Test Cricket Prediction and Discussion Thread [self - mod]

[bryant.coleman]

I am sceptical myself if they can pull it off but just if they then nothing less than miracle as considering all the situation and batting 4th is never easy. It requires 1 of the players to make double century from here to help England win the test match and seems only if someone could make that may be Root or Stokes, provided if they can stay on pitch for longer time tomorrow.

For England, the first immediate target is to keep the margin of defeat below 300 runs. If they keep it below the 200 mark, then it will be a consolation for them before the start of the third match. England has hardly anything to take away from this match so far. So it will be better for them to do what they can tomorrow and then move on. The day/night test match is going to be interesting, because England has more experience in playing such matches.

[JSRAW]

~snip~
With so many owners, who is the rightful one?
 

India and Indians only.  

Michael Vaughan made such a fuss about the pitch yesterday (and got in to an argument with Shane Warne)

He's British version of Sanju Manju. Even poms don't like him much, which is ironic as he was good captain back in the days but nowadays he only excels in bullshitting. Shane Warne also comes in same category more or less, unless he's talking about spin.  

[bryant.coleman]

He's British version of Sanju Manju. Even poms don't like him much, which is ironic as he was good captain back in the days but nowadays he only excels in bullshitting. Shane Warne also comes in same category more or less, unless he's talking about spin.  

I could understand his frustration. Brits always claim that they invented this game (which is debatable) and they don't like it when they lose to their former colonies such as India, Pakistan, Australia and West Indies (and that too in the test format). But it is not going to matter much.. the WTC final will be played between India and New Zealand at Lord's. Vaughan and the current England players can reserve their seats at the Grand Stand and get a good view of the match. 

[teosanru]

I am sceptical myself if they can pull it off but just if they then nothing less than miracle as considering all the situation and batting 4th is never easy. It requires 1 of the players to make double century from here to help England win the test match and seems only if someone could make that may be Root or Stokes, provided if they can stay on pitch for longer time tomorrow.

For England, the first immediate target is to keep the margin of defeat below 300 runs. If they keep it below the 200 mark, then it will be a consolation for them before the start of the third match. England has hardly anything to take away from this match so far. So it will be better for them to do what they can tomorrow and then move on. The day/night test match is going to be interesting, because England has more experience in playing such matches.

I don't think there is going to be any consolation for England in this match. They are defeated from all ends. But this defeat is making me realize that maybe toss is a pretty important factor in this series. The pitches have been considerably easier to play on the initial day while they tend to become difficult to play after that. But yes Pink ball would be a pretty interesting thing to see in the next match. Will the pink ball turn just the way the red ball has turned. Moreover how comfortable would our mainstream spinners be with the pink ball. The third big question is the role of Kuldeep Yadav He hasn't bowled a lot of deliveries in this match so far so India could begin to realize that whether they even need a third spinner in their side.

[GbitG]

I am sceptical myself if they can pull it off but just if they then nothing less than miracle as considering all the situation and batting 4th is never easy. It requires 1 of the players to make double century from here to help England win the test match and seems only if someone could make that may be Root or Stokes, provided if they can stay on pitch for longer time tomorrow.

For England, the first immediate target is to keep the margin of defeat below 300 runs. If they keep it below the 200 mark, then it will be a consolation for them before the start of the third match. England has hardly anything to take away from this match so far. So it will be better for them to do what they can tomorrow and then move on. The day/night test match is going to be interesting, because England has more experience in playing such matches.

I don't think there is going to be any consolation for England in this match. They are defeated from all ends. But this defeat is making me realize that maybe toss is a pretty important factor in this series. The pitches have been considerably easier to play on the initial day while they tend to become difficult to play after that. But yes Pink ball would be a pretty interesting thing to see in the next match. Will the pink ball turn just the way the red ball has turned. Moreover how comfortable would our mainstream spinners be with the pink ball. The third big question is the role of Kuldeep Yadav He hasn't bowled a lot of deliveries in this match so far so India could begin to realize that whether they even need a third spinner in their side.

Toss is real key for success in home test matches and it's happened in this as well. England is completely outclassed in this match now series is going to be level and pink ball factor is also going to be happened in next matches hopefully this all will make this series more interested because this match was completely one-sided from start, but I am feeling India surely will go with 3 spinners because its good advantage for them.

[SaShiRaJaVu]

Toss is real key for success in home test matches and it's happened in this as well. England is completely outclassed in this match now series is going to be level and pink ball factor is also going to be happened in next matches hopefully this all will make this series more interested because this match was completely one-sided from start, but I am feeling India surely will go with 3 spinners because its good advantage for them.

So the next match will be day night one with the pink ball, the last time India played with the pink ball they were embarrassed badly as they were all out for 36 runs and this will be a big test for all the players and the next match is in Ahmedabad which is probably the biggest stadium in the world and hopefully they will be allowing audience.
England is in big trouble as they need to defend for the next two days with 7 wickets in hand which is an impossible task unless Joe Root scores another double century .

[teosanru]

I am sceptical myself if they can pull it off but just if they then nothing less than miracle as considering all the situation and batting 4th is never easy. It requires 1 of the players to make double century from here to help England win the test match and seems only if someone could make that may be Root or Stokes, provided if they can stay on pitch for longer time tomorrow.

For England, the first immediate target is to keep the margin of defeat below 300 runs. If they keep it below the 200 mark, then it will be a consolation for them before the start of the third match. England has hardly anything to take away from this match so far. So it will be better for them to do what they can tomorrow and then move on. The day/night test match is going to be interesting, because England has more experience in playing such matches.

I don't think there is going to be any consolation for England in this match. They are defeated from all ends. But this defeat is making me realize that maybe toss is a pretty important factor in this series. The pitches have been considerably easier to play on the initial day while they tend to become difficult to play after that. But yes Pink ball would be a pretty interesting thing to see in the next match. Will the pink ball turn just the way the red ball has turned. Moreover how comfortable would our mainstream spinners be with the pink ball. The third big question is the role of Kuldeep Yadav He hasn't bowled a lot of deliveries in this match so far so India could begin to realize that whether they even need a third spinner in their side.

Toss is real key for success in home test matches and it's happened in this as well. England is completely outclassed in this match now series is going to be level and pink ball factor is also going to be happened in next matches hopefully this all will make this series more interested because this match was completely one-sided from start, but I am feeling India surely will go with 3 spinners because its good advantage for them.

Yeah, but I don't think Kuldeep would make it to the side again. I thought he would bowl great on these subcontinent pitches especially when there is so much turn but I feel the captain maybe just doesn't trusts him or maybe he does not gels well with other spinners. Maybe Sundar is a much better option because he gives added batting depth too. So ash plus axar plus sundar would make a deadly combination for the next match. For the pacers the team could continue it's rest and rotate idea to give chances to other youngsters too. On batting the team looks good. The batting hasn't performed a lot in previous matches but you shouldn't tamper a winning combination.

[vella85]

Joe Root is the key for England if they have any chance of winning this match. If he can stick around and form some decent sized partnerships then it gives England a big chance at winning but its going to be difficult on this pitch trying to bat and last 2 days however time is on both teams side. It just depends on which team wants it more and which players will be up for the fight. I'm liking Ashwin to be the man once again on day 4 and get the win for India to square up the series.

[ene1980]

~
Don't want to deviate from the topic too much.. but right now there is no rightful owner for that diamond. It was originally mined from the Kollur Mine around 900 years ago by the Kakatiya dynasty. When Alauddin Khalji defeated the Kakatiyas and looted their treasury, the diamond came under his possession. From Khalji, it ended up with the Mughals. In 1739, the diamond was stolen by Nadir Shah of Persia when he invaded Delhi. Ahmad Shah Durrani received the diamond in 1751 and his descendant gifted it to Ranjit Singh in 1813. Queen Victoria received the diamond in 1849, after the Brits defeated the Sikhs. With so many owners, who is the rightful one?

So basically there is a confusion relating to the ownership of the gem just like the gold stolen from Rome by the Germans and the long dispute that went on for decades.

Now back to the match. Michael Vaughan made such a fuss about the pitch yesterday (and got in to an argument with Shane Warne). And today, the no.8 batsman from India scored a century on the same track. And let's not forget. This is the same Michael Vaughan who predicted 0-4 series whitewash in Australia for the Indian team (India won the series 2-1). 

I saw the twitter battle and how Shane Warne responded when Ashwin scored a century when England fans and players were crying about the pitch  .
England is in deep trouble and it is a matter of how long England have the patience to defend against Indian spinners.

[Vaskiy]

~
Don't want to deviate from the topic too much.. but right now there is no rightful owner for that diamond. It was originally mined from the Kollur Mine around 900 years ago by the Kakatiya dynasty. When Alauddin Khalji defeated the Kakatiyas and looted their treasury, the diamond came under his possession. From Khalji, it ended up with the Mughals. In 1739, the diamond was stolen by Nadir Shah of Persia when he invaded Delhi. Ahmad Shah Durrani received the diamond in 1751 and his descendant gifted it to Ranjit Singh in 1813. Queen Victoria received the diamond in 1849, after the Brits defeated the Sikhs. With so many owners, who is the rightful one?

So basically there is a confusion relating to the ownership of the gem just like the gold stolen from Rome by the Germans and the long dispute that went on for decades.

That's nice to see the discussion relative to the ownership of a diamond in a much friendlier manner. Beyond cricket this is truly awesome to see information being shared on different things. The forum often proves the value it holds in it.

Now back to the match. Michael Vaughan made such a fuss about the pitch yesterday (and got in to an argument with Shane Warne). And today, the no.8 batsman from India scored a century on the same track. And let's not forget. This is the same Michael Vaughan who predicted 0-4 series whitewash in Australia for the Indian team (India won the series 2-1). 

I saw the twitter battle and how Shane Warne responded when Ashwin scored a century when England fans and players were crying about the pitch  .
England is in deep trouble and it is a matter of how long England have the patience to defend against Indian spinners.

The cry might be due to the climate difference thats been experienced between the two countries. When we have a mind fixed about particular thing, automatically we'll get moving accordingly. In a such a way they've fixed something in their mind and playing accordingly. We can't get into a conclusion, even it can be one of the match between India and Australia.

[Sithara007]

So any idea for how long the England innings is going to last today? They only have 7 wickets remaining and I won't be surprised if India manages to take them in the first session itself. The England batsmen are really struggling against the ground conditions. Joe Root, who scored a double century in the first test looked quite average in the second one. And all of a sudden, Ravichandran Ashwin looks like the most lethal bowler on earth.

[Iranus]

So any idea for how long the England innings is going to last today? They only have 7 wickets remaining and I won't be surprised if India manages to take them in the first session itself. The England batsmen are really struggling against the ground conditions. Joe Root, who scored a double century in the first test looked quite average in the second one. And all of a sudden, Ravichandran Ashwin looks like the most lethal bowler on earth.

Joe Root is still at the crease. So I don’t want to predict anything of the match as long as he’s at the crease. Anything can happen if he is undefeated. He has that ability. But I think India will decide the result of the Test match today and they will win. England's batsmen could not adapt to this pitch.

[bryant.coleman]

Joe Root is still at the crease. So I don’t want to predict anything of the match as long as he’s at the crease. Anything can happen if he is undefeated. He has that ability. But I think India will decide the result of the Test match today and they will win. England's batsmen could not adapt to this pitch.

England lost another wicket in the opening hour. If the target was somewhere around 300, then they still had some chance. But with such a gargantuan target, it is just a matter of time before England fold up. Right now it is just a formality and the players are just playing to improve their personal stats. And during the last match, the bad form of Nadeem-Sundar benefitted the Brits. But this time both Axar and Ashwin are stangulating them.

[teosanru]

Joe Root is still at the crease. So I don’t want to predict anything of the match as long as he’s at the crease. Anything can happen if he is undefeated. He has that ability. But I think India will decide the result of the Test match today and they will win. England's batsmen could not adapt to this pitch.

England lost another wicket in the opening hour. If the target was somewhere around 300, then they still had some chance. But with such a gargantuan target, it is just a matter of time before England fold up. Right now it is just a formality and the players are just playing to improve their personal stats. And during the last match, the bad form of Nadeem-Sundar benefitted the Brits. But this time both Axar and Ashwin are stangulating them.

Joe Root is fighting the odds alone Ashwin is bowling so good. Pitch is offering such an uneven bounce than you can even see Ashwin bowling a lot of bouncers. If England could score 130 I will be surprised. But Kuldeep Yadav is once again my biggest question for the day. He hasn't got bowling even today. What could be the possible reason for this?

[Sithara007]

Joe Root is fighting the odds alone Ashwin is bowling so good. Pitch is offering such an uneven bounce than you can even see Ashwin bowling a lot of bouncers. If England could score 130 I will be surprised. But Kuldeep Yadav is once again my biggest question for the day. He hasn't got bowling even today. What could be the possible reason for this?

Not really surprising. Kohli/Shastri don't want him in the test squad, as they prefer another spinner. Also in the first test, Kohli was not happy at the criticism directed against him for picking Nadeem ahead of Kuldeep. Even during the first innings, he got only 6 overs, while Ashwin/Axar got more than 20 overs each. Now this is how the things work in the Indian team and we can't do much about it. Feels bad for Kuldeep, but he needs to make use of whatever opportunity he gets.

[teosanru]

Joe Root is fighting the odds alone Ashwin is bowling so good. Pitch is offering such an uneven bounce than you can even see Ashwin bowling a lot of bouncers. If England could score 130 I will be surprised. But Kuldeep Yadav is once again my biggest question for the day. He hasn't got bowling even today. What could be the possible reason for this?

Not really surprising. Kohli/Shastri don't want him in the test squad, as they prefer another spinner. Also in the first test, Kohli was not happy at the criticism directed against him for picking Nadeem ahead of Kuldeep. Even during the first innings, he got only 6 overs, while Ashwin/Axar got more than 20 overs each. Now this is how the things work in the Indian team and we can't do much about it. Feels bad for Kuldeep, but he needs to make use of whatever opportunity he gets.

I don't really think this happens on field. Selection into the playing XI can involve likings and politics but you can't do politics while choosing bowlers. I am pretty sure that Kohli isn't doing this merely because he doesn't likes Kuldeep. Maybe leg spin is the reason why Kohli isn't in favour of Kuldeep. Both Ashwin and Axar are comfortable in spinning the ball in both directions while Kuldeep primarily shines because of his unorthodox style which batsmen might have understood. Therefore Kohli is Skeptical about him.

By the way here he is starting his spell in 43rd over.

[bryant.coleman]

Kuldeep is known to be equally effective against both right-handed and left-handed batsmen, but with two right handed batsmen at the crease now, off-spinners may not be that effective. I would have expected Kohli to give him more opportunity. Anyway, Indian bowlers are doing really well right now, and therefore I don't want to comment on the controversial topics. These topics come in to picture if they fail to take wickets. That is not the case now.

[JSRAW]

~snip~
But Kuldeep Yadav is once again my biggest question for the day. He hasn't got bowling even today. What could be the possible reason for this?

The way he was introduced to attack after all the resources, its safe to say that Captain doesn't trust him much nowadays.

And the way Kuldeep bowling  he's not posing any threat to batsmen when compared to Ashwin-Axar duo, guess he's in low on confidence. I hope he pick up couple of wickets here.

And Siraj dropped a Root.... Poor Kuldeep
English batsmen only playing sweep... Now kuldeep got the wicket.

ENG: 116/7

[Vishnu.Reang]

The way he was introduced to attack after all the resources, its safe to say that Captain doesn't trust him much nowadays.

And the way Kuldeep bowling  he's not posing any threat to batsmen when compared to Ashwin-Axar duo, guess he's in low on confidence. I hope he pick up couple of wickets here.

And Siraj dropped a Root.... Poor Kuldeep

If he doesn't have the backing of Kohli or Shastri, then his international career is essentially finished. Look at what happened to Karun Nair. He was picked in the test squad despite opposition from Kohli and scored a triple century against England. And no one knows where this guy is now. Another example is Natarajan. Kohli preferred Saini/Siraj over Natarajan, because the former pacers are from RCB. And the same thing happened. Natarajan is out of the squad now and Siraj/Saini are in.

[mersal]

ENG: 116/7

Perfect Revenge from team India, so now the series is going to be 1-1 at end of this match. So the remaining two matches will become more exciting, especially the next scheduled to play on Feb 29 at Ahmedabad. Because that is going to be the decider of another finalist for WTC. Can Ashwin get another 2 wickets please because he scored a century as well as 8 wickets as of now so reaching 10 will be another history for sure.