Test Cricket Prediction and Discussion Thread [self - mod]

[bryant.coleman]

Edit
4 balls to go and first day of the tour belong to England.

ENG : 263

Don't be so fast. Dom Sibley trapped leg before by Jasprit Bumrah. He batted really well.. until now. Faced 285 balls (382 minutes), and stood like a rock while Joe Root piled up the runs from the other end. And he had to survive for just 4 more balls but he got out during the last over. If not for that wicket, England could have been well on top. But now it is once again, evenly poised.

And when the English bowlers comes out to bowl, it is not going to be easy. I have been to Chennai once, and the weather is really challenging. At this time of the year, it can be really hot and humid. It will be impossible for the pacers to put in more than 15 overs per day.

[coin_1122]

Half an hour back, England was having a solid advantage. Now the situation has turned upside down and India is at the top. But as long as Joe Root is there, I am not going to discount the chances for England. Let's not forget the fact that he is in such a terrific form. Last month, he scored 426 runs from two test matches in Sri Lanka (and picked up two wickets as well). This is his 100th test and I am expecting something special.

India needs to break this partnership between Root and Sibley. They both are playing well and if they continue like this then they will easily cross 350. They need another 200 runs on board and the way root is playing I do not think it will be a difficult task.

Both the Root and Sibley are very strong which Indians bowlers are trying their best to break the partnership, but their partnership will surely cross more than 350 runs easily on the Board, even Aswin cannot be able to control the flow of runs if they don't break the partnership means Indian batsmen might be in huge problems.

[7788bitcoin]

And when the English bowlers comes out to bowl, it is not going to be easy. I have been to Chennai once, and the weather is really challenging. At this time of the year, it can be really hot and humid. It will be impossible for the pacers to put in more than 15 overs per day.

No wonder India is fielding spinners and just two fast bowlers, England played really well to score 263 runs on the first day even though they lost a couple of quick wickets. I thought India will keep on picking wickets but Joe Root and Dom Sibley rescued the innings and put England on a strong position and they still have Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler to bat and they can score well over 400 runs from a strong situation like they are in.

[mersal]

And when the English bowlers comes out to bowl, it is not going to be easy. I have been to Chennai once, and the weather is really challenging. At this time of the year, it can be really hot and humid. It will be impossible for the pacers to put in more than 15 overs per day.

No wonder India is fielding spinners and just two fast bowlers, England played really well to score 263 runs on the first day even though they lost a couple of quick wickets. I thought India will keep on picking wickets but Joe Root and Dom Sibley rescued the innings and put England on a strong position and they still have Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler to bat and they can score well over 400 runs from a strong situation like they are in.

Since it is just the first day there is not much of turn for the spinners and India is laying with 3 spinners so as the match progresses we can see much spin from them for sure.Well, ENG looks too strong even they lost their 3rd wicket and from here they are going to score as many as runs possible like 500+ for sure in my opinion. Watched a few overs in the morning and it really went too boring, to be honest.

[Haunebu]

The same Indian bowlers who looked lethal in Australia looks quite ordinary now. Perhaps the absence of Mohammad Shami is hurting them.

Only a couple of them like Bumrah, Ashwin etc played in the Australian series which is why I disagree with you here. I have no idea why they decided to go with Nadeem instead of Natrajan. Jadeja is also missing.

Well, ENG looks too strong even they lost their 3rd wicket and from here they are going to score as many as runs possible like 500+ for sure in my opinion. Watched a few overs in the morning and it really went too boring, to be honest.

500+ is easy as long as Root plays till the end. However, the momentum will shift if he gets out and 400+ would probably be their first innings score in my opinion.

[SaShiRaJaVu]

Only a couple of them like Bumrah, Ashwin etc played in the Australian series which is why I disagree with you here. I have no idea why they decided to go with Nadeem instead of Natrajan. Jadeja is also missing.

Jadeja is injured and so he is not going to play the series but India was looking for a spinner and hence Natrajan was not in the team and even if they were looking for a fast bowler they would select Mohammed Siraj as long as Shami is not fit. The team is having abundance of players and the competition is really high and hopefully they could perform well as a team as the Australian victory was a team victory rather than individual performance.

[onrise]

And when the English bowlers comes out to bowl, it is not going to be easy. I have been to Chennai once, and the weather is really challenging. At this time of the year, it can be really hot and humid. It will be impossible for the pacers to put in more than 15 overs per day.

No wonder India is fielding spinners and just two fast bowlers, England played really well to score 263 runs on the first day even though they lost a couple of quick wickets. I thought India will keep on picking wickets but Joe Root and Dom Sibley rescued the innings and put England on a strong position and they still have Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler to bat and they can score well over 400 runs from a strong situation like they are in.

Since it is just the first day there is not much of turn for the spinners and India is laying with 3 spinners so as the match progresses we can see much spin from them for sure.Well, ENG looks too strong even they lost their 3rd wicket and from here they are going to score as many as runs possible like 500+ for sure in my opinion. Watched a few overs in the morning and it really went too boring, to be honest.

India will have to bat 4th and on the day 5 assuming India is batting so will not be an easy pitch as what it is today for batting. And with England getting such a strong start with just losing 3 wickets for 263 easily they should score 450 runs and India's first innings would be very crucial as they either should take lead or atleast be at par with England score. Unless India take last 7 wickets by giving around 100 runs tomo so would be a good game on hand for them.

[mersal]

India will have to bat 4th and on the day 5 assuming India is batting so will not be an easy pitch as what it is today for batting. And with England getting such a strong start with just losing 3 wickets for 263 easily they should score 450 runs and India's first innings would be very crucial as they either should take lead or atleast be at par with England score. Unless India take last 7 wickets by giving around 100 runs tomo so would be a good game on hand for them.

India also has a strong and deep batting lineup so the match is not going to be one-sided even after the huge run score but the only issue is players are not in good form so they need to play very cautious and don't repeat the mistakes that they did in AUS series. Batting as long as you can is important in a test match than scoring runs hope Pujara and Rahane will do that job.

[ene1980]

Batting as long as you can is important in a test match than scoring runs hope Pujara and Rahane will do that job.

Joe Root is in good form and he was in complete control in his innings and might score another double century and they still have Ben Stokes even though he did not play the Sri Lankan series he is an impact player and then they have Jos Buttler who did not score big in Sri Lanka but he can make an impact anytime. The morning session is important for England and if they can survive the initial spell then they could score big and put India in the back foot.

[JSRAW]

I'm sensing bit of negativity and criticism of team selection and 1st day performance. So here is a one stat/scorecard just to cheer you up and keep your head high for today gameplay.

Same ground, England batted first and went to score 260+ on 1st day and when match finished they end up losing the game with the inning.


Full scorecard
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/england-tour-of-india-2016-17-1030195/india-vs-england-5th-test-1034817/full-scorecard

[Indymoney]

Batting as long as you can is important in a test match than scoring runs hope Pujara and Rahane will do that job.

Joe Root is in good form and he was in complete control in his innings and might score another double century and they still have Ben Stokes even though he did not play the Sri Lankan series he is an impact player and then they have Jos Buttler who did not score big in Sri Lanka but he can make an impact anytime. The morning session is important for England and if they can survive the initial spell then they could score big and put India in the back foot.

After very good tour of Sri Lanka England and Root both in good touch today's play completely belong to them as Root and Sibley both done good job sadly in last over Sibley got out by Bumrah after very good inning but now if Root able to stay some more time on crease then surely they can secure some good position in this series opener now first target is touch 400+ target which is not bad at all right now but tomorrow first session can change things for any team.

[vella85]

I'm sensing bit of negativity and criticism of team selection and 1st day performance. So here is a one stat/scorecard just to cheer you up and keep your head high for today gameplay.

Same ground, England batted first and went to score 260+ on 1st day and when match finished they end up losing the game with the inning.


Full scorecard
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/england-tour-of-india-2016-17-1030195/india-vs-england-5th-test-1034817/full-scorecard

Yes England might be in a good position at the end of day 1 however I still like India's chances as they will still be on a high after winning the series in Australia where no one really gave them a chance to win so its to early to call right now. History is on India's side, the morning session will be vital for India to try and restrict England to around 400 or under.

[eaLiTy]

The same Indian bowlers who looked lethal in Australia looks quite ordinary now. Perhaps the absence of Mohammad Shami is hurting them.

Washington Sundar is the only bowler who played in Brisbane included in the team and he was disappointing today and he was bowling loose balls every now and then.

And in Chittagong, Bangladesh is cruising towards a convincing victory against West Indies, as they are leading by 218 runs with 7 wickets to spare. This would mean that West Indies will finish at the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship.   

Bangladesh dominated the match and they will win the series easily. New Zealand already cemented their place in the Test championship final, England Australia and India is competing for the other spot.

I'm sensing bit of negativity and criticism of team selection and 1st day performance. So here is a one stat/scorecard just to cheer you up and keep your head high for today gameplay.

Same ground, England batted first and went to score 260+ on 1st day and when match finished they end up losing the game with the inning.

I was looking at the scorecard and i was wondering what happened to Karun Nair who scored a triple century in the match and he just played 6 Test match which is not fair for a player who scored a triple century in International cricket.  I am not expecting much, when India picked two consecutive wickets i was expecting India to dominate and started watching the match but nothing happened  .

[Iranus]

And in Chittagong, Bangladesh is cruising towards a convincing victory against West Indies, as they are leading by 218 runs with 7 wickets to spare. This would mean that West Indies will finish at the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship.   

Bangladesh dominated the match and they will win the series easily. New Zealand already cemented their place in the Test championship final, England Australia and India is competing for the other spot.

It is difficult to predict about the Bangladesh team. They lost 3 wickets for 47 runs. They may have lost all their wickets before 100 runs. But I think that is less likely. Because every player on the team now tries his best to fulfill his responsibilities. I hope Bangladesh will win this test match.

[Sithara007]

Yes England might be in a good position at the end of day 1 however I still like India's chances as they will still be on a high after winning the series in Australia where no one really gave them a chance to win so its to early to call right now. History is on India's side, the morning session will be vital for India to try and restrict England to around 400 or under.

The pitch is not giving any support for the bowlers (both for the spinners and the pacers). Normal deliveries from Ishant and Bumrah reached the keeper after almost pitching twice. The good thing for England is that they won the toss and elected to bat first. That will give them an advantage in this match. Still, a score below 500 on this pitch would be very hard to defend.

[LittleBitFunny]

Yes England might be in a good position at the end of day 1 however I still like India's chances as they will still be on a high after winning the series in Australia where no one really gave them a chance to win so its to early to call right now. History is on India's side, the morning session will be vital for India to try and restrict England to around 400 or under.

The pitch is not giving any support for the bowlers (both for the spinners and the pacers). Normal deliveries from Ishant and Bumrah reached the keeper after almost pitching twice. The good thing for England is that they won the toss and elected to bat first. That will give them an advantage in this match. Still, a score below 500 on this pitch would be very hard to defend.

The England team is in a very good position now. They have lost only 3 wickets. I think they will play the whole day. And this match will be a draw. England lost two wickets very fast yesterday. If Joe Root and Dom Sibley had not taken the helm of the match at the right time, England would have been in a lot of trouble.

[Vishnu.Reang]

Joe Root seems to be on track to score a double hundred. Indian spinners have been a disappointment so far, and they have taken just one wicket till now (after conceding a total of 200 runs). Expected better performance from Ravichandran Ashwin and Washington Sundar, as this is their home ground. Shahbaz Nadeem was also disappointing. This is actually surprising because Chepauk has a history of supporting spin bowlers (and I saw dust coming off from the pitch after one delivery from Ashwin).

[pakhitheboss]

Joe Root seems to be on track to score a double hundred. Indian spinners have been a disappointment so far, and they have taken just one wicket till now (after conceding a total of 200 runs). Expected better performance from Ravichandran Ashwin and Washington Sundar, as this is their home ground. Shahbaz Nadeem was also disappointing. This is actually surprising because Chepauk has a history of supporting spin bowlers (and I saw dust coming off from the pitch after one delivery from Ashwin).

The way this guy is playing he will score a double hundred easily. He is already at 135 and if he goes like this he might be able to reach his double hundred by today. I do not think this match is going anywhere if India is unable to take his wicket. This test will most probably end in a draw or unless ENG declares their innings today.

[JSRAW]

I'm sensing bit of negativity and criticism of team selection and 1st day performance. So here is a one stat/scorecard just to cheer you up and keep your head high for today gameplay.

Same ground, England batted first and went to score 260+ on 1st day and when match finished they end up losing the game with the inning.


Full scorecard
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/england-tour-of-india-2016-17-1030195/india-vs-england-5th-test-1034817/full-scorecard

Yes England might be in a good position at the end of day 1 however I still like India's chances as they will still be on a high after winning the series in Australia where no one really gave them a chance to win so its to early to call right now. History is on India's side, the morning session will be vital for India to try and restrict England to around 400 or under.

Joe Root said that his team looking to score 600-700 runs in the first inning so it seems they don't really want to bat again on second inning, could backfire if Indian batsmen went to score big also. Draw is likely outcome in this scenario unless English bowlers take 20 wickets.

@eaLiTy Sadly Nair is history.

[UmerIdrees]

This is his 100th test and I am expecting something special.

I am counting on his ton. England need big inning from him and at least 350-400 runs on the board otherwise Indians going to take away the game far from their reach.
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Meanwhile lost the another bet on Babar, Again. Safe to say no century for him in this series.

Nowadays most of the teams are dependent on one or two players. India is dependent on Virat Kohli (although the situation is changing), England is dependent on Joe Root/Ben Stokes, Pakistan is like one-man army of Babar Azam, Steve Smith/Marnus Labuschagne for Australia, Kane Williamson for New Zealand.etc. The problem is that the team morale goes down whenever these players get out for low scores.

And sad to see Pakistan wasting the recovery they made yesterday. Expected Babar Azam to make a century, but he got out for 77. Keshav Maharaj and Anrich Nortje have taken all the wickets in the innings till now. And the good news for South Africa is that George Linde seems to be fit again to bowl.

Although Pakistan did not bat well yesterday but they have bowled very well and managed to take 5 wickets for South Africa cheaply. If they could make bowl out south africa quickly, they have a good chance to get hold of this test match also.