***Official*** England in India

[hazsa19]

Tbf, Samit is very much a batsmen who bowls. If the rest of the bowler weren't bowling so many pies they wouldn't need Patel to roll his arm over.

Bairstow is a better batsmen, KP/Trott can 'roll their arms over' just as well/poorly as Patel. Anyway, we've all been over this a lot in the match build up.

 

[Prince EWS]

Much better over.

 

[Contra]

Can't say I'm surprised by Pujara's scoring rate, his first innings in test cricket was a cracker 72 (89) in a 5th day run chase.

 

[Spark]

Just get someone on who can land six balls in one spot.

 

[Cabinet96]

He is also very much not as good a batsman as Bairstow, so if he's going to bowl like this then he shouldn't be playing. He's been picked as a batting allrounder, yes, but what he's sent down so far hasn't even been up to that standard, frankly. Early days obviously but it's been depressing.

Given what I've seen from the pair in Asia, admittedly in one day cricket, I'm not very confident of that hypothesis of Bairstow being a much better batsmen than Patel. At least in India.

 

[Spark]

Can't say I'm surprised by Pujara's scoring rate, his first innings in test cricket was a cracker 72 (89) in a 5th day run chase.

Second.

Plus, not really comparable, though. If he's scoring this quickly it's because he's facing **** bowling.

 

[Prince EWS]

Just get someone on who can land six balls in one spot.

I think that's what they told Samit when he first came on, but they forgot to specify which spot.

 

[Prince EWS]

Top bowling. The saving grace.

 

[Contra]

laaaaaaaaaaaaame

 

[Cabinet96]

Well that was random

 

[benchmark00]

Really bending them over.

 

[Teja.]

Swann does it again. Has been the heart of the English bowling.

Well played, Sehwag. Back in form.

 

[Spark]

Shock horror, decent bowler comes on and takes wicket.

Lack of reaction is amusing

 

[hazsa19]

Horrible way to end a wonderful innings.

 

[Cabinet96]

Where have the sky commentators gone?

 

[mightymariner]

Finally. Swann should have came on a while ago.

 

[Flem274*]

Flaaaat. Martin bowled well in that innings but it was all just movement in the air with the new pill; when it got old Harbhajan hit a ton in that same innings. Sehwag made a really fast ton in the first innings, Williamson made a ton on debut and I think Ryder hit a pretty quick ton as well. There was some turn, but it was really slow turn - Williamson just played Harbhajan/Ojha off the back foot for the entirety of his innings.

IIRC, The pitch was as flat as it comes and extremely slow. It was not turning at all and did not look anywhere as likely to break down as this pitch. India just collapsed in the first innings after a Sehwag 170 due to terribly adventurous playing and the Martin spell came out of nowhere. By the time Harbhajan and Laxman were batting, the pitch was still extremely flat with no help for the bowlers.

It was as close to a 'draw pitch' as they come.

The Martin spell to reduce India to 15-5 and the Laxman 98 to rescue India were both epic performances though.

Harbhajan's knock came in relatively cozy circumstances. It was Laxman's 98 from 15-5 which was a real masterpiece even considering the pitch and the bowling.

He was given out by an atrocious decision too.

That game almost killed me inside. Any other pitch with any opening bowler other than the fragile Bennett and that game was ours. We went into that game already light on genuine wicket takers and once Bennett broke down Martin had to take 10 on that pitch because Vettori, Ryder and Williamson were never going to.

I can't even recall who the third seamer was. It was either Arnel or Franklin, and they're not going to do anything on a flat pitch.

 

[Spark]

Where have the sky commentators gone?

Haha, was so weird listening to it without commentary

 

[Contra]

Second.

Plus, not really comparable, though. If he's scoring this quickly it's because he's facing **** bowling.

Are you suggesting Australia didn't bowl like **** during that innings? lol.

 

[Prince EWS]

That game almost killed me inside. Any other pitch with any opening bowler other than the fragile Bennett and that game was ours. We went into that game already light on genuine wicket takers and once Bennett broke down Martin had to take 10 on that pitch because Vettori, Ryder and Williamson were never going to.

I can't even recall who the third seamer was. It was either Arnel or Franklin, and they're not going to do anything on a flat pitch.

It was Ryder. Jeets was playing.