*Official* New Zealand tour of India 2024

[Moss]

Fantastic ton. The man has had to wait a long time while piling on the runs in domestic. Wonderful hundred and scripting quite the turnaround.

 

[Spark]

If a bowler's-end call came it could only have been from the bowler (Henry) as the other infielders weren't as involved. Or it might just have been Blundell only.

Anyway, it was a mess all round.

Time to introduce some different bowlers, probably.

Henry actually points at the keeper's end.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

I remember not so long ago when he was playing in the domestics and he got a century and pointed his bat at a National selector (?)

And they still didn’t pick him in the test squad

 

[SteveNZ]

Nah I think he just decided on his own that it was bowler's end. If you look at what he does after he collects the ball, he never even looks at the keeper's end - it doesn't seem to occur to him that the opportunity is at his end and Sarfaraz was never in danger.

Fair enough. I still wonder about that because he was no chance throwing to the bowler's with a glove on. I've watched it a few times now and it looks like he's only thinking of staying at the stumps, then sees it's a **** throw, completely forgets about his stumps and thinks his only option is the bowler's.

There's every chance that's the turning point in the Test. We absolutely need wickets before the new ball.

 

[Spark]

Fair enough. I still wonder about that because he was no chance throwing to the bowler's with a glove on. I've watched it a few times now and it looks like he's only thinking of staying at the stumps, then sees it's a **** throw, completely forgets about his stumps and thinks his only option is the bowler's.

There's every chance that's the turning point in the Test. We absolutely need wickets before the new ball.

Yeah this is what I mean about lacking game awareness. He just sees the throw being loopy and thinks he has to rush out and get it without taking anything else into consideration.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Okay, that is a ****ing top shot

 

[shortpitched713]

I'm not going to pretend that Sarfaraz is a classical marvel of a Test batsman, but his play has a brutality, and straightforwardness all it's own. Will be good to watch for many years.

 

[Spark]

Anyway NZ's bowlers seem absolutely determined to throw this game regardless with this "plan".

 

[King Kane]

Not only was that missed run out chance terrible fielding on our part it was terrible running from Pant as well.

Like Ravi Shastri said Sarfaraz was doing a rain dance telling him to go back but Pant took a long time to respond and go back, comical all round.

 

[Spark]

If Sarfaraz can cope with swing I can see him doing really, really well in England tbh.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Perfect ball

 

[Meridio]

Jfc I thought some of the commentary about India's position at the start of the day to be way over the top but we have been utterly awful here. Garbage tactics and poor fielding and suddenly it looks like India will be ahead before tea.
Oh look Southee bowls a normal ball and it suddenly pops off a length. As they have all game, there's variable bounce, why are we bowling other **** instead?

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Tailor made wicket for Noman and Sajid

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

see ball, hit ball

 

[King Kane]

It's looking quite gloomy there, a rain break now might actually do us a favour, give us a chance to regroup and halt India's momentum.

Pant is starting to click into gear now too.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Stead gave them the talk this morning along with some tactics.

 

[Thala_0710]

If Rohit continues to play Rahul over Sarfaraz I'm revolting against the guy

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Amazing how the ball is evading all the fielders behind square on the off side

 

[Spark]

Wildly impressive by these two batsman but this is as singular an example of throwing a game as I've seen in a hot minute

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Let the keeper go back….batsman’s gotta make the mistake