*Official* World Test Championship Final at The Oval – June 7–11, 2023

[Molehill]

Its amazing that we have been outplayed so totally and yet, we were pretty lucky to win the toss in those conditions. We both were 70/3 but then a couple that reared off the length were nicked away from the fielders when Smith and Khawaja were batting, but when Virat nicked it, it went straight to Smith.

If Australia had bowled first I suspect that India would've been all out for 150. The Aussie bowlers have extracted far more life from the pitch and it's not even as bowler friendly now.

Thakur is currently getting a working over from Cummins, but I'm not even sure it's doing that much.

 

[Starfighter]

Ouch, two in a row in the same place.

 

[Molehill]

Ouch, two in a row in the same place.

That arm guard doing a fine imitation of a bolt on a stable door.....

 

[Starfighter]

That arm guard doing a fine imitation of a bolt on a stable door.....

Bottom arm, no one wears one there.

Nearly a third time. It's because he's following Gary Palmer's recommendations and getting very square on early.

 

[Prince EWS]

A question for the Aussies on here about Scott Boland.

Why has he not been picked alot earlier in his career. Obviously he's up against some fine bolwers and even he must be surprised at just how well he's doing.

His 1st class record is good but not outstanding. Has he been hiding in plain sight or has he improved significantly in recent years.

Jarrod Kimber thinks he improved dramatically after learning how to bowl the 'wobble ball' but he attributes basically everything to that so I kind of take it with a grain of salt.

As recently as the 2019/20 season he averaged over 35 in a pretty bowler-friendly competition though (admittedly often on roads at home in Vic). We're not looking at a Ryan Harris situation where he was properly **** beforehand but it's not a Philander situation where he banging down the door and being ignored either.

 

[Prince EWS]

Thakur getting #punished here on the other side of the ball.

 

[Molehill]

I might be putting the mockers on him, but in the midst of all this, the much maligned Rahane has looked relatively untroubled (bar the no ball lbw I suppose).

 

[Nintendo]

Jarrod Kimber thinks he improved dramatically after learning how to bowl the 'wobble ball' but he attributes basically everything to that so I kind of take it with a grain of salt.

As recently as the 2019/20 season he averaged over 35 in a pretty bowler-friendly competition though (admittedly often on roads at home in Vic). We're not looking at a Ryan Harris situation where he was properly **** beforehand but it's not a Philander situation where he banging down the door and being ignored either.

TBF Kimber explained this as him experimenting with the wobble ball in the 2019/2020 season during siddle's last year at victoria, no?

 

[morgieb]

As recently as the 2019/20 season he averaged over 35 in a pretty bowler-friendly competition though (admittedly often on roads at home in Vic). We're not looking at a Ryan Harris situation where he was properly **** beforehand but it's not a Philander situation where he banging down the door and being ignored either.

Yeah Boland was a good Shield bowler prior to 2021 but he was just that, and looked pretty ordinary in the ODI's he played. Even in the first innings I was thinking he wasn't good enough for Tests.

Then he took 6/7 and everything went bang.

 

[Prince EWS]

TBF Kimber explained this as him experimenting with the wobble ball in the 2019/2020 season during siddle's last year at victoria, no?

Yeah I pretty much ignore Kimber+wobble-ball as an explanation for anything these days because he's become a total meme on that front.

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

Hate to say this about a Telugu brother but Bharat ain't Test standard as a bat or glove

Why does India not give Sanju Samson more chances ?

 

[Saket1209]

Why does India not give Sanju Samson more chances ?

Because there is no god father for him.

 

[Starfighter]

**** me, that was straight to him.

 

[Molehill]

Two drops this morning now, Khawaja's one tough, but that's pretty straightforward for Green.

 

[ataraxia]

Thakur manipulates even Green to drop him, through sheer skill

 

[Nintendo]

Holy **** green misfielded one at gully? I didn't think that was possible?

 

[Starfighter]

and looked pretty ordinary in the ODI's he played.

Never been a good limited overs bowler. Was brought into the test squad when he took a seven-for in the Shield, wasn't picked, and then selected for a whole bunch of ODIs for some reason.

 

[silentstriker]

After the last WTC cycle, I was hopeful india would be better, and they arguably were. After this cycle, I forsee a pretty big fall in quality and rankings. India have fallen badly (despite the wins) after the india tour of Australia.

 

[Starfighter]

because he's become a total meme on that front.

A lot of writers - and indeed bowlers - have. Don't remember hearing too much about the wonders of it when Shahid Nazir was bowling them.

 

[trundler]

Thakur finally looks like someone with an FC batting average of 16.