England's Winter of Cricket 2020/21

First topic message reminder :

Knight thinks they won't enforce the follow on. I'm not so sure.

Still two wickets needed anyway. 22 runs.

As I say I don't mind spinning pitches. I do think this one was a bit extreme : had England batted first I doubt they'd have made 329 ; but they might have made 220 and that would probably have made them favourites.
But essentially I agree :India are in this position because they've bowled a lot better and three or four batsmen played innings that England have not come near to matching. Credit where it is due...

Sibley gone trying to slog sweep the slow left armer over mid wicket against the turn

Looked like he missed that by a mile just goes to show how difficult the angles from cameras can be

Before the series , people were saying England will be glad they don't have to face the injured Jadeja...

Beginning to think anything that kept Axar out of the side would have been preferable!

They don't seem to have a clue where his deliveries are going. Hint : mostly straight at the stumps.

Not sure I can recall a match in which so many batsmen - on both sides - have been cleaned up by basically straight balls from spinners.

Not going to address the question of "is this a good pitch for a Test Match".   But I am amazed at just how badly virtually all the batsmen are playing on it. Must be the pink ball...

Sibley gone now. This could finish tonight.

Really poor from Sibley and a very 'un-Sibley' shot. He and Root were doing well to rotate the strike, run hard, and tick the score along. Then he just throws it away. Grrr.

That was a poor and wild shot by Sibley but was there really an edge? Certainly didn't think so on first viewing.

One for JDizzle...batsmen don't always know when they've hit it!

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:One for JDizzle...batsmen don't always know when they've hit it!

I can’t find the clip - but my favourite of the genre is Hales inside edging one onto his pad, being caught at a regulation mid wicket and reviewing it. Excellent.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:One for JDizzle...batsmen don't always know when they've hit it!

I guess I am missing the in-joke here (!?) but they definitely do.

I've played village cricket for nearly 26 years now and know every single time I've nicked it. I never walk, that is the umpires job, but likewise you get plenty that you hit the leather off and get given LBW!

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:One for JDizzle...batsmen don't always know when they've hit it!

I guess I am missing the in-joke here (!?) but they definitely do.

I've played village cricket for nearly 26 years now and know every single time I've nicked it. I never walk, that is the umpires job, but likewise you get plenty that you hit the leather off and get given LBW!

https://twitter.com/jeglincs/status/1036270321295413250?s=21

Found it!

JDizzle wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:One for JDizzle...batsmen don't always know when they've hit it!

I guess I am missing the in-joke here (!?) but they definitely do.

I've played village cricket for nearly 26 years now and know every single time I've nicked it. I never walk, that is the umpires job, but likewise you get plenty that you hit the leather off and get given LBW!

https://twitter.com/jeglincs/status/1036270321295413250?s=21

Found it!

Brilliant! That is a classic.

(I still wouldn't have walked though)

Stokes going to make hay while the sun shines...or before it sets , anyway.

At least India will have to bat again

England take the lead. Just another 150+ to find!

Stokes finds the boundary. Lovely shot.

JDizzle wrote:

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:One for JDizzle...batsmen don't always know when they've hit it!

I can’t find the clip - but my favourite of the genre is Hales inside edging one onto his pad, being caught at a regulation mid wicket and reviewing it. Excellent.

And there was the one the other way round a few months ago, when Bavuma was given out caught behind, didn't review it, and it transpired he hadn't hit it!

Good call by the third umpire. It's nice to be thorough.

Think Root got away with that. Significant to my mind that Root agonised over asking for the review and only did so with about 2 seconds left.

guildfordbat wrote:That was a poor and wild shot by Sibley but was there really an edge? Certainly didn't think so on first viewing.

Didn't look like it...and Sibley clearly thought he'd missed it. But the ultra edge thingy doesn't lie...

Remind me again why England brought three pace bowlers to this game ?

Root gone now. But no ? Did he edge it ? I think he might have got away with that one ...reckon it might have gone pad to bat to pad ? Really hard to tell from the drs views so maybe England have got one back ...

What does Soul think ?

I don't think Root thought he'd hit it - very difficult call with the ball squeezed between the bat and pad like that, with almost simultaneous impact, but I think the third umpire was correct this time. One frame difference between it hitting the edge and then the knee roll.

Duty281 wrote:

JDizzle wrote:

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:One for JDizzle...batsmen don't always know when they've hit it!

I can’t find the clip - but my favourite of the genre is Hales inside edging one onto his pad, being caught at a regulation mid wicket and reviewing it. Excellent.

And there was the one the other way round a few months ago, when Bavuma was given out caught behind, didn't review it, and it transpired he hadn't hit it!

Think it was Vince , in Melbourne in 2017 , who got a huge inside edge onto pad , was given lbw : and walked off without querying it. Weird.

The right call for a change, I might let them off for their previous aberations.

I thought it was a pretty clear hit. A couple of the angles seemed pretty decisive, and there was a clear ultra-edge spike as the ball passed the bat.

Lead up to 17 now. Ball getting softer, fairweather crowd a bit quieter, and Axar hopefully getting a little tired. Push, England, push.

No more pushing for Stokes. Big innings for Pope.

alfie wrote:
What does Soul think ?

The process is important, the two Rohit stumpings and the Rahane catch were rushed leading to three wrong decisions.

The Root one they deliberated over it as they should and came to the only decision that they could. For what it's worth I think it probably hit pad first but without absolute certainty not sure you can give it out.

Stokes gone and I fear that's about it ...he couldn't last I suppose ; but while he was there they were at least scoring enough boundaries to raise hopes of getting a half decent lead.

Can't see where another hundred is coming from now.

How England would have loved to have that studio partnership opening the batting, both average 50+ in India.

Soul Requiem wrote:

alfie wrote:
What does Soul think ?

The process is important, the two Rohit stumpings and the Rahane catch were rushed leading to three wrong decisions.

The Root one they deliberated over it as they should and came to the only decision that they could. For what it's worth I think it probably hit pad first but without absolute certainty not sure you can give it out.

But the absolute certainty required should be to overrule the onfield umpire. If uncertain, the third umpire should stick with original decision whether it was given out or not out.

Soul Requiem wrote:

alfie wrote:
What does Soul think ?

The process is important, the two Rohit stumpings and the Rahane catch were rushed leading to three wrong decisions.

The Root one they deliberated over it as they should and came to the only decision that they could. For what it's worth I think it probably hit pad first but without absolute certainty not sure you can give it out.

The Rahane catch was definitely a stuff up. The stumpings debatable...but I agree with you about the rushed decisions.
Think Root was lucky in that he'd actually been given out on field. Perhaps India might feel there wasn't enough evidence to overturn it.

Doesn't matter anyway as he's gone now...

This will be over tonight.

I can't work out this pitch but 25 wickets to have fallen in less than five sessions is simply unacceptable.

One of the only times I can recall thinking that a score of 90-100 might be defendable. Awful pitch (we're on day two!) though the batsmen not covering themselves in glory.

Going to be up to Foakes now to find 30-40 and the rest to provide another 30-40.

As mentioned yesterday, Pope's second innings could be important to his immediate Test future. Just didn't expect the second dig to come round so quickly!

guildfordbat wrote:As mentioned yesterday, Pope's second innings could be important to his immediate Test future. Just didn't expect the second dig to come round so quickly!

Pope is at least trying to use his feet, a ten ball Broad cameo could be worth it's wait in cold later.

Soul Requiem wrote:I can't work out this pitch but 25 wickets to have fallen in less than five sessions is simply unacceptable.

With only Rohit and Crawley passing thirty it seems none of the batsmen can work the pitch out either.

Fourth Test is here too...though the ball will be a red one so perhaps that may run into day four ? Can't say any of it has been boring...

Soul Requiem wrote:

guildfordbat wrote:As mentioned yesterday, Pope's second innings could be important to his immediate Test future. Just didn't expect the second dig to come round so quickly!

Pope is at least trying to use his feet, a ten ball Broad cameo could be worth it's wait in cold later.

Yes. There is no point Broad and to a lesser extent Jofra trying to survive. They both have the power to hit boundaries, go down swinging and if they somehow fluke their way to 30 between them it could be vital.

alfie wrote:

Soul Requiem wrote:I can't work out this pitch but 25 wickets to have fallen in less than five sessions is simply unacceptable.

With only Rohit and Crawley passing thirty it seems none of the batsmen can work the pitch out either.

Fourth Test is here too...though the ball will be a red one so perhaps that may run into day four ? Can't say any of it has been boring...

Rohit and Crawley scored the bulk of their runs against the seamers too?

You could get TB and just about every 1920s illness from the amount of dust being coughed up at the moment!

Lead over 30 but Ashwin pushes one through Pope's defences. Playing for the sharp turn, which you can't blame him for on this pitch. Time for Archer to tee off?

All excuses aside its pretty dire from England again.

Gooseberry wrote:All excuses aside its pretty dire from England again.

It really isn't, they've done well to get to 66 this innings. The first innings they were poor but the pitch has now gone.

Gooseberry wrote:All excuses aside its pretty dire from England again.

What would you expect on this pitch, with Axar bowling as well as he is?

guildfordbat wrote:As mentioned yesterday, Pope's second innings could be important to his immediate Test future. Just didn't expect the second dig to come round so quickly!

I cant see his place being under threat. Hes struggled since coming back but whos going to push him out? The top 3 is back to being a car crash, although Crawley and Sibley have some credit in the bank theres no number 3. I think the only question thats been answered in regard to Popes short term future is that pushing him to 3 isnt on the cards.

Curtains now. Two day test match

66/6 as Pope is castled... He showed intent , and actually tried to use his feet today but was totally bamboozled by that one.

Axar and Ashwin will want to take this pitch home with them.

Archer gone. 68/7

Duty281 wrote:

Gooseberry wrote:All excuses aside its pretty dire from England again.

What would you expect on this pitch, with Axar bowling as well as he is?

One out of 7 batsmen to pass 25 would be a start (ok Foakes still can but looks like he'll run out of partners).

Just John wrote:Curtains now. Two day test match

Absolute farce. Regardless of who wins these last two pitches have been horrific and are intensely damaging to test cricket.

Gooseberry wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

Gooseberry wrote:All excuses aside its pretty dire from England again.

What would you expect on this pitch, with Axar bowling as well as he is?

One out of 7 batsmen to pass 25 would be a start (ok Foakes still can but looks like he'll run out of partners).

You might fluke a 25 on this, but it's difficult to expect one. 114/14 so far today!

Time to honour Ashwin anyway for his 400 wickets

Still can't understand why anyone thinks Archer is a Test number eight...

alfie wrote:Time to honour Ashwin anyway for his 400 wickets

Still can't understand why anyone thinks Archer is a Test number eight...

He's your quintessential number 11, no way he should be batting above Broad and Leach.

Ashwin is serious quality.

Second quickest to 400. Can someone tell me the split, in terms of wickets he’s got on these absolute spin dreams at home, compared to his away record?

Leach's first maximum in test cricket. What a shot. Takes the lead over 40.

Ashwin in asia- 320 @ 22
Ashwin away- 80 @ over 30

Soul Requiem wrote:Ashwin in asia- 320 @ 22
Ashwin away- 80 @ over 30

thought so

Looked like a small nick before hitting the pad to me.

alfie wrote:Time to honour Ashwin anyway for his 400 wickets

Still can't understand why anyone thinks Archer is a Test number eight...

First class average used to be above 25 and a reputation as a T20 death overs clubber, but his batting in all formats internationally has at best been "found out"