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

[GotSpin]

I'm a bit young to have picked up on Ponting's captaincy, but I've never heard anyone say he was better than okay at best. That said I think what most people consider good captions are actually quite rare.

He was a poor one dimensional captain tactically
I thought he was a great leader though and it looked like the entire team would run through a brick wall for him if he asked

 

[Prince EWS]

I love it when over rates are brought up, the standard response is "lol no one cares, shut up" and yet people do evidently care about how annoying slow over rates are.

lol no one cares, shut up

 

[trundler]

I've been of the mind Ponting might be a good fit, but his poor record coaching in the IPL gives pause for thought. We seem to be allergic to foreign coaches, but Gary Kirsten's someone who's been on my mind, an is probably a bit cheaper.

Who are the three sharper tactical minds?

Flower would sort them out but would inevitably be made a scapegoat by the divas in the dressing room.

 

[GotSpin]

Maybe 5 run should be added to the opponent score for each over behind. Yeah a bit harsh , but could really be helpful

The batsmen waste time as well though so how can that work

 

[Saket1209]

Lyon ?
Nothing for off spinner till late tomorrow

Maybe he can be used to stop the flow of runs by bowling stump to stump consistently which could eventually lead to wicket. Rahane struggles against off spinner

 

[morgieb]

He was a poor one dimensional captain tactically
I thought he was a great leader though and it looked like the entire team would run through a brick wall for him if he asked

Yeah, this is what I remember. He just seems a sharp mind whenever he speaks though....strange that he didn't show it much at Test level at least (though I did rate him as an ODI captain). Mental side of things perhaps?

Too young to really remember any of them but Taylor and Waugh seemed sharp tactically and were very good leaders.

 

[Starfighter]

Head, Khawaja and Smith.

Smith admittedly is a poor leader but I think his tactical skills seem a bit sharper than Cummins or Paine. Can see why people might disagree.

Smith wasn't very good in his last captaincy stint, and I think there's a bit of rose tint around him in that aspect. Problem is with both him and Head I'd be afraid it'll affect their batting, and Khawaja is close to retirement. I think Head should do it in the long term though.

 

[GotSpin]

Yeah, this is what I remember. He just seems a sharp mind whenever he speaks though....strange that he didn't show it much at Test level at least (though I did rate him as an ODI captain). Mental side of things perhaps?

Too young to really remember any of them but Taylor and Waugh seemed sharp tactically and were very good leaders.

Might be easier to commentate off the field than be on it then

id definitely get him into a batting coach role to begin with

 

[morgieb]

Smith wasn't very good in his last captaincy stint, and I think there's a bit of rose tint around him in that aspect. Problem is with both him and Head I'd be afraid it'll affect their batting, and Khawaja is close to retirement. I think Head should do it in the long term though.

I wouldn't have Smith as captain either FWIW. Just found him a sharper tactical mind, but I think the gap between that and Cummins's tactical skills isn't as big as the gap between their leadership skills.

Had Head figured out to bat a year earlier than he actually did I think he would be captain now. Or at the very least vice-captain.

Overall I still wouldn't get rid of Cummins as captain. Just needs to sharpen a few things up.

 

[Saket1209]

The batsmen waste time as well though so how can that work

Still most of the time is wasted by the fielding team. Apart from injury or problems in the sides screen batsman does waste much time . And here in England where fast bowlers bowl much more than spinners there is a chance of a slow over rate.

 

[thierry henry]

HEIGHT CHAT: I know Ravi’s a big boy but have been a tad surprised by how even in his 60s he has alpha’d ‘Big Haydos’ the little Queenslander

 

[OverratedSanity]

I love it when over rates are brought up, the standard response is "lol no one cares, shut up" and yet people do evidently care about how annoying slow over rates are.

I'm going to be honest. I literally didn't notice until it was brought up. As usual. The delays in that session were mostly because Thakur was getting hit on the hand twice an over.

However, I'm also never going to say people don't have the right to whine. Whine away, my brothers.

 

[silentstriker]

If india bat until tea, the game isn’t over. Didn’t expect that to happen.

 

[Saket1209]

If india bat until tea, the game isn’t over. Didn’t expect that to happen.

Never underestimate Indians

 

[OverratedSanity]

A hundred more would make it mildly interesting but the three guys to come in after this wicket are utterly worthless. It's down to these two to atleast stay in for 15-20 overs more.

 

[Neil Young]

I love it when over rates are brought up, the standard response is "lol no one cares, shut up" and yet people do evidently care about how annoying slow over rates are.

I care. It's annoying. I didn't realise bringing it up was a trigger on here, though.

 

[Prince EWS]

A hundred more would make it mildly interesting but the three guys to come in after this wicket are utterly worthless. It's down to these two to atleast stay in for 15-20 overs more.

Your lack of faith in clutch Umesh sixes disturbs me.

 

[Starfighter]

Overall I still wouldn't get rid of Cummins as captain. Just needs to sharpen a few things up.

The problem is can you think of any captain who has sharpened up? It's not going to happen with McDonald.

One aside is that people have been like 'oh Australia is so bad under pressure' based on a sample size of two tests, when I think many other sides would have been just as bad in the situation. While the aggro might be missing, I think it's less mental fragility and more just a case of lack of tactical nous and perhaps a touch of something akin to disinterest, the lack of dynamism. There's plan A, then there's plan A with extra bouncers. Clarke really tried to make things happen, whereas something as simple as 'block up one side of the field and bowl accordingly' doesn't seem to occur to this team. The tactical palette is limited and it shows when teams do something unorthodox.

 

[mackembhoy]

A hundred more would make it mildly interesting but the three guys to come in after this wicket are utterly worthless. It's down to these two to atleast stay in for 15-20 overs more.

Shami not get a 50 here in 2021?

 

[Neil Young]

I'm going to be honest. I literally didn't notice until it was brought up. As usual. The delays in that session were mostly because Thakur was getting hit on the hand twice an over.

However, I'm also never going to say people don't have the right to whine. Whine away, my brothers.

Ah, context. Which is the difference between watching it and not doing so.