***Official*** England in Pakistan

[Beleg]

shankar,

RE: Chennai (Why does the name Madras crops into my mind whenever I think of that particular city anyway!)

You are completely correct. I don't know what I was thinking writing Banglore there.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Correct, I should have said, "much better attack."

Warne has probably improved since then, McGrath and Kasper are the same - but England were good enough to get Kasper out of the side, Gillespie is obviously worse but he wasn't playing. The pitch was obviously better than the one England played on in the 5th Test. You can't really say either attack was definitely better than the other.

 

[Jono]

But McGrath wasn't 100% fit, yet you keep ignoring that fact. Plus... Shaun frickin' Tait.

None the less, I'm done with this now, because just comparing Laxman's 281 to Pietersen's 150+ doesn't prove who is better anyway. They both have played great knocks under pressure, but one has been playing for something like 8 years, another has played one series.

 

[luckyeddie]

But McGrath wasn't 100% fit, yet you keep ignoring that fact. Plus... Shaun frickin' Tait.

None the less, I'm done with this now, because just comparing Laxman's 281 to Pietersen's 150+ doesn't prove who is better anyway. They both have played great knocks under pressure, but one has been playing for something like 8 years, another has played one series.

Like I said - chalk and cheese. Too different to compare, but both special in their own way

 

[social]

Warne has probably improved since then, McGrath and Kasper are the same - but England were good enough to get Kasper out of the side, Gillespie is obviously worse but he wasn't playing. The pitch was obviously better than the one England played on in the 5th Test. You can't really say either attack was definitely better than the other.

By all means, revel in the memory of KP's top knock. But, for heavens sake, do yourself a favour and get a replay of Laxman - he was out of this world. There is absolutely no comparison.

He made Dravid, a great player and light years ahead of where KP will ever likely to be, look second rate.

BTW, if you think McGrath was even remotely fit after the first test, then you havent seen him bowl before or since.

 

[Scaly piscine]

By all means, revel in the memory of KP's top knock. But, for heavens sake, do yourself a favour and get a replay of Laxman - he was out of this world. There is absolutely no comparison.

He made Dravid, a great player and light years ahead of where KP will ever likely to be, look second rate.

BTW, if you think McGrath was even remotely fit after the first test, then you havent seen him bowl before or since.

Again you go on about the quality of an innings which I've said already I'm not arguing. If you can't be bothered to read properly don't bother replying.

 

[Hazza]

I am a great fan of Ian Bell, but I am not sure if he should get picked against pakistan, especially with Mushtaq Ahmed in the side. He has struggled against Warne, and although Ahmed is not the bowler Warne is, he has had great sucess in the County Championship and is bowling on slower, more spin orientated wickets. Ed Joyce or Owais Shah would be the people to replace him but without any Test experience between them, filling no. 3 or 4 could be difficult.

 

[luckyeddie]

By all means, revel in the memory of KP's top knock. But, for heavens sake, do yourself a favour and get a replay of Laxman - he was out of this world. There is absolutely no comparison.

He made Dravid, a great player and light years ahead of where KP will ever likely to be, look second rate.

BTW, if you think McGrath was even remotely fit after the first test, then you havent seen him bowl before or since.

You either have no comprehension of what Scaly is saying - or you just don't care.

My money's on No 2.

 

[social]

You either have no comprehension of what Scaly is saying - or you just don't care.

My money's on No 2.

Scaly is trying to elevate KP's knock to a status it doesnt deserve.

Laxman played one of the greatest knocks of all time - a fact acknowledged by all and sundry. It was an innings played in the most adverse of circumstances (with only Botham's innings of 1981 even remotely comparable) against a top quality attack at almost the peak of its powers. Throughout history, it has rarely been surpassed in terms of quality of strokeplay, contained barely a false shot, and produced a victory out of the jaws of defeat. And, as hard as it may be for an Englishman to admit, it was played under every bit as much pressure.

Unlike Laxman's innings, the majority of the cricket-watching world has already forgotten KP's innings. Whilst containing breathtaking stroke-play later on, its' major highlight was the fact that Warne "dropped the Ashes" following his regulation miss on 15.

In saying the above, that is not to denigrate KP's innings in any way. Very few test centuries are chanceless. Even fewer are scored in the midst of such pressure/drama. Rarer still is a batsman prepared to risk all and still succeed.

However, for sheer quality and performance in adversity, Hayden's 138 in the first innings was at least comparable.

Laxman's innings was in another world altogether.

 

[social]

I am a great fan of Ian Bell, but I am not sure if he should get picked against pakistan, especially with Mushtaq Ahmed in the side. He has struggled against Warne, and although Ahmed is not the bowler Warne is, he has had great sucess in the County Championship and is bowling on slower, more spin orientated wickets. Ed Joyce or Owais Shah would be the people to replace him but without any Test experience between them, filling no. 3 or 4 could be difficult.

Bell, Jones and Giles should not have lasted the Ashes series. What makes you think anyone of them will be dropped now?

 

[Scaly piscine]

Scaly is trying to elevate KP's knock to a status it doesnt deserve.

No, I'm not. All I've said is there was far more pressure on his knock than there was on Laxman's 281.

 

[shankar]

RE: Chennai (Why does the name Madras crops into my mind whenever I think of that particular city anyway!)

The name was changed from Madras to Chennai in '96.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Bell, Jones and Giles should not have lasted the Ashes series. What makes you think anyone of them will be dropped now?

Yeah, they're all rubbish, aren't they? Don't know how England ever expect to get anywhere with players like them in the team.

(for the record, all of them scored either the same number or more half-centuries than one DR Martyn in the Ashes, and one ML Hayden, and one AC Gilchrist.....)

 

[luckyeddie]

Bell, Jones and Giles should not have lasted the Ashes series. What makes you think anyone of them will be dropped now?

If Shane Warne could clutch slip catches as well as you clutch at straws, you would have won the series, KP would have scored 15 and there might be one or two people agreeing with you.

However, the old adage about 'never changing a winning side' holds true, rightly or wrongly - and if you think back to the (former) invincibility of your mob, probably explains why the contents of the Aussie team bus nowadays resembles an old folks outing to Eastbourne.

 

[social]

Scaly and LE,

your blind devotion to these 3 guys is indicative of why its almost impossible to have a reasonable discussion with most Englishmen on the subject of one of their own.

Giles - has made a career out of averaging nearly 40 with the ball.

I dont care who you are, what you bowl, who your related to - that's not good enough

A decent spinner would've made significant inroads into any batting lineup at both Old Trafford and Trent Bridge, but he couldnt even keep it tight.

Bell - very dodgy technique means that he nicks/misses a disproportionate no. of deliveries.

Praised for "gutsing it out" to score 2 half-centuries at Old Trafford. The thruth is that he needed an unbelievable amount of luck to make a score against test quality opponents.

Jones - comfortably the worst test w/k currently inworld cricket and, without doubt the worst I have ever seen in test cricket.

No doubt you'll respond to the above with your usual outrage at such an attack being made on some of your own. However, as for technical analysis, it will no doubt take the usual form of "we won the Ashes, nah, nah, nah."

From an Aus perspective, it's comforting to see Eng showing devotion to such under-performers rather than trying to improve their team.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Giles - has made a career out of averaging nearly 40 with the ball.

I dont care who you are, what you bowl, who your related to - that's not good enough

Then why do most Aussies rate Vettori so highly?

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Giles - has made a career out of averaging nearly 40 with the ball.

I dont care who you are, what you bowl, who your related to - that's not good enough

Brett Lee seems to have done the same

 

[social]

Then why do most Aussies rate Vettori so highly?

Dont look at me, my only view is that he's a better exponent of left-arm spin than Giles not that he's a world beater.

 

[social]

Brett Lee seems to have done the same

True and his place is in jeopardy again.

 

[social]

If Shane Warne could clutch slip catches as well as you clutch at straws, you would have won the series, KP would have scored 15 and there might be one or two people agreeing with you.

However, the old adage about 'never changing a winning side' holds true, rightly or wrongly - and if you think back to the (former) invincibility of your mob, probably explains why the contents of the Aussie team bus nowadays resembles an old folks outing to Eastbourne.

The old adage doesnt make it right.