feel.

Anyway, thought I'd create the match discussion thread now so that it is there when we wake up. England are playing Test cricket again, I'm going to bed feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve.

Looking forward to the Test and the discussion.

KP, I understand the need to break the shackles and get the scoreboard ticking, but that wasn't the time to do it before you had got your eye in...

Dear me England, you need some serious work on your batting (Strauss was disgracefully given out, but still looked very scratchy).

Can anyone see us a) recording a score over 300 and b) taking 20 wickets in this series?

How conditions change things, eh.

Come on England. Let's just see the this new ball out and then think about the shots after the 20 over mark.

Fists of Fury wrote:KP, I understand the need to break the shackles and get the scoreboard ticking, but that wasn't the time to do it before you had got your eye in...

Dear me England, you need some serious work on your batting (Strauss was disgracefully given out, but still looked very scratchy).

Can anyone see us a) recording a score over 300 and b) taking 20 wickets in this series?

How conditions change things, eh.

Thing is last innings he did stick around and get his eye in, like Cook in this one it just meant he spent a long time getting out for bugger all. In the grand scheme of things it didnt make a big difference.

Just when KP needed to dig in he plays a very rash shot. Why is this joker still in the team? We need to be positive, not rash, Trott is playing positively. I have faith in him and Bell, Come on England!

India were the No 1 Test side and got whitewashed by England and are being whitewashed in Australia. Versatility and willingness to adapt to conditions is critical.

Duty281 wrote:Just when KP needed to dig in he plays a very rash shot. Why is this joker still in the team? We need to be positive, not rash, Trott is playing positively. I have faith in him and Bell, Come on England!

Because he generaly scores far more runs than Strauss and Morgan? Career wise hes got the second best average in the team, and Trotts form over the last 6 months has been worse than his. Hes also the second spinner, and a top class slip fielder.
Pretty much hes still in team because hes one of the best batsmen in world cricket, currently ranked 10th in the Reliance system.


The question should be, why wouldnt he still be in the side?

We need 313 more runs to leave Pakistan a target of 200. Would that be enough? Or 250-300 as a target?

Duty, please don't be ridiculous. 2 failures after averaging 70 odd in 2011 is nothing to worry about, you are being a typical moaning Englishman by stating that he should be dropped.

Cook has 5 scores of 5 or less in his last 7 innings - yet no complaints there?

I'd be amazed if we were able to set them 200. We would still lose, but it'd at least give us a fighting chance. I can see us setting them about 90 to win, unfortunately.

Warks boys to the rescue!!

Fists of Fury wrote:Duty, please don't be ridiculous. 2 failures after averaging 70 odd in 2011 is nothing to worry about, you are being a typical moaning Englishman by stating that he should be dropped.

Cook has 5 scores of 5 or less in his last 7 innings - yet no complaints there?

Not a moaning Englishman at all. Didn't know about Cook's stat, that is very surprising.

Duty,

The point is that lead of 200 is realistic and acheivable, a lead of 300 was always going to be difficult before they lost 3 early wickets. The lead of 200 gives a sporting chance, Gul has proved that unspectular seam bowling can take wickets on this pitch. The pakistan batting is fragile and the tail long.

Getting any sort of real lead though will take a heck of a turnaround, every run really does count now.

To be realistic, I can't see England getting to 350 from here. It is going to be a tough ask.

The other problem is the mindset of the batsmen for at least the rest of today will be survival and the nett effect is the run rate isn't going to get above 3 runs to the over.

DUty, a number of people have a moan about KP as soon as he fails, but everyone fails (granted he did it in a bit of a daft manner in this 2nd innings), and are all too quick to forget his recent stats. It is definitely an English trait to be like that.

Bell gone to Ajmal, lbw. What are we playing at?

Plumb LBW - another doosra, Bell out to the same ball. England have no more reviews left.

Hoggy_Bear wrote:Warks boys to the rescue!!

Oh well, mebbe not

And that's Ian Bell gone. Soon the Wums will be all back in force UNLESS Morgan, Prior, Trott, Swann and Broad can make a combined total of 350. Hmm.

That's the Bell tolling I'm afraid

Saeed Ajmal to Bell, OUT, 88.2 kph

IR Bell lbw b Saeed Ajmal 4 (15b 1x4 0x6) SR: 26.66

that's a cracker and given out hitting Bell's back leg. He goes for the review...but it's plumb

Might lose this by an innings

Duty281 wrote:

Fists of Fury wrote:Duty, please don't be ridiculous. 2 failures after averaging 70 odd in 2011 is nothing to worry about, you are being a typical moaning Englishman by stating that he should be dropped.

Cook has 5 scores of 5 or less in his last 7 innings - yet no complaints there?

Not a moaning Englishman at all. Didn't know about Cook's stat, that is very surprising.

Hes always struggled over the summer home tests, his best tends to come when he doesnt face extreme swing early on. Hes one the players who should really have been making runs on this pitch.

Strauss is the England batsman who has consitently struggled over the last couple of years.

And he wasted our last review even though it was plumb as you like.

Oh dear...

I really don't get this. Ajmal doesn't turn the ball, so instead of playing for turn from the offspin, play it like a medium pacer, and that way you cover the doosra (that also does nothing) as well.

I guess we had to review that one, as it really was our last hope!

Not out - Pakistan wasted a review - they have one review left.

Think I've got this right, Strauss has only hit TWO centuries since the Ashes 2009.

4 more to the England!

I have just smacked my PC in rage at another Bell LBW!!!

I would be grateful for us posting 150!!

Hurrah for Trotts double 10 up, well played

Hoping this time round Morgan gets in and stays in this time.

Trott is the only English player to have made double figures in both innings - let's give him a MBE!

Duty281 wrote:Think I've got this right, Strauss has only hit TWO centuries since the Ashes 2009.

Yep averages about 31 since 2010, i posted something on this in the laxman topic. Its a prolonged slump.

400 run partnership between Trotty and Morgs?

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:

Duty281 wrote:Think I've got this right, Strauss has only hit TWO centuries since the Ashes 2009.

Yep averages about 31 since 2010, i posted something on this in the laxman topic. Its a prolonged slump.

So he's only in the team because he's captain basically.

Only 230 overs for us to bat out, 2 balls down that's 1378 to go!

That is some wish FOF!!

Haha, Duty, if anyone can do it, it is Trotty

Duty281 wrote:

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:

Duty281 wrote:Think I've got this right, Strauss has only hit TWO centuries since the Ashes 2009.

Yep averages about 31 since 2010, i posted something on this in the laxman topic. Its a prolonged slump.

So he's only in the team because he's captain basically.

That and they keep winning despite his poor run, they always show loyalty to batsmane whove done a job ion the past, hes south african, and there isnt really anyone challenging as an opener. Carberry was only really ever a "well there has top be someone to pressure Cook" option, Roy and Root are in teh Lions but both young and raw. Its odd really, youd expect county cricket to chuck up plenty of opening batsmen as all playerrsd have to face swing bolwing on a regular basis but England havent elevated anyone to standard in the last few years.

Yay
Less than 100 behind

4 more to the England!

Has anyone ever used the headline "Trott's got the runs"?

Just wondering.

Aaaaarrrrgh!!! This is not want I want to see after switching on my computer!!!

Still - in Duty's terms, just 226 overs to go!

4 more to the England!

Am I totally and utterly deluded to still hope?

8 more to the England!

Four more to the Trottski!

Fists of Fury wrote:Am I totally and utterly deluded to still hope?

Maybe not totally and utterly.

But quite.

He may well get out as I utter these words - but Trott is absolutely tailor made for such a situation. There is nobody better than him at fighting a rearguard action, with the exception of perhaps Rahul Dravid.

Trott is batting very well, giving a lesson to the rest - I hope they're watching and I hope Trott keeps it up.

Fists of Fury wrote:He may well get out as I utter these words - but Trott is absolutely tailor made for such a situation. There is nobody better than him at fighting a rearguard action, with the exception of perhaps Rahul Dravid.

You're probably right, but can anyone stay with him?

I remember in the first test of the Ashes 2005, all of the England batters were terrified of Mcgrath's and Warne' ability. KP attacked them and that gave the team confidence for the next test and rest of the series. I hope the same thing is happening now with Trott and England.