*Official* Fifth Test (The Oval, London) 27-31 July

[ripper868]

Walk away for 2 hours and we've **** the bed again...also, a small blade of grass protruded through Stokes 2 hands on the Carey catch to touch the ball so should be reversed #spirirt#

 

[Spark]

Been absolute crap since the stumping all the boos and that hasn’t been able to handle it

Nah his batting has been bad for quite a while now. A few fifties at the start of the English summer but absolutely nothing either side of it.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Brainless batting from Carey, why would you hit that shot in the air?

He didn't intend to. He just fell for the "throw slow one up and see if the batsman is dumb enough to spoon a catch"

Which if the number 9 batsman in my club team fell for I'd be having words

 

[White Ball]

This mini collapse from the Aussies is largely due to the pressure put on them by Labuschagne's ridiculously slow innings.

The Aus score went nowhere and as soon as he was out, we were back in the game. He and Khawaja allowed to build pressure and momentum and they're paying the price now.

I agree with this. I am not a massive fan of Bazzball I don’t think it’s Test Cricket made for all conditions , BUT Straya have gone totally the other way here and the scoreboard was going nowhere.

 

[91Jmay]

Ponting on comms for a sub fielder run out would have been spectacular

 

[G. S. Kohli]

Ben Stokes 1OOth test catch put australia in big big trouble



115/2

170/6



Starc join with Smithy (32 not out)



Aus 113 behind

 

[Viscount Tom]

Commentators going mad banging on about pigeons now.

 

[Gob]

This mini collapse from the Aussies is largely due to the pressure put on them by Labuschagne's ridiculously slow innings.

The Aus score went nowhere and as soon as he was out, we were back in the game. He and Khawaja allowed to build pressure and momentum and they're paying the price now.

I don't know tbh. They did lot of the hard work in the first session but this capitulation is happening in broad daylight

 

[loterry1994]

Nah his batting has been bad for quite a while now. A few fifties at the start of the English summer but absolutely nothing either side of it.

This was the nail in it. Like I said that stumping was the worse thing that happened to Carey and Australia this series. Now we gotta rely on the bowlers to bowl out England for a decent target again

 

[White Ball]

He didn't intend to. He just fell for the "throw slow one up and see if the batsman is dumb enough to spoon a catch"

Which if the number 9 batsman in my club team fell for I'd be having words

Totally agree but a slap like that on the off side in the air, maybe if lucky may get a boundary but seems like a lot of risk for not much reward especially having hit a 6

 

[morgieb]

It's not like he was any good against India!

True, though I could see that as a one-off as he had done well for the 12 months before that and did score runs at the start of the summer. It does seem like he's gone full "sweeping is the only way I can score runs against spin" somehow though.

I think he needs the WC off, for his own sake if anything. Mentally he seems shot.

 

[White Ball]

I feel sorry for Smith reminds me a bit of Lara in the 90s this does.

 

[Spark]

True, though I could see that as a one-off as he had done well for the 12 months before that and did score runs at the start of the summer. It does seem like he's gone full "sweeping is the only way I can score runs against spin" somehow though.

I think he needs the WC off, for his own sake if anything. Mentally he seems shot.

I really feel like he'd built his entire gameplan against spin around the reverse sweep and once that didn't work - no surprise against Ashwin and Jadeja - he doesn't really know what else to do. That attempted paddle a few overs before that got reviewed was an awful shot as well.

 

[loterry1994]

True, though I could see that as a one-off as he had done well for the 12 months before that and did score runs at the start of the summer. It does seem like he's gone full "sweeping is the only way I can score runs against spin" somehow though.

I think he needs the WC off, for his own sake if anything. Mentally he seems shot.

I don’t think his our go to short form keeper has to be others out there know Wade is gone now

 

[Shri]

Commentators going mad banging on about pigeons now.

did mcgrath say 5-0 again

 

[loterry1994]

I feel sorry for Smith reminds me a bit of Lara in the 90s this does.

He hasn’t done much all series either our batting came in with big hype this series and haven’t delivered . When all of them have got starts and only had like 1 big innings out of like 8-9 innings they haven’t been good

 

[TheJediBrah]

True, though I could see that as a one-off as he had done well for the 12 months before that and did score runs at the start of the summer. It does seem like he's gone full "sweeping is the only way I can score runs against spin" somehow though.

I think he needs the WC off, for his own sake if anything. Mentally he seems shot.

I don't think Aus have a better keeping option for an Asia World Cup though. Can't see Inglis being any better and it's a bit of an ask to throw a debutant like Peirson straight into a World Cup. I guess going for a Dravid-esque pick like Handscomb could be an option but I'd much prefer a specialist keeper

edit: Forgot about Wade if he's still around and willing, and playing ok, he could be an option?

 

[G. S. Kohli]

I agree with this. I am not a massive fan of Bazzball I don’t think it’s Test Cricket made for all conditions , BUT Straya have gone totally the other way here and the scoreboard was going nowhere.

Aus played Negetiv cricket since 1st ball today, they are in danger situation right now. Even eng gets 50 run lead they have full control of the test as Aus have to bats Last

 

[Spark]

I don't think Aus have a better keeping option for an Asia World Cup though. Can't see Inglis being any better and it's a bit of an ask to throw a debutant like Peirson straight into a World Cup. I guess going for a Dravid-esque pick like Handscomb could be an option but I'd much prefer a specialist keeper

Hasn't Inglis been first choice for the last year or so? All those JAMODIs wash over me like raindrops in a thunderstorm tbf so I could be wrong

 

[TheJediBrah]

I feel sorry for Smith reminds me a bit of Lara in the 90s this does.

He's been like Australia's 4th best batsman over the last couple years lol