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

[_Ed_]

Also this young all-rounder named Darren Stevens going around ATM, 3 hundreds this season and Kent's leading wicket taker.

Yesss.

 

[Shady Slim]

monumental effort again from team india, and showing the value of having fast bowlers who can strike even when the sun pokes his head around the curtain

Elite Resilience, an attribute that langer would have done well to teach the aussie cohort

 

[Burgey]

True, but they will get the conditions (and the clouds) they love in Old Trafford. If they don't panic, they are in with an even chance in the last game. But if they do panic and make some ill advised changes, I do think it plays into India's hands. I dunno what the wicket will be like over there but seems like it will be cloudy. Just play the 4 seamers. Moeen at 7 is ok, I guess but they may want to see if they can get Leach in.

They'll have to roll the dice, prepare a green top and hope for the best. I can't see them backing themselves on anything remotely flat.

Also, OT used to turn quite a lot going back over the years. Is that still the case, or is it now considered a seam bowlers' deck?

 

[Burgey]

I think the Poms should play former Parramatta first change and current Northants new ball bowler Curtly-Jack White in the next test.

 

[ankitj]

Only our 3rd most memorable win this year. Ha!

 

[duffer]

They'll have to roll the dice, prepare a green top and hope for the best. I can't see them backing themselves on anything remotely flat.

Also, OT used to turn quite a lot going back over the years. Is that still the case, or is it now considered a seam bowlers' deck?

The studio guys last night were saying it's a deck for quicks. Whether that means no turn, I don't know but if it has some bounce Jaddz has something to sink his teeth into

 

[honestbharani]

They'll have to roll the dice, prepare a green top and hope for the best. I can't see them backing themselves on anything remotely flat.

Also, OT used to turn quite a lot going back over the years. Is that still the case, or is it now considered a seam bowlers' deck?

Yeah, a green track means our dicey batting could well collapse sub 100 again. But I wont put it past Virat to hit a big one now.

 

[Shri]

expect jaddu to come into play only after lunch since the roller will be used again

if there's no help for anyone in the first session there's no shame in bowling dry and taking a eng win off the table by making the required run rate shoot up

think eng's morale will sink if there are clouds around and anything happens off the pitch for the pacers

 

[Shady Slim]

Yeah, a green track means our dicey batting could well collapse sub 100 again. But I wont put it past Virat to hit a big one now.

kohli's batting having been a somewhat (relative) weak point in the india side over the past year or so while other members of the squad have stood up to get counted when the pressure cooker is turned up, it'd be so hilarious if he pulls a big ton in a dead rubber after letting everyone else do the hard work to secure the series itself

* yeah i get there's no such thing as a dead rubber given the wtc, i mean in the sense of, team india has pulled some amazing team wins out lately and VK really has not been a contributor in many of them, so it would be funny if when the pressure's off in more relative terms the guy finally turns around and does something

 

[sunilz]

I won't call it a dead rubber considering we haven't won the series yet.

 

[honestbharani]

kohli's batting having been a somewhat (relative) weak point in the india side over the past year or so while other members of the squad have stood up to get counted when the pressure cooker is turned up, it'd be so hilarious if he pulls a big ton in a dead rubber after letting everyone else do the hard work to secure the series itself

* yeah i get there's no such thing as a dead rubber given the wtc, i mean in the sense of, team india has pulled some amazing team wins out lately and VK really has not been a contributor in many of them, so it would be funny if when the pressure's off in more relative terms the guy finally turns around and does something

Fine print and all is fine, but it is actually a very live rubber even without the WTC.

* In other news, I think Shady is Steve Smith and this post shows why they switched off for Test 5 of the Ashes in 2019.

 

[Shri]

we have played 21 test series since 2015 not counting this one and we have drawn 1 (one test series vs bangla) , lost 3 (plus wtc final) and won 16

 

[morgieb]

Stone is class, George garton is Rated by some but I'm not a fan personally, Mahmood is good. Also this young all-rounder named Darren Stevens going around ATM, 3 hundreds this season and Kent's leading wicket taker.

Yeah Stone's probably the best of those not in the Best XI, but he's also very injury prone too.

TBF though before this season I wrote Robinson off as being "just another English medium pacer". He's obviously much more than that. Do those who watch lots of CC think that there are other bowlers there with great figures and potentially Test-class traits?

 

[Flem274*]

Get your best allrounder in there.

I want the 45 year old to smack around Aussie ***** in the Ashes.

 

[honestbharani]

we have drawn 1 (one test series vs bangla) , lost 3 (plus wtc final

Yeah the BD was a test we would have won but for rain. Tge 3 series lost - 2 in 2018 and 1 in 2020 (SEN). Hopefully we correct 2 of those 3 this year.

 

[Noumenon]

Chuckling that a few think Virat - mentally frail with a wooden technique - can make a big one in Manchester.

 

[Shri]

**** played some awesome cover drives at the oval like it was 2017 again

think he might be back for good as king kohli again

and his face will look even more punchable when he has runs next to his name in the scorecard

 

[honestbharani]

Chuckling that a few think Virat - mentally frail with a wooden technique - can make a big one in Manchester.

I mean, I know its a thing to hate on Virat but the idiocy of this post is just

 

[Noumenon]

I mean, I know its a thing to hate on Virat but the idiocy of this post is just

I have the same chuckle when a n00b like Robinson effortlessly makes Virat nick one to slips.

 

[honestbharani]

I have the same chuckle when a n00b like Robinson effortlessly makes Virat nick one to slips.

Did you chuckle when n00bs did this for fun to Sachin?