The current Indian lineup was expected to bat deep and they have proven that in style. Jadeja and Axar are helping India push past the 200+ runs lead which could have probably reached 250+ runs if Ashwin hadn't gotten run out.
True, England are lucky that Anna got run out otherwise things could have been more depressing for them as he's a proper batter on turners. 200 lead looks like an almost done deal and at the same time Jaddu should be a little selfish as well, he has a good chance of scoring 100 here and should not throw this opportunity as Test 100s never come easy. He has a bad habit of throwing his wicket the next day whenever he sees off a day brilliantly. |
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After quick two wickets by England today, the fall of wickets have stopped. KL Rahul dominating the game with his bat and is in an agressive mode. The way he has been batting a half century is in the making and a century can be achieved today. India now only trail by 44 runs and Iyer and Rahul are doing great on the field.
I don't know what Ben Stokes is thinking his mind by keep bowling Hartley from one end even though his economy is around 5 which is very expensive for test cricket standard on the other side he is not giving the ball to Jack Leach who is the experienced of all three or even Joe Root who took wicket in the very first over today. India just trail by 24 runs at the Lunch Day 2, with only fall of 3 wickets so I am guessing another 250 runs on the board is on from now on. He was backing his bowler completely and in doing so overbowled him, which kind of backfired royally. Tbh apart from Joe Root no one else looked threatening. They also underbowled Leach, at least he was not offering any freebies. From England's POV, they have to take out Iyer at all costs, if he digs in then he'll destroy this spin attack.
Surprisingly Windies are dominating Aussies and that too at Gabba lol |
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It just shows the lack of sting in England bowling attack. Their pacers have been defanged by the dead subcontinental pitches and then they don't have any quality spinners to trouble the Indian batsmen. Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed would not even qualify to be included in the playing XIs of domestic teams, if they were born in India. All that said, I want Yashasvi Jaiswal to perform with such consistency when he is playing abroad under SENA conditions. We have a lot of players who behave like tigers at home, and then suddenly get transformed to Pomeranian puppies while playing abroad.
I feel for Indian players, their fans have no chills haha They are only judged by SENA performance and virtually no rewards when they perform at home but that's not the case for others let's say England and Australia. And god forbid if they fail lol. We know how fans throw big words like favoritism, nepotism, IPL quota etc etc  |
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Brilliant first session for this hyped test series and it had everything.
Couple of good seam overs from Jassi and a counterattack from Ducket-Crawley but again Chadwin followed the usual script with the ball and Jaddu's excitement in the DRS call lol.
England won't mind first session scorecard but they could've been in a great position if Crawley hadn't played that dumb shot. From the get-go England has shown that they will play positive cricket and Indians should not take them for granted thinking that this is the same team that toured them in 2021-22. One could hope for tug of war in this series.
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Hi Roy, I confirm I'll rejoin the campaign, Cheers
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Having said that, he's yet to bat in tough conditions. His fair amount of runs and majority of tons came against Pakistan when they toured there for 3 tests and we know how Rambo &ucked up in those historical series (Eng, Aus, NZ) by introducing flat decks. Also, Brook hasn't done any wonders in India be it IPL/ODI so the jury is still out if he's comfortable facing the likes of Jaddu-Ash-Axar-Kuldeep on spin tracks. It could've been an exciting contest for him as every visiting batter has to go through "Trial by spin" when they visit India.
True. He performed like crap in India so far, but that could have changed thanks to his recent surge in form. He is one of the few consistently good batsmen in the depressing England team these days. Under Ben Stokes and McCullum's leadership, i won't use the "Depressing" for the Poms. For me, it's quite the opposite because they changed their gameplay style. Be it batting positively or setting awkward fields or unexpected inning declaration. But yeah before these 2 gentlemen took charge, they were a depressing test team, barring Joe Root. Both are boring replacements. These are great opportunities for them though which they should try and use wisely.
I think recently Patidar scored 2 tons against England Lions (2-day warm up and 4-day first class match) |
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~snip~ Ind vs Eng is an interesting match up because of the sheer dominance of Indians at home but the BAZBALL mentality of England gives some hope and it could surprise us during this series, given Poms clicks with the bat.
Bazball approach could help them, but what will help them more is the absence of the run machine. Both teams are missing key players like Brook and Kohli which will have a big impact on the series. Brook is an amazing talent and so far he has done a wonderful job for England so it sucks that he had to leave. Having said that, he's yet to bat in tough conditions. His fair amount of runs and majority of tons came against Pakistan when they toured there for 3 tests and we know how Rambo &ucked up in those historical series (Eng, Aus, NZ) by introducing flat decks. Also, Brook hasn't done any wonders in India be it IPL/ODI so the jury is still out if he's comfortable facing the likes of Jaddu-Ash-Axar-Kuldeep on spin tracks. It could've been an exciting contest for him as every visiting batter has to go through "Trial by spin" when they visit India. |
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2 interesting tests about to start soon. We have West Indies vs Australia 2nd test which is only interesting to me because of the fact that the odds of Australia winning in many sportsbooks are great value.
Next, we have India vs England which is interesting considering the fact that England tends to perform the best in the test format, but the edge is with India.
Aus vs Windies would be another one sided contest and at best 4 day affair. I'd be surprise if it goes to 5th day. Ind vs Eng is an interesting match up because of the sheer dominance of Indians at home but the BAZBALL mentality of England gives some hope and it could surprise us during this series, given Poms clicks with the bat. |
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^^
@Everyone here in the test cricket thread!
If you want to read some quality bullshit then please read @Compromise.
The Indian team didn't lose any test series at home for a decade and has yet to lose any test series in away condition since 2021-22 but we have to believe that they are inferior because they lost the WC finals.
Don't get me wrong, they can still lose the upcoming series as no one can predict the future but why talk nonsensical stuff without any reason? One must be smoking weed or have to be retarded to post such stuff with so much confidence. If these kinds of posts keep coming then I suppose this thread should die or must be locked for good because it's bad and hardly contributes to the dead cricketing community in this forum.
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Big setback for India. Kohli is not available for the first 2 tests against England due to personal reasons. Hope everything is alright with his family.
I guess, now Gill, Sexy Iyer and KL Rahul will fill up the 3-4-5 spots followed by Jadeja, Bharat, Axar, Ashwin and 2 fast bowlers.
Sexy Iyer? Lol! Kohli not being available is definitely a big setback for the Indians, but I think they will do fine without him considering the depth in their lineup. I do hope everything is fine with Kohli. Also, I wonder who those two fast bowlers will be. Am guessing Siraj and Shami/Siraj and Burmah. It's became a meme when fans started chanting " 2 rs ki Pepsi, Iyer bhai sexy"  Yeah, we should be fine but nowadays Kohli looks in fine touch and getting his mojo back so big boots to fill for any batter. I reckon they will go with the Bumrah-Siraj + 3 spin all rounder (Jaddu, Axar, Ash). Shami is not available atm because of injury.
Shubman Gill is an amazing batsman and he is in great form right now. But since this series will be held on Indian soil, India will have an advantage which could be the main reason for them to win this Test series.
Umm well, not really as he's underperforming in Tests for quite some time but still I believe he will get a long rope, which is the right choice atm. |
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The test series itself confuses me as rather than playing bilateral T20 series they are playing test series.
No one remembers the T-20 WC after 2-3 years but people remember any competitive or to some extent, even dud Test series for decades (Given their fav team dominating oppositions). One of the reasons the Test series still has a lot of importance, at least for PIG-3, and no white ball bilateral can replace it. |
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~snip~
I still feel KL will be the first choice if he do well in the IPL and in the interview Dravid also mentioned IPL performances will be taken and could be the ultimate criteria to form the team.
My XI will be : Jaiswal, Hitman, Kohli, SKY, KL/Pant,Hardik, Rinku, Jaddu, Kuldeep, Bumrah, Shami.
But as you said if Hardik gone injured then it will be one batsmen short.
On KL, I can only say that i hope selectors don't have a goldfish memory. Pant is one of my favorite cricketers and IMO the best WK batter I've ever seen after Gilchrist in the test cricket (Still behind Thala in ODI). I've been following him since U-19 WC (2016) so i have a soft corner for him, he's an asset for Team India in ODI and Test formats but i am afraid to say he's not even in the top 20 Indian players when it comes to T-20 format. He was given more than enough chances (60 odd T-20I) due to his reputation of hitting clean at will but he botched up his T-20 career. People argue that he clicks almost every time in the IPL but they forget that he bats in the top 4 for Delhi and that's not the case when it comes to the national team. His usual number for the Indian team is middle order or lower middle order at best and he failed there miserably. Good to see @JSRAW being active on the local board and it does help us brother.
Bhai Irl i am a cricket fanatic as far as Test cricket goes. For T-20 it's all lols and giggles with the mix of betting so i always jump in if I come across any good cricket discussion. |
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Also, the Kiwis rested Mitchell and Kane Mama is injured. Overall Pakistan should be worried about it and do some soul searching after this consolidated win.
This is their format and they can dominate almost everyone in T-20 format. With new batting talent coming in, which is suited for t-20, mix it with experienced batters. Plus so much quality in the seam bowling lineup. They have almost every ingredient (spin department is weak and at times looks flat though) to succeed and become a powerhouse in the T-20 format.
The main issue with Pakistan is there inconsistent performance. They lost this series 4-1 but that doesn't mean there upcoming world cup journey is over. You may find them in knock out stage or even final of T20 world cup. In last T20 WC, they lost in group stages to Zimbabwe but concluded there journey by playing the final. Having said that this is something not to be proud of. Pakistan is playing cricket for decades and after years of cricket they can't produce a team that can give some consistency. Now we have more drama coming in PCB as Zaka resigned as PCB chief. Now wait for some new surprise. Well, let's be honest. We all know how they reached the finals. It's utterly shameful to take the cover of kudrat ka nimaj when team is good. IMO they underperform in the T-20 despite having excellent combinations. They might be shit in other formats but in T-20 Pakistan can potentially field 2 competetive teams. There is more than enough talent in the country for the T-20 format. They only have to avoid favoritism, politics and give importance to merits, also stop dehumanizing and listen to players' needs (Rauf). |
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Pakistan's win today can be very important for their survival in T20 World Cup. 4th Match Performance I thought Pakistan might not win the match today.
Lol! They won a single match out of 5 matches and the Kiwis probably went easy on them to be frank. I think so too, even third umpire went easy on them. Why would they do that though? Also, the Kiwis rested Mitchell and Kane Mama is injured. Overall Pakistan should be worried about it and do some soul searching after this consolidated win. This is their format and they can dominate almost everyone in T-20 format. With new batting talent coming in, which is suited for t-20, mix it with experienced batters. Plus so much quality in the seam bowling lineup. They have almost every ingredient (spin department is weak and at times looks flat though) to succeed and become a powerhouse in the T-20 format. |
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There was a small but important debate shaping up regarding the first choice WK batter for India in the upcoming series against England. Bharat is a traditional rock solid gloveman similar to Saha but lags in the batting department. The new guy Jurel is a good Keeper and an exciting prospect with the bat and is known for his explosive batting. But I guess the recent England Lion vs India A match seals the deal for Bharat, at least for the first 2 matches.  |
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KL isn't very bad to be honest
Yeah, he's not bad but worst. You don't have to believe me, check his last T-20 WC numbers. 2022-23 T-20 WC : 4,9,9,50,51,4. Those 50,51 runs innings came against BAN and ZIM. After that, he was dropped and didn't feature in a single T-20 match for India. Pretty sure Rohit-Jaiswal will open. WK, I still think selectors will go with Rahul, 3rd no idea in case Pandya will not be there, and Dube is not Pandya's replacement.
This is my probable playing XI (in that order):
Rohit, Jaiswal, Kohli, Surya, KL, Rinku, Pandya, Jadeja, Kuldip, Shami/Siraj, Bumrah.
Looks excellent team to me. Pandya in team gives undeniable batting depth to the batting order.
India can't afford to go with only 5 bowling options, especially when Hardik has a habit of breaking down out of nowhere. Playing XI is a tough nut to crack this time. Even 15 member squad will give a headache to selectors. Don't forget you need 1 backup opener, 1 seam and 1 spin backup all rounder, 1 WK back and 1 seam backup. |
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~snip~
Likely a typo, and he meant KL Rahul there. I don't think Ishan Kishan is going to make it, imo it will be Jitesh and KL, and Jitesh as backup. Also will a thing to see how KL will do in middle order batting position in IPL.
Dhruv Jurel has so far did nothing in IPL matches he played, I don't see any chance for him, and don't think they gonna take him in WC squad even if he performs good in upcoming ipl or test against England, provided he gets to play there in first place.
Jeez KL is a horrible choice at this moment, do people forget how he performed in the T-20 WC? We shouldn't mix one format's form with other formats. Selectors gave SKY a short run in the ODI WC and Tests due to his t-20 records and look at his performance. I believe KL is not in any scheme of things as far as T-20 is concerned. Jurel's SR is above 170 with an average of 21-ish which is considered exceptionally well if you are batting at 7th-8th positions and he did more than enough in his first IPL outings despite being part of Punjab, which IMO is one of the worst franchises for cricketers. |
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Bowlers leaked more runs they are supposed to but its due to wrong bowling plan in my opinion and it concludes that they still need expereince to be in the WC squad.
Samson should have proved why he need to have a spot but he fails again and again which means he will not be in the consideration for WC squad unless he achieve some extraordinary performances in IPL. That leaves JL and Jitesh being the WK slot for now.
Top order is where more competition for now, and the way things are going I don't see Gill in the opening spot.
AFG had lot of positives from this series and I would say they did beyond their potential in yesteday's match by scoring over 200 runs with not heavy batting order.
Competition for the squad is becoming tough for every spot and Rohit-Kohli's comeback in t-20 after the last WC will break many dreams if selectors go with these 2, which seems very likely. Samson and Gill don't deserve a spot in the WC squad. They might go with Jitesh and Kishan as WK batters, hope they look at Dhruv Jurel as well. Btw who is JL?
WC will be held in West Indies and USA, even if players do well in IPL on our relatively battling friendly pitches,
ICC bringing drop in pitches for the USA leg and it's the white ball so my guess is deck might be an absolute road and I guess India is playing 3 matches there. |
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Another point regarding IPL. I've said this many times, The IPL franchises will line up and start a bidding war for any player, given they are performing against India or better thrashing them in a contest.
Mind explaining reasoning behind the statement? Indian franchises paying more to players who thrash India? In 2018 India's tour of England. Debutant Sam Curran frustrated Indians with his bat and ball and he was awarded with juicy IPL contract. In the last England's tour of India, Moeen Ali smashed the Indian bowlers for quick 50 in losing cause, earlier he was released by his franchise but CSK went to bid war for him. Debutant Jamison also smashed India in bilateral and performed well. All Franchises went after him in an auction and he fetched around $1.5 million. The same thing happened with the Aussie all rounder Green, he murdered Indian bowlers in a T-20 bilateral and MI picked him. Marco Jansen and Dewald Brevis/Baby AB (He performed against India in u-19 WC and got picked in IPL) are good examples as well and a recent addition from Proteas is Nandre Burger. A recent example would be Travis Head. His last IPL appearance was way back in 2017 but He made 2 tons against India in WTC and WC finals and he also landed an IPL contract. There are so many examples from Windies, SL etc. |
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