The cricket thread

Stuckfast

Heartfeltdawn said:

And those wanting to see some of the past... a chap I follow on Youtube who has some nice cricket bits just put up some of the Tests from the 1962-63 Ashes. 

Wow, that's amazing -- you don't often get to see players of that era in action. Interesting how fast bowling actions have changed since then. All of those guys had very curved run-ups and very side-on actions, completely unlike say Stuart Broad.

Heartfeltdawn

scrumhalf said:

Cook got a snorter, and it doesn't bode well for tomorrow if Ashwin is on his game. I fear we will live to regret those dropped catches.

I've never liked Kohli, there's just something about him. And it's worse after his innings today.

Kohli has all the talk and backs it up. His lowest average over the 3 international formats is 48: that doesn't come about by being lucky. 

crunchman

Stuckfast said:

Heartfeltdawn said:

And those wanting to see some of the past... a chap I follow on Youtube who has some nice cricket bits just put up some of the Tests from the 1962-63 Ashes. 

Wow, that's amazing -- you don't often get to see players of that era in action. Interesting how fast bowling actions have changed since then. All of those guys had very curved run-ups and very side-on actions, completely unlike say Stuart Broad.

Looks like it was still back foot no ball rule back then, given where Trueman's front foot was in his bowling stride.

The keeper and slips were respectably deep for Trueman.  There is always that thing when comparing pace between different eras, but judging by that, he wasn't slow.  Benaud actually said Frank Tyson was the fastest he ever saw - and he saw the likes of Holding and Thomson.

Dexter could bat a bit.  He's another one of those really good players who gets forgotten.

Heartfeltdawn

Stuckfast said:

Heartfeltdawn said:

And those wanting to see some of the past... a chap I follow on Youtube who has some nice cricket bits just put up some of the Tests from the 1962-63 Ashes. 

Wow, that's amazing -- you don't often get to see players of that era in action. Interesting how fast bowling actions have changed since then. All of those guys had very curved run-ups and very side-on actions, completely unlike say Stuart Broad.

Try this. Can't remember if I've ever put this up before here but what the hell. Quite likely the only footage of SF Barnes bowling. If it was filmed in 1931 as the title says, then he would have been 58.

scrumhalf

Not a good morning, not least the two wickets in the last over before lunch. It might be over by stumps today.

Dopesick

Game over on Day 3. Shambles.

crunchman

Poor

What's more worrying is that there don't seem to be any batsman outside the team knocking on the door.

I'm reading the Cricbuzz commentary at work so I haven't seen the wickets, but it doesn't sound like "good" ways of getting out.  The commentary said Bairstow edged behind with an open face, and was talking about hard hands with Stokes.

I just don't think they have the mindset to keep it tight and wear the bowlers down.

crunchman

Now Buttler second ball after lunch.

Dopesick

Dopesick said:

Game over on Day 3. Shambles.

...I love it when I'm wrong.

Sam Curran playing a blinder - Day 4 beckoneth. Still need a bigger lead though, at least 250.

Heartfeltdawn

It's not been a good match for those who like technique. As well as Kohli played, he should have been out well before the ton. India were awful 1st up, the dismissal of Karthik being the worst. England's 2nd knock, you'd have thought some of these guys were trying to bat on a proper Indian dusty turner or Sabina Park at it's most mental. 

crunchman said:

Poor

What's more worrying is that there don't seem to be any batsman outside the team knocking on the door.

I'm reading the Cricbuzz commentary at work so I haven't seen the wickets, but it doesn't sound like "good" ways of getting out.  The commentary said Bairstow edged behind with an open face, and was talking about hard hands with Stokes.

I just don't think they have the mindset to keep it tight and wear the bowlers down.

Or the technique. YJB edges to slip today playing back. His body position is horrible. Both feet are pointing at extra cover, his chest pointing the same way, the face of the bat is going to a wide mid off. All this to a good length ball from Sharma, who usually bowls quite wide of the crease.

Prior to this Test, YJB has had 6 CC innings this year and 3 Test knocks against Pakistan. Countering that are 6 ODI innings, 4 T20 knocks, and 3 more ODI games against India. So if a guy like YJB plays more limited over innings than F-C, it's no wonder the fundamentals of Test batting, which is a solid defence, is lacking. 

It's not just us though. Some of the Indian shots were awful. You don't learn how to play a long innings in the nets. 

 

crunchman

Don't want to get too optimistic but this is an interesting list:

Highest targets successfully chased down by India outside Asia:
403 vs WI, Port of Spain, 1976
230 vs Aus, Adelaide, 2003
200 vs NZ, Dunedin, 1968
184 vs Zim, Bulawayo, 2001

Apparently India haven't successfully chased a target over 100 outside of Asia since 2003.

Now I've said that, they will probably win by 10 wickets though!

Heartfeltdawn

crunchman said:

Don't want to get too optimistic but this is an interesting list:

Highest targets successfully chased down by India outside Asia:
403 vs WI, Port of Spain, 1976
230 vs Aus, Adelaide, 2003
200 vs NZ, Dunedin, 1968
184 vs Zim, Bulawayo, 2001

Apparently India haven't successfully chased a target over 100 outside of Asia since 2003.

Now I've said that, they will probably win by 10 wickets though!

Ha, and they'll probably do it before the end of play today...

scrumhalf

To borrow a phrase from football, squeaky bum time.

Unless they get Kohli out, I'm pessimistic.

MrSwanson

Went yesterday for my first test match, amazing atmosphere just a shame about the collapse... 

Jonathangus

Kohli lbw b Stokes 51.

Game on!

scrumhalf

Game over!

Cracking test match, almost always something happening. So much better than the bat-until-you're-bored tests on flat, dead wickets.

earwighoney

One of the most enjoyable test matches to watch for a long time. 

Maybe the batting wasn't the highest quality for both sides but the bowling was good for both teams.  A test of fine margins makes the spectacle far more interesting to spectate than the one sided test matches generally we get to see in English conditions, eg like the Pakistan series. 

Heartfeltdawn

scrumhalf said:

Game over!

Cracking test match, almost always something happening. So much better than the bat-until-you're-bored tests on flat, dead wickets.

When a pitch like this comes along, it shows how shit some modern batsmen are with their technique. It's exciting to watch but low quality at the same time. 

Stuckfast

Maybe some of the batting was low quality, but the duel between Anderson and Kohli in the first innings was right out of the top drawer. (Apart from Malan's catching.)

scrumhalf

Stuckfast said:

Maybe some of the batting was low quality, but the duel between Anderson and Kohli in the first innings was right out of the top drawer. (Apart from Malan's catching.)

Malan's catching was out of the top drawer, unfortunately it should have stayed in the bloody drawer.

Our slip catching has really gone badly downhill.