So yeah.Duckett's already out, he just doesn't know it yet.
So England is 87/3 effectively.
That SA side was outrageously talented... guys like Pollock and Klusener coming in at 7 down...On another note, think the success of this England side indicates what the 90s South African side could have achieved, had it not been for the great Aussie side of the late 90s. The strength in numbers in batting, the one or two greats around whom the team is built, utility cricketers all the way, defensive captain and mindset, hate giving away runs and loves to stay in control of the game, more likely to win through persistance than just brilliance... I feeI you need a side as great as that Aussie line up to consistently get on top of this English side. And its no wonder why INdia struggled the most at home against the similar kind of South Africa side in the late 90s at home. They don't let us play the game we want to play, either with bat or ball. I still think there is too much theory and too many cooks around this England side, esp. because I think overall, this side is actually more talented naturally than the RSA side of the 90s, but they will still be a mighty tough to beat in most conditions across the world. And right now, that is as good a way as any to be the #1.
Good call.Whether Buttler is a better long-form batsman than Duckett as this stage is open to debate, but if Duckett has the same issues in this second innings that he has so far in this tour then he must be left out for the third Test. It's more to do with the way he has played and the weaknesses that have been exposed and not just because he hasn't got many runs this series. When you're getting cleaned up consistently and you look unable to be solid in defence he will continue to get exposed by Ashwin in particular. It's also being fair to Duckett to just remove him from the firing line and let him get to work on improving his skills in this area. Hopefully he does take up some time tomorrow and get some confidence and some runs, but I'm not particularly hopeful, it just seems a matter of time before Ashwin bamboozles him.
Yeah, but what are your thoughts on Joe Root?Lol. That lbw was out as well. How lucky is Root?