*Official* Fifth Test (The Oval, London) 27-31 July

[thierry henry]

I see what you're doing here.

Please explain it to me. I have no idea, this series has sent me into a sort of depressed mania.

 

[social]

Looks like Australia's starting to up the ante, which is good. I think we probably erred on the side of too defensive early on, but the important thing was to not collapse and Australia has thus far avoided that. Needless to say, the next session will be key.

It was dark and ball was moving plus the bowlers are getting through overs so not much harm done

 

[shortpitched713]

Please explain it to me. I have no idea, this series has sent me into a sort of depressed mania.

Well I thought it was satire on the whole bazball "we're just having fun out here", in defending an objectively meh innings from Labuschagne, just because it's nice and slow, i.e. "fun".

 

[ashley bach]

Has anyone kept count of all the wickets that Anderson has taken this series?

Someone posted a video before the ashes of Jimmy dropping an absolute dolly in a county match.
Although that doesn't reflect his bowling, this drop catch was simply that embarrassing that it at least showed signs that his time was up.
Hopefully he at least ends up taking a few good poles in this his likely final match.

 

[Kirkut]

Come on, 9 (82) is ****ing dire for a specialist batsman. You're not trying to "save a draw" in the first innings of a Test match against a reasonable (but not remotely overwhelming) opposition total.

Marnus bats slow that would confuse England bowlers at first, and Khawaja goes in semi-bazball mode once he's set which would also confuse the opponent. Nice gaslighting strategy by Aussies here!

 

[thierry henry]

Well I thought it was satire on the whole bazball "we're just having fun out here", in defending an objectively meh innings from Labuschagne, just because it's nice and slow, i.e. "fun".

A guy blocked it for a while and got out, it isn’t anything. It’s just unsuccessful batting.

 

[silentstriker]

Oh hey look at that - Test cricket.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Someone posted a video before the ashes of Jimmy dropping an absolute dolly in a county match.
Although that doesn't reflect his bowling, this drop catch was simply that embarrassing that it at least showed signs that his time was up.
Hopefully he at least ends up taking a few good poles in this his likely final match.

He's been hopeless in the field in the Ashes too. Balls go past him because he can barely move and he's put down at least 1 dolly that I've seen (and I've only watched like 5% of it)

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

A guy blocked it for a while and got out, it isn’t anything. It’s just unsuccessful batting.

Hopefully it's a lesson to Marnus that 10(6) adds more to the scoreboard, as well as entertaining cricket fans around the world!

 

[TheJediBrah]

Come on, 9 (82) is ****ing dire for a specialist batsman. You're not trying to "save a draw" in the first innings of a Test match against a reasonable (but not remotely overwhelming) opposition total.

Test cricket can have complex tactics that you wouldn't understand if you haven't actually been watching the game

see below

I think the idea was to get through the tough period. It was very dark out there and England bowlers were fresh and bowling sharp

It was dark and ball was moving plus the bowlers are getting through overs so not much harm done

It's quite common for conditions to ease later in the day and scoring to become easier

 

[Coronis]

Hopefully it's a lesson to Marnus that 10(6) adds more to the scoreboard, as well as entertaining cricket fans around the world!

unable to tell if this is sarcasm or not

 

[shortpitched713]

Modern batsmen usually get their eye in well before 82 balls. The most successful "slow batsman", wasn't anything this extreme. But yeah, I get the idea. See out some bad conditions, and you sometimes don't get to profit off it yourself, but doesn't make the effort useless.

I'll downgrade from "****ing dire", to "poor side of meh", for the quality of the innings.

 

[silentstriker]

There's a difference between what Khawaja is doing, scoring slowly but taking some chances, to build a platform for further run scoring in better conditions, and what Marnus did in just scoring slow for the sake of it.

Come on, 9 (82) is ****ing dire for a specialist batsman. You're not trying to "save a draw" in the first innings of a Test match against a reasonable (but not remotely overwhelming) opposition total.

Pujara would like to have a word with you. There’s plenty of time thanks to Englands way of batting.

There’s a lot to be said for wearing down the bowlers - it’s at the end of a long series and they’ll get worse the more they bowl, especially in the second innings.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Sorry Marnus, you still don't get the best 9 in cricket.

 

[shortpitched713]

Test cricket can have complex tactics that you wouldn't understand if you haven't actually been watching the game

see below




It's quite common for conditions to ease later in the day and scoring to become easier

Calm your **** bro, I get all this. Not exactly a neophyte out here.

My point is, it's weird for Labu to go so extreme, and not feel any pressure to, you know, actually score a few runs off some bad balls when he can. Especially given he hasn't exactly covered himself in glory this series.

 

[91Jmay]

lol Marnus did actually moan it was too dark. That is chicken**** stuff.

 

[Qlder]

Anderson has now bowled 35 overs since he last got a wicket this series (and that was a tailender)

 

[Carlos]

I think he should have got at least 25. Sounds like he missed a good couple of boundaries at a minimum.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

unable to tell if this is sarcasm or not

Half is literally fact~! But the other 70% is to troll TH.

 

[TheJediBrah]

lol Marnus did actually moan it was too dark. That is chicken**** stuff.

That takes the "chicken**** moaning" tally this series to Australia 1, England 653