Of course the next test match is in the same stadium.. Surely they will have to do something with the pitch? Probably won't make much difference as we will still struggle but even the locals and Indian cricket board will want a 4/5 day test match just for the revenue. They must have lost a bit of money as a result of 3 days without play.
The approach to face spin has widely changed - the sweep shot, both standard and reverse is utilised almost every over and works on a standard pitch. When the pitch is like that it does not. Can not. The point was made on tv about most wickets falling to the straight delivery. They were a bit critical of batsmen not covering the line, but when the ball spits and jumps 5 out of 6 times you put your soft hands and angled bat where the ball is going. Reading the spin from the bowlers hand and playing along the anticipated line. The one that hits the wrong part of the surface and flies straight through is always the wicket ball. I had 4 deliveries when I bowled offies, standard turn from off to leg, the seam up armball that swung away, the quick armball that usually ended up in 4 byes and the "one that didnt turn". On that pitch I'd have took 5 wickets as well with my straight un.
England should pick three spinners (inc root) drop archer broad and anderson and play another 2 batsmen.
Or if we could, pick 5 spinners. They are as likely to score runs as bringing in 2 more baffled batsmen on these wickets.
We would be better off picking five grounds staff and Monty Don to sort out the wicket. amazes me that ball tampering is so ground upon when the home nation can tamper the wicket to such a degree. It’s like playing football on a slope, disgraceful!
Expect more of the same ? https://www.india.com/sports/india-vs-england-2021-4th-test-another-turning-pitch-to-greet-teams-despite-controversy-4458674/
Dan Lawrence batting at 7? Gone with 2 spinners plus Root and 2 seamers if you count Stokes. Won the toss and batting - let’s see how long we last !
Impressive batting from the young Indian middle order. Thought the bowling choices after tea helped them. Stokes looked knackered and yet Root got him to bowl with the old ball. Leach would have been a better choice imo.
2 sessions were excellent but Pant killed us after tea counter attacking taking advantage of some tired bowing.
Back in the day , when I were a lad etc etc An international cricket match was a big event . Losing an international cricket match would have implications for those who under performed in that match . Getting spanked would cause a vote of no confidence in the Govt. of the day and a General election . Which I have made up . However today an international cricket match is just another game and if we lose it doesn't matter because there will be another one along soon . Bottom line ,IMO, too much cricket is impacting test cricket ,for example ,openers getting out by charging down the pitch and having a swing. Also , our test/one day players play very little county cricket in which they could iron out any floors in their technique whilst playing competitively. Just watching our batsman struggle against spin is testament to this . Facing a leg spinner for 4 overs in a 20/20 with a white ball , small boundaries and Fielding restrictions with very little chance of selection jeopardy should you get out slogging is not great preparation for a 5 day match .
It would be around the 2cnd session on the 2cnd day before Geoffrey would even consider getting the ball off the square !. Proper cricket !!.
My first test match was a trip to Lords in (1978 I think) with the school team to watch England against Pakistan. The biggest cheer of the day was when Boycott was out. Gower and Botham may not have been the purist's dream of a test batsman that Boycott was but they were much more entertaining for a school boy at his first test!
I remember the good old days when Boycott and Brearley opened for England in the limited over final against Windies. Chasing about 240 odd to win, we were about 100 for no wicket with about 10 overs left (all exaggerated figures to over-illustrate my point). Lots of good straight bat defensive pushes back to the bowler. Their scores looked great compared to the next 8 or so that perished for single digits needing to score at about 10 an over.... EDIT - ok I lied a little but not so much. Chasing 287, Opening partnership of 129, Brearley with a solid knock of 64 at just under 3 an over. https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...and-vs-west-indies-final-65063/full-scorecard
What about Chris Tavare ? Sadly no longer with us. Pant was pretty disciplined and then and Geoffrey would have loved it started to pick off the tiring attack. Thirty eight degrees ? I struggle at anything approaching thirty. I mentioned a little while back when the West Indies still had a fiercesome pace quartet part of which was comprised by Patrick Patterson. It is rather sad to see what has become of him and how he has been treated. The WICB quite apart from not tackling the issues of youngsters being pinched for other sports, losing players like Archer to England, treating former players poorly and not ensuring their best team plays Test matches is ramshackle to say the least. https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/patrick-patterson-an-unquiet-mind-4762590/ Time was when one could whistle up a quick bowler from the West Indies at will much like a magical fly half from the Welsh Valleys or a jinking winger from the Scottish cobbles. Ezra Mosely who played for Glamorgan was one of those but such was the depth in the West Indies at the time he barely played any Test matches. Sadly killed in a road accident in Barbados earlier this year at an all too young age. https://glamorgancricket.com/news/ezra-moseley-a-tribute
Hadn't heard that. Sad. May have been mentioned already but have you seen 'Fire in Babylon', @Smudger? @sydney_horn I was, and am, a Somerset fan but Gower was always my favourite Test batsman.
I have Keighley. Covers all the important aspects of seventies cricket and the creation of the most lethal pace quartets in cricket history. You see off Roberts only to find Marshall coming in at the other end. And here comes Garner or Croft. Also highlighted the duality in coverage received by the Aussies with Lillee and Thompson pre back injury and their intimidatory bowling and complaints against the Windies for doing the same. The uselessness of their board and the Packer affair. It is one of the finest sporting documentary films committed to celluloid. It is rather sad to see where the Windies are now. Brief signs of promise quickly go by the wayside. Great soundtrack as well.
I have the DVD (old school!). It's excellent. Reckon you get a sense of some of the political ramifications from it too. I think every cricket fan of our sort of vintage would like to see a strong Windies again. I was actually delighted when they pulled off that mammoth run chase v England a few seasons ago. And I was at the Oval for Walsh and Ambrose's last Test when they got an enormous standing ovation.
I started to watch cricket at the very tail end of the Windies dominance around 1990 as a ten year old but used to love reading cricket books and reading The Cricketer magazine. First match for me was at The Oval in the old Peter May section in what was a boring draw between Gower as captain and India over five very warm days trying to catch a glimpse of Tendulkar who even then had lots of hype about him and my dad was pointing out to me.
Mine was Somerset v Windies @Taunton, 1980 (same year I first went to the VIc). Lloyd and Richards (latter playing for Windies) with centuries, Botham and Marks bowling for the Cidermen. First Test was the final one of the Botham's Ashes series.
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...nd-vs-australia-6th-test-63294/full-scorecard Some very famous names in there. Some of which stir the cobwebs of the mind. Others like Paul Parker I would have assumed to be the little full back from QPR. Loved listening to Marks on TMS. Very dry humour. And an excellent writer.
Oh how we could do with Boycott opening the innings now. Not at the age he is now but even if he did he would better than the current crop
Yep. Saw Fat Gatt make his half century. Father was pleased as he was a Middlesex follower. Parker was one of those they used to pick in the final Test with a view to checking him out for the upcoming tour. Did he play for Sussex? EDIT: yes, I see he did. Blimey, how is it that I can remember that and not what I did yesterday!
Oh dear oh dear. Just when I've got the hang of the C4 104, we bat for as long as it takes to make a liquid almost but not quite entirely unlike tea. Wretched.
