No Ashes for India and Pakistan

[Beleg]

Interestingly enough, people turned up in great numbers to watch the second test. The last day crowd was one of the biggest and noisiest I have ever seen in a home test match.

I wonder why those people wasted their time coming to the stadium if they didn't find the contest entertaining.

 

[yohanna]

Interestingly enough, people turned up in great numbers to watch the second test. The last day crowd was one of the biggest and noisiest I have ever seen in a home test match.

I wonder why those people wasted their time coming to the stadium if they didn't find the contest entertaining.

Probably came to see Afridi's firework.

 

[adharcric]

Probably came to see Afridi's firework.

yeah that's why. as soon as he got out, the masses rushed out like ants, it was crazy.

 

[Pratters]

Other than that, for a brief time, I enjoyed what I thought was history in the making. In a meaningless test, a new world record would have been at least something but without that additional four runs, the 410 that went before were not that meaningful for me after it became clear that the game was going no where.

Actually its irrelevent whether the record was made or not. That is an aspect of some subcontinental fans and a lot of cricket fans I do not like. Why are records that important when draws are inevitable.

It was a meaningless test regardless of the record and it wouldn't have made it any more interesting to me.

 

[Beleg]

yeah that's why. as soon as he got out, the masses rushed out like ants, it was crazy.

They came for Afridi and stayed for the YoYo show.

Either way they got their money worth, which is what matters in the entertainment business - and cricket is just one facet of that, isn't it?

 

[TIF]

We have a disagreement so lets leave it at that

SJS, I do not want to get into an argument with you. But I am yet to understand what on earth makes you think the the 2nd test was "not interesting".

What else do you need to call a test match interesting. The 2nd test match had all the ingredients of an interesting test match -

1. Wickets falling in the 1st session of the test match.
2. Over 1700 runs being scored in just 5 days.
3. Players like Afridi and Dhoni blasting away scoring at around a run-a-ball hitting huge 6s.
4. India, being in danger of a follow-on when at 281/5 before Dhoni and Pathan partnership came to the rescue.
5. A chance of all 3 possible results(India winning, Pakistan winning, Draw) being possible till mid-way into the 4th day. This does not happen too often in test cricket and this was one of the rare occasions it has happened. Normally, the chances of 1 or 2 possible results vanish within the 1st 2-3 days.
6. Zaheer Khan burst in the last day to pump some life into this match.

Also, SJS, you are an oldie and aged well over 50 years in age and you must have seen lots of India-Pakistan matches, especially the boring 0-0 draws we used to have 15-20 years ago in test cricket. So in front of those matches, this match was far more interesting. I am only 19 years old and a youngster and have seen cricket regularly only from the last 12-13 years, but still I found this match interesting. It would have been alright if a youngster found this match boring as draws are a rarity these days, but I find it quite strange that an oldie finds this match boring despite witnessing more dull and boring draws than this in their lifetime.

 

[TIF]

After Afridi got out, the stadium wasnt wholly empty. There were still lots of people still left on the stands and it still looked like being full. Only about one-fourth of the people left like crazies after Afridi got out proving that they were not cricket fans, but just fans of big-hitting for what Afridi is famous for. The remaining three-fourths still stayed on like true fans showing that they were genuine cricket fans.

 

[Jono]

Oh my these 2 tests have been boring useless tests played on flat tracks? That's news to me.

Really pointless thread. Everyone in the India/Pakistan series thread has mentioned this. And the recent Ashes series pre-2005 weren't exactly the most exhilirating contests either. Of course the difference is they had results, with Australia winning by an innings for the first few tests and than England winning their token dead rubber.

The past two IndPak series before this were 6 brilliant test matches. The 98/99 series (including the Asian test championship match) was absolutely amazing, the 2004 series speaks for itself, and the only draw that did occur in the 2005 series was a brilliant match with a fighting effort by Razzaq and Akmal saving Pakistan from a devastating first test loss. So before this series there was 1 draw in 9 test matches over a period of 6 years. Ah yes the death of the Pakistan/India rivalry has come because of two boring test matches due to poor pitch preparation. Give me a break.

 

[Pratters]

Oh my these 2 tests have been boring useless tests played on flat tracks? That's news to me.

Really pointless thread. Everyone in the India/Pakistan series thread has mentioned this.

My feelings exactly.

 

[Neil Pickup]

SJS, I do not want to get into an argument with you. But I am yet to understand what on earth makes you think the the 2nd test was "not interesting".

What else do you need to call a test match interesting. The 2nd test match had all the ingredients of an interesting test match -

1. Wickets falling in the 1st session of the test match.
2. Over 1700 runs being scored in just 5 days.
3. Players like Afridi and Dhoni blasting away scoring at around a run-a-ball hitting huge 6s.
4. India, being in danger of a follow-on when at 281/5 before Dhoni and Pathan partnership came to the rescue.
5. A chance of all 3 possible results(India winning, Pakistan winning, Draw) being possible till mid-way into the 4th day. This does not happen too often in test cricket and this was one of the rare occasions it has happened. Normally, the chances of 1 or 2 possible results vanish within the 1st 2-3 days.
6. Zaheer Khan burst in the last day to pump some life into this match.

Also, SJS, you are an oldie and aged well over 50 years in age and you must have seen lots of India-Pakistan matches, especially the boring 0-0 draws we used to have 15-20 years ago in test cricket. So in front of those matches, this match was far more interesting. I am only 19 years old and a youngster and have seen cricket regularly only from the last 12-13 years, but still I found this match interesting. It would have been alright if a youngster found this match boring as draws are a rarity these days, but I find it quite strange that an oldie finds this match boring despite witnessing more dull and boring draws than this in their lifetime.

7. The remotest chance of a result?

 

[Sanz]

Oh my these 2 tests have been boring useless tests played on flat tracks? That's news to me.

Really pointless thread. Everyone in the India/Pakistan series thread has mentioned this. And the recent Ashes series pre-2005 weren't exactly the most exhilirating contests either. Of course the difference is they had results, with Australia winning by an innings for the first few tests and than England winning their token dead rubber.

News to you ?? It looks like you haven't followed this series at all then. And you may be right about pre-2005 ashes not being exhilirating contests and all but that was not because the host country decided to prepare pitches where any harry could blast bowlers @ will. Pre-2005 ashes were not exhilirating because one side was just too good for a while.

The past two IndPak series before this were 6 brilliant test matches. The 2004 series speaks for itself, and the only draw that did occur in the 2005 series was a brilliant match with a fighting effort by Razzaq and Akmal saving Pakistan from a devastating first test loss.

Exactly, those two were fantastic series and that's why this current series is so dissapointing. We know that this contest could have been much better, much more entertaining and competitive yet it is not thanks to the ROAD both the teams are made to play.

 

[Jono]

News to you ?? It looks like you haven't followed this series at all then. And you may be right about pre-2005 ashes not being exhilirating contests and all but that was not because the host country decided to prepare pitches where any harry could blast bowlers @ will. Pre-2005 ashes were not exhilirating because one side was just too good for a while.



Exactly, those two were fantastic series and that's why this current series is so dissapointing. We know that this contest could have been much better, much more entertaining and competitive yet it is not thanks to the ROAD both the teams are made to play.

Oh my God Sanz I was being sarcastic when I said "news to me". For Christ's sake, it was meant to imply that every one on the planet know this series has been a farce and a whole thread claiming the end of the world as we know it is here was not needed.

Read properly next time.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

News to you ?? It looks like you haven't followed this series at all then. And you may be right about pre-2005 ashes not being exhilirating contests and all but that was not because the host country decided to prepare pitches where any harry could blast bowlers @ will. Pre-2005 ashes were not exhilirating because one side was just too good for a while.

You cannot be serious in not picking up Jono's sarcasm.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Oh my God Sanz I was being sarcastic when I said "news to me". For Christ's sake, it was meant to imply that every one on the planet know this series has been a farce and a whole thread claiming the end of the world as we know it is here was not needed.

Read properly next time.

Beat me to it.

 

[Sanz]

5. A chance of all 3 possible results(India winning, Pakistan winning, Draw) being possible till mid-way into the 4th day.

You must have been watching a different test then.

 

[Sanz]

Oh my God Sanz I was being sarcastic when I said "news to me". For Christ's sake, it was meant to imply that every one on the planet know this series has been a farce and a whole thread claiming the end of the world as we know it is here was not needed.

Read properly next time.

Well may be I missed the sarcasm ( I haven't been following the official thread much) but I dont think this thread is as pointless. Most fans are heavily dissapointed after watching this series and if we have to witness few more series like that then I am sorry I would switch to watching Baseball (I hate it). And fans do pay money, spend their valuable time watching cricket and this is unfair to the fans.

PCB has cheated cricket fans, sponsors and cricketers. I hope the sponsors notice that and make them pay in the future.

 

[TIF]

I cannot believe that we have to even argue that whether this series has been "interesting" or not. I cannot understand why are we even arguing about it. Those who want to think that it has been interesting, can think it like others and those who think otherwise like SJS and company, can continue to think otherwise. But then, what on earth makes people like SJS think that way?

You must have been watching a different test then.

and

7. The remotest chance of a result?

Sanz and Neil Pickup, I was talking about this very test. The chances of all 3 results being possible were if you were to believe the words of diehard Indian and Pakistani fans. I had said about it in a previous post in this thread -

In the 2nd test, after day 3 ended, many diehard Indian fans said that India can win this test by getting closer to the Pakistan total, bowling Pakistan out quickly in the 2nd innings as they are 1 or 2 batsmen short and knocking off the runs required quickly in the time left.

In the same way, many diehard Pakistan fans said that Pakistan can win this test after the 3rd day, by taking the remaining 5 Indian wickets quickly without allowing India to add too many runs and then scoring runs quickly with players like Afridi, Akmal and co. attacking and setting India a 450+ target in just over a day. And then, by bowling Indian out quickly in the 4th innings.

The Pakistan fans could have had another say in the diehard Indian fans words, that if India can bowl Pakistan out cheaply, then so can Pakistan bowl India out cheaply.

So, if these things said by many diehard Indian and Pakistani fan were to be believed, this test was as interesting as it could get upto the time the 1st innings was going on. It was the Yousuf-Younis partnership on the 4th which finally killed the slight chances we had of getting a result only if these words said by diehard Indian and Pakistani fans were to be believed.

But anyways, let us finish this argument(if any) right here and start to talk about the next test - "Should India go in with 3 fast bowlers & 1 spinner, 2 fast-bowlers & 2 spinners or 3 fast-bowlers & 2 spinners(playing Pathan as an all-rounder) in the next test?" in the *Official* thread.

 

[swede]

I am surprised so many people think this is interesting. Surely its nonsense like these games that is the reason ODI cricket is so popular in asia.

I dont know if its because people somehow enjoy records which are completly pointless anyway when achieved in contrived circumstances or if its because some people think its wrong to be critical because of some kind of misguided patriotism, which is ridiculous. Its not patriotic to say that crap is great.
India v Pakistan should be the greatest series in cricket. it isnt.

I must admit to not even liking games lasting 5 days too often (except for the weather) I just dont see the point.

The ashes 2005 was not only one of the best series ever but also one of the shortest ever, while having one of the highest run rates ever.
2 tests were weather inflicted draws, though none of them obvious draws in any way. they were drawn after 368 and 309 overs. The 3 result games lasted 250, 274, 330 overs respectively or a bit over 3 days on average.

If only India and Pakistan could play such a series.. it would be phenomenal for world cricket.
Good to see that Pakistan are not too proud to seek help and adress this. I hope they are serious.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I think the key issue here is not actually that these two tests ruin Ind-Pak cricket, because obviously they don't. The point is that if India and Pakistan wish a cricketing history to rival the Ashes, this is the wrong way to go about getting it.

The last few series were a step in the right direction. Finally, India and Pakistan were playing regularly, high standard, competitive test series. People were watching, and the rivalry was developing a history. This series killed that, at least for the time being. Now, people are looking back over the history of cricket between India and Pakistan, and the last few series look like an aberration, rather than a move forward to a genuine great rivalry.

The Ashes might have been relatively uncompetitive for a decade or so, but it was still worthwhile cricket. England competed, Australia played well, there were legendary performances, memories, and so on. It wasn't a complete and utter waste of time like the current series is. The period of Australian dominance of the Ashes had the Gatting ball, Butcher's 170 odd, Waugh's last ball century, McGrath and Gillespie's 7-fers in 1997, England managing upset wins and Australia performing brilliantly and demolishing competent opposition, and many other things. If those things hadn't happened, cricket would be worse off for it, and some one-sided series didn't diminish the history of the Ashes.

All of those things add to the history of the series. In fact, the mere fact that Australia had dominated for years made the series last year even more riveting, as it was England's chance to turn it around. What does the current series between India and Pakistan offer in terms of memories? What does it add to the history of the series, or to the rivalry between the teams? The simple fact is, unless the final test is an absolute classic, we'll look back on this current series when it is over and wish it had never happened. You can't say that about any Ashes series in recent times, no matter how one-sided they were.

I think that was the point of SJS's post.

 

[Paid The Umpire]

It is series like this that are killing off the records, wow they scored 410 on an easy pitch, wow!

Boring cricket at its best, never a good thing when watch sync swimming is more exciting!