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4th Test (Old Trafford, Manchester) - 23rd to 27th of July

Molehill

Molehill

International Coach
morgieb said:
Stokes is probably the only captain in history that wouldn't have batted first on this.
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They've had some luck (Jaiswal in particular), you kind of need that on the first morning. But it's looking good for batting now. And if Punter is right that it breaks up later then India in the pound seats.
 
trundler

trundler

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England seem to have improved their over rate. Thought this was impossible without sacrificing the quality of cricket.
 
morgieb

morgieb

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flibbertyjibber said:
Nasser waves hello from Brisbane
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My hot take is that I think Nasser gets too much crap for that decision.

Let's look at the two teams head to head. At most that England side would've had maybe one or two guys making the Australian one. He could've crawled to like 280 batting first, but then Australia would've likely pounded on 500 and they'd be under control. His only chance of pulling off something remarkable was to try and get Australia out for a below average first innings score. The way to do that? Bowl first.

It didn't work, but I can see why he took that gamble. Unfortunately it's the kind of decision that looks really bad if it goes wrong whereas the more conservative option would've looked less ridiculous even if it didn't make their chances of winning any better.
 
LangleyburyCCPlayer

LangleyburyCCPlayer

State Captain
Molehill said:
They've had some luck (Jaiswal in particular), you kind of need that on the first morning. But it's looking good for batting now. And if Punter is right that it breaks up later then India in the pound seats.
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Maybe with the rain the pitch won’t break up as much? Maybe that’s why India didn’t go with Kuldeep despite him being a far bigger threat on paper than Thakul
 
MasterBlaster24

MasterBlaster24

U19 Debutant
This is the only the 3rd instance where 3 Indian batsman have scored 400+ runs in a test series away from home:

Shubman-Rahul-Pant-- 2025 vs Eng

Dravid-Laxman-Sehwag--2003/04 vs Aus

Gavaskar-Amarnath-Viswanath--1977 vs Aus
 
CricAddict

CricAddict

International Coach
OverratedSanity said:
No?

He's done well in the first innings on flattish decks multiple times, two games at Dharamshala vs Australia and England, Vishakhapatnam vs England was another one. This sounds like a desperate attempt to somehow find sense in a bad decision from the team management.
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OK not all but most. But it is not some huge error by the management like everyone is making it out to be. Except for the 5 wicket haul vs Australia in that one innings, he hasn't played outside the subcontinent at all and hence, unproven on how he will do. They are not making him sit out after he has taken huge number of wickets in sena recently or something. England tests are for pacers and spinners are just sideshows except if you are Warne or Murali and so, it makes sense to go with the better batting spinner.
 
A

Arachnödouche2.0

State Vice-Captain
CricAddict said:
OK not all but most. But it is not some huge error by the management like everyone is making it out to be. Except for the 5 wicket haul vs Australia in that one innings, he hasn't played outside the subcontinent at all and hence, unproven on how he will do. They are not making him sit out after he has taken huge number of wickets in sena recently or something. England tests are for pacers and spinners are just sideshows except if you are Warne or Murali and so, it makes sense to go with the better batting spinner.
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Yeah don't play your chinaman in one of the hottest English summers on record because it's unproven how he'll go abroad outside that one 5-fer at the SCG. Astute selection policy.
 
Hungry Llama

Hungry Llama

U19 Vice-Captain
Stokes has a 1 track mind. Doesnt learn from mistakes in the 1st and 2nd tests. V good batting from the india openers even if Jaswal broke his bat.
If thats all england can do with a new ball, dont wanna thinks what will happen when the ball goes soft. Record scores perhaps?
 
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