Team-BHP - The Cricket Thread

When Kohli had got out, I wrote a long post here about how we have squandered it away but thought, hey, the team might just surprise us. But nope.

After the "heroics" and "showing their class" in one match, the team has shown what it really is. Last match was a perfect coming together of a lot of factors, not our team being rockstars.

The lead, although one, is barely anything to hold a "psychological advantage". It would take extreme stupidity and then supreme determination for us to win this match.

The performance in the last match took away the conversation about there needing a change in the way the team was managed. It may not come back immediately but it should. Far too "superstars" are being coddled way beyond their worth.

We will need to both bowl and bat out of our skins to win this test match.

It will require not just something special from our bowlers to skittle England out for under 200, it will require the English batsmen to falter and throw away their wickets.

Our 4th innings batting record leaves a lot to be desired, and chasing even 200 will be a daunting task. We will have to pull of some special performances in both departments, and also hope that the English falter, if we are to win this.

Poor show yesterday. We missed a golden chance to put the match beyond England's reach. Lower middle order was a real disappointment. Understandable if the ball was darting around. The pitch was benign and there was a bit of swing, yes. All it needed was a bit of application. Rahane looked lost out there. I think the poor show behind the stumps put pressure on Pant as he looked very nervous out there in contrast to his first innings. Early days yet, but I think his keeping needs a lot of work at the test level.

Moeen Ali bowled well but not well enough to deserve a five for! I don't understand Kohli's love for Pandya. He has got three solid seamers in his team and in these conditions it is the batting that needs strengthening. Wouldn't a specialist batsman in place of Pandya improve the balance of the team?

Quote:

Originally Posted by VWAllstar (Post 4453511)

England should be all out under 200 or else again a lot will depend on Kohli and Pujara.

Even if we are chasing 150 everything depends on those 2 only cos rest are hopelessly dimwit.

Pujara played innings of his life. What maturity and selflessness. Didn't cared to get his 100 even once and was totally focus on playing as long as possible. Bahane needs to learn this.

Pitch has eased out. New Ball wasn't swinging much even for England so getting them out cheaply will be a Herculean task.

BTW, Ali didn't bowl a magic spell. It was usual off spin bowling. Our players played horrendous shots. Hopefully, Ashwin can forget his leg spin and seam bowling and concentrate on his main weapon, good old off spin which gave him 300+ wickets.

Anything over 150 is going to be a struggle for our 'famed' Indian batsman in the 4th innings! That partnership of Curran & those 30 extras may just prove to be decisive in the end.:Frustrati

Kohli keeps saying that you need to pick up 20 wickets to win test matches, he seems to forget that if your batsman under-perform you are likely to lose the test. :mad:

Indian team is ensuring that Curran & MoeenAlitharan will cement their places in this English team!
I won't be surprised if Dinesh Karthik replaces Pant in the last test.

I think this game is almost gone from our hands. We are struggling to bat against the overrated Moeen Ali . Surely England will give us 150+ to chase. Looks highly doubtful with our 2 minutes Maggi Openers. Kohli and Pujara cant win you games all the time.

Assuming England scores enough to set a target of anything more than 174 for a win - statistically from past history, the chances of an Indian win will be very less (will need a new record to be created).

India has only 6 test wins in England and of those only 3 were won chasing in the 4th Innings with highest winning chase being 174/6 (1971), followed by 136/5 (1986) and then 73/3 (2014).

Let's see if this one will follow the historical trend or if it will be a a new record :)

*If England scores > 201, to win the match India will need to beat a 47 year old record.

I think anything over 150 will be very difficult to chase. What with Moin Ali getting it to turn off the rough.

Its been 56 overs in the second innings and Pandya hasn't bowled yet. I don't think he is in the team just for his batting.

Ashwin is trying too many things here and not looking very ineffective. He need to keep it slow and simple! The pitch has assistance, but he need to be patient and extract the purchase off the wicket.

Also, i don't agree with this tactic of bowling on the leg stump in 2nd innings. Don't understand the thinking behind that.

For once, England must be glad they have so many left-handers. If Ashwin was bowling well (which he isn't), that rough is in a tricky spot for right-handers to face, but the southpaws are just squaring up and padding away.

Moeen may be a handful to bat against, if India is set a tough target.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao (Post 4453778)

India should have picked Jadeja instead of a half fit Ashwin.
He would have used the rough more.
Considering the pitches for the last two matches, I am wondering again why they sent Kuldeep back.

Quote:

Originally Posted by selfdrive (Post 4453782)

India should have picked Jadeja instead of a half fit Ashwin.

I think Ashwin is fully fit. This is just how Ashwin bowls outside the sub-continent. The first test was the exception rather than the norm.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NPV (Post 4453744)

*If England scores > 201, to win the match India will need to beat a 47 year old record.

Ok so it's right there in that zone now, India need to get 2 more English wickets tomorrow and then bat their lives out to do what we've never done before in England chasing a 4th inning total for a win :)

In fact, India has just 3 wins chasing more than 200+ in the 4th inning in overseas tests outside the sub-continent. :)