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

[grecian]

Bloody hell, England actually picking two people on merit. The apocalypse is near.

Oh and Durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrham FTW.

Thank **** for Immigration and foreigners, eh Scaly?

 

[Howe_zat]

Not sure whether to be mulling over what might have been or feel grateful for what we've got

 

[honestbharani]

Crapinfo commentator being crappier than is usual in their live commentary day's play summary, even by their standards...

4.33pm Keaton Jennings and England have dominated the first day of the Mumbai Test. I have no doubt that the toss will become even more crucial as this game wears on a surface that is deteriorating rapidly. England finish day 1 at 288 for 5, maybe a wicket or two more than they'd like, especially considering their situation at tea. Nonetheless, a fantastic day for England. Stokes and Buttler looking solid as ever. We'll all be back bright and early tomorrow morning for day 2. Join us then. Take care.

I get that they are in a good position and Stokes and Butler could really ram home the advantage, with Woakes, Rashid and Ball all capable of contributing a lot with the bat. But surely dominating and fantasticare too strong as words to describe what is basically been a middling day 1 score?

 

[Zinzan]

Not sure whether to be mulling over what might have been or feel grateful for what we've got

Has to be the latter based on what we saw in that final session.

 

[Shri]

I forgot that our batting might be stronger in Rahane's absence. Hope we do well tomorrow.

 

[ImpatientLime]

people are getting way too excited over the pitch. it will look a lot less threatening when rashid and moeen are bowling on it instead of ashwin.

 

[fredfertang]

people are getting way too excited over the pitch. it will look a lot less threatening when rashid and moeen are bowling on it instead of ashwin.

I think you're being a bit harsh there, on Moeen in particular - his problem always seems to me that he isn't at all consistent, but he can bowl wicket taking deliveries with the best of them - I don't think the Indian batsmen will be looking forward to facing him at all, except that **** Kohli of course - we need one of the others to run him out early on

 

[Dan]

Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

None of our greatest bowlers were actually, you know, great. Ash might just end up being our greatest. Wag.

It's probably scarier that Shami is already the 10th most prolific Indian quick (unless I skimmed over someone in that list), and of those quicks, only Dev, Srinath and Irfan Pathan average less.

Add in Zaheer, and you can honestly make an argument that Mohammad Shami is India's fifth best quick ever.

 

[Daemon]

It's probably scarier that Shami is already the 10th most prolific Indian quick (unless I skimmed over someone in that list), and of those quicks, only Dev, Srinath and Irfan Pathan average less.

Add in Zaheer, and you can honestly make an argument that Mohammad Shami is India's fifth best quick ever.

Forgetting Nissar and Amar Singh

 

[Howe_zat]

When Keaton Jennings was on 96, the electricity at the holiday resort his parents are staying at in Mauritius was cut. They sat in the dark for the next hour, not knowing whether their son had made the milestone.

"It came back on when he was on 111 and then he scored one more run and he was out,"

that's why you go to the game

 

[Dan]

Nah, not forgetting them. But it's easy enough to honestly argue (not that I agree) that Shami >>> them on the basis that they played about six games apiece and longevity is a consideration.

Never said he was definitively #5

 

[harsh.ag]

that's why you go to the game

Something wrong with their smartphones?

 

[fredfertang]

Forgetting Nissar and Amar Singh

Indeed - Dan needs to slip in 'post war' in his post

 

[fredfertang]

that's why you go to the game

Can't believe they weren't there - appalling case of parental neglect - what with the way Durham have behaved I think the lad needs to be taken into care immediately - I believe there is an appropriate branch of social services at a place called Old Trafford

 

[Shri]

Can't believe they weren't there - appalling case of parental neglect - what with the way Durham have behaved I think the lad needs to be taken into care immediately - I believe there is an appropriate branch of social services at a place called Old Trafford

Yeah, such a serious issue. Should send someone on the next flight to Mumbai to take him away back to England tomorrow.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Probably not been mentioned much yet, but Jennings is also a handy little bowler to have the odd over when not much is happening. Obviously Durham have lots of seam bowling so he doesn't get to bowl much whereas elsewhere he'd bowl a lot more. But he's useful for a 6th/7th bowler as he's not going to get smashed being a seamer, as opposed to a finger spinner who you can go after. Took useful wickets for Durham. Last couple were coincidentally Ansari and Samit Patel

 

[Shri]

Probably not been mentioned much yet, but Jennings is also a handy little bowler to have the odd over when not much is happening. Obviously Durham have lots of seam bowling so he doesn't get to bowl much whereas elsewhere he'd bowl a lot more. But he's useful for a 6th/7th bowler as he's not going to get smashed being a seamer, as opposed to a finger spinner who you can go after. Took useful wickets for Durham. Last couple were coincidentally Ansari and Samit Patel

When you go for a 7th bowler, you are usually staring at a 600+ score by the opposition. At that point, is someone even a bowler? And England have 6 legit bowlers at the moment.

 

[honestbharani]

Not to mention the 7th would still be Joe Root

 

[vcs]

If Kohli (and Pujara to a lesser extent) has a failure, we could really be up against it.

 

[Stapel]

Being 288/5 at stumps on day 1 is (nearly) always a strong position. So, imho, England's day. Two facts, this is India in India and India have Ashwin, make it somewhat even, I guess.

Anyway, to keep the series alive, it would be nice if England still bat at lunch tomorrow.