Cricket

[ToffeeTim]

Definitely picked the wrong side, but the batting has been very poor.

 

[Wizard]

This is going well...

 

[catcherintherye]

As with the last game, the batting (Crawley aside) hasn't been good enough. There was no point in blaming the pitch then, and certainly no point blaming the pitch now.

You will be playing on tracks, against high class spin bowlers who make the ball talk. And yes they will do it from day 1 as well. There is absolutely no point whatsoever in making out this is unfair or not in the spirit of the game. As a batting unit you need to find solutions.

It would be an optimum time for Archer to look to tea off here. Batting negatively from the crease, against such quality of bowlers will not end well

 

[Connor]

Archer and Foakes 100 partnership

 

[catcherintherye]

It's always important to realise hindsight is never available about the future but you have to go on the evidence available without it.

I posted

'The only advantage to batting first is the insurance policy of the twilight zone which offers you a way straight back into the test if you get skittled in no time.

Wouldn't be surprised to see plenty of wickets from the off with runs hard to come by. Dusk (the twilight zone) just as the lights are coming on is usually when the ball hoops around, and batsmen well down the order start padding up even if there are several wickets to fall before they're due in.'

It really was always likely to be one were the toss hardly mattered, even the skipper's unsure. Kohli though pertinently said it's one were the lower order runs could be the major difference. Sundar was almost certainly included on the strength of his lower order batting rather than his rather more dubious claims as a spin bowler.

England meanwhile have tried to include as many number 11s as possible...

That's the big factor for me ... India know a couple of wickets and they're as good as all out, how is taking wickets so important then?

England seem to think bowl them out twice and it doesn't matter about us making any runs, or perhaps they were thinking we can rely on another double hundred from Joe to bail our poor selection out again.

It's a very fair point, and if you are England here, you really do have to have half an eye on getting on with it.

This match will not be a draw. So taking needless time out of the game when the optimum bowling conditions come (in probably 1-2 hours) would be foolish.

For me, be proactive, and try and take the game to India a bit.

It should be noted there has been some excellent spin bowling thus far, and England already look to have made a big mistake in not selecting a 2nd spinner and in honesty not including Dan Lawrence over the hapless Sibley as a 3rd option.

 

[ElGato]

Not looking good is it.

Some very poor dismissals in there from YJB and Ollie Pope in particular. Neither looked long for this world.

India have grabbed control of the series here.

 

[big nev lookalike]

Oh dear,another collapse. It is good bowling but no excuse for some of the ”defensive“ batting.

 

[ToffeeTim]

They keep playing for balls that will turn. It's bizarre.

 

[superkeeper]

The only consolation is that I didn’t have to wake up at 3:55 am for this

 

[ToffeeTim]

Archer just isn't very good with the bat. People keep talking him up but he looks like a no.11 to me.

 

[PITA]

It was obvious that that turned and would have missed.

The one given NOT the one not given.

 

[catcherintherye]

I don't really understand Foakes innings here. Batting with tailenders, with the lights going down (so optimum time for swing bowling) and he is just chewing up time.

 

[Lanolin]

Pope's a real talent but he needs to sort out some pretty major flaws if he's going to make the most of his ability. Take out the 3 games in South Africa this time last year and his average is actually pretty dire. Hope they can work on things quickly because it would be a massive waste if he falls by the wayside.

 

[catcherintherye]

Pope's a real talent but he needs to sort out some pretty major flaws if he's going to make the most of his ability. Take out the 3 games in South Africa this time last year and his average is actually pretty dire. Hope they can work on things quickly because it would be a massive waste if he falls by the wayside.

He's a fine player but looks all at sea at the moment. Other than Crawley (and Root) I'm really not sure many of these England batsman have got the right mindset currently to score runs. They just look like they are trying to survive. Against top players, that will never be enough.

I mean in fairness to Pope he's what, 23? He's playing some top bowlers, in difficult conditions. So there is some mitigation.

 

[Ivo]

Stupid by broad. Block, block, block then hit it straight down fielder's throat. Why not play normal and hit it along the ground into a gap, get a run or two and rotate the strike?? Don't understand why he's going for a six.