World Test Championship
-
@Siam outstanding stuff mate, always love reading your musings on our summer sport. You hit the nail on the head about modern batsmen, as soon as the pitch is challenging the majority of them just don't have the defensive technique to cope with it.
To hell with flat pitches, there has to be a balance of course but there's nothing more enthralling than watching batsmen fight for their lives against a bowling lineup with their tails up. That's the situation that test batsmen should live for. Sort the mice from the men.
-
@no-quarter said in World Test Championship:
@Siam outstanding stuff mate, always love reading your musings on our summer sport. You hit the nail on the head about modern batsmen, as soon as the pitch is challenging the majority of them just don't have the defensive technique to cope with it.
To hell with flat pitches, there has to be a balance of course but there's nothing more enthralling than watching batsmen fight for their lives against a bowling lineup with their tails up. That's the situation that test batsmen should live for. Sort the mice from the men.
I love a massive innings as much as any cricket fan but it has to be balanced by an exciting low scoring game where survival is key and a grafting fifty is worth about 200.
India have a lot to answer for with their obsession with batsmen ( although as I noted before KW averages more than any Indian in test history ) so it’s somewhat ironic this latest test occurred there.
-
-
@snowy said in World Test Championship:
@mn5 said in World Test Championship:
although as I noted before KW averages more than any Indian in test history
Repeating it will not make Bobs and Vagene any happier.
Well it either a) illustrates how brilliant our little master is b) proves that they maybe aren’t as great as they think they are or c) both of the above.....
I say that knowing full well that in some cases averages don’t tell the whole story, but shit it’s fucken satisfying none the less.
-
Someone mentioned to watch out for an anomaly whereby the BCCI might get all of India's players released from the IPL in order to prepare for the WTC final, should they go through. It's a crazy notion but they're the only association who could or would do it. So while half our test team warms up vs England, India's full squad train solidly in local conditions as the BCCI compensates/reimburses the IPL franchises.
Less conspiracy than potential reality I reckon.
Now, more conspiriatorily, in addition said franchises need to replace the Indian stars and maybe just happen to contract T20 mega stars such as Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling and Neil Wagner who then also miss the England tests....?
And to complete the 'India scuppers NZ's chances' conspiracy theories, just imagine if an IPL franchise unbelievably threw almost 3 million bucks at THE rising NZ test star - and a guy with a game to massively trouble India - to play a format he has no pedigree in and remove him from the warm up series also??
-
@shark wow, that's some conspiracy theory
While possible, I'd be stunned if the Test squad were in England to warm up for the one off test.Still, we'll see eh... itneresting times. I'm really enjoying the WTC - it's making games very meaningful as we build to the end of the cycle
-
England struggling with a non-turning pitch. 30/3, Root out. Two to Axar patel - one that didn't turn, and one that someone tried to hit. Siraj got Root, good wicket.
Was reflecting on the last pitch, and the criticism. The reality is that England scored around 200 runs in the match for 20 wickets; India scored similar number of runs but only lost 10 wickets. The pitch turned, but ENgland did not bat well, and didn't pick the right team.
Go India!
-
@shark That's probably a pretty extreme version, but for the last CWC I recall Australia pulled all of their squad out of the IPL and played several warm-up ODI games against an NZ XI, while our ODI players mainly sat around in India either watching or replacing the withdrawn Oz stars.
Somehow, our relatively shit preparation worked out better.
-
@nzzp said in World Test Championship:
England struggling with a non-turning pitch. 30/3, Root out. Two to Axar patel - one that didn't turn, and one that someone tried to hit. Siraj got Root, good wicket.
Was reflecting on the last pitch, and the criticism. The reality is that England scored around 200 runs in the match for 20 wickets; India scored similar number of runs but only lost 10 wickets. The pitch turned, but ENgland did not bat well, and didn't pick the right team.
Go India!
Have they blamed anyone for it yet ?
-
-
@crucial said in World Test Championship:
England 20/3 and 140 behind.
Not much chance of us facing anyone but India now
30/4 Can't see them getting up from here. India showed them how to bat on this pitch. Washington Sundar stranded on 96* poor bastard
-
-
-
-
@crucial said in World Test Championship:
Pant’s innings was super entertaining. Followed the plan to reach the target then just had fun. His treatment of the new ball was memorable.
Reverse ramp to Anderson!Pant is on fire. Feel for Washington not getting his ton, because his innings was excellent also.
Bring on India!
