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***Official*** 4th Test @ The Oval, London - 2nd-6th September

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
It's a big country. Keep trying people. There's a squad. India brought people over. Give them a shot. If they fail, try other people.
 

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
The bowling makes up for the batting - all the pacers have taken important wickets this series. And also, there is no evidence that any of the new batsmen will out bat Jadeja.
Then they shouldn't be here. If they are here, they need a shot to make sure they can't, so you don't pick them again.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
My simpleton view about all this is that England won the first two sessions yesterday, we won the last session and the first session today, England have taken this one. Neither team have won sessions by such a big margin that the other needs to win multiple sessions to get back into the game. If we come back post tea and get three good balls in the first half hour and then bat out the day, we still finish the day slightly ahead of the game IMO.

Right now, I would say it is 60-40 England but it does not take a lot to bring it back to 50-50.
 

Arachnodouche

International Captain
Yeah sorry this has been insipid bowling since the first hour. They're not functioning as a unit; wicket bursts punctuated with rubbish. Look at the economy rates; an easy pitch doesn't justify straying on both sides of the wicket.
 

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
My simpleton view about all this is that England won the first two sessions yesterday, we won the last session and the first session today, England have taken this one. Neither team have won sessions by such a big margin that the other needs to win multiple sessions to get back into the game. If we come back post tea and get three good balls in the first half hour and then bat out the day, we still finish the day slightly ahead of the game IMO.

Right now, I would say it is 60-40 England but it does not take a lot to bring it back to 50-50.
Yeah, I would agree with 60-40 England at this stage.
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
Man they still have Woakes, Robinson and the ogre. Not to mention Pope still batting beautifully.

Hope we somehow restrict this to 50 odd runs.
Robinson's not done much with the bat since his debut innings. I think he averages single figures since then, so it's all down to these two really. And I have no idea what Moeen was trying to achieve. The only comforting thought about our second innings chase is that Root's due another daddy hundred.
 

Jack1

International Debutant
How is it that everyone agrees that it's the batting that's filth but the solution is more bowling? :shock:

Feels like I am living in bizarro world.
I think people are struggling to find a way to improve the batting and Ashwin isn’t a tailender. For example, If you can improve the bowling you are closing the gap between the two sides if the batting gets no worse at the same time.
 

Manee

Cricketer Of The Year
I think people are struggling to find a way to improve the batting and Ashwin isn’t a tailender. For example, If you can improve the bowling you are closing the gap between the two sides if the batting gets no worse at the same time.
Yes, this. It just feels unlikely that someone like Vihari or Agarwal or Shaw or SKY would have got runs in that first innings.
 

91Jmay

International Coach
Game right on a knife edge, Pope has played brilliantly. About time given he clearly has talent
 

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
You've seen our batting, right? There's been one successful chase of 150+ at The Oval this century (2008 v RSA) and we had the services of Strauss, Cook, Bell, Pietersen, Collingwood, Flintoff et al to call on then.
Haha, no - I meant your phrasing.

Not the content of your post, which I agree with.
 

Jack1

International Debutant
Just seen Ali was plumb lbw. Suppose that makes me view the 35 (out twice) and horrid shot differently (even harsher and I was already very critical). Looking at the shot again like Shane says it’s like he didn’t commit either to the slog - better to run down the track and completely heave to cow corner than play the shot he did. Not that I advocate that either in test (when not chasing declaration or 9 down), but it would have been better at least. 35 is very helpful in match situation though.
 
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