***Official*** England in India 2016/17

[91Jmay]

From cricinfo, his batting avg is 33.1 and bowling avg is 33.3 though that comment was more tongue in cheek. I admire Stokes and am sure it will improve next test onwards.

Doesn't count his runs in this test.

 

[Prince EWS]

Leave him until the third test. Anderson takes his time coming back from injury.

When the time comes to select him then I'm not sure. Probably drop Ansari.

Yeah there's no point rushing him back at the moment. It should be Ansari or Woakes to go when he plays (third Test, I'd be looking at) depending on what the brains trust makes of the pitch.

 

[Bijed]

From cricinfo, his batting avg is 33.1 and bowling avg is 33.3 though that comment was more tongue in cheek. I admire Stokes and am sure it will improve next test onwards.

The summary at the top hasn't been updated for this game yet, but like you say tongue-in-cheek anyway so I hope you don't think I'm getting at you

The bit at the bottom of the page with the graphs gets updated every few minutes or something, though

 

[OverratedSanity]

Pitch which provides good turn but isn't a minefield is our best bet. Basically most of our home pitches in the last year.

 

[91Jmay]

Bloke wearing a suit and bright white trainers should be CEO of BCCI in my opinion

 

[Heboric]

Ah the good old "Captain X would have done Y" lines, never gets old

It's worthwhile thinking what kind of a pitch is India's best chance of beating England.

Such a flat surface can work. But Ashwin and Jadeja will have to bowl better. Also will have to win the toss and bat first.

A spin friendly pitch could work. However, Indian batsmen look vulnerable against Moeen and Rashid. Could be a lottery.

This is not an easy decision. Would still go for a spin friendly pitch.

You are not allowed to say that, I was blasted on here about the toss making a difference in India. Win or lose its the same....

 

[vcs]

Bowlers have had an ordinary game for the first time in a while. It happens. Hopefully they'll improve as the series goes on.

Credit to England, they outplayed India for most of the game.

 

[MW1304]

It's worthwhile thinking what kind of a pitch is India's best chance of beating England.

Such a flat surface can work. But Ashwin and Jadeja will have to bowl better. Also will have to win the toss and bat first.

A spin friendly pitch could work. However, Indian batsmen look vulnerable against Moeen and Rashid. Could be a lottery.

This is not an easy decision. Would still go for a spin friendly pitch.

Honestly I would have thought a pitch like this, mostly very flat but aiding spin somewhat throughout, would have been your best shot but that hasn't proved to be the case at all.

Supposedly the next pitch will spin from the start. You definitely don't want a bunsen that turns it into a lottery, but a genuine spin-friendly track might work.

 

[Bijed]

I'm sort of tempted to swap Ansari for Batty (he's still in the squad, right?) for the next test. I know you lose the left-armer turning the ball away from the right-handers, but he just hasn't bowled very well. I know he batted decently this time, but if conditions are tougher I don't see him offering much batting over Batty in practice. That said, I'm also in favour of giving young players an extended run and a chance to improve, so I don't know. I expect he'll stay.

 

[Howe_zat]

Honestly I would have thought a pitch like this, mostly very flat but aiding spin somewhat throughout, would have been your best shot but that hasn't proved to be the case at all.

Supposedly the next pitch will spin from the start. You definitely don't want a bunsen that turns it into a lottery, but a genuine spin-friendly track might work.

I think it probably still is, India were perfectly capable of making a big first innings score and if they'd held their catches I don't think they'd have conceded one.

England are a hard team to see what disadvantages them (or even advantages them much, look at London) because of the surplus of allrounders meaning they have numerous average players with either bat or ball instead of a few key players to build a strategy around.

 

[Howe_zat]

I'd bring in Anderson for Ansari if he's fit, he is at best the 3rd best spinner n the squad and if the spinners are getting it working then you can just keep them on. If the spin attack goes pete tong then I'd rather have more proper seam bowling to get things under control anyway.

 

[MW1304]

I think it probably still is, India were perfectly capable of making a big first innings score and if they'd held their catches I don't think they'd have conceded one.

England are a hard team to see what disadvantages them (or even advantages them much, look at London) because of the surplus of allrounders meaning they have numerous average players with either bat or ball instead of a few key players to build a strategy around.

Looking back, this was exactly the sort of London-type pitch we've struggled on in recent years.

 

[Pothas]

Looking back, this was exactly the sort of London-type pitch we've struggled on in recent years.

Yeah making the runs that we should on flat pitches has been a big problem, the drops obviously helped on the first morning but great to see us make a proper score.

 

[artvandalay]

Clarke wouldn't have declared because the game would have ended 2 games ago with an innings loss. You are talking unmitigated rubbish. Did you see India's declarations against New Zealand? Opposite of attack.

It is only 'rubbish' in so far as there is an urge to legislate for whatever happened as the best possible scenario even if it need not necessarily be so. Clarke would've declared most definitely if he felt there was a chance of a win for his team and what India did in the Nzl series where they were mostly on top bears no resemblance to this game. Wh is it so hard to admit that there might have been a more aggressive option that was far from being unthinkably risky? it is utter nonsense to suggest otherwise .

 

[91Jmay]

England needed 15 more overs absolute minimum to bowl India out. Have to set 300, so that means we'd have had to declare before lunch. Absolutely crazy decision.

 

[Furball]

There was absolutely no value in making an aggressive declaration.

And given how easily Kohli and Jadeja managed the final few overs I'm not sure it would have made much of a difference. It's amazing how often teams who come out to bat for a nothing 4th innings get themselves into a bit of trouble but England had the best part of 30 overs at India's order from Ashwin down and got 2 wickets in that time.

 

[Furball]

One slight criticism I'd make is not giving one of Broad, Woakes or Stokes a dart with the ball once Jadeja got in. I get the concerns about getting overs in but I reckon it would've been worth a shot for a couple of overs.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

This is why its called TEST. Because it does not only test your batting and bowling skills, it also tests your ability to judge and act in a situation accordingly. From strategical pov, chess or any other game is nothing compared to Test Cricket. Its not someone batting or some bowling. There are so many outside influences at work here, its too hard to measure out whats wrong or whats right. I just wish the whole world to look into this game and figure out the real charm hidden inside TEST cricket rather than people dismissing this as too long a game and whats there to watch a batsman leaving out ball after ball etc etc. Japan, China, Ghana or Nigeria or whoever pls have a look and see what your country is missing.

 

[Bijed]

One slight criticism I'd make is not giving one of Broad, Woakes or Stokes a dart with the ball once Jadeja got in. I get the concerns about getting overs in but I reckon it would've been worth a shot for a couple of overs.

Yeah, unlikely to have made any difference overall, but I reckon one over of the seamers > the two we gave Root or Ansari in general, even if he did jag a wicket. Easy to say in hindsight, of course.

 

[TheJediBrah]

England really deserved a win, well played. Absolutely dominated the Test match all things considered.