Rest of the World

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Duty281 wrote:

JDizzle wrote:

Duty281 wrote:So the most likely scenario is an Australia/New Zealand final at Lord's.

There are many things wrong with the WTC - points system is convulsed and perhaps not particularly fair - but Test cricket at neutral venues is something worth getting excited about! Shame it is only one game.

Yeah, I can't personally say that I am a fan of the WTC. The points system doesn't work properly, fixtures are of unequal value and weighting, and boiling an entire test championship down to one solitary fixture to decide the winner doesn't seem right to me.

That said, I think that Australia and New Zealand are the two best test teams in the world right now and, if that is the final, it would be the right fixture. A shame, as you say, that it's only one game and not, at least, a three-game series.

The current system is a temporary fudge to get around the unforseen situation and make the best of whatever fixtures could be fulfilled.

Had it gone to plan all the teams wouldve played home and away fixtures and had equal opportunities to earn points. That hasnt been the case, but at the same time I dont think anyone can argue theres not a clear top 3 teams with England sat just behind them and the rest of the world a significant step back from that.

One off game may be a bit unfair in that the toss could well play a major part in deciding it, but its always been about providing a focused big televised event rather than genuine competition. However the remaining fixtures pan out we should end up with two teams who deserve to be in the final even if New Zealand have just played at home. A long series in a neutral country just isn't viable in the modern calendar or that interesting to anything other than the hardcore fans.

Too early to call advantage anyone. But Australia would be a touch more comfortable knowing they already got 2 wickets and India are some way away from their total of 369.
With Sundar batting 7 and then not much else left beyond tht, batting another 4 sessions would be asking for too much I guess. If the rains stay on for the rest of the games and take away another session or 2, if India can get close to the Australia total itself may be enough to walk away with the draw. If the first innings lead for either side is less than 50, and all that predicted rain materializes, then draw is more than likely.
But India getting close would depend on Pujara and skipper Rahane. Pujara looked comfortable against every bowler barring Cummins. Cummins seems to be mentally dominating Pujara. He was very tentative against the number one quick in the world, looked rather uncertain.
And that's one more reason Rohit so riled me very badly! Pujara had survived that Cummins spell, was beginning to dictate terms to Lyon by using his feat and putting the spinner under pressure. Rohit had looked very much in control against Cummins. And then, he did what he did! Muppet!

That's how Rohit plays though , isn't it ? You get what you pay for... He would not be my first choice as a Test opener , though he certainly has bags of talent.

Injuries have limited their options here ; but in an ideal world India should find a solid opener to pair with Gill - who scores brightly enough for two. Rohit could bat lower down , no ? If there is a spot...

alfie wrote:That's how Rohit plays though , isn't it ?  You get what you pay for...  He would not be my first choice as a Test opener , though he certainly has bags of talent.

Injuries have limited their options here ; but in an ideal world India should find a solid opener to pair with Gill - who scores brightly enough for two.  Rohit could bat lower down , no ?  If there is a spot...

That would be ideal but you could say similar for Australia. They do have Shaw and Agrawal who are supposed to be filling the role, but they just haven't delivered. Rohits done a job in the sense Wade did in this series as an opener, and averages 75 as an opener so wouldn't be my last choice in a test where Harris is playing.

alfie wrote:That's how Rohit plays though , isn't it ?  You get what you pay for...  He would not be my first choice as a Test opener , though he certainly has bags of talent.

Injuries have limited their options here ; but in an ideal world India should find a solid opener to pair with Gill - who scores brightly enough for two.  Rohit could bat lower down , no ?  If there is a spot...

That's how Rohit plays though, was Rohit's defense too. Can work if you were Sehwag, with those kinds of numbers. Rohit simply doesn't come close.
And Surely I wouldn't have him lower down the order. With that, the chances of 1 becoming 2 wickets would be doubled. Agarwal, Shaw and Rahul are the other options. My prefered choice would be Rahul, but he needs to earn his spot back as he lost his place for a reason. Agarwal had done better than expected in his first year and a half of test cricket, but hasn't been the same player since the New Zealand tour. Shaw has too many technical issues at this stage that needs to be worked upon. He's young and has time on his hand to come back.
The other hope is Devdutt Padikkal. Has had a bright start to his senior domestic career in all formats, needs to make big scores beyond those 50s that he keeps getting regularly. Till one of them makes a solid claim, Sharma would have to be lived with.

KP_fan wrote:

msp83 wrote:Against England, if Jadeja is not available for part or the whole series, think they should give Jalaj a go. Decent bat, decent bowler. And he and Kuldeep can provide Ashwin the support along with Bumrah, Shami and Ishant rotated in the seam bowling department.

Wjat doo you think of 3 young wrist / mystery spinners ...and have you seen them closely....I haven't seen but heard good thmgs about them
Makrand, Ravi Bishnoi and Rahul Chahar....not much FC experience though

Howver Shreyas Gopal seems to be ripe with FC experience and pretty good stats and still not too old at 27

Haven't seen any of the 3 beyond the IPL, KPF. Ravi Bishnoi is yet to play FC cricket. Chahar and Markande have also not played 20 FC games yet. All 3 seem to have some batting ability as well though not up to the all-rounder level. Not sure any of them are ready for test cricket.
As for Gopal, his FC record is just OK. Not quite good enough with the bat, not the kind of legspinner who runs through lineups. More Kumble than Warne in style, but quite without Kumble's accuracy, control range.

By the way, Isn't Pat Cummins an absolute sensation? Always at you, giving nothing away. Ball after ball, asking question, and always that sense of something about to happen. And no stupid theatrics and abuse. Worth every ball of watching him, particularly when he's not playing against your team.

Cummins is exceptional for sure. A great bowler to watch.

If he stays fit and bowling like this he will end up Dale Steyn esque stats. His strike rate is a touch higher than Steyn's ridiculous numbers but Cummins economy is better to counteract that.

If he stays fit then he looks a great in the making for sure.

Not heard first hand but from a reliable source - Rory Burns has said that Pat Cummins is the most difficult bowler he's faced. So accurate and his hand movement is too quick to pick up as the ball is released.

Msp - although Burns has faced the attacks of most Test sides, he's of course yet to play India.

king_carlos wrote:Cummins is exceptional for sure. A great bowler to watch.

If he stays fit and bowling like this he will end up Dale Steyn esque stats. His strike rate is a touch higher than Steyn's ridiculous numbers but Cummins economy is better to counteract that.

If he stays fit then he looks a great in the making for sure.

Top quality bowler is Cummins, doesn't look quite in the Steyn class though who had freakish ability. Steyn played a fair amount on the subcontinent where his figures for a pace bowler are ridiculous, that's for me what sets him apart from Anderson and co.

guildfordbat wrote:Not heard first hand but from a reliable source - Rory Burns has said that Pat Cummins is the most difficult bowler he's faced. So accurate and his hand movement is too quick to pick up as the ball is released.

Msp - although Burns has faced the attacks of most Test sides, he's of course yet to play India.

Is Burns likely to be there for the India tour? I remember there was that injury that forced him out of the side, but why is he not there in Sri Lanka?

Hi msp - although free from injury, Burns is in England with his wife who is about to give birth. He's expected to join the squad in India.

guildfordbat wrote:Hi msp - although free from injury, Burns is in England with his wife who is about to give birth. He's expected to join the squad in India.

Once he, Stokes and Pope are back, it would be interesting to see the makeup of the England side.

Soul Requiem wrote:

king_carlos wrote:Cummins is exceptional for sure. A great bowler to watch.

If he stays fit and bowling like this he will end up Dale Steyn esque stats. His strike rate is a touch higher than Steyn's ridiculous numbers but Cummins economy is better to counteract that.

If he stays fit then he looks a great in the making for sure.

Top quality bowler is Cummins, doesn't look quite in the Steyn class though who had freakish ability. Steyn played a fair amount on the subcontinent where his figures for a pace bowler are ridiculous, that's for me what sets him apart from Anderson and co.

Glenn McGrath was also an absolute animal in Asia - 72 wickets at 23 is just comically good for a pace bowler.

https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/6565.html?class=1;filter=advanced;orderby=default;template=results;type=bowling

Cummins has barely played in Asia so far - really looking forward to seeing how he gets on. I fancy his relentless style will translate fairly well, even if you might not get the destructive spells like Steyn’s 7fer vs India in just 16 overs.

msp83 wrote:
With Sundar batting 7 and then not much else left beyond tht, batting another 4 sessions would be asking for too much I guess. If the rains stay on for the rest of the games and take away another session or 2, if India can get close to the Australia total itself may be enough to walk away with the draw. If the first innings lead for either side is less than 50, and all that predicted rain materializes, then draw is more than likely.
!

For India to get a 100 run lead one of Rahane or Pujara will have to get a century and bat thru, and the other of the two plus Pant, Agarwal, Shardul and Sundar will all have to get 40s, 30s and 20s .

There were many skeptics & critics of Sundar / Shardul until yesterday........Sundar's 3-89 off 31 overs on this pithc would be deemeed a good show by even ashwin.....and the delivery with which he got the clean bowled was a peach that straightened.
Shardul has had genuine Swing...and one very good spell...although the pitch is not suited for him

Likewise don't be surprised if they deliver innings like Starc & Lyon did today

msp83 wrote:By the way, Isn't Pat Cummins an absolute sensation? Always at you, giving nothing away. Ball after ball, asking question, and always that sense of something about to happen. And no stupid theatrics and abuse. Worth every ball of watching him, particularly when he's not playing against your team.

Bumrah is as skillful as Cummins in tests and more so in limited over games.
Of the fast & skillful, workhorse  bowlers, Ryan Harris was among the best....pity his chances were limited & test span short.

Steyn was a cut above Cummins.......and Alan Donald no less than Steyn.....and two of the best White Fast  bowlers I have seen ( I did not see Lille and Thommo)
I did see Marshal,Holding, Roberts, Garner, Ambrose, Walsh, Bishop .......Marshal & Holding a cut above and the best Black Fast Bowlers I have seen...and between the two of them Marshall better....fast arm, skiddy pace and with ability to swing.

From Asia the best fast men are all Pakistanis Imran, Akram, Waqar...only now Bumrah is making his mark.....but long way to go before he comes in the all time best bracket
Among those Pak names.....Akram easily the best

and Among all the fast bowlers i have seen Marshall and Akram the best...and between the two of them hard call...But I would go with Akram

PS* Mcgrath doesn't rank anywhere in my list of fast bowlers......because he wasn't fast

Great battle this morning between these two sides. Starc finding the edge of Rahane a couple of times, both flying safely through the slip cordon, and now Hazlewood has started his first spell of the day and troubled the ever-obdurate Pujara on two occasions: one moving away late, the other a fearsome short delivery which was nearly gloved to a fielder.

And Hazlewood has got Pujara! Good delivery which takes the outside edge. Deserved for Australia.

Starc grabbing the vital wicket of Rahane has given Australia a firm grip on this game : one more wicket now would expose the long Indian tail and they're still 220 behind...

Hazlewood bowled really well earlier and in fact all the Australian pace bowlers have been threatening this morning. But I had thought Rahane and Agarwal were settling things down until that breakthrough. Pressure on these two now and I wonder how Pant will elect to play this ?

Think today might be OK but there is more bad weather predicted on the last two days so Australia will want to clean up this innings early as possible. If India are able to bat most of the day and get around 300 it will present Paine with some tricky declaration timing for his second innings...but that will likely depend to an enormous degree on this remaining pair of proper batsmen.

Tough ask ; but Agarwal has looked a lot better today . Seems much more comfortable in the middle order.

Lunch. Good battle but Australia's session for the two big wickets.  161/4

Starc finally got Rahane, perhaps a bit later than he would have liked! I think Australia will be happy enough with the morning effort; both the key batsmen Rahane and Pujara dismissed, and now they can set about the lower order and the lengthy tail, with a second new ball coming sometime in the second hour of the afternoon.

It's been a good time for Agarwal to pitch up with his best contribution of the series, he'll need to keep it together after the interval otherwise India could suddenly collapse.

And I enjoyed seeing Paine throw away a review on an absolutely nothing shout for caught behind. He'll never learn, it seems!

Agarwal plays an atrocious and ill-judged shot second ball after the interval.

Game firmly in Australia's favour now.

Praise a chap and he goes and throws his wicket away quite criminally... Dreadful shot to play straight after an interval. Almost Rohit like

Good catch by Smith. All three today gone caught behind the wicket and several balls flying through the gaps in the cordon. Typical Gabba , despite the different time of year...

India really up against it now. Can't see them getting out of this one unless there is a lot of rain.

Nice bright little 23 from Pant comes to an end through an excellent catch by Green

Young chap is justifying his spot with his catching alone.

Bit of a gift really - a nothing shot , just trying to steer a short ball past gully. Pant kicking himself as he walked off. Probably taking India's hopes of getting anywhere near the Aussie total with him.

187/6 and I'd be surprised if they can get within 120 of the home team's score now. Start praying for rain , Indian fans ?

No high-scoring repeat for Pant, he falls quite quickly. Looks like India's lower order are going to play shots and hope for the best, still trailing by 170.

Washington (have to love that name !) and Shardul are batting with spirit and adding a few runs... no new boy's nerves in their secondary roles . But hard to see it lasting too long. Aussie pace bowlers surely going to induce another edge sooner or later.

Lyon resolutely refusing to get any wickets for my ailing fantasy team

Don't think Lyon's had a lot of fortune this series. I reckon he's bowled better than the statistics would suggest.

Highly impressive cameo from Washington Sundar. Wasn't expecting much from someone who's only played a dozen or so FC games, but he's played some well-timed drives and defended or left on merit.

New ball coming in two overs so Australia will be hoping they can wrap this up before tea.

KP_fan wrote:

msp83 wrote:
With Sundar batting 7 and then not much else left beyond tht, batting another 4 sessions would be asking for too much I guess. If the rains stay on for the rest of the games and take away another session or 2, if India can get close to the Australia total itself may be enough to walk away with the draw. If the first innings lead for either side is less than 50, and all that predicted rain materializes, then draw is more than likely.
!

For India to get a 100 run lead one of Rahane or Pujara will have to get a century and bat thru, and the other of the two plus Pant, Agarwal, Shardul and Sundar will all have to get 40s, 30s and 20s .

There were many skeptics & critics of Sundar / Shardul until yesterday........Sundar's 3-89 off 31 overs on this pithc would be deemeed a good show by even ashwin.....and the delivery with which he got the clean bowled was a peach that straightened.
Shardul has had genuine Swing...and one very good spell...although the pitch is not suited for him

Likewise don't be surprised if they deliver innings like Starc & Lyon did today

How very prescient of you , KP_fan

Fifty stand comes up as the new ball leaks boundaries...

Like the look of Washington Sundar. Could be a handy all rounder. Both players batting commendably with both determination and intent ...resilience of this Indisn team continues to impress

Deficit down to 130 ...might be getting closer than I'd expected. Still going to be trailing by a lot though - really only total rabbits to bat after these two.

Good partnership indeed ! Tea taken at 253/6 which makes this actually India's session ...though since they were coming from a long way behind they are still up against it.

Making Australia work.

Off to Galle now...

from the time Shami went down I have been advocating for shardul.....in my books he should be India's first choice 3rd seamer....swings the ball at pace touching 140kph and can hold the bat.

And boy Sundar  made the absence of Ashwin & Jadeja ( Ashwin not felt...I backed his batting but am also surprised with his straight back technique and unflusttered temperament.
Each time Aussies felt they had Ind down...Ind has punched their way back ...still far behind....but showing more and more signs of holding Aus off

Shardul reaching his fifty with a magnificent six

And now the hundred stand as these two put Lyon to the sword...

Aussie bowlers are showing the signs of fatigue from four games in a row...the downside of not getting injuries and having to draft in replacements

And Washington also getting his well deserved fifty

Heck of a fightback. Starc looking a bit grumpy ...not much luck today with early balls flying through the gaps this morning and then that drop by Paine a little while ago. But he probably won't be too happy with his own bowling in this innings , especially given his good record here.

Only 77 behind now .

This is excellent counter batting from India and has almost certainly got them in a position where a draw is the expected result.

I have to say though, the captaincy from Paine leaves a lot to be desired.

eirebilly wrote:This is excellent counter batting from India and has almost certainly got them in a position where a draw is the expected result.

I have to say though, the captaincy from Paine leaves a lot to be desired.

Yes Paine isn't having a happy time ... catching or captaincy. Though he has managed some useful runs.

Has lost a few fans with a bit too much yap lately too.

Not calling "draw" yet. But the Aussie win that looked very likely two hours or so ago is now going to require some work. India just keep fighting back in this series

Sorry Indian fans, i am the commentator of death...

Morning alfie, just do not see Paine as the best captain or wicket keeper the Aussies have available.

Ha . Hexed them

My fault for going off to Galle again.  End of a terrific stand... but only 60 behind ow so game on. Excellent innings from Shardul , who wasn't really picked for his batting

Hi eirebilly... yes I'd agree Paine is no longer the keeper he was. Whether that is getting older , or the added pressure he's been under as skipper in a tough series I'm unsure ; but he used to be much better with the gloves.

And he is the world's worst at choosing to review , as he has just proved again

As for the captaincy : he was a "settle things down" pick after the scandal ; and he did a good job initially. Probably past his sell by date - but their problem is who else ?

India now just 49 behind...but have just lost Saini. Hazlewood - the best of the bowlers in this innings - gets his fourth

Shouldn't take too long to get the last two. But with the threat of weather interruptions , judging a declaration target will be a tricky question for Paine. Especially as his bowlers won't really want to go back to work too quickly after this heavy workout.

Plus I guess they have to actually make enough runs to set a target....

If Smith was to return to the side, as he has, he was the choice to be Captain. I like Marnus and think he could be lined up for Captain. He has that mentality and composure around him to lead.

Wow, just checked in on this game and I'm astonished to see India still batting on. What an effort from Thakur and Sundar. Though Sundar's just departed for a fantastic 62...which puts him up there with Smith and Labuschagne in the averages!

Barring Australia getting bowled out for 150 or fewer, it's surely going to be a drawn test with the rain forecast to come.

What an effort by India, simply a stunning performance to get within 30 runs of the Aussie first innings total. Aside from that collapse, India have shown incredible mental character on this tour.

Warner, what are you doing. Silly single and looks to have hurt himself...

Didn't expect to see India anywhere near that score...well done the two new boys

Game not over yet. Cannot assume rain wipes out two sessions.  Australia will need some quick runs. Warner the man to get them ?

Warner came out showing intent so the Aussies will feel that they can still post a decent score to defend. If ther is a team in test cricket that can score quickly, its the Aussies.

Yet again, just when everything seemed lost, India produced new champions to rescue the day. The top order walked the path set by their vice captain. Got starts, every single one of them barring Gill, and refused to do anything about converting it into something substantial. Pujara got a good one as he has tended to in this series, and even Rahane didn't self-destruct. Mayank played a pathetic stroke and Pant played a bad shot.
But then, Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur, having already done their bits with the ball, decided that if they are to make a match out of their bowling performance, they had to do all of it by themselves and proceded to put together an absolutely brilliant partnership that changed the complexion of the game. At 186-6 when Pant went, India were 183 behind, and in danger of getting bowled out for less than 220. But instead of conceding a 150 runs lead, led by the 2 new men, the Indian lower order got them to near par to the Australian total, just 33 behind. Even Siraj and Natarajan doing their bit, and boy! that partnership for the last wicket was among the most entertaining part of the day!
The Indian bowling unit will have to do it again, this doesn't look like the track to blast through a lineup. But if they can keep things under control, do not allow the Australians to get away quickly, make them earn their runs, then they would go a long way in securing a share of the series.

Credit also to KPF, he called, Sundar and Thakur doing a job with the bat though they surely exceeded expectations to do what they did. KPF seems to have recovered much quicker from 36 allout than I have managed!
KPF, Washington emerging as the first contender to stand in for Jadeja when England comes calling? I didn't rate his batting much from whatever I have seen of it in IPL and limited overs for India, but he looked compact and technically sound enough. Not sure he's ready to bat 6 though, so India may still have to reconsider picking Saha for the home tests in spinning tracks where Pant tends to struggle, but Sundar surely have given some comfort...

Wonder why Washington didn't play as many FC matches as he could have. Yes he may have lost out on FC times due to being with the India limited overs squads, but having debuted at the age of 17, there should have been a few more than those 12 games. Hope he'll give it a better go hereafter. Think for TN, he should be a better bet than M Mohammed or Murugan Ashwin or some of the others who have been tried out, especially when Ravichandran Ashwin's not available.

msp83 wrote:Wonder why Washington didn't play as many FC matches as he could have. Yes he may have lost out on FC times due to being with the India limited overs squads, but having debuted at the age of 17, there should have been  a few more than those 12 games. Hope he'll give it a better go hereafter. Think for TN, he should be a better bet than M Mohammed or Murugan Ashwin or some of the others who have been tried out, especially when Ravichandran Ashwin's not available.

The reasons is same as that for Pandya....Once these young guys get IPL contracts, break into Indian team and their market value goes up further.....they see little motivation to go through the grind of Ranji
And further there is risk of breaking down playing these 4 day games all over the country travelling cheap airlines of train and staying in B grade hotely...so at most they pick List A games .

Shardul emerged thru the grind of Ranji & A-tours...and was unlucky to be injured  in his first test and then be ignored.
Watch him if he gets a seaming pitch....he can be 75% as effective as Anderson / Shami

If BBC weather is to be believed then today in Brisbane will be a complete wash-out. Shame.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2174003

No , not a complete wash out at all...full morning session and it looks OK for now to be back after lunch. These weather forecasts are often a little exaggerated - though there may well be storms later in the day.
Action on the pitch : Warner and Harris scored rapidly early but both fell within a few balls and when Labuschagne and Wade both perished in the same over from Siraj Australia were forced to throttle back a bit.
Smith sound as ever , Green less so but still there , and at 149/4 they lead by 182. Still imagine Paine will want to set a target at some point (assuming they don't get bowled out ) and given the weather threat he might have a tricky decision to make. Pitch is OK I think so he can't be giving India too generous a task - but needs to leave plenty of time...hope his judgement is better than his drs choices

If the weather permits , this could be a very interesting finish.

Yes, I see we have avoided the apocalypse predicted by the weather merchants. When I glanced at it this afternoon, it was 98%-100% chance of rain throughout the day...clearly not! 

Looked for a brief while as though India would topple Australia early, especially when those four wickets fell in a six over spell. Of course it would be best for the neutral if Australia were bowled out with the lead between 250-300, which would serve up a thrilling conclusion.

But more likely Australia push that lead up beyond 350 and India have to attempt to grind out another draw.

Smith another fifty...bit fortunate to still be there after that outfield chance but he won't mind.

If Australia want a 350 lead they'll need to get a move on. Although it's fine now , the weather here can come on quickly and as we saw on Saturday can wipe out a session very effectively. And if Paine delays a declaration too long he will certainly incur The Wrath of Shane Warne - especially if the rain forecast for tomorrow turns up as advertised...

Green riding his luck...c&b dropped by Siraj.

Lead at 218.