Are England The Real Deal?

[Furball]

**** me, there's been some woeful posting in here, particularly from our esteemed friend Ganesh.

I ****ing object strongly to the suggestion that we're opposite sides of the same biased coin. I've at least given credit to India in the past, and I'm not the one downplaying a series in Australia where the visitors won 3 Tests by an innings.

It really doesn't matter how much Australia are on the wane. Nobody just goes there and wins as heavily as England did. The same applies to India - regardless of how bad they've been at times in the last 20 years, winning a Test, nevermind a series in India has been ****ing hard work. India and Australia are the two hardest tours in world cricket, and that won't change unless either side becomes seriously poor.

If you want to write off England's victory in Australia as nothing special then it's entirely your perogative. But it makes you look like a ******.

Seems that some people can't fathom England being that good, so have to pretend that Australia were just awful.

 

[gvenkat]

**** me, there's been some woeful posting in here, particularly from our esteemed friend Ganesh.

I ****ing object strongly to the suggestion that we're opposite sides of the same biased coin. I've at least given credit to India in the past, and I'm not the one downplaying a series in Australia where the visitors won 3 Tests by an innings.

It really doesn't matter how much Australia are on the wane. Nobody just goes there and wins as heavily as England did. The same applies to India - regardless of how bad they've been at times in the last 20 years, winning a Test, nevermind a series in India has been ****ing hard work. India and Australia are the two hardest tours in world cricket, and that won't change unless either side becomes seriously poor.

If you want to write off England's victory in Australia as nothing special then it's entirely your perogative. But it makes you look like a ******.

Seems that some people can't fathom England being that good, so have to pretend that Australia were just awful.

Just becasue I have an opinion different from the mass the posting is awful or woeful. I have seen time and again here how India's #1 ranking has been dissed as saying that they don't win abroad, this that,blah blah blah.. As I said let's wait till the series gets over and then talk. All I said was England beat an Aussie side on the wane, I never undermined that as nothing. carry on now and let's wait till the series gets over. Remember India is playing in the latter part of the summer.

 

[Jacknife]

Just becasue I have an opinion different from the mass the posting is awful or woeful. I have seen time and again here how India's #1 ranking has been dissed as saying that they don't win abroad, this that,blah blah blah.. As I said let's wait till the series gets over and then talk. All I said was England beat an Aussie side on the wane, I never undermined that as nothing. carry on now and let's wait till the series gets over. Remember India is playing in the latter part of the summer.

You never undermined it or anything,well this is what you said

TBH, All England did was beat a waning Aussie side home and way. Just becuase it's the ashes does not mean anything. Bollocks or not that is what it is

How exactly should England supporters take that?

 

[Furball]

Just becasue I have an opinion different from the mass the posting is awful or woeful. I have seen time and again here how India's #1 ranking has been dissed as saying that they don't win abroad, this that,blah blah blah.. As I said let's wait till the series gets over and then talk. All I said was England beat an Aussie side on the wane, I never undermined that as nothing. carry on now and let's wait till the series gets over. Remember India is playing in the latter part of the summer.

If India win 3 Tests in Australia by an innings I'll eat my computer.

 

[Cevno]

Tbh couldn't care less about the margin of the victory.
Win is equal to a win at the end of the day.

Laxman winning it with a matchwinning effort at the end of the match has its own pleasures.

 

[Top_Cat]

I think you are confusing what he does in Indian conditions and in English conditions.
In India the new ball does not swing much.

He has always been threatening with the new ball in places like England and SA. India can get someone like Praveen kumar in to be a threat with the new ball too.

Not denying he's threatening in swinging conditions, no Test bowler who averages what he does wouldn't be. But there's a big difference between 'threatening' and 'will take regular wickets'. He's not it and I don't think that'll change this series. I hope it does because there are rarely more beautiful sights than a swing bowler doing well in England (especially taking Cook's outside edge, the ****) but I can't see it.

Really. Really? now? You are better than that. In 2001, There were not blatant decisions like the one that happened in Sydney.

In 2001, Two instances that come to my mind are Ponting getting Dravid LBW in Kolkata and not given out. But by that time India had already escaped. The second one was when umpire Bansal in a fit gives a few LBW toward the end of the innings. But they were marginal at best. Not blatant like the ones in Sydney

1) Ponting Caught behind
2) Symmo caught behind, which could be heard all over the place
3) Symmo Stumped
4) Dravid given out when not out
5) Ganguly's dismissal

So Imagine that against 2001.

Gilchrist being given LBW as the middle wicket in Habhajan's hat-trick? Was a shocking decision even if he didn't smash it onto his pads because it also clearly pitched outside leg-stump. Was a massive wicket too, he'd obviously just come off smashing the Indian attack to all parts of Mumbai and something like that probably precipitated the run of outs he had for the rest of the series.

An inconsequential one I just remembered was a gigantic nick off Harbhajan that the umpire missed against Ponting to his first ball in Chennai. Not that it mattered, was out soon after but still...

Also think you're on very dodgy ground (so to speak) including Ganguly there. Was a (just) clean catch in my view. At worst it was contentious, certainly not blatant.

 

[marc71178]

If India win 3 Tests in Australia by an innings I'll eat my computer.

They'd also be only the 3rd side in Test history to have 3 innings wins in one Test series. But of course that's not that special an achievement is it?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Kumar looks like he'd need everything perfect to be a threat in tests. No pace at all and no bounce or carry to speak of either.

With Zak at the other end I think he'd be bled white. Unless he's a fifth bowler it'd be madness to consider him.

As flaky as he can be, I'd have Sree in the XI without hesitation. At least can resemble a test quality bowler.

 

[gvenkat]

You never undermined it or anything,well this is what you said

How exactly should England supporters take that?

I meant to say don't hype the Ashes. That is all. Take that as just another Test series. Of course that aint happening for Ashes hyping is all happens between the Aussies and England. It's a great feat no doubt, beating Aus in 3 Tests, But I would say India have more than held their own in their last two visist to Aus. Whereas England lost 5-0 and 4-1 IIRC..

Anyway as I said let's wait till the series starts and then discuss.. Of course India is toruing Aus later this year and we have chance to set the record straight.

 

[gvenkat]

If India win 3 Tests in Australia by an innings I'll eat my computer.

What are you trying to get to? A win is a win no matter what. By an innings or 1 run it does not matter..

 

[vic_orthdox]

Praveen will be an awesome prospect as an opening bowler in English conditions. I doubt if he'll get the selectors' nod over Sree and Ishant, but he definitely should. He can be more devastating with the new ball than even Zaheer if given the chance.

Don't exactly see him being a wrecking ball with the new ball TBH. And can see him becoming fodder for the likes of Pietersen and Trott after 10 or so overs. Ishant Sharma might bowl unthreatening rubbish, but can see him keeping the runs down at least (if he can sort out his no ball problems).

Also, I looked up Joginder Sharma's stats in FC cricket. He averages less than 21 over a pretty decent number of matches! Made me wonder a bit about how seriously to take the stats.

I agree a lot more with vcs. I think we get seduced a bit by watching him bowl in one day games when people have to go hard at him. English batsman see a lot of guys swinging it around at his pace, and it's different when you can sit on them a bit. You won't find Strauss or Cook going hard at big cover drives if he is opening the bowling, which I feel is what he needs to be getting the nicks to get wickets.

 

[TumTum]

Of course India is toruing Aus later this year and we have chance to set the record straight.

So the last few pages you guys have been arguing about who the better team is from your performances against us? That means we still got the aura

 

[Shri]

So the last few pages you guys have been arguing about who the better team is from your performances against us? That means we still got the aura

 

[Spark]

So the last few pages you guys have been arguing about who the better team is from your performances against us? That means we still got the aura

 

[Bun]

tbh 07-08 is more closer to 06-07 than 10-11 as far as comparisons are concerned

 

[Xuhaib]

never though I will see such blatant cheer leading on CW posting form both sides been quite dire.

 

[vcs]

never though I will see such blatant cheer leading on CW posting form both sides been quite dire.

Even the atmosphere prior to the Indo-Pak WC semi was better on here, and that was with the likes of Dhoni_fan and Tendulkar_200* still around..

 

[Spark]

Lead up to the Ashes was pretty good too.

 

[shankar]

I agree a lot more with vcs. I think we get seduced a bit by watching him bowl in one day games when people have to go hard at him. English batsman see a lot of guys swinging it around at his pace, and it's different when you can sit on them a bit. You won't find Strauss or Cook going hard at big cover drives if he is opening the bowling, which I feel is what he needs to be getting the nicks to get wickets.

Absolutely. More than his pace, the problem is that he gets very early swing. It's quite easy to pick and not difficult to defend against him and wait for the loose deliveries. It's only a problem if you have to premedidate a bit and attack him.

 

[biased indian]

They'd also be only the 3rd side in Test history to have 3 innings wins in one Test series. But of course that's not that special an achievement is it?

didn't we beat both Eng and SL by inngs to win 3-0. some time in 90's at home

.or are you saying to win in Aus ???