*Official* Second Test at Lord's

[Uppercut]

Much better angle to Clarke now. Swann doesn't do this anywhere near enough.

 

[Pothas]

480 runs in 135-ish overs... I doubt it.

Well only way I could see them batting the time is if these two stay together for the vast majority of it and if they did I think they would be fairly close.

 

[Cabinet96]

Would have thought so. Can't see them doing a SA at Adelaide.

Don't get why more don't take the de Villiers approach from that game.

 

[Expressway76]

Btw are poms starting to get sweaty palms yet. Only a day and a half left to bat, we're on this.

We're ****ting it mate.

 

[Spark]

GEM, realising with horror that they'd actually broadcasted the first ball of each session this Test, now rush to rectify their mistake

 

[Ruckus]

Don't get why more don't take the de Villiers approach from that game.

What was that? Assuming it was ABDV he tried to smash out the runs as opposed to playing for a draw?

 

[Spark]

What was that? Assuming it was ABDV he tried to smash out the runs as opposed to playing for a draw?

He scored 30 off about 180 balls iirc

 

[Pothas]

What was that? Assuming it was ABDV he tried to smash out the runs as opposed to playing for a draw?

Complete opposite.

Agree with Cabinet that is probably the most logical thing to do but imagine it is really hard to actually make yourself do.

 

[Ruckus]

Wow I don't remember that at all. And that's probably why.

 

[Cabinet96]

What was that? Assuming it was ABDV he tried to smash out the runs as opposed to playing for a draw?

Longest ever innings without a boundary IIRC.

 

[Maximas]

You can't always take the AB approach though, so difficult to stay in like that unless the pitch is flat or the bowlers aren't very threatening, not viable in this situation IMO

 

[Spark]

Wow I don't remember that at all. And that's probably why.

Yeah he basically decided that his only shot would be the 'forward' defence (with no real footwork)

 

[Cabinet96]

33 off 220

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Yeah I think it's hard to play that defensively without taking on bad habits. Which is where the "have to be positive" rhetoric comes from.

 

[Cabinet96]

You can't always take the AB approach though, so difficult to stay in like that unless the pitch is flat or the bowlers aren't very threatening, not viable in this situation IMO

How does putting away the bad ball enhance your chances though? I get how it's not always easy to just stay in forever blocking it, but surely it's harder to stay in forever playing your shots?

 

[Ruckus]

Yeah he basically decided that his only shot would be the 'forward' defence (with no real footwork)

hmm yeah I wouldn't really encourage that kind of play from anyone. I mean sure it saved the game, but it would have totally killed off any interest in it too.

 

[NUFAN]

Yup... his FC record tells you that he scores a hundred every 4-5th game which he hasn't done in test cricket, so in that sense he has failed to live upto the expectations he came into the team with, but then you have blokes like Cowan, Smith, Watson, Haddin and Khwajha who have put in far worse performances then Hughes, but still they hardly get abused or roughed up by the critics in the same the that they pull down Hughes, and yet I haven't heard him defending himself or anything, which isn't something you can say about some of the others in the team. The guy is really mature for his age and all he needs is support from the authority figures within the team, whereas again sending him back into FC cricket would be an utter waste.
The ODI's might not be impotant from your viewpoint, but those are still international runs and just further highlights his importance to the side even at this stage of his career.

How has Haddin put in far worse performances then Hughes? Even Watson really.. Cowan has performed slightly worse but he is a limited player and I can't see how you can say the rudiger has been a successful Test Cricketer apart from that second Test where he was sensational. Sure, he has had a couple of good knocks, but so many absolutely inept, woeful innings to go with the small sprinkling of good knocks. That ODI line is rubbish too. If he continues to average very low 30s and kills it in ODIs its not going to further highlight his important in the Test side at all.

I acknowledge he is young and potentially could become a good Test cricketer, but he is going to have to improve or bowling standards are going to have to decline considerably.

 

[Jono]

Don't get why more don't take the de Villiers approach from that game.

I think the fact so few batsmen are capable of doing it just goes to show how ****ing awesome that innings was from AB.

 

[Spark]

How does putting away the bad ball enhance your chances though? I get how it's not always easy to just stay in forever blocking it, but surely it's harder to stay in forever playing your shots?

Well I guess if you get too defensive in your mindset, it might start to wear you down mentally, might dull your footwork etc.

 

[Arachnodouche]

So Khawaja's getting bogged down a little now. Nothing wrong with that in this particular situation but it will be interesting to see how he copes with being stifled for a while.