Cricket

[jim mk2]

They just shrug it off and say they'd rather lose than fight it out for a draw or even make the score at least reasonable respectable. England may win the next Test or more likely they will not but even if they do it doesn't excuse the shoddy and unacceptable play in this Test.  

India showed how it is possible to be attacking and aggressive yet play sensibly at the same time, reining the shots in at moments of danger and rebuilding after losing wickets. The way England are playing is not Test cricket to my mind. It's Bazball bollocks

[Gav]

This England team over the past few years are probably the best test side to represent this country, the records broken tells us that. They’ll not win every test match, the traditionalist don’t like it, but I for one love it and long may this attacking approach continue. 

Cricket has moved on, England are leading the way, trailblazing a path that the rest are keen to follow. 

Juts as a side note, here is the last game before BM and RK took over, hammered by 10wkts in West Indies, who wants a return to this?

Edited February 18 by Gav

[onlyonejackwalker]

1 hour ago, Gav said:

This England team over the past few years are probably the best test side to represent this country, the records broken tells us that. They’ll not win every test match, the traditionalist don’t like it, but I for one love it and long may this attacking approach continue. 

Cricket has moved on, England are leading the way, trailblazing a path that the rest are keen to follow. 

Juts as a side note, here is the last game before BM and RK took over, hammered by 10wkts in West Indies, who wants a return to this?

Bazball is often unintelligent and one-dimensional and pro-sport is supposedly anything but. But the cultists can't see that more flexibility is required, or ever agree there is room for improvement.

Entertaining? Yes. 2 billion Indians are having a riot today.

Record breaking? Yup. India's largest ever test victory.

[Gav]

37 minutes ago, onlyonejackwalker said:

Bazball is often unintelligent and one-dimensional and pro-sport is supposedly anything but. But the cultists can't see that more flexibility is required, or ever agree there is room for improvement.

Entertaining? Yes. 2 billion Indians are having a riot today.

Record breaking? Yup. India's largest ever test victory.

I see you ignored the West Indies result which was unintelligent and one dimensional with every defeat we suffered. Where we will agree is the likes of Joe Root shouldn’t be playing attacking shots with every ball, I can’t fathom that one out to be honest.

Good to see you posting again by the way 👍

[onlyonejackwalker]

15 minutes ago, Gav said:

I see you ignored the West Indies result which was unintelligent and one dimensional with every defeat we suffered. Where we will agree is the likes of Joe Root shouldn’t be playing attacking shots with every ball, I can’t fathom that one out to be honest.

Good to see you posting again by the way 👍

We were terrible in the West Indies. We have also been terrible for much of my cricket watching life. We are much improved in many ways.

We have won 14 of the last 20 tests. 6 of which were nail biters. One of which was the first test in India. The recent record could easily look a lot different. 

I love the positive mental attitude and aggression. But for example look at Duckett running himself out going for a crazy single when we need 500+!!! The height of stupidity.

Root has 77 runs from 6 innings. It's costing us badly. I don't care how good you are you need to get 'in' before going for your shots. On that subject pre-meditated shots rely on more luck than skill.

Evening Gav and thanks. 

 

[oldjamfan1]

18 hours ago, onlyonejackwalker said:

We were terrible in the West Indies. We have also been terrible for much of my cricket watching life. We are much improved in many ways.

We have won 14 of the last 20 tests. 6 of which were nail biters. One of which was the first test in India. The recent record could easily look a lot different. 

I love the positive mental attitude and aggression. But for example look at Duckett running himself out going for a crazy single when we need 500+!!! The height of stupidity.

Root has 77 runs from 6 innings. It's costing us badly. I don't care how good you are you need to get 'in' before going for your shots. On that subject pre-meditated shots rely on more luck than skill.

Evening Gav and thanks. 

 

Yeah this sums it up for me really. I agree with Gav that I prefer this team to that one that lost in WI, but they got themselves into a fabulous position where they didn't need to take risks in this last test. Lots of mistakes were made but we simply needed to bat long, partly to score enough runs, but also to give the bowlers a rest. It took a special sort of idiocy to lose that heavily from that position. And don't get me started on that crazy declaration at Edgbaston last year that, in my opinion, cost us the Ashes. Our best batter was still at the crease and we had less than 400 on the board FFS!

So, in summary we need to retain a bit of pragmatism at times, hand-in-hand with the aggressive stuff.

[jim mk2]

29 minutes ago, oldjamfan1 said:

Yeah this sums it up for me really. I agree with Gav that I prefer this team to that one that lost in WI, but they got themselves into a fabulous position where they didn't need to take risks in this last test. Lots of mistakes were made but we simply needed to bat long, partly to score enough runs, but also to give the bowlers a rest. It took a special sort of idiocy to lose that heavily from that position. And don't get me started on that crazy declaration at Edgbaston last year that, in my opinion, cost us the Ashes. Our best batter was still at the crease and we had less than 400 on the board FFS!

So, in summary we need to retain a bit of pragmatism at times, hand-in-hand with the aggressive stuff.

 

Reading the papers yesterday there was the usual "we don't want boring draws" nonsense disregarding the fact some of the most tense, nervous and exciting Test matches I can remember have been draws - the rearguard Ashes action by Anderson and Panesar in Cardiff one that immediately springs to mind.

Edgbaston was a classic case of where the aggressive, win-in-style and all costs Bazball mentality doesn't make sense and was very costly and yesterday in India led to a record England defeat. Bazball is on a knife-edge IMO - another performance like that and it will be discredited. 

 

[Gav]

2 hours ago, oldjamfan1 said:

Yeah this sums it up for me really. I agree with Gav that I prefer this team to that one that lost in WI, but they got themselves into a fabulous position where they didn't need to take risks in this last test. Lots of mistakes were made but we simply needed to bat long, partly to score enough runs, but also to give the bowlers a rest. It took a special sort of idiocy to lose that heavily from that position. And don't get me started on that crazy declaration at Edgbaston last year that, in my opinion, cost us the Ashes. Our best batter was still at the crease and we had less than 400 on the board FFS!

So, in summary we need to retain a bit of pragmatism at times, hand-in-hand with the aggressive stuff.

Spot on.

Since McCullum/Stokes and Key took charge we have won 14 of 21 Tests, in stark contrast to winning only one of the preceding 17!

That doesn't mean they're above criticism though, the new approach does need tweaking.

 

[47er]

!97 for 5 at the moment. Pope 0, Stokes 3.

Foakes (28) and Root (66) getting a vital partnership going here.

[47er]

38 minutes ago, 47er said:

!97 for 5 at the moment. Pope 0, Stokes 3.

Foakes (28) and Root (66) getting a vital partnership going here.

224 for 5, Foakes to 47. hit 14 off the last over.

[oldjamfan1]

Decent day for England in the end. 350ish will be a very decent score on this pitch.

[jim mk2]

That's the old Joe Root, playing a proper Test innings with patience and careful defence. No Bumrah to torment him but hopefully that's the last we shall see of his Bazball type shots in this series. Cricket's a simple game when it's played properly. 

[onlyonejackwalker]

112 for 5......300 for 7!! Woop, woop.

Well done Root, Foakes and Robinson.

Root and Foakes the slowest 100 partnership in the last two years.

Afternoon session the slowest scoring session in the last two years.

Roots hundred the slowest 100 under Stokes reign.

Roots first four in front of square was his 126th bowl faced.

Roots tenth ton against India.

They played like they were representing England.

Crawley was bowled twice through the gate getting to 40, Bairstow and Pope were out playing across the line and 112 for 5 could have easily been 170 all out. Crawley isn't an opener for me.

Root has literally given us a chance to save the series. I hope he bats in the same manner tomorrow, doesn't gift his wicket chasing runs and remains not out. Send a message for the 2nd innings and last test.

Root plays sensible cricket and gets a ton. Who would have thought? I'm even more frustrated with his previous dismissals earlier this series.

Felt sorry for Stokes. Test pitches shouldn't produce pea rollers off a good length.

[onlyonejackwalker]

5 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

That's the old Joe Root, playing a proper Test innings with patience and careful defence. No Bumrah to torment him but hopefully that's the last we shall see of his Bazball type shots in this series. Cricket's a simple game when it's played properly. 

Yes Jim. Kept the sweeping and reverse sweeping to a minimum. Brilliant square drives, straight drives, back foot drives, late cuts and leg side shots with the spin.

Hes a brilliant batsmen playing to his strengths.

[oldjamfan1]

Jimmy is eyeing 700 wickets here!

[Gav]

Bashir Boom - What a spell.

[47er]

171 for 6! And they have to bat last!

[jim mk2]

Good day for England although the 8th wicket stand is annoying. England will want a first innings lead of at least 75 

[AllRoverAsia]

Why review that. He was plumb out, Pope and Crawley both knew that. A waste of a review.

[onlyonejackwalker]

19 for 2.

[Gav]

Crawley was outstanding today in the context of the game, he’s had a tremendous series so far. 

A 250 lead would be handy, a 300 lead would win this game in my opinion. 

[jim mk2]

Regardless of the outcome this is a pretty pathetic showing so far by England. India’s tail enders made 130, the sum total of England’s score now with 8 wickets down 

Edited February 25 by jim mk2

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

40 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

Regardless of the outcome this is a pretty pathetic showing so far by England. India’s tail enders made 130, the sum total of England’s score now with 8 wickets down 

We’ve got batting collapses off to a fine art. 

[Gav]

India playing bazball here, 33 runs of 5 overs, it’s like a T20 score!

[wilsdenrover]

Sometimes Stokes tries to be too clever for his own good.