*Official* 1st Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, 05 - 09 Feb 2021

[GotSpin]

They should've on this occasion. There was no danger of embarrassment. Hard toil, yes, but they have good bowlers in the wings to take over.

Its not about the hard toil. A spinning wicket like this will always deteriorate further

 

[OverratedSanity]

chanducheers on cricbuzz: Poor from Kohli..Root was constantly targeting the vacant mid wicket region by sweeping the bowlers. Still Kohli have not placed a fielder..Root scored three boundaries in that region till now using his favourite sweep shot..Kohli should be bit more cautious or else we all know what Root can.

Who is chanducheers? I am sure he is from cricketweb. Also, he is right!

Kohli didnt set the right fields first innings but Root also swept ashwin to square leg and once to long leg and randomly pulls out the reverse. Cant really set a field to what hes doing.

 

[karan_fromthestands]

Joe Root playing a different sport to everyone else at the minute

All of a sudden he looks better than Smithy, Virat and Kane. Love it!

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Its not about the hard toil. A spinning wicket like this will always deteriorate further

Yeah, batting tomorrow will be really hard so it made sense for us to bat today for the 150+ we will get and not need a nervy chase tomorrow.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

All of a sudden he looks better than Smithy, Virat and Kane. Love it!

Well, I'd agree about Smithy and Virat but Kane is in some pretty insane form as well.

 

[honestbharani]

Is this the first time anyone's actually managed to dominate Ashwin with the sweep? Would like to see how he responds in the next test. Root even reverse swept him once off a goodish length ball with bounced quite high. Amazing batting.

You talk as if the Clarke, Smith, Bailey, Finch years did not exist.

 

[honestbharani]

A spinning wicket like this will always deteriorate further

It is not really a spinning wicket though, that is the issue.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Meanwhile across the border Markram and Bavuma have brought up a century stand. Test cricket post-Covid has been amazing.

 

[GotSpin]

It is not really a spinning wicket though, that is the issue.

The bounce will become more uneven

 

[wpdavid]

With the way pitch is doing, I think 250 could be a match winning score here. England can declare now.

Do you really think so? The Indians will play spin better than most of the England side, and our spinners aren't in the same league as Ashwin anyway.

 

[honestbharani]

The bounce will become more uneven

Nah, it is a soft track. It will break up and stay low perhaps but it wont be uneven for sure.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Yeah but England's spin bowling is worse than Bangladesh and Pakistan's. India can still win this.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Didn't look any where near the glove?

 

[wpdavid]

Er, maybe have a look at it for a while before playing the reverse sweep?

OK, he got away with it, but he looks really nervous against Ashwin.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Cute of the third umpire to check lbw

 

[honestbharani]

Ash has overstepped every time he has bowled the carrom ball this test I think.

 

[Prince EWS]

Ash has overstepped every time he has bowled the carrom ball this test I think.

Haha yeah I've noticed that too.

 

[Prince EWS]

Cute of the third umpire to check lbw

Cute.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Ash has overstepped every time he has bowled the carrom ball this test I think.

Hmmm interesting, very interesting

/warne

 

[honestbharani]

Haha yeah I've noticed that too.

Suggests lack of rhythm more than anything else. Which is why I feel it is gonna get tougher for England and better for India as this series goes on.