[nilanjanray]

I have given up watching cricket. Yet to recover from CT final. And then the Women's WC :-(

[Sawyer]

The SL series is predictably boring; I checked out the coverage and I don't think there is enough media interest such that what happens on the field between overs can never be seen!

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

The SL series is predictably boring; I checked out the coverage and I don't think there is enough media interest such that what happens on the field between overs can never be seen!

Of the three-test series, I'm willing to bet India will lose one handsomely just to keep the viewership alive.

[Eddy]

India A has won the one day tri series in South Africa. Manish Pandey and the seamers have done well.

Now, I hope that we can do well in the two unofficial tests as well.

[PPS]

This Ind-SL has been such a drab series,by far the most boring in the last decade & to make things worse SL are going to return to tour India in the coming months!
The ODI selection probably created more buzz than the entire test series.

[sukhoi30]

Originally Posted by PPS

This Ind-SL has been such a drab series,by far the most boring in the last decade & to make things worse SL are going to return to tour India in the coming months!

Yes, it was such a one sided affair. Many of the Sri Lankan team members are quite new and not yet conditioned for high profile international matches.

[Sawyer]

Indian cricket fans are strange animals. Are they typical of Indians in general?

There is indignation at a selector comment that MS Dhoni is not an automatic selection; if he performs he will be selected. What is wrong with that statement - do fans expect players to be selected even if they don't perform? Aren't players well remunerated for past performances to not have a claim for automatic selection in future?

A player has a right to decide when to retire, but he isn't entitled to be selected irrespective of performance till then, surely.

[NPV]

Hadn't watched any of the India-Sri Lanka matches on this tour till yesterdays match - the second ODI
And it turned out to be a good, well fought match that I watched partially and accidentally!
First checked the score online when India were 115/1 in 15 odd overs and thought it's a one sided game that we will win. About 10 minutes later when I switched on the TV, was shocked to see the score as 130/6 and soon Axar was out making it seven down chasing 231 so it looked like India will lose. Somehow, continued watching and they ended up winning with great application from Dhoni and a good knock from Bhuvi as well. Needless to say, the openers scoring 100+ quickly helped the team win as it gave a lot of liberty to play slowly and recover from a tough situation.
Made my day! Felt sorry for Akila Dananjaya who bowled so well to get 6 wickets and put India on the mat and still went on to lose the game.
It's matches like these that can keep the interest in ODI.

[hemanth.anand]

Watching the WI and Eng test match.
Series 1-0 in England's favour
Last 1 hour on the 5th day
15 overs, WI need 47 runs to win the match with 6 wickets remaining with a man on 99* (100 in his first innings too)
Amazing contest...this is how a test match should be

[selfdrive]

Always awesome to see the WI or NZ punch way above their weight. tremendous effort to bounce back from such a hiding in the previous test
I hope they use this as a launch board to revive cricket in the region. There has also been a positive change in the administration

[Sawyer]

It is good to see not even one criticism of the overnight Root declaration.

For a team of "kids", commendably cool heads under a lot of pressure. Good win for cricket, but the WI problem also has been consistency, so the rest of the series is a test of that.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

It is good to see not even one criticism of the overnight Root declaration.

I was quite surprised at the declaration on day 4 at that stage (maybe needed another 50 runs or so to be safer), but then it was a sporting one and they probably fancied their chances of getting 10 wickets in the 4th innings, anything 300 or more was always not going to be easy.

[harry10]

Originally Posted by NPV

I was quite surprised at the declaration on day 4 at that stage (maybe needed another 50 runs or so to be safer), but then it was a sporting one and they probably fancied their chances of getting 10 wickets in the 4th innings, anything 300 or more was always not going to be easy.

For me declaration was more of an overconfident approach. Thinking, it's only windies and they can't chase 300 against us on a last day wicket. Don't see Root repeating this again now. This match also showed how ineffective english bowlers are if the ball stops swinging.

Also, a huge slap on the faces of people like Vaughan and Atherton who claimed WI as second rate and not fit for test cricket anymore. Great win indeed.

And, a small slap to the people who claimed India's no.1 isn't deserving cos they defeat teams like WI.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Always awesome to see the WI or NZ punch way above their weight.

NZ is way superior team and can't be compared to WI. That incredible fightback by Baz and BJ Watling 3 years back cannot be forgotten.

Originally Posted by Sawyer

It is good to see not even one criticism of the overnight Root declaration.

That's how test declarations should be. You have to lure the opposition to think they can win the match, that's how you'll get the wickets.

Australia did this successfully in the Adelaide test setting up India with a 362 target. This was the one where Kohli was a stand-in captain and got a century+ in the 2nd innings and nearly got us close.

This is no invincible WI who made England pay for their declaration in emphatic fashion in the Lords Test of the 1984 'Blackwash' series. That said 322 in 90 overs is no mean task, especially for a team that's struggling both on and off field.

[AltoLXI]

Meanwhile BD have beaten Aussies by 20 runs. First win in tests against Aussies for them.
Shakib bagging 10 wickets in the match.