Playing for pride

[Howe_zat]

Where's it gone?

If you go behind in a Test match these days, you just race to defeat as quickly as you can, like you’re ripping off a plaster. Truly, if these are Ashes, they have resulted from self-immolation.

Why do we think no Test in this series has been close?

 

[GIMH]

Because both teams suck when behind

 

[Cabinet96]

I don't know. I also want to know why so many series aren't turned around and once a side gets on top they seem to steamroll the opposition constantly. In that respect this series has been an exception, but it's still very prevalent IMO.

 

[fredfertang]

I wonder if central contracts and the fact that players have financial security these days has anything to do with what seems to be a lack of pride - maybe there's a element once behind of 'don't worry there's another Test in a few days time and you'll get a chance to make amends then'

 

[Prince EWS]

I don't know. I also want to know why so many series aren't turned around and once a side gets on top they seem to steamroll the opposition constantly. In that respect this series has been an exception, but it's still very prevalent IMO.

Perhaps the fact that series are usually so short has contributed to this. Players don't have much experience in turning things around in long series, so when they do come across one maybe they just don't know how to do it as well as players gone by.

On the other hand, there seems to be an Ashes series every ****ing year, so Australian and English players don't really have that excuse.

 

[Pratters]

Things happen so fast in test cricket with the rate of scoring faster than ever before. Also, home advantages are increasing making it harder for the away teams to make come backs.

We did have Galle a week back which was such a great come back and test, mind.

 

[Burgey]

The short turn around time between tests makes it harder to turn form around IMO.

But in the case of this series, neither side is resilient or skilled enough to forestall momentum. Basically SA seems the only current side capable of grinding out tough draws from positions where they simply cannot win

 

[Hurricane]

The topsy turvey nature of this test series belies what I will say next.

I used to play high school level inter-school table tennis. Yes it was very geeky, but relatively competitive.

Games were best of three up to 21.

Often someone would get a flyer and get out to 9-0 against you. You would then face a decision - do I wait for the next game and throw this one away or fight on anyway and attempt a come back.

Invariably I found that if I attempted a comeback that my momentum would carry over into the next game and I would do much better and often win it. On no occassion did I successfully recover from an 9-0 down or 8-2 down start but plenty of times I won the match 2-1.

 

[Howe_zat]

The short turn around time between tests makes it harder to turn form around IMO.

But in the case of this series, neither side is resilient or skilled enough to forestall momentum. Basically SA seems the only current side capable of grinding out tough draws from positions where they simply cannot win

Sri Lanka just turned around a Test and won. I don't think India or Sri Lanka are better than either of these teams - certainly not much better

 

[social]

Firstly, these guys are sportsmen and uber competitive

Secondly, there are more than a few players staring down the gun-barrel of being dropped

I can see some circumstances where players are less than 100% switched on but don't buy the whole "dead rubber" thing here

It's simply a case of 2 not particularly good sides sharing the spoils

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Bar 1 or 2 batsman neither team has the grinders to ever even think about getting out of a bad position.

A lower middle order of Bairstow, Stokes, Buttler, Moeen is not exactly tailor made for a rear guard. The only way they know is to hit out which when the ball is doing a bit (honestly not all that much) is a waste of time.

Same goes for Aus.

Assuming Clarke does go with the follow on i'd like us to try and make day 4. But the reality is and if the rolls were reversed as well it'll be all done by tea.

 

[social]

Bar 1 or 2 batsman neither team has the grinders to ever even think about getting out of a bad position.

A lower middle order of Bairstow, Stokes, Buttler, Moeen is not exactly tailor made for a rear guard. The only way they know is to hit out which when the ball is doing a bit (honestly not all that much) is a waste of time.

Same goes for Aus.

Assuming Clarke does go with the follow on i'd like us to try and make day 4. But the reality is and if the rolls were reversed as well it'll be all done by tea.

If Oz cleans up the tail and enforces the follow on (extremely doubtful in my book), can see them winning by an innings and a lot

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

For all of this 'rushing to defeat' stuff, in the last two New Zealand home summers, the BlackCaps - not renowned for their patience - have managed to rescue two consecutive Basin Reserve tests from the jaws of defeat. Both the matches against India and Sri Lanka found NZ in perilous situations, but application from some not famed for it (particularly McCullum) not only rescued both matches, but won one of them (could have won the other with a bit more luck with Kohli).

 

[wpdavid]

Firstly, these guys are sportsmen and uber competitive

Secondly, there are more than a few players staring down the gun-barrel of being dropped

I can see some circumstances where players are less than 100% switched on but don't buy the whole "dead rubber" thing here

It's simply a case of 2 not particularly good sides sharing the spoils

I'd agree with all of this. Quite how England's feeblest batting displays have taken place on the easiest batting tracks is anyone's guess, even allowing for scoreboard pressure.
I can't really comment on the Aus situation, but from an English pov it has to come down a decline in our domestic game over the last 10 years that leaves our batsmen, with the one obvious exception, completely unprepared for test cricket. And apparently the way forward is reducing the amount of FC cricket in order to allow more space for the 2020 games.

 

[Daemon]

For all of this 'rushing to defeat' stuff, in the last two New Zealand home summers, the BlackCaps - not renowned for their patience - have managed to rescue two consecutive Basin Reserve tests from the jaws of defeat. Both the matches against India and Sri Lanka found NZ in perilous situations, but application from some not famed for it (particularly McCullum) not only rescued both matches, but won one of them (could have won the other with a bit more luck with Kohli).

NZ came back strongly in the UAE as well.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

NZ came back strongly in the UAE as well.

Good point. Smashed in the first, but had to fight hard to draw the 2nd and then again to win the 3rd (as I recall).

 

[LegionOfBrad]

If Oz cleans up the tail and enforces the follow on (extremely doubtful in my book), can see them winning by an innings and a lot

If he's looked at the forecast he'll enforce.

 

[Jono]

If we're talking about not coming back from losing positions in test matches (as opposed being behind in a series), Lanka just came back from the dead only a week ago. NZ have done it a lot in recent times.

Aus did it almost every test of the 13/14 Ashes.

This series is just an anomaly imo.

 

[Daemon]

Pakistan with that absurd chase, SA in joburg.

Probably just this series and India that have been doing it.

 

[Jono]

Yep, I feel like we've seen more come backs in recent years actually.