*Official* 3rd Test at the Sardar Patel Sports Complex, Ahmedabad, 24 - 28 Feb 2021

[Ashwinashwath]

Could be a brilliant tactical ploy by England to get out just before the lights kick in and bowl to India

A bird in hand is worth two in the bush. That's a lame idea but good joke.

 

[centurymaker]

wtf why bring on Bumrah, a fast bowler at this stage?

dumb captaincy decision

 

[mackembhoy]

Foakes should have been promoted to 5 really. Needed the stability of what he can do when 3 down.

Was innings over by the time he came in.

 

[Stapel]

In no way these are easy bowling conditions. Yet, Ben Foakes is showing what one can do on this pitch: play for time, be patient, and put the occasional bad ball away. A bit unfortunate he is alone at it.

 

[Pothas]

Why is this innings still happening?

 

[Pothas]

Oh there we go. Good work lads.

 

[honestbharani]

So since that mammoth 500, England have not crossed 200 in 4 innings now.

 

[eroticfishcake]

Axar patel has a test bowling average of 10.62

 

[Arachnodouche]

Well bowled Patel Bhai. Be interesting to see how his career pans out, if he becomes a regular long-term option or goes down the Pragyan Ojha route.

 

[honestbharani]

Foakes should have been promoted to 5 really. Needed the stability of what he can do when 3 down.

Was innings over by the time he came in.

Good idea, tbh. Stokes at 6 feels more natural too, at least in these conditions.

 

[Stapel]

So since that mammoth 500, England have not crossed 200 in 4 innings now.

Joe Root

 

[Manee]

WTC slipping away by the over. India these days look incapable of posting a big score in a Test match so as England creep to and beyond 300 I fear it will become out of reach. Such a shame. Hopefully the bowlers can pull it back somehow but as always, I'm sceptical.

Pessimism never fails to impress.

Now the game truly begins and who knows how we'll bat but at least the first innings has given a great opportunity.

 

[Gremlin]

Oh.

I was just admiring how well Crawley was batting then had to go to a meeting....

Conditions, good bowling or poor batting?

 

[Shri]

i'd back us to win here even if we get bowled out for 36 now

 

[silentstriker]

We will see how India do but I definitely have more concerns about this pitch than I did the last one. I think this one is going to be insane on day 3, unlike the last one. But hey, we will see.

 

[Manee]

Oh.

I was just admiring how well Crawley was batting then had to go to a meeting....

Conditions, good bowling or poor batting?

Batting was uninspired but weren't throwing their wickets away. The odd ball was turning enough to put the doubt in the mind against the arm ball which took the vast majority of the wickets. Also England have gone with a strategy to play back which is backfiring on a quicker pitch and bowlers who have chosen to bowl quicker also.

 

[honestbharani]

Still think A & A will be a handful on this pitch, even on day 1 session 1.

Crawley, though...

Called it less than half an hour into the play today.

England have to be careful here. Post this 20 min odd session here, there might well be dew and they have to think of how they can get batsmen out. They are NOT gonna just run in and swing it bananas and batsmen will get out. Most of this batting line up are free scoring too, and if they get on a roll, it maybe very very tough for them.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Crawley the lone bright spot but the rest look like they've checked out batting-wise. A little #intent could serve them well, can't go much worse than pottering around at 2 an over.

 

[silentstriker]

Preview of 10 innings in England when they take Rohit there cause he scores at home.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Preview of 10 innings in England when they take Rohit there cause he scores at home.

Yeah, but do we have anyone better to replace him?