Cricket

Underprepared, badly led, mistake ridden selections and continuing inability to cope with the moving ball, India are in danger of making even my low expectations for their prospects look hopelessly optimistic.

Lose this and its 9 defeats from their last 11 tests in England, the majority by huge margins, and with Trent Bridge next, every prospect of things getting so much worse.

Michael Vaughan hasn't held back in his article either

'The Indian batsmen somehow have to be more positive mentally otherwise this series is going to be very one-sided and a bit of a flop.

India’s top seven batsmen have great ability but so far they have been sitting ducks for James Anderson. They are waiting for the unplayable ball to arrive which has made them timid and nervous at the crease.'

'They have to go back to basics, and rely on three or four scoring shots. They have to understand that to play through the off side when the ball is swinging away you have to be very correct technically. The ball has to be under your nose to play the drive. It is a high risk shot so you have to be spot on technically otherwise you are back in the pavilion.'

'I fear for the series if India, and particularly the top three, do not find a method. Virat Kohli cannot carry the rest. He needs help.

So far in this series Virat has scored 223 runs in three innings at an average of 74. The rest have made 292 runs at 10. Kohli has scored 41 per cent of India’s runs. That cannot continue. Others have to back him up otherwise a series we thought would be close and thrilling will go the same way as the last two India tours with England winning easily.

It is a shame because Test cricket needs tight contests in big, high profile series'

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/201 ... gland/amp/

(Behind paywall so relevant bits copied)
 
Chris O'Connor said:
Underprepared, badly led, mistake ridden selections and continuing inability to cope with the moving ball, India are in danger of making even my low expectations for their prospects look hopelessly optimistic.

Lose this and its 9 defeats from their last 11 tests in England, the majority by huge margins, and with Trent Bridge next, every prospect of things getting so much worse.

Michael Vaughan hasn't held back in his article either

'The Indian batsmen somehow have to be more positive mentally otherwise this series is going to be very one-sided and a bit of a flop.

India’s top seven batsmen have great ability but so far they have been sitting ducks for James Anderson. They are waiting for the unplayable ball to arrive which has made them timid and nervous at the crease.'

'They have to go back to basics, and rely on three or four scoring shots. They have to understand that to play through the off side when the ball is swinging away you have to be very correct technically. The ball has to be under your nose to play the drive. It is a high risk shot so you have to be spot on technically otherwise you are back in the pavilion.'

'I fear for the series if India, and particularly the top three, do not find a method. Virat Kohli cannot carry the rest. He needs help.

So far in this series Virat has scored 223 runs in three innings at an average of 74. The rest have made 292 runs at 10. Kohli has scored 41 per cent of India’s runs. That cannot continue. Others have to back him up otherwise a series we thought would be close and thrilling will go the same way as the last two India tours with England winning easily.

It is a shame because Test cricket needs tight contests in big, high profile series'

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/201 ... gland/amp/

(Behind paywall so relevant bits copied)
Click to expand...

TBH the problem is that there are only two countries in the world that consistently produce genuinely great swing bowlers, and India have been to one of those countries twice in eleven years before this tour. Its almost impossible that those players will wise up to it in a summer; indeed they should be relieved that its only England handing these beatings out because if by some glorious miracle of geopolitics that side went on an away Test series against Pakistan (in Pakistan) it would result in one of the most humiliating drubbings they've ever had.
 
Jonny Bairstow thinks we'll bat on this morning, it's brighter than expected atm at Lord's.

The commentary box are always so anxious for declarations as its always so easy up there, but captains are judged by results and shouldn't always do what the pundits wish. It's winning that's important and it's often so easy for commentators who can have very different priorities to call for a declaration, in my day......etc, or plenty of runs on the board........only to find this not true.

Root has heeded that advice in the past to his great cost, declaring and losing comfortably, this is nothing like that but it may still have taught him a lesson to ignore them.

Bairstow reckons they want to be completely out of reach, I think it is too cautious and if they bat they can't just occupy the crease, they need to go out for quick runs and then be bowled out or declare.

The Indian openers may not like not knowing if a declaration is imminent or not, but with rain on the way at some time today, taking too much time out of the game could be a mistake.
 
Sometimes I think we need to draw a match like this to show how ridiculously defensive we are. How the hell are India going to score 350 in two days, in these conditions then bowl us out for under a 100?
 
roydo said:
Looks like Root is lurking on here mate. ;)
Click to expand...
Such an odd thing. It's entirely predictable.

If the game is a draw or rained off, Root will waltz out and say 'well but for the rain we would have won and that's just the nature of cricket'

And the old pro's will be out criticising the decision, when in the same position, they will have done exactly the same thing to have a leisurely Sunday morning until lunch.
 

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