littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
No Santner, though. Patel has actually been a bit disappointing this series. Will need to step up.
International Cricket
- Thread starter planetgeli
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littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Kohli run out was madness. Last over of the day. Three down, one a nightwather, wouldn't have been too bad.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
NZ complete the whitewash. Beat India 3 - 0 in India.
The most astounding scoreline of all time?
The most astounding scoreline of all time?
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
That's some result. Bowled out in a session (again) only chasing 147. NZ exultant, India mourning, England crapping themselves.
SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
One for the 'posts that aged well' section.
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
Pretty strange that India played England last time in some different venues but chose to play NZ in Ravindra's town of birth (where he promptly won the match) and Patel's town of birth, where he had also taken his 10fer (and he promptly won the match).
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
Well done the Kiwis. Really pleased about this result.
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Ravindra was born in Wellington. His parents are from Bengaluru.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
If NZ beat England 3-0 at home now, they're definitely in the WTC final. Out of nowhere. (Edit: almost definitely, not quite guaranteed)
Will Young was named player of the series. Who do they drop to bring back Williamson?
Will Young was named player of the series. Who do they drop to bring back Williamson?
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littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Looking at the various WTC scenarios, it is wide open. Realistically, NZ need to win 3-0 to stand a good chance, but that does give them a really good chance. SA are in if they win their two home series in clean sweeps. SL aren't out of it.
It was looking like another India-Australia final, but that's now looking unlikely. India are likely to miss out unless they beat Aus in Aus.
A final with none of the 'Big Three' would be good. If SA make it, maybe it might encourage their board to think Test Cricket is worth bothering with after all.
Maybe that might also encourage a more even split of matches? Doubtful, of course, but it's actually more difficult for the 'Big Three' to qualify. They play far more matches, including long series against each other, and that makes them statistically more likely to be closer to 50%. With shorter series, the likes of SA, SL and NZ have a greater variability - they're more likely to be really high or really low.
It was looking like another India-Australia final, but that's now looking unlikely. India are likely to miss out unless they beat Aus in Aus.
A final with none of the 'Big Three' would be good. If SA make it, maybe it might encourage their board to think Test Cricket is worth bothering with after all.
Maybe that might also encourage a more even split of matches? Doubtful, of course, but it's actually more difficult for the 'Big Three' to qualify. They play far more matches, including long series against each other, and that makes them statistically more likely to be closer to 50%. With shorter series, the likes of SA, SL and NZ have a greater variability - they're more likely to be really high or really low.
It'll have to be Phillips who can feel unlucky. Or give the gloves back to Latham and ditch Blundell?
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Whoever it is will be very unlucky. Blundell had a stinker with the bat in India (only NZ batter to fail), but it will be different in NZ. I think it would have to be Phillips missing out, Blundell dropping to bat at 7, Ravindra doing a Root role with the ball and no specialist spinner?
Odd situation for Patel. He's not just a test specialist. He's an Asia Test Specialist. Next match will probably be in about a year's time.
Odd situation for Patel. He's not just a test specialist. He's an Asia Test Specialist. Next match will probably be in about a year's time.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Watching the highlights, ball was bouncing and turning square, but India's top order? Sharma out to an ugly slog off the seamer. Gill shouldering arms to one that goes straight on. Kohli got a good one. Khan slog-sweeping a full toss - can't blame the pitch for that one.
India's top order has had a collective brainfart this series.
Great to see big crowds for this series. Good appetite for test cricket in India.
India's top order has had a collective brainfart this series.
Great to see big crowds for this series. Good appetite for test cricket in India.
Was this the guy who was dropped after taking all ten wickets in an innings? Poor dude. You literally can't ask for more.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Yep.
They did try him out for a couple of games in NZ, but it didn't work. He really is an Asia specialist. Can't bat. If you want to be a spinner in NZ, you need to be able to bat because you're often just not going to be needed with the ball.
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
This is true. So why the fuck are we taking 3 spinners, only one of who can bat, and he's the one currently 3rd in the pecking order.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Dunno. I didn't realise they were all going. I assumed it would just be one. Bit of tourism, perhaps?
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
Ok Pickman's. Let me put it another way. His parents, as you say from Bengaluru, formed a cricket team to give promising players a chance. Ravindra was one of these and was given yearly tours to south India for improvement from a young age. It was not an alien environment for him. As he showed.
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
England Test Squad for New Zealand Tour
Ben Stokes (Durham, captain), Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire), Gus Atkinson (Surrey), Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Jordan Cox (Essex), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Jack Leach (Somerset), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Matthew Potts (Durham), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Olly Stone (Nottinghamshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
Ajaz Patel has now taken 25 wickets in 2 tests in Mumbai. Again, my point is, when they'd just finished giving England Rajkot and the like, why the hell did they give Patel Mumbai? And Ravindra Bengaluru?
Money and favours is my guess. Admin v the playing side's interests.
Money and favours is my guess. Admin v the playing side's interests.
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Tbf these are major centres in India. Big stadiums in big cities, and big crowds turned out.
They didn't have to prepare massive turners. Eg the IPL games at the Wankhede are not played on pitches like that one. They chose to do that. They chose to prepare pitches that all but guaranteed three-day tests. And they tripped themselves up, mostly due to inept top-order batting.
I have no problem with spinning pitches and I don't even think the Mumbai pitch was particularly unfair, but as the commentators on the highlights pointed out, on a pitch that is spinning and bouncing like that, the spinners actually have a large margin of error. That's not good for cricket imo, any more than a green seamer where the bowler just needs to hit the seam and the ball will jag one way or the other, and if they don't know which way, the batter certainly doesn't either.
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
But that's my point. England guarantee a good crowd. But we didn't get Mumbai etc. We got Hyderabad plus 4 other venues that had hosted 7 tests between them in their history.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
I've watched the extended daily highlights of every test and India's batting was truly appalling. Inept.
That's got to be a worry heading for Australia. Pant's looked good - he should be brimming with confidence. But Sharma and Kohli look like walking wickets. We may be careering towards an end of an era.
On a personal level, I'm very pleased to see Pant back and firing. He was lucky he wasn't killed in that crash - saved by modern car technology - but he still suffered big injuries.
