*Official Third Test at Headingley* 25-29 August

[anil1405]

Given that next test is at Oval and since our pace bowlers looked lacklustre, one change in that department is imminent.

Ishant it will be most probably and I am not too excited about the prospect of Shami at Oval either.

 

[slippy888]

I hope this lighten up the mood for india cricket fans

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

I don't get it

 

[morgieb]

#batdeep is justifiably a meme, but carrying four quicks is an extravagance India’s current batting just can’t afford. They need to play six batsmen, Pant at seven, a spinner and three seamers. Ishant was very poor this test but they’d be loathe to drop him given his past few years which have been excellent. Would think it has to be him or Siraj though, but I’m biased towards Shami something chronic.

I don’t think you can carry two spinners in England, particularly when one of them doesn’t turn it for the most part. So they either stick with Jadeja and hope his, frankly inept thus far and generally massively over rated slogging comes good, or they run with Ashwin who’s a plodder but at least puts substance over style. If they play both they’ll lose 3-1 for certain.

I think we could see some spin at OT or The Oval. So I think going 3/2 should be an option there.

 

[slippy888]

Axar Patel is the match winner spinner last series

 

[BoyBrumby]

I think we could see some spin at OT or The Oval. So I think going 3/2 should be an option there.

Kohli just more or less nixed two spinners in England in his post match interview.

Could be a double bluff though, I guess.

Hard to imagine Ashwin wouldn't have contributed more than Ishant in this test, but that's very much wisdom after the event. I, for one, advocated the big fella's inclusion.

 

[Spark]

He's never going to be excellent in these conditions and NZ due to his technique tbh. That's okay for a wicketkeeper batsman considering he has done really well everywhere else for the most part.

The guy is still 23 and has hundreds of runs scored consistently @ an absurd average over 8 tests v Cummins/Hazelwood/Starc in Australia.

Oh yeah he's a generational talent. But you just know we're going to be hearing "FTB lol" whenever someone brings him up as a top player for the next decade. It's more how he's looked than how many he's scored.

 

[Howe_zat]

If I were to make changes to the Indian side I'd think about switching to a 4-man attack. Jadeja can bowl massive spells with good control so I don't think it's asking too much to have him play alongside 3 seamers as oppose to 4. And then the lower middle order looks more solid.

But really we are 3 and half days cricket removed from India's lower order humiliating England at Lords. There isn't a selection cure to either side's ailments. It's just going to be about whichever side's top five batting holds together.

 

[Shri]

rohit
rahul
pujara
kohli
sky
jadeja
pant
ashwin
ishant
bumrah
siraj

for next test

 

[Spark]

Smith is currently nowhere. He’s had one decent Test in two years.

That's mostly because he's barely played any Tests in two years...

 

[silentstriker]

The Indian batting lineup of old is rolling in its grave. They’re still all alive but they’re still rolling in their graves.

India cannot possibly go into the fourth test without major changes.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

That's mostly because he's barely played any Tests in two years...

Since the Ashes he’s had two home summers with one century in 9 Tests and a lot of low scores.

 

[Spark]

Since the Ashes he’s had two home summers with one century in 9 Tests and a lot of low scores.

Okay? It's 9 games. I'll bank the bloke with a Test average of over 60 to still be a world class player.

 

[Flem274*]

i agree with the thread on ollie robinson. looks really good, like a taller matthew hoggard.

given his height i don't think lack of pace away from home will be an issue, but his length might hurt him. he bowls towards the back of where you want to be in england as it is, and in bouncier countries with no duke he's a risk of bowling spells that don't threaten the stumps and get zero swing.

if he adjusts his lengths he'll do well.

Oh yeah he's a generational talent. But you just know we're going to be hearing "FTB lol" whenever someone brings him up as a top player for the next decade. It's more how he's looked than how many he's scored.

it's both tbh. fantastic player of spin but he's coming from a very low place to combat the moving ball. he is easily the worst batsman on display in this series, which is quite an impressive achievement.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Okay? It's 9 games. I'll bank the bloke with a Test average of over 60 to still be a world class player.

So what? I never said he wasn’t. My post was in reply to one claiming that he’s head and shoulders above all others and I said he’s currently not the one in the best of form. If you’re talking all time then clearly he’s the best of the four.

 

[Bijed]

Talking such bollocks about Pant, I don’t expect many runs from him in England but he has to play to his own strengths. If he tries to keep it tight he’ll just nick out.

Seen a few good lower order counter attacks at this ground tstl.

Yeah, Pant's one good innings to date in England came when he more of less threw caution to the wind and played aggresively. "Playing your natural" is used to gloss over bad play far too often and long-term if he wants more consistent success certain conditions (and from a CW POV, to be more highly regarded in them) he'll basically need to tighten up, but that's not going to happen in the middle of a test match (and not change much over a series, probably) so in the moment, he might as well do what he's good at.

 

[Manee]

i agree with the thread on ollie robinson. looks really good, like a taller matthew hoggard.

given his height i don't think lack of pace away from home will be an issue, but his length might hurt him. he bowls towards the back of where you want to be in england as it is, and in bouncier countries with no duke he's a risk of bowling spells that don't threaten the stumps and get zero swing.

if he adjusts his lengths he'll do well.

Agree. I think he looks like a great find for Test cricket. Got good skills. The seaming ball in the channel is a great weapon, the inducker hones on the weaknesses of many and he even has a serviceable bouncer also.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Sachin needs to go to England and cook the team some food imo

 

[Flem274*]

Yeah, Pant's one good innings to date in England came when he more of less threw caution to the wind and played aggresively. "Playing your natural" is used to gloss over bad play far too often and long-term if he wants more consistent success certain conditions (and from a CW POV, to be more highly regarded in them) he'll basically need to tighten up, but that's not going to happen in the middle of a test match (and not change much over a series, probably) so in the moment, he might as well do what he's good at.

I agree with this, though a couple of changes he could make on the fly are not running down the pitch before he's set and shelving his drives until he's on 100*.

Loads of great players shelve the cover drive if they're struggling and make the bowler come to them. Pant gets out defending or fiddling wide a lot, so if he focused on making England bowl at his pads for a bit then he'd give himself a chance at getting used to the new conditions and helping his team. He can't adjust to English conditions if he's getting less than 20 balls a crack.

 

[Spark]

Yeah, Pant's one good innings to date in England came when he more of less threw caution to the wind and played aggresively. "Playing your natural" is used to gloss over bad play far too often and long-term if he wants more consistent success certain conditions (and from a CW POV, to be more highly regarded in them) he'll basically need to tighten up, but that's not going to happen in the middle of a test match (and not change much over a series, probably) so in the moment, he might as well do what he's good at.

The issue is he doesn't seem to have had an actual plan at the crease. He's run around everywhere like a madman, but not really had an actual coherent approach to where and how he wants to score and how he wants to defend.