So my picks for the Test Championship Final at Lords...
NZ vs India -> NZ
NZ vs Aus -> Aus
NZ vs Eng -> Eng
Anyone's game.
So my picks for the Test Championship Final at Lords...
NZ vs India -> NZ
NZ vs Aus -> Aus
NZ vs Eng -> Eng
Anyone's game.
Think unless there's a miracle it will be NZ v India, which will be a really good game.
Burns aberration aside they’ve batted really well, seeing off Bumrah and Ashwin and cashing in somewhat against the second string.
Gonna be grim watching our spinners on this pitch vs their batting line up though.
How is today Bumrah's first test wicket in India? Has he not played home tests much?
It's one of those situations where we just have to bat on and on and on regardless of run rate. 350 all out in the morning with some dashing lower order efforts will not cut it. We need to tire them out and let them know we're here for a tough series.
Sibley has made a very good start in this regard.
Yeah Sibley's mentality of just taking the runs where they come will hopefully be just what we need in this series.
How was Burns looking before his idiotic-sounding wicket?
Burns was looking magnificent. Earlier in the same over he used his feet and clouted Ashwin for a glorious boundary through wide long-on. Then he decided to play a (terrible) reverse sweep, which exposed Lawrence for 10 mins before lunch and sure enough he then got the first one that Bumrah had swung all morning.
India will get about 600 on this deck unless we really run them into the ground first and give the pitch a chance to start misbehaving.
Loving the armchairs in the C4 studio, and Chef being asked about Mambo No.5.
It would be nice if they got a second pundit in rather than Sir Chef having to carry it all by himself, but then the whole thing is a last minute budget job and it doesn't really matter too much.
Lovely stuff from Root.
Commentary made a point earlier that apparently Bayliss just basically left Root to do a lot of the 'running the team' work which works for Morgan but that Silverwood is a bit more hands-on which suits Root better and possibly helps explain his improved form.
I'm still not entirely sure exactly what Bayliss did do, other than wear a hat and win a World Cup.
I know Root's rightly getting the headlines, but Dom Sibley having munched 275 deliveries at time of writing for 85*, and sent my old mate trashwin tae think again, is God's own work.
Joe Root nailing a slog sweep for six off Ashwin then collapsing to the floor with cramp laughing is so on brand. Love him.
Yes, Jimmy, I am enjoying this Sibley innings muchly.
Yeah proper immovable object. He’s even played a couple shots on the off side the mad bastard.
We'll we've jinxed that beautifully.
Team effort, lads.
Done his job; those 285 balls are all balls that Pope and Buttler etc didn't spend collapsing, and balls where Virat Kohli had to stand in the sun and set shit fields.
Speaking of which, Buttler is being sent home after this game so I presume Foakes is finally going to be recalled.
Yeah, I think he was penciled in to keep from the next test on.
Of course we managed to lose a wicket late though to set us up for a flighty 415 all out and an innings defeat thereafter.
I went to bed right around lunch so very nice to wake up that scorecard. Root forgetting that 50 to 100 conversion issue and instead worrying about turning his scores into daddies
Last edited by Danny; 05-02-2021 at 03:45 PM.
Too tired from the week to get up early today, but waking up to find Root still there and Trashwin about to bring up his gallon has been a nice start to the weekend.
Kohli really not a good on field captain. Never seems to have the right bowling combinations on at the right time, negative fields and he has blown all 3 reviews on absolute nonsense.
Need to keep grinding here, sad that Stokes thrilling knock came to an early end but really should be putting on 600 from here.
Runs are almost not that important in themselves, we just have to bat on and on and on for as long as possible until it's turning and they are mentally crippled. It's only 425 at the moment but I haven't seen us done such a good job on a flat deck for ages.
Gr8 review from my man there.
The clinical way we have targeted certain bowlers at certain times is most pleasing. Not blocking out part timers and not trying to be POSITIVE against everything.
Root just masterful - I’ve watched every ball this morning and I can’t remember a single edge, false shot, miss apart from one against the left arm spinner that hit his pad.
Bringing up a double ton by smoothing Ashwin into the stands in his own back yard, absolutely loving this.
He seems to have found some mental equilibrium on these decks whereby the silly mistakes he has been known to make just aren't there. Amazing concentration. Spent the whole week doing media as well.
Vince will get a 100 here very clean hitting.
Those two dismissals.
Lads, it ain't turning, it's just straight filth.
Out for 95 that's on me.
Indian comms going down the "what is DRS for" rabbit hole having wasted all their reviews and got a bad one.
lol
India blow all their reviews, Buttler given not out when he smashed it, and now Laxman Sivaramakrishnan having a massive whinge about how DRS isn't powerful enough.
I'm old enough to remember when he was on BCCI TV saying they shouldn't have DRS because it isn't accurate, after they all shat themselves when Tendulkar was given out using it in the 2011 World Cup.
Edit: snap.
Nice leave 'Jos'.
Think it was a delayed walk for nicking off.
That no ball alarm they have is class.
Yeah, big fan of the alarm.
They've totally lost it with this 100 over two innings chat.
Cracking over from Sharma given it's the 170th of the innings.
West Indies attempting a mad chase of 395: https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/...-cricket-score
Mayers in his first Test at age 28, with a first class average under 30
Fucking hell, Bess must be the jammiest bowler who ever lived. Dismissed Rahane with a juicy full bunger, and now Pujara with a filthy long hop that came off the shoulder of a ducking Pope and lobbed over to mid wicket.
Bess has to be the luckiest bowler going
Rishabh Pant is such great value
He's trying to hit Leach out of the series. We just need to keep him on, play to the ego, until he has a double ton if necessary.
Root should probably be bowling himself at some point soon.
Three pretty good tests on the go at the moment (for a short while longer anyway). Looks an epic innings by this Mayers chap for the Windies.
Ooh, wicket on cue, in fairness to Bess that was well bowled.
Despite scoring 90 odd, I think that was a poor innings from Pant. Complete egotistical nonsense, the absolute opposite of what his team required. Time far more important than runs.
Back to Kyle Mayers, is this his test debut?
His Test debut and he averages 28.93 in first class cricket. It's absolutely mental.
Sorry if this has been mentioned for days but love this being on Channel 4 and love the retro layout.
There we go. The runs are gonna flow again like water
That's one way to waste a review. Absolute nonsense