Test Cricket Prediction and Discussion Thread [self - mod]

[teosanru]

Even if they didn't how did Ashwin magically spun the ball to take 6 quick wickets and England getting all out on 178?

The pitch is the magician, the England spinners will also shine in the final day with the way Bess bowled in the first innings he will probably be the pick of the bowler for England and it is not an easy pitch to bat in the last two days.

Thirdly what the hell is Rohit Sharma doing in the team? taking a very important spot of some youngster who can perform way better? At this point of time, there is cut-throat competition in the team for a place you just can't get away by scoring any runs in 4 consecutive games. India might have to take a tough decision on him pretty soon.

Will the team take a decision to remove Rohit Sharma from the team after this match, i highly doubt that. He will be under pressure in the next match and if he does not perform then they will be forced to replace him

At this point, my eyes are once again on Rishab Pant. If we can do this in Australia where it was a pure bowling pitch against the world class Australian bowling attack with an India-A team we can definitely do it again with our mainstream team now. But I think India's first try will be for a draw.

Rishab Pant will try to attack and with the ball spinning too much i think he will not perform in the final day, it all depends upon how Pujara Kohli and Rahane perform as you need a solid player at one end if India needs to draw the match.

I think you are right I just saw the highlights for the day. The pitch is spinning like hell. Maybe this was the reason India picked three spinners but yes India team can play spinners well atleast better than English. Yes Dom Bess is the key to England's success but let's see how well they use him. you need a good bowler from the other end too to build some pressure. Pujara and Rahane have the best techniques so they should play the spin right. Rishab Pant will definitely have to play his role of a quickie innings if he can do it again. He will soon become a key player for India in Tests.

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[Vaskiy]

Against Australia India has reached the target of 328, and the same this time keeps the England team have additional plans to stop the Indian players. This time the target is almost 92 runs higher than the previous match target. This gives strength to the England team. However the winning percentage of India based on data is 6% and for England it is 34% and to draw is the rest. Let us wait and see the result.

[vella85]

I wouldn't count India out of getting the win yet as we saw what they were able to achieve against Australia playing in Australia. Yes the pitch is a lot different then in Australia but with the win against Australia chasing a big total will give the Indian team confidence that they can chase this total down and maybe even get the win. I think if they can have wickets in hand heading into the second session we might see them go for the win but if they lose quick wickets they will try play for the draw which we also saw them do against Australia so I think India has a big chance to win.

[ene1980]

Yes the pitch is a lot different then in Australia but with the win against Australia chasing a big total will give the Indian team confidence that they can chase this total down and maybe even get the win. I think if they can have wickets in hand heading into the second session we might see them go for the win but if they lose quick wickets they will try play for the draw which we also saw them do against Australia so I think India has a big chance to win.

I usually watch the match highlights and the pitch is the main difference between the Australian win and the series now, the soil is loose and whenever a ball is bowled some portion of soil puffs up and you will not see that in Australian pitches nor in England, in a pitch like this it is impossible to score fast. The player who can play in the back foot might survive in pitches like these.

[Sithara007]

Did England decision to not allow the follow on prove incorrect because if they would asked India to bat and even if India had taken a lead of say 50 - 100 provided England wrapped up India quick again in second innings then England would have better chance of winning this test as they could even had made this score by playing T20 like match in the end if need be. Now, if India could survive tomo then for India it would be as good as wining the match considering the first three days of the test match being.

This was what I was also thinking. But the usual excuses were being given, that the English bowlers were tired and the batsmen don't want to bat on 5th day in a pitch that offers a lot of support for the bowlers. But personally I think they could have enforced the follow on. They had a lead of 241, and there was no way that India could score anything above 300-350 in their second innings. Now they don't have enough time to take the remaining wickets, as the Indian batsmen (especially those in lower order) are very good in defending.

[eaLiTy]

India lost two wickets in the morning session, Jack Leach is getting good purchase from the wicket and he was able to trap Cheteshwar Pujara and James Anderson is getting reverse swing and he is troubling the batsman and uprooted the wicket of Shubman Gill. The only thing i do not understand is the DRS system. Rahane was trapped in front and in the replay the ball was going to hit the middle stump and since it was not umpires call it was adjudged not out .

Edit:

Ajinkya Rahane is gone the very next ball another beauty from Anderson with his reverse swing. India is struggling at 92 for 4.

[JSRAW]

Its over for India..

Only 2 big 100s can save India now, seems very tough task here if you ask me despite Kohli-Pant-Sunder still there. Need a hell lot of effort from remaining batsmen, once again. If they want draw.

[Sithara007]

Its over for India..

Only 2 big 100s can save India now, seems very tough task here if you ask me despite Kohli-Pant-Sunder still there. Need a hell lot of effort from remaining batsmen, once again. If they want draw.

With almost 74 overs remaining today, I don't have much hope for India. Especially after witnessing that double-wicket over from James Anderson (he could have got 3 in the same over, but umpire Nitin Menon didn't approved when Rahane was trapped leg-before). Now Pant is someone who scores at a rate of more than 1 run per ball, irrespective of the format. So there can be only two outcomes if he is at the crease - either India wins the match, or they loses it. The other lower order batsman (Sundar, Ashwin.etc) may be more inclined to play in a defensive manner.

[teosanru]

Its over for India..

Only 2 big 100s can save India now, seems very tough task here if you ask me despite Kohli-Pant-Sunder still there. Need a hell lot of effort from remaining batsmen, once again. If they want draw.

Pant gone too. I feel Sundar batted much better than the whole team in the previous innings and he is in the middle with captain Kohli and it's just 11:00 a.m. and full day of play is left. I think toss is a great decisive factor in these matches. England while batting first knew that pitch would turn after it ages in later days so they batted 2 full days to make sure they score as much as possible. But yes I have generally seen India winning the series after losing the first match. So maybe once again this is an indication. 

[JSRAW]

What a freaking collapse ladies. Didn't expect that!!

I think toss is a great decisive factor in these matches.

Toss was important but India won countless games in hometurf despite losing the toss, so it would be pretty pathetic excuse if Kohli repeats the same lol. I think Indian team still in hangover of Australian tour.

This is wake up call 

[bryant.coleman]

ROFLMAO..... India in deep $hit right now.. Pant and Sundar gone and Kohli left high and dry at the crease. Now I don't know for how long Ashwin may be able to defend against Anderson and the spinners. But after him, it's a bunch of genuine tailenders - Ishant, Nadeem and Bumrah. Archer must be salivating at the prospect of bowling against them. 69 overs remain in this match, and India is left with 4 wickets. Anderson has got 3 wickets for 7 runs. The amount of reverse swing this guy generate is just insane..... the commentators were calling him as the "sultan of swing" and I'd say that they are absolutely spot on. 

[pakhitheboss]

ROFLMAO..... India in deep $hit right now.. Pant and Sundar gone and Kohli left high and dry at the crease. Now I don't know for how long Ashwin may be able to defend against Anderson and the spinners. But after him, it's a bunch of genuine tailenders - Ishant, Nadeem and Bumrah. Archer must be salivating at the prospect of bowling against them. 69 overs remain in this match, and India is left with 4 wickets. Anderson has got 3 wickets for 7 runs. The amount of reverse swing this guy generate is just insane..... the commentators were calling him as the "sultan of swing" and I'd say that they are absolutely spot on. 

They will try and hold on the crease as long as they can because their primary focus would be to end this match in a draw. If they cannot then they will lose this match and some media houses in India will start pointing fingers on Kohli.

[Vishnu.Reang]

ROFLMAO..... India in deep $hit right now.. Pant and Sundar gone and Kohli left high and dry at the crease. Now I don't know for how long Ashwin may be able to defend against Anderson and the spinners. But after him, it's a bunch of genuine tailenders - Ishant, Nadeem and Bumrah. Archer must be salivating at the prospect of bowling against them. 69 overs remain in this match, and India is left with 4 wickets. Anderson has got 3 wickets for 7 runs. The amount of reverse swing this guy generate is just insane..... the commentators were calling him as the "sultan of swing" and I'd say that they are absolutely spot on. 

They will try and hold on the crease as long as they can because their primary focus would be to end this match in a draw. If they cannot then they will lose this match and some media houses in India will start pointing fingers on Kohli.

It is impossible to defend for another 64 overs, with just 4 wickets remaining (that too in the 5th day against Archer and Anderson). And Ashwin is the last batsman with a capability to play a long innings. If he gets out, then Kohli will find it very difficult to build a partnership. Another 276 runs are needed... so chasing for a win isn't going to work either.

Fingers must be pointed towards Virat Kohli. Why not? He was responsible for the selection of Shahbaz Nadeem over Kuldeep Yadav. And he persisted with him, despite the fact that he was not able to pick the wickets. If he had given regular spells to Bumrah and Ishant, then England could have never been able to set such a daunting target. Kohli may be a legendary batsmen. But he is a total failure as far as captaincy is concerned.

[mersal]

They will try and hold on the crease as long as they can because their primary focus would be to end this match in a draw. If they cannot then they will lose this match and some media houses in India will start pointing fingers on Kohli.

64 overs left in the match and only 4 wickets are in hand, even one wicket goes down from now the match is going to end so for now there is no hope for even getting a draw as a result for this match. Toss is crucial for India to be in this situation but Indian batsmen failed to deliver in their first innings which cost into huge lead even after getting ENG all out for quick runs in their second innings.

IMO, ENG is on the lead in this series with 1-0.

[bryant.coleman]

64 overs left in the match and only 4 wickets are in hand, even one wicket goes down from now the match is going to end so for now there is no hope for even getting a draw as a result for this match. Toss is crucial for India to be in this situation but Indian batsmen failed to deliver in their first innings which cost into huge lead even after getting ENG all out for quick runs in their second innings.

IMO, ENG is on the lead in this series with 1-0.

I agree. For me, this match is essentially over. I don't expect India to last more than 5-6 overs in the second session. Anyway, how can you expect lower order and tail end batsmen such as Ashwin and Ishant to score runs, when top order players such as Pujara and Rahane failed to do so? England leading the series 1-0 at this point. All the best to India for the second match, which will take place at the same venue next week.

[JSRAW]

India is winning the series 2-1 anyway.

If India lose the series then Indian team will get new captain and if they win then WTC finals at lord.  

So its all fine and everything going according to plan. #4D Chess  

Meanwhile Shashtri practicing so that he can teach Kohli thing or two about toss.



PS : Indian fans are counting every overs. 

[teosanru]

What a freaking collapse ladies. Didn't expect that!!

I think toss is a great decisive factor in these matches.

Toss was important but India won countless games in hometurf despite losing the toss, so it would be pretty pathetic excuse if Kohli repeats the same lol. I think Indian team still in hangover of Australian tour.

This is wake up call 

Haha I already expected that India would be too overconfident after the Australian series but somehow I think pitch is pretty difficult to play today. It's absolutely red and giving a pretty uneven bounce especially to Jack leach. the way the pitch is behaving I think if it was Ashwin bowling today he wouldn't have allowed Englad to reach even 100 runs. I think this pretty much was the reason why Root didn't enforce follow on.

India is winning the series 2-1 anyway.

If India lose the series then Indian team will get new captain and if they win then WTC finals at lord. 

So its all fine and everything going according to plan. #4D Chess 

Meanwhile Shashtri practicing so that he can teach Kohli thing or two about toss.



PS : Indian fans are counting every overs. 

i am pretty sure about that new captain thing. There are a lot of fingers pointed at Kohli now. Even though he is doing good with his bat same can't be said about his captaincy.

[Vishnu.Reang]

Ashwin is gone and India is down to the tail-enders. Once again it was Jack Leach, who provided the breakthrough. Nice comeback from Leach, after the thrashing he received from Rishabh Pant during the first innings. A consolation for India would be Virat Kohli scoring his 28th test century. He is batting at 68 now, and with some support form Nadeem, Ishant and Bumrah, he may be able to reach that milestone. Apart from that, there is not much to do for India here. Another 245 needed for the win, which looks unrealistic.

[mersal]

Ashwin is gone and India is down to the tail-enders. Once again it was Jack Leach, who provided the breakthrough. Nice comeback from Leach, after the thrashing he received from Rishabh Pant during the first innings. A consolation for India would be Virat Kohli scoring his 28th test century. He is batting at 68 now, and with some support form Nadeem, Ishant and Bumrah, he may be able to reach that milestone. Apart from that, there is not much to do for India here. Another 245 needed for the win, which looks unrealistic.

As expected ENG won the match by 226 runs and Joe Root the player of the match and he deserves it. Lot of criticism going on about Indian captain for sure and he lost 4 consecutive tests in a row. There is a 4 day break before they play second 2nd test match, can they make it in the same ground?

[bryant.coleman]

As expected ENG won the match by 226 runs and Joe Root the player of the match and he deserves it. Lot of criticism going on about Indian captain for sure and he lost 4 consecutive tests in a row. There is a 4 day break before they play second 2nd test match, can they make it in the same ground?

If there is criticism against Kohli, then it is perfectly justified. First of all, he should stop his bias and nepotism and leave team selection to those who are assigned the job. And secondly, it may be better for him to concentrate on ODI/T20I captaincy. Captaining test matches requires a cool head, which he clearly lacks. Kohli is good only for dramatics, while his tactics doesn't work most of the time. Ajinkya Rahane did a wonderful job as captain in Australia and I don't know why he was replaced for the series against England.