1st Test, Edgbaston, Birmingham

[hazsa19]

Well done Australia, absolutely dominated the last 2.5 days. Blew them away in the end really.

Would actually say it's only the last day and a half. To be effectively 30-3 at the start of day 4 and win by more than 200 runs before tea on day 5 is remarkable with some incredible performances.

 

[Spark]

That has to be the first time in a long time we’ve successfully turned a Test around decisively, and not just downhill skiied to victory from a dominant early position.

 

[wrongun]

Australia need to celebrate this but focus. Dream start but have to sustain it.

 

[Gob]

Just seemed like England didn't have the confidence to believe they could bat out a day so they took Warne's advice and showed 'intent' and the rest can be seen for itself.

And just noticed that Cummins now has the exact same Test bowling average as Glenn McGrath.

Has been brilliant bowling on that dead pitch. Best in the world for a reason

 

[lordscc]

Australia need to celebrate this but focus. Dream start but have to sustain it.

if Anderson is out for a long time, I can see 3-1 or 4-1

 

[wrongun]

I was mad at Cummins for the WC and the way he bowled the 1stinnings. But man what a performance in the 2nd

 

[Arachnodouche]

Cummins was superlative in that second innings. Making plenty of people eat crow.

 

[Gob]

So Starc in for Siddle i suppose.

Bancroft gets a one more chance

 

[Pothas]

Went today. It was all entirely predictable, remember back when we used to be able to save Test matches? When did we last even get close?

Great seats for £25 though.

 

[Pothas]

Fair play to Oz. Be hard to come back from this now.

We usually chuck in at least one performance like this every summer and then win the next Test but this does feel different, especially if Anderson is out.

 

[Spark]

Cummins was superlative in that second innings. Making plenty of people eat crow.

The surprising thing about his first innings bowling was that he’s usually really, really good at extracting something extra out of nowhere from dead pitches, like he showed today. Just out of rhythm for a bit, I suppose.

 

[wpdavid]

Went today. It was all entirely predictable, remember back when we used to be able to save Test matches? When did we last even get close?

Without checking on cricinfo, the only ones I can remember in the last 10 years were when Graeme Onions saved two tests in SA circa 2009/2010.

And we came close in 2014 when Anderson was dismissed at the last against SL .

There may be others of course.

Jimmy and Monty at the start of the 2009 ashes just before my arbitrary cut-off point.

 

[StephenZA]

Congrats to Australia. Fabulous batting from Smith.

 

[Alex0paul]

Without checking on cricinfo, the only ones I can remember in the last 10 years were when Graeme Onions saved two tests in SA circa 2009/2010.

And we came close in 2014 when Anderson was dismissed at the last against SL .

There may be others of course.

Jimmy and Monty at the start of the 2009 ashes just before my arbitrary cut-off point.

Couple in UAE wasn’t there?

 

[Bijed]

Without checking on cricinfo, the only ones I can remember in the last 10 years were when Graeme Onions saved two tests in SA circa 2009/2010.

And we came close in 2014 when Anderson was dismissed at the last against SL .

There may be others of course.

Jimmy and Monty at the start of the 2009 ashes just before my arbitrary cut-off point.

Made a good effort at saving this one: https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-england-tour-of-united-arab-emirates-2015-16

Actually not too upset by today tbh, from listening to it on TMS it sounded like most of our batsmen where trying to do the right thing and just weren't good enough - a problem in itself, of course, but most of our bad 4th innings seem to involve multiple soft dismissals which didn't seem to be the case today - Roy's shocker was awful, but I feared that there would be more dismissal from wafting at wide balls etc.

Basically, it actually exceeded my own, very low, expectations

 

[Pothas]

We have been bad at batting for so long that it is actually surprising we have managed to win so many matches in the last few years. I can't see them dropping anybody apart from Moeen for the next Test. Bairstow absolutely should be dropped as we actually have options to replace him, Foakes can come in or you could just give the gloves to Buttler. Shame that Pope got injured because Buttler keeping could allow him to come in at 5 or 6.

 

[Woodster]

Was always a tall order today for England to try and bat out the entire day, I didn’t think it was beyond us, but when those four wickets fell in the opening session that effectively ended any hopes of saving the Test.

The usual overreaction has resulted, sack Root, drop almost everyone barring the odd one or two. Personally, I’d leave Roy and Burns at the top, Burns obviously after his ton, Roy has showed the frailties that concerned people about him batting at the top, but unless he scored big in this game he was always going to be questioned, especially if he played even a half attacking shot leading to a dismissal. If he was out defending today there’d be suggestions he should stick to his positive approach! We’ve chopped and changed far too much, let him bat at the top and let him bat freely, he won’t come off every Test but he’ll certainly put us in a position to win a Test every so often.

Calls for Bairstow to be dropped are indeed supported by his average Test form of late. He can be a serious batsman so I hope we continue with him. I felt for Foakes being dropped when he did, and it was probably unfair at the time, but his county form sadly hasn’t demanded re-selection.

I always thought Denly was fortunate to get the gig at three in the first place and he doesn’t look as though he can convince at this level, though I do hope I’m wrong. I’d be looking to replace him for the second Test, but not entirely who for at this stage.

Jimmy surely won’t be picked for the Lords Test, so Archer is the obvious one to come in, would also include Jack Leach over Moeen Ali, he looks a shadow of his former self with bat and ball.

 

[Spark]

Made a good effort at saving this one: https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-england-tour-of-united-arab-emirates-2015-16

Actually not too upset by today tbh, from listening to it on TMS it sounded like most of our batsmen where trying to do the right thing and just weren't good enough - a problem in itself, of course, but most of our bad 4th innings seem to involve multiple soft dismissals which didn't seem to be the case today - Roy's shocker was awful, but I feared that there would be more dismissal from wafting at wide balls etc.

Basically, it actually exceeded my own, very low, expectations

Yeah ultimately there was a reason people were saying two days ago that a lead of 200 would be a very, very competitive score to defend in the last innings. Once it was clear how much spin the pitch was taking, and once Lyon stopped throwing in a half-tracker every other over, it was always going to be near-impossible to chase anything of substance in the final dig. Although England really did screw it up yesterday by making it so easy for Paine to pull out whenever he chose because the scoring rate was so high.

 

[ajdude]

Without checking on cricinfo, the only ones I can remember in the last 10 years were when Graeme Onions saved two tests in SA circa 2009/2010.

And we came close in 2014 when Anderson was dismissed at the last against SL .

There may be others of course.

Jimmy and Monty at the start of the 2009 ashes just before my arbitrary cut-off point.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-3rd-test-england-tour-of-new-zealand-2012-13

 

[vcs]

Just saw the highlights.. what was up with that dismissal of Root? Looked really poor jabbing at it in front of his pad. He's a pretty decent player of spin..