[Cricket] The 'Especially for Billy the Fish' 2nd Test Eng v India at Lords thread

[hans kraay fan club]

Come on Jimmy. One more in this last over before tea, please

 

[A1X]

There's been a lot of talk about England's preparation for this series with no red ball cricket, and they're right to do so, but surely the answer is to play a warm up like the Indians did? There's got to be a ground going somewhere, be it Hove or Worcester or Chelmsford or wherever outside the Hundred grounds, which you can put together a team of red ball players not involved in the Hundred and play them against England? Surely it can't be that hard?

 

[CHAPPERS]

There's been a lot of talk about England's preparation for this series with no red ball cricket, and they're right to do so, but surely the answer is to play a warm up like the Indians did? There's got to be a ground going somewhere, be it Hove or Worcester or Chelmsford or wherever outside the Hundred grounds, which you can put together a team of red ball players not involved in the Hundred and play them against England? Surely it can't be that hard?

At least Root, Bairstow, Buttler (can’t be arsed to check for more) were all contracted to play in the hundred and played games just days before the start of the first test. What’s the point in half the side playing the warm up?

 

[pasty]

Sadly I don’t think any wicket has draw written over it with our batting…

With India currently at 187/2, I'm fearing a following-on, innings defeat already.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I have a massive 50p bet, placed at the start, on the two India openers to make exactly the same score (@40/1), so Rahul can help himself to 9 more, and that's his lot.

 

[Postman Pat]

Anderson and Robinson have actually bowled okay. Curran has bowled a load of (mostly leg stump) shite.

I know they are picking Curran because he is a different type of bowler, but he just isn't good enough for test cricket with bat or ball. Send him back to county cricket to develop a bit more.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I have a massive 50p bet, placed at the start, on the two India openers to make exactly the same score (@40/1), so Rahul can help himself to 9 more, and that's his lot.

arse

 

[Guinness Boy]

This can only enhance the appeal of The Hundred. A good Test Match should be chess on turf. Root sacrificed his Queen at the toss

 

[Pavilionaire]

I have never been so uninterested in an England home test series in my life.

I believe that in top level sport the participants should be fully committed to the contest, otherwise why should they expect the public to be? It is a monumental mistake to have the Hundred being played at the same time as the Test series, unless the intention is to kill off test cricket completely.

Where is the incentive to do well for England? It only means being picked for a long, distant and arduous overseas tour, the absence from friends and family, the slim financial pickings and the risk of injury that that brings.

This is an existential crisis for test cricket. In some ways it feels like the climate crisis, i.e. taking things for granted, not protecting what we have, reaching the tipping point without realising it.

 

[pasty]

Nice start

Second ball of the day

KL Rahul c Sibley b Robinson 129

278/4

 

[pasty]

Ooooo, and another

Ajinkya Rahane c Root b Anderson 1

282/5

 

[hans kraay fan club]

FFS. 10 minutes late tuning in. What a prick I am.

 

[pasty]

FFS. 10 minutes late tuning in. What a prick I am.

I missed the first as I didn't realise the time. Fortunately my brother rang me

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Pant just doesn't give a ****, does he!?

 

[A1X]

I sometimes wonder how people in England would react if Buttler played like Pant. People seem to enjoy watching Pant but also think Buttler has to play a more disciplined game.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I sometimes wonder how people in England would react if Buttler played like Pant. People seem to enjoy watching Pant but also think Buttler has to play a more disciplined game.

Its all about context, surely?

If the England top order, ever handed Buttler a platform of 280/3, then he'd have license to do similar. If he's constantly coming in at 110/5, its very different.

 

[A1X]

Its all about context, surely?

If the England top order, ever handed Buttler a platform of 280/3, then he'd have license to do similar. If he's constantly coming in at 110/5, its very different.

While this is true I think Pant would play the exact same way at 500/3 or 50/3 TBH

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Come on then Curran. Let's see if you can bowl a few balls, that are not on or wide of, the leg stump, today.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Come on then Curran. Let's see if you can bowl a few balls, that are not on or wide of, the leg stump, today.

FFS! second ball - leg stump, tucked away for a simple, risk-free, boundary.

This is going to be his last test for a while, I fancy. Looks utterly impotent.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Pant gone for 37, caught behind, off Wood.

India 336/6

Need to wrap this up quick, now.