***Official*** England in India

[smash84]

I can only assume that they're so disheartened by what they see as the supposed flatness of the deck that they're trying every part of the pitch out to make sure it's equally flat everywhere.

that is a nice hypothesis

 

[Spark]

Samit's been pretty consistent in his poor length though. I think we can safely declare half volley length to be flat now.

Broad's doing a fine job of examining the half-tracker length as well.

 

[Prince EWS]

Samit bowls a good length! Hooray!!!

 

[Cabinet96]

And follows it up with a half tracker

 

[wellAlbidarned]

That's the length, Pat

 

[Spark]

Seems like Patel wants to double-check Broad's work.

 

[Satyanash89]

Samit bowls a good length! Hooray!!!

then bowls a half tracker next ball

 

[hazsa19]

This is then olde English theory that part-time spinners are a good option against Indian batsmen. I've never quite worked it out. Thankfully we abandoned it for a while, but it's back to haunt us today.

Only a few English people think Patel should be there. Unfortunately they're the ones in charge

 

[Prince EWS]

I'm honestly happier with him bowling a decent delivery and then an absolute pie than just bowling six volleys that get hit for singles per over tbh. That was just pointless before.

 

[Pothas]

Well this is just a little bit depressing...

 

[Contra]

Stacked offside in-out field, short cover, one-day style? It's a plan, at least.

Yeah I get your point, but with the sort of approach Sehwag as consciously adopted he would wreck most plans easily.

Anyhow Pujara almost to a 50, seems to have a good measure of when to attack and when to defend. If only we can get Rahane in this side somehow it'd be so awesome.

 

[Spark]

Yeah I get your point, but with the sort of approach Sehwag as consciously adopted he would wreck most plans easily.

Anyhow Pujara almost to a 50, seems to have a good measure of when to attack and when to defend. If only we can get Rahane in this side somehow it'd be so awesome.

Any plan is better than no plan, surely. We pile on Dhoni for it, after all.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Pujara has 35 at run-a-ball over the last 10.

One thing to concede at that rate to Sehwag for whom it's a way of life but to concede that to the new batsman while he's not taking any unnecessary risks on a pitch with something for bowlers who bowl at a good length is a joke.

It happens a lot at lower level cricket where captains and fielders just cbf changing every time, but these guys are meant to be a bit better than that I hear

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Anyhow Pujara almost to a 50, seems to have a good measure of when to attack and when to defend. If only we can get Rahane in this side somehow it'd be so awesome.

Well Tendulkar will retire soon so he can replace him.

 

[Cabinet96]

Only a few English people think Patel should be there. Unfortunately they're the ones in charge

Tbf, Samit is very much a batsmen who bowls. If the rest of the bowler weren't bowling so many pies they wouldn't need Patel to roll his arm over.

 

[Pothas]

That was a ridiculously easy 50.

 

[hazsa19]

Well this is just a little bit depressing...

Little bit? Any hope of a close contest has been dashed in an instant. We'll be lucky to get away without an innings defeat

 

[Teja.]

Pujara innings split -

55 of 69

First 10 of 33

and then, 41 of 36

 

[Spark]

This is astonishing, really.

 

[Prince EWS]

Tbf, Samit is very much a batsmen who bowls. If the rest of the bowler weren't bowling so many pies they wouldn't need Patel to roll his arm over.

He is also very much not as good a batsman as Bairstow, so if he's going to bowl like this then he shouldn't be playing. He's been picked as a batting allrounder, yes, but what he's sent down so far hasn't even been up to that standard, frankly. Early days obviously but it's been depressing.