England's Winter of Cricket 2023/24

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I haven't seen a ball from today. Not sure I want to seeing the scorecard.

I woke up early for work, checked the score, saw the collapse, felt sad. Then didn't look again until after close.

It all looked so promising for a moment.

Don't thhink Siraj's exploratory spell should last too long. No reverse yet and there is nothing other than the cracks to work with for him... Would have wanted Akash also to get a couple of early overs with the new ball just to see if he could replicate those big inswingers. Bairstow, a man known to get bowled a lot, may not be a bad option to just have an over or 2 from Deep.

VTR wrote:Feel this is turning towards India, getting close to England's score and now these three early wickets, that's got to feed into the confidence when it comes to the chase, which at this rate might not even be 250.

Yep. Similar thoughts and fears. It was a bit like old service resumed with Joe coming to the crease at 19/2 and now he's gone.

Just have to hope that anxiety is felt only by us watching and not by those playing ....

On Robinson, used to be a touch quicker. bowling in early to mid 120s, he's never really going to be the successor to Anderson, who at 41, is consistently quicker... Robinson's got natural abilities and physique, but not sure about whether he's got the right temperament for test cricket.

KP_fan wrote:Dravid should note how far you can pull yourself back from a bad top /middle order collapse if you have a WK at 7 who can bat and lower order that can hold the bat.

Cook in studio observed which is the most likely fact...that pitch has held up.
It only misbehaves if the ball hits the Crack which has not been very often.....Basically at most once in last 3 hours , the delivery that got Jurel perhaps .
Even that I think he played across the line trying to maneuvere into mid wicket Gap

Yes, and Jurel scored almost double the runs of England's WK at 7. Foakes' innings was undoubtedly sensibly patient and valuable but he still needs to go on more

India leaking too many runs here. Siraj unable to keep a lid on things and isn't getting anything from the pitch. Think Jadeja should be back on, and perhaps Ashwin given a break after an over or 2 for Kuldeep.

Jadeja back on and starts off with a maiden. Neither he nor Ashwin find a lot of assistance from the pitch. Considering that, think its time for Kuldeep, Bairstow is lining up Ashwin alright in this innings.

Pitch is so slow that Baiestow has an hour to go back and cut a length ball on middle stump

Jurel misses a stumping of Jadeja. Bairstow the lucky one. How costly that's going to be?

Like Rishabh Pant when he came on, Dhruv Jurel does gives the air that he does belong at the top level. Hope he puts in the work on his keeping, as was done by Rishabh and MS Dhoni before him to evolve into a safe and adequate wicketkeeper. He has had trouble reading Kuldeep throughout the 2 tests. Though he has largely taken the chances offered and already has a very fine runout to his credit, the keeping does need some polishing...

KP_fan wrote:When a.s.s was on fire India gave up the charade of opening with seamers and giving free 40 runs
Ashwin is one of the best users of new hard ball
Will be on a hattrick next over

Yes, this is the first time that Ashwin has opened in this series - think that's right, anyway. A little surprised not before.

In a desperate bid to win the County Championship (they didn't) against all the odds, Surrey signed him for one match at the Oval against Somerset in late 2021. He opened the bowling both innings including a sixfer from 15 overs on the reel as the visitors were bowled out for 60 odd second dig.

Kuldeep gets the big one! Crawley, England's batter of the series, is cleaned up!

That was a ripper and then some from Kuldeep!!!

That was the guile of wrist spin, Crawley not sure which way its going and kuldeep managed to turn big
Stokes dramatic gestures have exceeded his runs in last few nning

I see UK residents have woken up and tuned in at a tense moment...

Crawley was playing so well but he got a great ball. Useful 45 run stand ended and they'll want a lot more runs than this.

Heard the pitch described as the "Benjamin Button" pitch that gets younger as it goes on

But then we see a number of balls start to turn and keep low - so I'm blowed if I know where it is going ...

Whew ! Stokes survives on umpires call after India took a very late review decision !

Saved by a mm of technology error Stokes

Hard one to tell this. Pitch seems to be a minefield or pretty benign per session. Can England get up to 250?

Stokes survives a review on Umpire's Call! If it's hitting, its hitting, isn't it Captain?
Stokes' and England's luck with Umpire's call continues in the test. 4 Indian batters getting out on Umpire's Call is already a record. Duckett, Stokes, they survive reviews on Umpire's Call. Terrible luck for India...

KP_fan wrote:Saved by a mm of technology error Stokes  

Dravid must be chasing the match referee!!

Stokes' lucky day it seems. A pad first scenario not reviewed by India, would have been curtains for Ben... Looking ominous for India, If Stokes has one of those days, well then...

Bowled between the legs and as expected he looks dramatically amused

Ah well, Stokes' luck doesn't hold up, bowled by one that he couldn't have done much about! Must have been one of those cracks!

Last 3 or 4 overs they have dropped shutters and playing for tea .....fatal in this pitch

The game certainly moving on day 3 and seemingly in India's direction as Stokes goes again to a low one.

The thing that Alfie rightly dreads now appears likely - our bowlers will have insufficient rest before having to turn their arms again.

As per edit.

msp83 wrote:Ah well, Stokes' luck doesn't hold up, bowled by one that he couldn't have done much about! Must have been one of those cracks!

Not a crack thing...he was just beaten by the googly

I suspect Ind might be batting again today

Not entirely sure why folk decided to pitch was dead - any chase over 200 on this in the fourth dig is going to be tough.

Excellent knock by Jural earlier - and good knock by Crawley in this innings for England.

Stokes out right on tea instead of lunch...but England again struggling at 120/5. Bit unlucky, as was Kuldeed earlier today. But that makes 25 wickets in the match ; made up of 10 lbw 7 bowled and just 8 caught....that does hint at a lot of balls scooting through low ; and suggests batting last won't be easy. But unless the pitch is finally "going" now , we may see it flatten out again - which would be distinctly odd but after these three days , who knows ?

Root looked very surprised about his lbw earlier : to be honest I was too , as I originally thought the ball pitched outside leg. I reckon the virtual image we see on Hawkeye just can't be totally relied on as it looks leg side too ; but I think in truth it just sneaked into the right area - Joe misjudged it.

First innings wrecker Akash a spectator today. Says something about the spin bowling threat...and they've all bowled rather well. Not sure England's young chaps will be able to match that if - as appears likely - they are back in action with the ball after very little rest...

Game still very much alive. But I suspect WINVIZ might have nudged India ahead ?

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Not entirely sure why folk decided to pitch was dead - any chase over 200 on this in the fourth dig is going to be tough.

Excellent knock by Jural earlier - and good knock by Crawley in this innings for England.

It seems to be OK for the first session then starts ragging, at least based on the last two days. If that's the case then India are looking like having a good chunk of their chase tomorrow morning. But really, I've given up predicting this one

Thing is though , Olly ...if you'd seen the morning session you'd be talking "road" more than minefield...

It may be going now though : first ball after tea has Bairstow popping the ball to cover ! Think the bounce deceived him because it wasn't a real attacking stroke ...might have hit a crack ? But whatever , that's effective 166/6 and even a 200 lead looking hard to get. India looking to go for the kill now. England better hope it really does start to go up down and sideways...

guildfordbat wrote:Morning / evening folks - we didn't want that! Root goes lbw for Ashwin's third of this dig. On a  first watch, I thought it would be Umpire's Call on Pitching which would have saved Joe as not given out onfield.

Ah ha. I was wrong there. Finn explaining very well and calmly (he's impressively articulate unlike Cook who too often rambles) that there's no Umpire's Call on Pitching which is determined solely by the scientific technology.

Aaaagggghhhh!!!! Bairstow gone immediately after tea and, probably just as bad, Foakes left to marshal the tail.

England gone absolutely nowhere for about 10 overs now - would like to see them be more proactive.

alfie wrote:Thing is though , Olly ...if you'd seen the morning session you'd be talking "road" more than minefield...

It may be going now though : first ball after tea has Bairstow popping the ball to cover ! Think the bounce deceived him because it wasn't a real attacking stroke ...might have hit a crack ? But whatever , that's effective 166/6 and even a 200 lead looking hard to get.  India looking to go for the kill now.  England better hope it really does start to go up down and sideways...

Think Bairstow's was a poor shot more than anything else. Yes the ball did bounce and turned too, but it was a nothing shot.

Yes I guess pitching is unambiguous as it has actually happened , unlike projections of where the ball might finish. Joe looked puzzled but I think he was just upset over getting out at that important time.

Hartley going to free his arms when he can ! Need a few of those if they're going to get any sort of proper target...

VTR wrote:

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Not entirely sure why folk decided to pitch was dead - any chase over 200 on this in the fourth dig is going to be tough.

Excellent knock by Jural earlier - and good knock by Crawley in this innings for England.

It seems to be OK for the first session then starts ragging, at least based on the last two days. If that's the case then India are looking like having a good chunk of their chase tomorrow morning. But really, I've given up predicting this one

Yes totally unpredictable where it will finish

Hartley playing his shots now. Think that's the right way to go for him. Lead up to 176. India would be worrying with anything more than 200...
Think its time for Ash to be back on.

Tom Hartley has now hit as many sixes in his Test career as Sir Don Bradman.

And you are right , msp ... Was a poor stroke by Jonny : a first ball after tea nothing push ; ten minutes later he'd have hit it hard. But it bounced way more than he expected and that is why it carried to a fielder.
We will see how the pitch develops. But at present it seems defensive pushes are fraught with peril...so stroke playing is the way to go. Trouble being that also incurs risk against good spinners with the bounce varying quite a lot.

India are probably marginal favourite right now. But I'm not sure any run chase will be exactly easy...

Ah there goes Hartley...good catch Sarfaraz. India's day keeps getting better...

Sarfaraz is amazingly agile for his rotund figure
And super confident for his 2nd test

And Robinson gone first ball ...oh dear. But no...that's hit his glove surely. Saved...For now.

guildfordbat wrote:Tom Hartley has now hit as many sixes in his Test career as Sir Don Bradman.

But a considerably lower average.

It's not the pitch Kuldeep's variations too good for the lower order Stokes included

Kuldeep having a mightily good day.
Robinson less so.

Gone two balls later

Have a swing now , Ben ? India almost unbackable favourite now unless England's bowlers can induce similar panic in their batsmen...

All Duty's fault for saying England's odds attractive at 4/6

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:England gone absolutely nowhere for about 10 overs now - would like to see them be more proactive.

9 overs, 13 runs, 3 wickets since tea. Half those runs came in one stroke too.
Show some bloody intent!

''Ben Foakes has got a Test match hundred in these sort of conditions'' - Nick Knight.

Errh, on a tricky surface yes - but not with Bashir and Anderson seeing him go on there from 6 not out.

Ludicrous comment from Knight.

Well of course Kuldeep has a bag of tricks. But I do think the pitch is contributing quite a bit this afternoon . Guess we will see when India bat - which probably won't be long !

Foakes there playing out a maiden and failing to get the tail off strike - woeful cricket