Test Cricket Prediction and Discussion Thread [self - mod]

[JSRAW]

Lol! Just found out that Bairstow tried running out Marnus in a similar manner thanks to footage provided by the Australian media which just goes to show that the English are proper hypocrites.

He threw away his wicket at such a critical juncture of the game which is why the blame should only fall on Bairstow alone.

Invent a game, write a rule book and when someone follows the rules. Scream about the spirit of the game and cry like a baby. 

I don't understand how tough is to stay in the crease, be it striker or nonstriker. A big virtue signals came from Stokes, McCullum and Broad.

Ironically 1 won the WC for his team because of the hilarious rule. Back in the day, the second one denied the ton to Sangakkara by running out his partner Murli (he was celebrating), after retirement, he apologized to Sanga. Last but not least Broady, he refused to walk out when he had edged a ball and was caught by slip.

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[ZAINmalik75]

Jonny Bairstow was unlucky to get out in that fashion, if he had stayed with Stokes on pitch then England might have won the game.

Yeh absolutely Bairstow sudden and unbelievable runout or some call it stump almost nailed it England defeat because if some how they both manage to build partnership then Thier victory were confirmed, no doubt stokes scored some decent by it self by but after his dismissal Bairstow will be the only player which can Carry on the momentum but unfortunately it not,  Some how in this second match defeat top order were responsible because in such a high target chasedown they didn't add good figure of runs which cut down mountains of difficulties for middle order.

[laurenB7742]

Jonny Bairstow was unlucky to get out in that fashion, if he had stayed with Stokes on pitch then England might have won the game.

Yeh absolutely Bairstow sudden and unbelievable runout or some call it stump almost nailed it England defeat because if some how they both manage to build partnership then Thier victory were confirmed, no doubt stokes scored some decent by it self by but after his dismissal Bairstow will be the only player which can Carry on the momentum but unfortunately it not,  Some how in this second match defeat top order were responsible because in such a high target chasedown they didn't add good figure of runs which cut down mountains of difficulties for middle order.

The top order was definitely responsible for England's defeat. As you said, batting at such a huge target, a decent score was definitely needed from the top order. But the top order was a failure. Even then Ben Stokes tries his best. Maybe England could have won if he had stayed at the crease. But after such a poor performance from the top order England had no chance of victory. We have seen poor batting from England in both the Test matches. I doubt if their batsmen can perform well in the upcoming ODI World Cup.

[romero121]

Jonny Bairstow was unlucky to get out in that fashion, if he had stayed with Stokes on pitch then England might have won the game.

Yeh absolutely Bairstow sudden and unbelievable runout or some call it stump almost nailed it England defeat because if some how they both manage to build partnership then Thier victory were confirmed, no doubt stokes scored some decent by it self by but after his dismissal Bairstow will be the only player which can Carry on the momentum but unfortunately it not,  Some how in this second match defeat top order were responsible because in such a high target chasedown they didn't add good figure of runs which cut down mountains of difficulties for middle order.

The top order was definitely responsible for England's defeat. As you said, batting at such a huge target, a decent score was definitely needed from the top order. But the top order was a failure. Even then Ben Stokes tries his best. Maybe England could have won if he had stayed at the crease. But after such a poor performance from the top order England had no chance of victory. We have seen poor batting from England in both the Test matches. I doubt if their batsmen can perform well in the upcoming ODI World Cup.

Top order performance is a must in these matches. When the top order perform well, automatically the middle order and the tail will have their contribution as they get the opportunity to play without pressure. Think about Stokes, how much pressure could've been handled by him. Beyond some point he can't manage, if the other end is a batsman then he'll be little relaxed. Here the non striker end also need to be considered and handled. A great innings from him amidst the loss.

[Sithara007]

Invent a game, write a rule book and when someone follows the rules. Scream about the spirit of the game and cry like a baby. 

I don't understand how tough is to stay in the crease, be it striker or nonstriker. A big virtue signals came from Stokes, McCullum and Broad.

Ironically 1 won the WC for his team because of the hilarious rule. Back in the day, the second one denied the ton to Sangakkara by running out his partner Murli (he was celebrating), after retirement, he apologized to Sanga. Last but not least Broady, he refused to walk out when he had edged a ball and was caught by slip.

LOL.. you will never get this sort of drama in limited overs cricket (the Ashwin mankading incident in IPL comes close though). And this is one of the reasons why Ashes is still watched all around the world (in absolute numbers, viewership from South Asia will be more than that in both Australia and England combined). Everyone enjoyed the first two matches, and if all the test matches are like this, then test format will retain its glory. But then, for every one or two series like the Ashes, we get 10 lop-sided ones.

[JSRAW]

for every one or two series like the Ashes, we get 10 lop-sided ones.

Ashes is competitive only in England and the way the last 3 Ashes went in Australia, it looks like a disgrace to many (5-0, 4-0, 4-0).

So according to last decade's data and in the context of numbers or competitiveness, almost all series are lopsided. Except for Ind vs Aus (home or away), Ashes in England, and to some extent Last 2 Indian tours of England. Having said that we do get some gems here n there tho, a couple of recent thrillers from NZ vs ENG, NZ vs SL, BAN vs WI are fine examples.

[kro55]

Jonny Bairstow was unlucky to get out in that fashion, if he had stayed with Stokes on pitch then England might have won the game.

Yeh absolutely Bairstow sudden and unbelievable runout or some call it stump almost nailed it England defeat because if some how they both manage to build partnership then Thier victory were confirmed, no doubt stokes scored some decent by it self by but after his dismissal Bairstow will be the only player which can Carry on the momentum but unfortunately it not,  Some how in this second match defeat top order were responsible because in such a high target chasedown they didn't add good figure of runs which cut down mountains of difficulties for middle order.

The top order was definitely responsible for England's defeat. As you said, batting at such a huge target, a decent score was definitely needed from the top order. But the top order was a failure. Even then Ben Stokes tries his best. Maybe England could have won if he had stayed at the crease. But after such a poor performance from the top order England had no chance of victory. We have seen poor batting from England in both the Test matches. I doubt if their batsmen can perform well in the upcoming ODI World Cup.

Top order performance is a must in these matches. When the top order perform well, automatically the middle order and the tail will have their contribution as they get the opportunity to play without pressure. Think about Stokes, how much pressure could've been handled by him. Beyond some point he can't manage, if the other end is a batsman then he'll be little relaxed. Here the non striker end also need to be considered and handled. A great innings from him amidst the loss.

The important thing is that if you are batting against a big target, it is very important for the top-order players to play well. It is not possible to win big targets by relying only on middle-order performance. England's top order batted well in the first innings. England could have won this match if they were able to put up a similar performance in the second innings as well. But England's top order performed badly. England could have won this match if they were able to bat with some responsibility in the last session of the fourth day.

[Patrol69]

Stokes has played with enough responsibility as a captain. Although the number of runs to get the win was very low but the pressure was too much at that time which Stokes might not have been able to handle. Stokes may have thought that since runs were short and they didn't have enough wickets, if he could play with his hands open, England would be pretty much assured of a win, so he went in a bit of a hurry which resulted in his wicket being taken. I was just waiting for his wicket when he got out I gave up hope and that was it. The Ashes is a battle to preserve the tradition of Australia and England. People in Australia and England feel that this series win will preserve their tradition. Australia may have the last laugh in this series.

[Sithara007]

for every one or two series like the Ashes, we get 10 lop-sided ones.

Ashes is competitive only in England and the way the last 3 Ashes went in Australia, it looks like a disgrace to many (5-0, 4-0, 4-0).

So according to last decade's data and in the context of numbers or competitiveness, almost all series are lopsided. Except for Ind vs Aus (home or away), Ashes in England, and to some extent Last 2 Indian tours of England. Having said that we do get some gems here n there tho, a couple of recent thrillers from NZ vs ENG, NZ vs SL, BAN vs WI are fine examples.

I first started watching cricket in late 1990s. Back then, international matches were much more competitive. South Africa and West Indies were quite strong, and Pakistan was also capable of giving a tough fight to any of the pig-3 sides. Two and half decades have passed and now we are moving towards domination by India and Australia in test cricket. West Indies is on the same path as Kenya, while South Africa and Pakistan are no longer competitive against the pig-3. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have also fallen through the cracks. New Zealand is perhaps the only smaller team that has improved its performance, thanks to influx of players from South Africa.

[Juggy777]

for every one or two series like the Ashes, we get 10 lop-sided ones.

Ashes is competitive only in England and the way the last 3 Ashes went in Australia, it looks like a disgrace to many (5-0, 4-0, 4-0).

So according to last decade's data and in the context of numbers or competitiveness, almost all series are lopsided. Except for Ind vs Aus (home or away), Ashes in England, and to some extent Last 2 Indian tours of England. Having said that we do get some gems here n there tho, a couple of recent thrillers from NZ vs ENG, NZ vs SL, BAN vs WI are fine examples.

I first started watching cricket in late 1990s. Back then, international matches were much more competitive. South Africa and West Indies were quite strong, and Pakistan was also capable of giving a tough fight to any of the pig-3 sides. Two and half decades have passed and now we are moving towards domination by India and Australia in test cricket. West Indies is on the same path as Kenya, while South Africa and Pakistan are no longer competitive against the pig-3. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have also fallen through the cracks. New Zealand is perhaps the only smaller team that has improved its performance, thanks to influx of players from South Africa.

@Sithara007 cricket has evolved a lot and while other boards didn’t improve their player’s conditions BCCI did well in that aspect by planning for the future and making sure that team India got to compete with the best team’s only. Furthermore the current team of Pakistan has lots of talent but they need solid tactical plans and better cooperation from the entire team if they’re to get results against the top sides especially in this format.

[JSRAW]

Did anyone notice, In this Spirit of the game controversy no one from England's side talking about lagging 0-2 in the Ashes? 

Be it Media, Pundits or Fans, literally no discussion on how Bazball rolled over and lost the plot in the first 2 matches and too at home. In contrast, I remember how brutally Aussie media reacted when they lost 2 consecutive home series against India and I can imagine what would happen if India manage to lose 2 back to back matches on their home turf.

Having said that i'd still like to see them doubling down on an aggressive approach and in this process i am okay with both results be it 0-5 for Aussie or 3-2 for England.

[Sithara007]

Did anyone notice, In this Spirit of the game controversy no one from England's side talking about lagging 0-2 in the Ashes?  

Be it Media, Pundits or Fans, literally no discussion on how Bazball rolled over and lost the plot in the first 2 matches and too at home. In contrast, I remember how brutally Aussie media reacted when they lost 2 consecutive home series against India and I can imagine what would happen if India manage to lose 2 back to back matches on their home turf.

Having said that i'd still like to see them doubling down on an aggressive approach and in this process i am okay with both results be it 0-5 for Aussie or 3-2 for England.

England deserves whatever shit they get. Playing with home advantage and still unable to win in the first two matches. James Anderson was complaining about the pitch rather than focusing on his own bowling. And then talking about the spirit of cricket, England should be the last ones to complain about it. We all saw what Ben Stokes did in 2019, during the final of the ODI World Cup. Kane Williamson behaved like a gentleman and accepted the result. If the roles were reversed, then I am sure that Ben Stokes and his gang of clowns would have gone ballistic.

[3kpk3]

Did anyone notice, In this Spirit of the game controversy no one from England's side talking about lagging 0-2 in the Ashes?  

Be it Media, Pundits or Fans, literally no discussion on how Bazball rolled over and lost the plot in the first 2 matches and too at home. In contrast, I remember how brutally Aussie media reacted when they lost 2 consecutive home series against India and I can imagine what would happen if India manage to lose 2 back to back matches on their home turf.

True. England are trying their best to shield their embarassment through these pathetic blame game tactics which are pointless since the results matter the most and will be remembered primarily.

Broad told Carey that his dismissal of Bairstow will be what people remember him by, but what he forgot about is the fact that his team primarily will be remembered for losing the Ashes repeatedly against Australia.

Having said that i'd still like to see them doubling down on an aggressive approach and in this process i am okay with both results be it 0-5 for Aussie or 3-2 for England.

You underestimate the power of rain. I am expecting at least one match to end in a draw.

[JSRAW]

~snip~

England deserves whatever shit they get. Playing with home advantage and still unable to win in the first two matches. James Anderson was complaining about the pitch rather than focusing on his own bowling. And then talking about the spirit of cricket, England should be the last ones to complain about it. We all saw what Ben Stokes did in 2019, during the final of the ODI World Cup. Kane Williamson behaved like a gentleman and accepted the result. If the roles were reversed, then I am sure that Ben Stokes and his gang of clowns would have gone ballistic.

Haha finally someone posted this. I loved it, when I came across this page. I've said enough about teams losing at home so don't want to repeat it, IMO it's just humiliating if you are losing despite home advantage.

Anyway, plenty of changes in England's squad for 3rd match. Moeen, Woakes and Wood are in, Anderson, Pope and Tongue are out.

Having said that i'd still like to see them doubling down on an aggressive approach and in this process i am okay with both results be it 0-5 for Aussie or 3-2 for England.

You underestimate the power of rain. I am expecting at least one match to end in a draw.

It depends on the forecast and I agree i haven't checked it.

[eaLiTy]

~
England deserves whatever shit they get. Playing with home advantage and still unable to win in the first two matches. James Anderson was complaining about the pitch rather than focusing on his own bowling. And then talking about the spirit of cricket, England should be the last ones to complain about it. We all saw what Ben Stokes did in 2019, during the final of the ODI World Cup. Kane Williamson behaved like a gentleman and accepted the result. If the roles were reversed, then I am sure that Ben Stokes and his gang of clowns would have gone ballistic.

England is crying to be frank, Geoffrey Boycott appearing in Piers Morgan show and crying about the spirit of Cricket and how Australia is destroying that  . If the roles were reversed then England would say it was luck and hard work rather than crying about the spirit of the game.

Regarding the Jonny Bairstow situation where he walked out of the crease when the ball was at play there are two sides, people from England crying about the spirit of the game while the rest of the world is defending that as Simon Taufel, Brian Lara all supported Australia. England are not able to win the matches, so blame on others and finish off the series .

[Tony116]

Did anyone notice, In this Spirit of the game controversy no one from England's side talking about lagging 0-2 in the Ashes? 

Be it Media, Pundits or Fans, literally no discussion on how Bazball rolled over and lost the plot in the first 2 matches and too at home. In contrast, I remember how brutally Aussie media reacted when they lost 2 consecutive home series against India and I can imagine what would happen if India manage to lose 2 back to back matches on their home turf.

Having said that i'd still like to see them doubling down on an aggressive approach and in this process i am okay with both results be it 0-5 for Aussie or 3-2 for England.

Now, this is something that the England fans probably forgot to do. They really need to remind the England players that they have to perform better. England has been very dependent on a few players a little too much lately. England will have to improve their performance. And probably England has to realize that Australia currently has a better and in-form team compared to England. So it will obviously be hard for England to beat them.

Australia is leading the test series and now it is going to be really hard for England to win this series. Winning three matches in a row is obviously going to be a tough ask for England. And the way they are performing right now, I don’t think it is going to happen.

[Vaskiy]

Did anyone notice, In this Spirit of the game controversy no one from England's side talking about lagging 0-2 in the Ashes?  

Be it Media, Pundits or Fans, literally no discussion on how Bazball rolled over and lost the plot in the first 2 matches and too at home. In contrast, I remember how brutally Aussie media reacted when they lost 2 consecutive home series against India and I can imagine what would happen if India manage to lose 2 back to back matches on their home turf.

Having said that i'd still like to see them doubling down on an aggressive approach and in this process i am okay with both results be it 0-5 for Aussie or 3-2 for England.

Now, this is something that the England fans probably forgot to do. They really need to remind the England players that they have to perform better. England has been very dependent on a few players a little too much lately. England will have to improve their performance. And probably England has to realize that Australia currently has a better and in-form team compared to England. So it will obviously be hard for England to beat them.

Australia is leading the test series and now it is going to be really hard for England to win this series. Winning three matches in a row is obviously going to be a tough ask for England. And the way they are performing right now, I don’t think it is going to happen.

The test series this time will be won by Australia, because first two test matches were real opportunities for England. Small errors in the match and the miscalculation costed them big. The third match which is a must win for England makes them under pressure while Australia will be very cool to play the rest of the Matches. This makes England in have decline in performance, which once again favour Australia.

[Sithara007]

Anyway, plenty of changes in England's squad for 3rd match. Moeen, Woakes and Wood are in, Anderson, Pope and Tongue are out.

Moeen didn't performed well in the first test, so I am not sure whether his inclusion is going to create any trouble for the Aussies. His recent form is not good, either with the bat or ball. I am surprised that Tongue was left out. He did a decent job, IMO. Anderson deserves to be kicked out. Not for his poor performance, but for the whining after the match about how unsupportive the pitch was. Wood's addition is what England needs. He is the fastest bowler in England right now and his inclusion to the squad should add some venom to their attack.

BTW, I heard from social media that England is interested in stealing Chris Sole from Scotland. He bowls at speeds of up to 94 mph, and has been exceptional so far in the CWC qualifiers. This will achieve two objectives for England - first they can strengthen their own bowling lineup, and secondly they can make sure that Scotland will remain in the fringes of world cricket. The same strategy was employed w.r.t. Eoin Morgan and Boyd Rankin a decade ago and they successfully managed to destroy the Irish team back then.

[jostorres]

Now, this is something that the England fans probably forgot to do. They really need to remind the England players that they have to perform better. England has been very dependent on a few players a little too much lately. England will have to improve their performance. And probably England has to realize that Australia currently has a better and in-form team compared to England. So it will obviously be hard for England to beat them.

Australia is leading the test series and now it is going to be really hard for England to win this series. Winning three matches in a row is obviously going to be a tough ask for England. And the way they are performing right now, I don’t think it is going to happen.

As things are going with England right now I want to have the end of this series with the result of 4 - 0 or 5 - 0 because this could be deserved by England team after having performance like this against quality team few months back they were all talking about Bazball and new era of English cricket but suddenly after losing first two test matches they are talking about spirit of the game and many other theories which was no in any book or other cricketing place.

Australian exposed their all weaknesses in this series and now enjoying with the win and retain of The Ashes now we have to wait for the English strategy in third test which is important to win if they want alive themselves in this series which is looking not happening because their performance is below then average in this series.

[LDL]

Australia and England are entering the field to play the third Test at "Headingley" stadium to save the series. Of course, the third Test today is a honor-saving match for England and a series-deciding Test match for Australia. Having swept Australia in the previous two matches, England have no choice but to secure victory in the third Test today to save their self-respect from the series defeat. If England fail to win the third Test, the series will be out of hand and defeat will be certain as Australia have already won two matches in the five-match Test series.


However, there will be several changes in the England squad as Ollie Pope, Josh Tongue, Jimmy Anderson may not be in the squad due to injuries and Mooen Ali, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes are likely to be included in the squad instead.