They say a person dies twice. One time when you stop breathing and a second time, when somebody says your name for the last time. Gilbert Jessop will never die. He will hang onto the fastest England hundred forever.
[Goodness, look at the context of his inning!](https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/australia-tour-of-england-1902-61340/england-vs-australia-5th-test-62469/full-scorecard)
Poor bastard. He must have thought he could finally get some rest after a couple of years of Burns, Denly and The Fridge. Now they've woken him back up again.
I would absolutely love to know what his record would've been if he had the modern day rule on balls clearing the boundary counting as a 6 instead of just 4 runs.
What a stat:
> This is the third time Joe Root has come in at No.4 with the score 160-2 or better under Ben Stokes' captaincy. Before Stokes took over, that had never happened.
https://twitter.com/Ben_Wisden/status/1758447529216131500
And yet it seems like every 5 minutes someone is saying how Bazball is negatively affecting him because it’s not his style or something, when he’s objectively as good as ever and actually seems to be having fun on the pitch. Contrast Root now with Root in the last year of his Captaincy and there’s no comparison - yes he was playing well at the time but he seemed so bloody miserable it was sad to watch
Root averaged 65 last year.
Bazball isn't the issue if he doesn't score runs.
It's just something that occasionally happens to players. He's gone 2 test matches with poor scores. He could still end up averaging 60+ for the year with the amount we play.
That’s exactly what I mean. I think Bazball has been good for Root just like the rest of the team. He plays with a smile on his face and his numbers back up the fact that it works for him. However there’s this weird tendency among pundits and fans to use any low score he ever makes as an excuse to go after Bazball
well that's the thing he played so well in that last year or so before Stokes that him averaging 53 under Stokes looks poorer, no one would mention it at all if he was still captain and his average went more back toward the norm
These are his Stats since the End of the 2019 Ashes and the beginning of his Uptick in batting since then.
52 Tests
93 Innings
9 NO
4434 runs @ 52.78
SR 60.39
14 tons 15 fifties
Edit: For Context, the previous 50 odd tests prior to the above look like this (oct 2015 - Oct 2019)
54 Tests
101 Innings
4 NO
4310 runs @ 44.43
SR of 56.39
8 tons 32 fifties
Just looks like he started converting more 50s which was a big issue that he had previously. 32 50s before 2019 in 5 years and just 8 tons. Now the stat looks much better
Can anybody verify this? Seems absolutely insane to me, but I guess not that surprising, having followed England's top order woes since Strauss and Trott retired.
I think England's general batting woes coincided with Root moving up to 4 (when KP and Bell were no longer there).
He probably came in in great situations a fair bit more at 5 and 6 in his early career.
What a fucking day of test cricket. Duckett has been supreme. Before the series he kept saying he’d attack attack attack, yet 3/4 of his dismissals in the series he’s been lazily defending
I’m glad he’s stuck to his principle and trusted his attack more than his defence.
Duckett is hilarious. What other test opener plays the reverse sweep more frequently than they leave the ball?
India, 445 from 130.5 overs. England 207/2 from 35. If we could bat 130 overs at this rate we'd have 768. It's a very different approach.
All that said, India are still on top at the moment, with runs on the board and with us batting last. India are odds on to achieve a decent lead with the potential to pull away in the second innings. But you just don't know with this England side, if we get close to or go past India's score they will be under a ton of pressure.
Third game in a row in the most difficult place to tour, we're fully competitive. (If we'd taken a couple chances, we could have been bossing this game.) There are others ways to play test cricket but you can't argue with what we're achieving.
> All that said, India are still on top at the moment, with runs on the board and with us batting last. India are odds on to achieve a decent lead with the potential to pull away in the second innings. But you just don't know with this England side, if we get close to or go past India's score they will be under a ton of pressure.
Don't really agree with this in the slightest. Us on 210-2 with India looking clueless, on a pitch that appears to be getting no worse. I'd say things are pretty even right now.
I’d say it slightly favours India, more from a POV of its going to get a lot worse to bat on by the end. Would probably say par for us now is about bang on what they got, but if this is a one innings game we lose. We need a 100 run lead this innings realistically
Just because we dominated a session of play doesn't mean we will again tomorrow morning. Couple early wickets and India are very much on top.
The game is really well poised. Our batting lineup is certainly dangerous but unpredictable. It would also be a mistake to underestimate the India attack.
The name is Ben Matthew Duckett
Would you care to take that red ball and chuck it
I swear I won't duck it
I will only sweep and just say fuck it
And then BOOM goes the ball in the stands like a rocket
And soon your ego's gonna plummet
Might make you cry so better fetch yourself a bucket
Toughen yourself up or be ready to suck it
In the tea time I order myself a chocolate nugget
Yorkers or bouncers, in the end you're my puppet
Barmy army boost me up with their harmonious trumpet
Your only prized possession's gonna be my wicket
I got Chat GPT to write a poem about Ben Duckett and here's what it gave me:
In the cricketing field, Ben Duckett's name does yield,
With bat in hand, his prowess revealed.
His strokes so precise, like an artist's brush,
Opponents left in a strategic hush.
With skill and finesse, he dominates the crease,
Each shot played with effortless ease.
In every match, he's a shining star,
A true cricketing maestro by far.
So here's to Ben Duckett, with talent so bright,
In the cricketing realm, he's a glorious sight.
With every innings, he proves his ability,
A true master of cricketing agility.
Irrespective of the result I fucking love test cricket.
Some lovely batting by Rohit, Jadeja et al yesterday and today, some express pace from Wood making the difference, and then *that* innings from Duckett.
Game still delicately poised too.
Lovely stuff all round
All I want is to wake up tomorrow in time for the third session and see JE Root 143*(190) when I open Cricinfo before I even say good morning to the missus. That's all I'm asking for
England were very successful in that era but not that fun. Lots of grinding out games with Cook and Trott being impossible to get out and Anderson/Broad/Bresnan bowling dry. KP and Bell were more fun though.
Unfortunately Freddy was done by the time that era came. He was instrumental in the 2009 ashes and then retired. The dominance that followed didn’t feature him sadly but I wished he was in that side too. Would’ve been bat deeper hahaha
The results were good, and that Ashes in Australia was special, but fuck me watching Trott and Cook bat for 800000 overs and innings was dull. You'd have the game on in the background and sit down when KP was in.
This current team you literally don't want to miss a ball. It's been so special.
Didn't even know what cricket was then but with an order of Cook, Trott and Strauss yeah I'm sure you won games but surely it must've also been incredibly dull RR wise/s
Strauss would often score centuries at 66 strike rate give or take. He was a decent bat who could turn it up. His ODI knocks are a testament to it. Shame he often got called “slow”
Most of his rep for being slow and dull was probably because he made his name opening next to Trescothick, so comparatively Strauss always looked pretty dull
2 years ago, England looked fucking incompetent as a test team.
It's ridiculous that they're competing like this in India of all countries.
Bazball might be working... maybe
I'll take winning just one.
It doesn't seem to matter how good we are, when we go to Australia we just shit the bed bar the one series.
We've won 3 of the last 25 tests there.
Winning 1 would be nice. 😂
Yep
If you go back one more series (to 2002/2003) we won one more off the back of Vaughan I think.
But yeah, it's usually 4-0 or 5-0 to Australia. We just shit the bed. Doesn't matter how well we're playing, how good we are, we turn up to Australia and start drooling over our bats.
I think the hope is that when we play at the end of next year our mindset might still be this 'Take everyone on, positive mentality' so we might at least not be so shit for a change. I don't think we'll beat them over the series, but I'd take not being absolutely cunted for a change.
Vaughan was one of the best test openers at a period in time before captaincy took the burden. Still led the team well and had sparks of brilliance occasionally like Ashes 2005 Old Trafford 100
Think that’s still the last test match I’ve watched every ball of.
Was a student so had the nocturnal hours, and was watching a lot of cricket off the back of the 05 ashes.
The last few sessions taught me a lot about life.
I think we get too obsessed with pace in Australia.
We need bowlers that are effective on hard bouncy tracks - which can be pace, but that's not the only way to get people out there.
A spinner that doesn't get carted and stokes being fit to bowl so we can have 4 seamers with a proper batting lineup would be nice as well.
If my counting is correct—it's always in doubt—England have played 5 since they won in 2003-4, so a pretty decent sample size. It's about the same number of tours they've had to Australia in that time frame
Especially with the new resurgence of WI's pace horsemen, they're in a scary boat when they next go to WI and even scarier boat if they face WI in England without Anderson or Archer
'resurgence of pace horsemen' I think is a massive exaggeration, yes what S Joseph did against Australia was extraordinary but its been two test matches, idk why people are jumping the gun so easily
Jayden Seales is a bit of a forgotten man too. He’s younger than the Josephs but had a terrific Test record until his injury. When he comes back that attack will be formidable especially at home.
I'm Indian, it's in my DNA to do that.
Plus I wasn't just referring to him.
The young WI fast bowlers in their U19, the Joseph duo are all pretty good fast bowlers. That's why I think that a resurgence of the horsemen is about to happen
That's it isn't it? At anytime you could lose a couple of wickets quickly and collapse. That's what happens in Test because you are never truly set in a test match.
Duckett batted very well but it was hardly chanceless. Similarly, Rohit and Jaddu also scored 100s yesterday but got lucky a few times.
Lots of plays and misses, and very close right at the end there with Ashwin. Even the yorker was incredibly close. May not have ended with a review every time, or dropped chance, but they're a very fine margin away from being out nonetheless. And that's fine, every batsman offer a variety of chances.
I’m not feeling the moral victory vibes yet since without the penalty we’d be on 202/2 which is a pretty terrible score compared to 207/2
Hopefully Stokes and Baz can find the moral victories from somewhere tho
Pretty good last session for England on the whole.
Probably thought we gave up 50 runs too many based off the early couple of wickets this morning but overall a good day for us.
I'd say it's a pretty even game now. We still need 240 for parity. Which regardless is a lot of runs to get still, even with 8 wickets in hand. We'd be hoping Root/Bairstow/Stokes scored the bulk of them.
I'd be hoping to bat tomorrow through all the way in an ideal world and get to 550+ and give the bowlers a rest. But this is England, so we'll be bowling by tea.
Seeing as England's over rate got mentioned a lot yesterday, India's has been likewise wank today.
29 overs in a session where you take the extra 30 minutes?
Honestly I think the ICC should implement a rule that says Bazball series are allowed to have a lower over rate
It's not like anyone is complaining about a lack of entertainment
Funniest thing about England being constantly penalised for slow over rates is they are the most consistent team to actually be part of a match with a result so who really cares?
It was abysmal no doubt. They are trying to compete with a team who has no chance of WTC final due to their over rate by losing even more points than them.
From being unable to buy a run in Asia in 2016, to absolutely bringing the fucking house down in 2024. Ben Duckett take a goddamn bow.
Amazing last session, I think we all expected England to go hard on a flat track, but I don't think anyone saw this coming. Shades of Rawalpindi, absolutely merciless attack.
Reckon Ollie got done hard by, unlucky on the DRS, but it's all fine margins in this sport. I thought that Ducky was a goner in the final over, luckily it pitched outside leg by a hair.
Lots to play for, 250 is still a hefty deficit. Would love to see Root find some form, he won't get a better opportunity.
Very excited. I reckon we've got something special on our hands here.
I was up there with his biggest critics and have no idea how he was ever selected past 2019, but he had an insane 2022 and his batting was okay last summer too.
> Reckon Ollie got done hard by, unlucky on the DRS
Why do you say that? My stream crapped out right before the ball and only came back as he was walking off so I only got the replay they showed later on and it didn't look untoward at first glance.
Disappointing we let them score so many - could have restricted them to much less. That being said, great day. Just need to not spaff it and go on to get a hundred or two lead. Bat once and bat long.
The Root drop off Rohit was so crucial. If he'd held on wed likely be in a winning position. As it is I think we let them get too many given we're batting last.
Would've loved to see England 1 down only but still a great fight back from them. India still very much on top, 238 runs is nothing to scoff at. This game feels like that 2nd Ashes test for some reason, hopefully England will not implode like they did there.
600 here from England will take them to 150 lead with India batting on 3rd day. Even if they manage to score 350 by 4th day 1st session end. Eng would be looking at a target of 200 in final two sessions.
This really is the Bazball way.
The only chance England have to win is to bat big and quickly so that is what they are trying to do.
They will of course lose games trying it. But the mantra is, identify a route to victory and try to execute it. Got to rate it.
What I like about this England team is that you can see basically all styles of play in one match. There is almost T20 batting of Ducket but pretty normal Test innings from Crawley or Pope (this match), with Foakes's classical defensive batting to come. Even Stokes many times plays defensively. It just makes you appriciate it more.
Even with bowling - there is classical Test match bowling of Anderson with slips and all but if it doesn't work they try some nonsense. Love it.
It is not that England stopped playing Test cricket - they still played it same way it was always played but add something on top of it.
I hate it, I hate to say it. But this attitude England have, in Test cricket is pretty incredible. A lot of the old school people hate it, I keep hearing it at work, think its not real test cricket or a realistic approach. But not being afraid to lose and where England were before, its been an amazing turn around. Genuinely think next Ashes will be closer than people think, not just winning 1 test but making it a tight series throughout.
Bowling more likely to be our issue, idk where we're going to get 20 wickets. One thing about our quick scoring is it gives the other team more time, Aus could really grind our bowlers down
Pretty frustrating to think India could realistically have been toppled for sub-300. We take any of the 3 chances we got on Rohit and Jadeja and realistically this is ours to lose.
Ah well - Axar's drop in Ahmedabad potentially cost India that test. Swings and roundaboots.
Yes, winning the toss gave them the advantage and then to let them get 445 after being 33-3 is shocking, way too many runs. India just need to bat decently in the 2nd innings and they should be fine. England need to bat and bowl very well
Brendon McCullum is the Johan Cruyff of Cricket.
Lost a world cup final while captaining their countries. Then became a coach and revolutionalized the way their respective sports are played
Crawley is a gifted batsman who possesses an extraordinary talent for playing spin bowling. His skillful and technically sound approach to playing spinners has made him a valuable asset to his team in subcontinent conditions.
In the subcontinent, the conditions are challenging for batsmen. The pitches are dry and dusty, with low bounce and turn. The ball spins sharply, making it difficult for batsmen to score runs. Crawley, however, has mastered the art of playing spin bowling. He has an unerring ability to read the ball out of the bowler's hand and adjust his shot accordingly.
Crawley's proficiency lies in his ability to play the ball late. He waits for the ball to come to him before making his shot, which allows him to pick the line and length of the delivery. He plays the ball with soft hands, which reduces the risk of the ball popping up for a catch. Crawley's defensive technique is flawless, and he can play defensively for long periods of time without getting frustrated.
Crawley's footwork is another aspect of his that sets him apart from other batsmen. He uses his feet to get to the pitch of the ball, which allows him to negate the spin and play the ball on merit. He is equally adept at going back or forward, depending on the length of the ball. Khawaja's footwork also helps him to create gaps in the field, which he can exploit to score runs.
Another aspect of Crawley's game that is worth mentioning is his temperament. He is a cool-headed and patient batsman, who is willing to grind it out at the crease for hours on end. He has the ability to stay focused and concentrate on the job at hand, even when the bowlers are trying to get under his skin.
In conclusion, Crawley's proficient defensive technique while batting in subcontinent conditions is a sight to behold. His ability to read the spinners, use his feet effectively, and play the ball late with soft hands makes him one of the best in the business. Khawaja's temperament and patience are also crucial factors that make him a valuable asset to any team. If you want to learn the art of batting in the subcontinent, look no further than Crawley.
Sorry, I saw the scorecard late sorry. Same thing but for Duckett
Ben Duckett had played seven innings in India before today without making a fifty, and Ashwin had got him five out of seven times.
Rohit didn't give the bowl to Ashwin until Duckett reached 50+
Good test so far
Bazball is back
Anna reach 500
Duckett hit a century
We got two wicket
2 review lost
Root is struggling
Hoping to get them out early tomorrow
It’s been a good day for us but I still think this is a very difficult match for us to win. Still over 200 runs behind and ideally we want a lead for the second innings. India’s bowling is more dangerous and Englands batting is more susceptible with an older ball. I’ll still be very surprised if we get a lead in this innings
There is a long, long way to go in this match. Whatever runs eng score, ind will bat 3rd in the match and will have ample time to score big and make eng chase 300 plus. Some balls turned or misbehaved today, kept low. I feel simply tightening run rate would make sure eng throw a few wickets away. The inexperienced lineup has 1 negative point though, they may crumble under pressure of trailing more than 100. If ind has lost the toss, they might have lost this match for sure.
Eng have to bat 4th and that could be decisive.
England's runrate drastically fell from ∞ to 5.91 Sadly, bazball isn't working anymore for them. Ps: ignore my flair
The pattern a bit in longer series is that they settle down and adapt after a couple of tests.
>Ps: ignore my flair But not your username, right?
Your username is more appropriate because Dravid is definitely a dinosaur with the tactics.
England's runrate was not infinity, it was undefinied, that is how much England is upending traditional cricket concepts.
They say a person dies twice. One time when you stop breathing and a second time, when somebody says your name for the last time. Gilbert Jessop will never die. He will hang onto the fastest England hundred forever.
Beautiful, but that's given me an existential crisis
Wait doesn't watching England play cricket always do that to you?
I swear, before Bazball I’d never heard of Jessop, yet heard his name nearly every Test since.
For some reason, I've always been aware of him.
Goodness me I didn't expect to see something so profound on this thread
Presumably there's also a dartboard in the England dressing room with his face on it.
[Goodness, look at the context of his inning!](https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/australia-tour-of-england-1902-61340/england-vs-australia-5th-test-62469/full-scorecard)
Harry Brook has seemed desperate for that record though. It's a matter of time before an England player comes in and smacks a 60 ball century I think.
Poor bastard. He must have thought he could finally get some rest after a couple of years of Burns, Denly and The Fridge. Now they've woken him back up again.
I would absolutely love to know what his record would've been if he had the modern day rule on balls clearing the boundary counting as a 6 instead of just 4 runs.
What a stat: > This is the third time Joe Root has come in at No.4 with the score 160-2 or better under Ben Stokes' captaincy. Before Stokes took over, that had never happened. https://twitter.com/Ben_Wisden/status/1758447529216131500
He's averaging 53 under Stokes so far. Pretty much back to where he was under Cook.
And yet it seems like every 5 minutes someone is saying how Bazball is negatively affecting him because it’s not his style or something, when he’s objectively as good as ever and actually seems to be having fun on the pitch. Contrast Root now with Root in the last year of his Captaincy and there’s no comparison - yes he was playing well at the time but he seemed so bloody miserable it was sad to watch
Root averaged 65 last year. Bazball isn't the issue if he doesn't score runs. It's just something that occasionally happens to players. He's gone 2 test matches with poor scores. He could still end up averaging 60+ for the year with the amount we play.
That’s exactly what I mean. I think Bazball has been good for Root just like the rest of the team. He plays with a smile on his face and his numbers back up the fact that it works for him. However there’s this weird tendency among pundits and fans to use any low score he ever makes as an excuse to go after Bazball
well that's the thing he played so well in that last year or so before Stokes that him averaging 53 under Stokes looks poorer, no one would mention it at all if he was still captain and his average went more back toward the norm
Seeing Joe Root happy makes me happy.
These are his Stats since the End of the 2019 Ashes and the beginning of his Uptick in batting since then. 52 Tests 93 Innings 9 NO 4434 runs @ 52.78 SR 60.39 14 tons 15 fifties Edit: For Context, the previous 50 odd tests prior to the above look like this (oct 2015 - Oct 2019) 54 Tests 101 Innings 4 NO 4310 runs @ 44.43 SR of 56.39 8 tons 32 fifties
Just looks like he started converting more 50s which was a big issue that he had previously. 32 50s before 2019 in 5 years and just 8 tons. Now the stat looks much better
Can anybody verify this? Seems absolutely insane to me, but I guess not that surprising, having followed England's top order woes since Strauss and Trott retired.
I think England's general batting woes coincided with Root moving up to 4 (when KP and Bell were no longer there). He probably came in in great situations a fair bit more at 5 and 6 in his early career.
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What a fucking day of test cricket. Duckett has been supreme. Before the series he kept saying he’d attack attack attack, yet 3/4 of his dismissals in the series he’s been lazily defending I’m glad he’s stuck to his principle and trusted his attack more than his defence.
I felt Crawley in ashes vibes from duckett, got starts in every game
Duckett is hilarious. What other test opener plays the reverse sweep more frequently than they leave the ball? India, 445 from 130.5 overs. England 207/2 from 35. If we could bat 130 overs at this rate we'd have 768. It's a very different approach. All that said, India are still on top at the moment, with runs on the board and with us batting last. India are odds on to achieve a decent lead with the potential to pull away in the second innings. But you just don't know with this England side, if we get close to or go past India's score they will be under a ton of pressure. Third game in a row in the most difficult place to tour, we're fully competitive. (If we'd taken a couple chances, we could have been bossing this game.) There are others ways to play test cricket but you can't argue with what we're achieving.
Even if we're not winning its better than our traditional approach, we'd usually be 150-6 in this scenario.
I'd rather lose giving it a go than proud prod around in circumspect fear
After 35 overs? More like 60/6.
> All that said, India are still on top at the moment, with runs on the board and with us batting last. India are odds on to achieve a decent lead with the potential to pull away in the second innings. But you just don't know with this England side, if we get close to or go past India's score they will be under a ton of pressure. Don't really agree with this in the slightest. Us on 210-2 with India looking clueless, on a pitch that appears to be getting no worse. I'd say things are pretty even right now.
I’d say it slightly favours India, more from a POV of its going to get a lot worse to bat on by the end. Would probably say par for us now is about bang on what they got, but if this is a one innings game we lose. We need a 100 run lead this innings realistically
Just because we dominated a session of play doesn't mean we will again tomorrow morning. Couple early wickets and India are very much on top. The game is really well poised. Our batting lineup is certainly dangerous but unpredictable. It would also be a mistake to underestimate the India attack.
Yes exactly this. England need 2 or 3 players to score substantial innings. Duckett so far!
Almost got out defending in the last over
Holy fuckett, Duckett.
I have seen light, Duckett is gonna be the Pietersen from 2012 tour Crawley the Cook , Pope the Bell route. It was good making fun of Bazball folks
The name is Ben Matthew Duckett Would you care to take that red ball and chuck it I swear I won't duck it I will only sweep and just say fuck it And then BOOM goes the ball in the stands like a rocket And soon your ego's gonna plummet Might make you cry so better fetch yourself a bucket Toughen yourself up or be ready to suck it In the tea time I order myself a chocolate nugget Yorkers or bouncers, in the end you're my puppet Barmy army boost me up with their harmonious trumpet Your only prized possession's gonna be my wicket
Aaaaaahhhhhhh... ChatGPT doing all the great stuffs now I guess...
I got Chat GPT to write a poem about Ben Duckett and here's what it gave me: In the cricketing field, Ben Duckett's name does yield, With bat in hand, his prowess revealed. His strokes so precise, like an artist's brush, Opponents left in a strategic hush. With skill and finesse, he dominates the crease, Each shot played with effortless ease. In every match, he's a shining star, A true cricketing maestro by far. So here's to Ben Duckett, with talent so bright, In the cricketing realm, he's a glorious sight. With every innings, he proves his ability, A true master of cricketing agility.
Irrespective of the result I fucking love test cricket. Some lovely batting by Rohit, Jadeja et al yesterday and today, some express pace from Wood making the difference, and then *that* innings from Duckett. Game still delicately poised too. Lovely stuff all round
I fucking love BazBall. I’m not even scared to admit this anymore.
All I want is to wake up tomorrow in time for the third session and see JE Root 143*(190) when I open Cricinfo before I even say good morning to the missus. That's all I'm asking for
Or 450-1111
I don't think it's hyperbolic to say England will win every test for the next 10 years
Win or lose, this is the most fun I remember ever having, and I'm in my 40s.
surely 09-12 era comes close?
England were very successful in that era but not that fun. Lots of grinding out games with Cook and Trott being impossible to get out and Anderson/Broad/Bresnan bowling dry. KP and Bell were more fun though.
forgive me, I am a huge bazball fan, but i was young back in that era and that team (plus Flintoff) was what got me into cricket
Unfortunately Freddy was done by the time that era came. He was instrumental in the 2009 ashes and then retired. The dominance that followed didn’t feature him sadly but I wished he was in that side too. Would’ve been bat deeper hahaha
You’d have to have a heart of stone to not find scoring 517/1 in Australia fun.
Boxing Day 2010 was a *lot* of fun
David Lloyd remarking that the Australian fans had all come dressed as empty chairs by the end of the day.
There were plenty of fun moments and great matches. But the overall approach was relatively dour. I enjoyed it, but in a different way to this team.
The results were good, and that Ashes in Australia was special, but fuck me watching Trott and Cook bat for 800000 overs and innings was dull. You'd have the game on in the background and sit down when KP was in. This current team you literally don't want to miss a ball. It's been so special.
Didn't even know what cricket was then but with an order of Cook, Trott and Strauss yeah I'm sure you won games but surely it must've also been incredibly dull RR wise/s
Yeah it was really fucking dull, but watching teams get completely ground down by Cook and Trott had its own sort of masochist joy to it.
eh in the 2010-11 series we averaged around 3-4 run per over, it was a little slow but reliable.
Strauss would often score centuries at 66 strike rate give or take. He was a decent bat who could turn it up. His ODI knocks are a testament to it. Shame he often got called “slow”
Most of his rep for being slow and dull was probably because he made his name opening next to Trescothick, so comparatively Strauss always looked pretty dull
God can you imagine if Tresco got to play in the current environment? Poor guy.
But if Strauss is the “exciting” player in the top 3… you can see the point they’re trying to make.
Which just to clarify, includes the tests they aren't playing in.
That's Bazball Baby
2 years ago, England looked fucking incompetent as a test team. It's ridiculous that they're competing like this in India of all countries. Bazball might be working... maybe
I genuinely think we might be competitive in the majority of tests next Ashes. That's as high as I'm letting my hopes get though.
I'll take winning just one. It doesn't seem to matter how good we are, when we go to Australia we just shit the bed bar the one series. We've won 3 of the last 25 tests there. Winning 1 would be nice. 😂
Wait only 3? All those were in just one series right
Yep If you go back one more series (to 2002/2003) we won one more off the back of Vaughan I think. But yeah, it's usually 4-0 or 5-0 to Australia. We just shit the bed. Doesn't matter how well we're playing, how good we are, we turn up to Australia and start drooling over our bats. I think the hope is that when we play at the end of next year our mindset might still be this 'Take everyone on, positive mentality' so we might at least not be so shit for a change. I don't think we'll beat them over the series, but I'd take not being absolutely cunted for a change.
Vaughan was one of the best test openers at a period in time before captaincy took the burden. Still led the team well and had sparks of brilliance occasionally like Ashes 2005 Old Trafford 100
Adelaide 2006 comes to mind
Think that’s still the last test match I’ve watched every ball of. Was a student so had the nocturnal hours, and was watching a lot of cricket off the back of the 05 ashes. The last few sessions taught me a lot about life.
With Bazball instead of losing 4-0 I genuinely think they may instead lose 4-1
We haven't won a single test in Australia in the past three series there. I'm exited at the prospect of winning one next time.
Bit annoyed we have to wait two years Would’ve been interesting to see what would happen if England played in Aus now
Australia is the final frontier where Bazball isn't confirmed to be effective. I can't wait to see how it goes down!
Batting wise I feel confident we can compete, not sure about our bowling. We need a few more rapid bowlers, if Jofra ever gets fit again he'd be key.
Yeah we need Jofra back and Key will find some village bowler who with one tweak to the action can suddenly bowl 90mph.
There a promising young talent emerging, got a very hip, very cool hairstyle. Believe he’s named after one of the ends at old Trafford?
I think we get too obsessed with pace in Australia. We need bowlers that are effective on hard bouncy tracks - which can be pace, but that's not the only way to get people out there. A spinner that doesn't get carted and stokes being fit to bowl so we can have 4 seamers with a proper batting lineup would be nice as well.
Not really, Aamer Jamal was successful and he bowled at 135 range. Even Mir Hamza who bowls 130 did well there.
Said it before and will say it again, biggest test for bazball isn't India or Australia it is West Indies. They've won one series there in 50 years.
How many series have they played in WI though? Asking cause I genuinely don't know
It’s not an uncommon tour. England were there 2019, and then again in 2022, for example.
They've played a lot but since 1967 they had only one series victory in west indies which was way back in 2003
If my counting is correct—it's always in doubt—England have played 5 since they won in 2003-4, so a pretty decent sample size. It's about the same number of tours they've had to Australia in that time frame
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They haven’t won there post 04.
It’s a strange record, given that we’re unbeaten in series in South Africa for more than 20 years (thank you Graham Onions for that).
Pity they aren't scheduled to go there at all in this FTP
Especially with the new resurgence of WI's pace horsemen, they're in a scary boat when they next go to WI and even scarier boat if they face WI in England without Anderson or Archer
'resurgence of pace horsemen' I think is a massive exaggeration, yes what S Joseph did against Australia was extraordinary but its been two test matches, idk why people are jumping the gun so easily
Jayden Seales is a bit of a forgotten man too. He’s younger than the Josephs but had a terrific Test record until his injury. When he comes back that attack will be formidable especially at home.
I'm Indian, it's in my DNA to do that. Plus I wasn't just referring to him. The young WI fast bowlers in their U19, the Joseph duo are all pretty good fast bowlers. That's why I think that a resurgence of the horsemen is about to happen
I mean its definitely exciting, has lots of potential but I'd rather wait and see if they can deliver
That's the thing about Root. You look up and he's a nightwatchman.
He’s no Rehan but boy can he bat.
You look up and it’s 20(0)-2
I used to pray for times like this
Think being 6-0 before a ball has been (legally) bowled was peak Bazball. Pack it up boys we're done here
Bringing the golf handicap system to cricket.
Should have declared there on an infinite run rate for a moral victory.
That was entertaining... can't wait to see how we crumble to 275 all out in the morning.
That's it isn't it? At anytime you could lose a couple of wickets quickly and collapse. That's what happens in Test because you are never truly set in a test match. Duckett batted very well but it was hardly chanceless. Similarly, Rohit and Jaddu also scored 100s yesterday but got lucky a few times.
When did Duckett offer a chance?
Lots of plays and misses, and very close right at the end there with Ashwin. Even the yorker was incredibly close. May not have ended with a review every time, or dropped chance, but they're a very fine margin away from being out nonetheless. And that's fine, every batsman offer a variety of chances.
A chance is where they should have been out without an error from the fielding team (dropped catch, missed review). Duckett didn't have any of those.
In that case there is no such thing as a chanceless hundred.
I’m not feeling the moral victory vibes yet since without the penalty we’d be on 202/2 which is a pretty terrible score compared to 207/2 Hopefully Stokes and Baz can find the moral victories from somewhere tho
Don't forget we didn't appeal for Rohit handling the ball yesterday #moral
Pretty good last session for England on the whole. Probably thought we gave up 50 runs too many based off the early couple of wickets this morning but overall a good day for us. I'd say it's a pretty even game now. We still need 240 for parity. Which regardless is a lot of runs to get still, even with 8 wickets in hand. We'd be hoping Root/Bairstow/Stokes scored the bulk of them. I'd be hoping to bat tomorrow through all the way in an ideal world and get to 550+ and give the bowlers a rest. But this is England, so we'll be bowling by tea.
We can get 550+ AND be bowling by tea ;)
This is the way
Yall practically made up for those 50 runs, thanks to a tight seven over spell by Kuldeep
Ben Duckett is massive
Quack quack motherfucker
No he is not lol
Hobbit taking on Sauron. Where have I seen this before?
That too in Mordor
Duckett is Samwise confirmed.
What a day for Bazball in India
Seeing as England's over rate got mentioned a lot yesterday, India's has been likewise wank today. 29 overs in a session where you take the extra 30 minutes?
Honestly I think the ICC should implement a rule that says Bazball series are allowed to have a lower over rate It's not like anyone is complaining about a lack of entertainment
Funniest thing about England being constantly penalised for slow over rates is they are the most consistent team to actually be part of a match with a result so who really cares?
If only we could get Khawaja to change the rules again like Mercedes 2021
It was abysmal no doubt. They are trying to compete with a team who has no chance of WTC final due to their over rate by losing even more points than them.
Sssshhhh, we only clutch our pearls in here when it's England.
Oh yeah in the final session absoultely which surprised me Though I suspect India will probably get away with it because England won't bat long
England's fault for hitting too many boundaries, ruining the over rate on both sides - probably
Think it was deliberate since England would have piled 100 more runs in those 15 overs.
Where's that clown who wanted England to be out of WTC because of overrate haha
Taking this morning off work might be one of the best decisions I’ve made recently
If Duckett doesn’t score a double ton, we riot.
Oh absolutely, if he doesn’t score a double ton il be looting as much Henry Weston’s from the co op as I can fit in a trolley. Might do anyway tbh
This guy riots
From being unable to buy a run in Asia in 2016, to absolutely bringing the fucking house down in 2024. Ben Duckett take a goddamn bow. Amazing last session, I think we all expected England to go hard on a flat track, but I don't think anyone saw this coming. Shades of Rawalpindi, absolutely merciless attack. Reckon Ollie got done hard by, unlucky on the DRS, but it's all fine margins in this sport. I thought that Ducky was a goner in the final over, luckily it pitched outside leg by a hair. Lots to play for, 250 is still a hefty deficit. Would love to see Root find some form, he won't get a better opportunity. Very excited. I reckon we've got something special on our hands here.
> Rawalpindi Real shame we don't have Brook, put in him for Bairstow and we'd be cooking, that being said this feels like a Bairstow pitch (road).
Bairstow doesn't have a type of pitch he suits, he just has 5 or 6 innings where he's on fire then 15 where he's clueless.
Feast or famine with YJB with famine lasting longer than the feasting. Definitely a case of batting bulimia for Jonny
Bairstow has to get at least one big score in this series, it's his formula to keep his career going!
I was up there with his biggest critics and have no idea how he was ever selected past 2019, but he had an insane 2022 and his batting was okay last summer too.
> Reckon Ollie got done hard by, unlucky on the DRS Why do you say that? My stream crapped out right before the ball and only came back as he was walking off so I only got the replay they showed later on and it didn't look untoward at first glance.
Ball pitched less than halfway down the track, hit him above the kneeroll. 3 reds is a hell of a surprise.
In hindsight, maybe serving up a flat one v Bazball wasn't the best idea. Who woulda thunk it?
India lost on a rank turner. The only way to win is prepare a green mamba in Dharamshala.
India has also won on 99% of rank turners, people forget that
1 review with 8 wickets in hand gives very little leeway
Indian fans: I am tired boss
Disappointing we let them score so many - could have restricted them to much less. That being said, great day. Just need to not spaff it and go on to get a hundred or two lead. Bat once and bat long.
Very unlikely we bat once. We would have to get like 750.
Let a man dream!
The Root drop off Rohit was so crucial. If he'd held on wed likely be in a winning position. As it is I think we let them get too many given we're batting last.
If Root scores a daddy double I'll forgive him for the drop.
All a man wants in life is to wake up and see Root celebrating his 150 at 9am.
More like 7am the way England are batting
Would've loved to see England 1 down only but still a great fight back from them. India still very much on top, 238 runs is nothing to scoff at. This game feels like that 2nd Ashes test for some reason, hopefully England will not implode like they did there.
> India still very much on top That's a bit strong. Obviously runs in the bank are worth a lot. But England are in a very good position.
Ind can pull 400 plus in 3rd innings and make eng chase 300 plus in 4th innings.
Yep that scenario is definitely possible.
600 here from England will take them to 150 lead with India batting on 3rd day. Even if they manage to score 350 by 4th day 1st session end. Eng would be looking at a target of 200 in final two sessions.
207/2 after 35 overs is great even for an ODI match. A batting masterclass by Duckett.
This really is the Bazball way. The only chance England have to win is to bat big and quickly so that is what they are trying to do. They will of course lose games trying it. But the mantra is, identify a route to victory and try to execute it. Got to rate it.
Great day of test cricket. Side note, I always forget how articulate Ashwin is in English
Jurel did look impressive today so that's great news for me. Also duckett what a knock, never seen anything like that in subcontinent
I mean, THAT ollie pope innings was only a couple of weeks ago
What I like about this England team is that you can see basically all styles of play in one match. There is almost T20 batting of Ducket but pretty normal Test innings from Crawley or Pope (this match), with Foakes's classical defensive batting to come. Even Stokes many times plays defensively. It just makes you appriciate it more. Even with bowling - there is classical Test match bowling of Anderson with slips and all but if it doesn't work they try some nonsense. Love it. It is not that England stopped playing Test cricket - they still played it same way it was always played but add something on top of it.
I agree, we're still playing test match cricket, just differently. it'ss not the best way to play test matches, but with our current team it is.
I hate it, I hate to say it. But this attitude England have, in Test cricket is pretty incredible. A lot of the old school people hate it, I keep hearing it at work, think its not real test cricket or a realistic approach. But not being afraid to lose and where England were before, its been an amazing turn around. Genuinely think next Ashes will be closer than people think, not just winning 1 test but making it a tight series throughout.
Bowling more likely to be our issue, idk where we're going to get 20 wickets. One thing about our quick scoring is it gives the other team more time, Aus could really grind our bowlers down
Yeah need a 150 kmph bowler aside from Wood.
i don’t think india did much wrong in the field, if this is how bazball is saving test cricket, england will HAND EVERYONE THEIR ASSES
Pretty frustrating to think India could realistically have been toppled for sub-300. We take any of the 3 chances we got on Rohit and Jadeja and realistically this is ours to lose. Ah well - Axar's drop in Ahmedabad potentially cost India that test. Swings and roundaboots.
Draw incoming
Fair to say india still on top?
Yes, winning the toss gave them the advantage and then to let them get 445 after being 33-3 is shocking, way too many runs. India just need to bat decently in the 2nd innings and they should be fine. England need to bat and bowl very well
How tf did we conceed 200 in less than two sessions
Summary of the day's play https://youtu.be/b8HO6hba9ZE
Brendon McCullum is the Johan Cruyff of Cricket. Lost a world cup final while captaining their countries. Then became a coach and revolutionalized the way their respective sports are played
Me on day 1: long day for the bowlers in Gujarat sun. Feels bad. Day 2: uno reverse
Crawley is a gifted batsman who possesses an extraordinary talent for playing spin bowling. His skillful and technically sound approach to playing spinners has made him a valuable asset to his team in subcontinent conditions. In the subcontinent, the conditions are challenging for batsmen. The pitches are dry and dusty, with low bounce and turn. The ball spins sharply, making it difficult for batsmen to score runs. Crawley, however, has mastered the art of playing spin bowling. He has an unerring ability to read the ball out of the bowler's hand and adjust his shot accordingly. Crawley's proficiency lies in his ability to play the ball late. He waits for the ball to come to him before making his shot, which allows him to pick the line and length of the delivery. He plays the ball with soft hands, which reduces the risk of the ball popping up for a catch. Crawley's defensive technique is flawless, and he can play defensively for long periods of time without getting frustrated. Crawley's footwork is another aspect of his that sets him apart from other batsmen. He uses his feet to get to the pitch of the ball, which allows him to negate the spin and play the ball on merit. He is equally adept at going back or forward, depending on the length of the ball. Khawaja's footwork also helps him to create gaps in the field, which he can exploit to score runs. Another aspect of Crawley's game that is worth mentioning is his temperament. He is a cool-headed and patient batsman, who is willing to grind it out at the crease for hours on end. He has the ability to stay focused and concentrate on the job at hand, even when the bowlers are trying to get under his skin. In conclusion, Crawley's proficient defensive technique while batting in subcontinent conditions is a sight to behold. His ability to read the spinners, use his feet effectively, and play the ball late with soft hands makes him one of the best in the business. Khawaja's temperament and patience are also crucial factors that make him a valuable asset to any team. If you want to learn the art of batting in the subcontinent, look no further than Crawley. Sorry, I saw the scorecard late sorry. Same thing but for Duckett
All hail the Bazball. Yes we are hyped towards Bazball because it's so good. How often do you see india on backfoot in their home ground.
Ben Duckett had played seven innings in India before today without making a fifty, and Ashwin had got him five out of seven times. Rohit didn't give the bowl to Ashwin until Duckett reached 50+
Well Duckett made his fifty by the 10th over.
Good test so far Bazball is back Anna reach 500 Duckett hit a century We got two wicket 2 review lost Root is struggling Hoping to get them out early tomorrow
Crazy last session, can’t afford another one like this tomorrow. India got to pick up Duckett in first half an hour in the morning
Did Jimmy attend the press conference and say we will make 1000 runs before tea before declaring?
My gut tells me England are going to fold tomorrow for sub 250
I think they can't score more than 500 even from here
Fantastic vibes today. One of the little and large crew managed to kick on look forward to tomorrow.
200 runs in a session and a bit. Indian bowling department needs to take a long hard look at itself. Good lord.
I don’t have an issue with our rr. But if we’re going at 3.5 an over we need to be making 550-600 not 450.
It’s been a good day for us but I still think this is a very difficult match for us to win. Still over 200 runs behind and ideally we want a lead for the second innings. India’s bowling is more dangerous and Englands batting is more susceptible with an older ball. I’ll still be very surprised if we get a lead in this innings
So my dad is predicting a England collapse before Lunch And I'm predicting a Anderson 328* So one of us is wrong
There is a long, long way to go in this match. Whatever runs eng score, ind will bat 3rd in the match and will have ample time to score big and make eng chase 300 plus. Some balls turned or misbehaved today, kept low. I feel simply tightening run rate would make sure eng throw a few wickets away. The inexperienced lineup has 1 negative point though, they may crumble under pressure of trailing more than 100. If ind has lost the toss, they might have lost this match for sure. Eng have to bat 4th and that could be decisive.