What we learned from the 5th Test

[GIMH]

Tbh, as gutting as this is, the 2-2 V Oz is the bigger missed opportunity. England were the far superior outfit in that series. India fully deserved the draw here.

Anyway to the thread title, I don’t think we managed our bowlers well enough. As selfishly pleased as I was to watch Archer bowl in the flesh at OT, him playing this one could have been huge. But who knows. Maybe without him at OT we wind up losing there. But to suddenly get to a decider and be fielding what felt very much like a dead rubber attack (Atkinson is class but first game back and all) isn’t a good reflection on the way they’ve managed the rotation.

 

[govinda indian fan]

Prasidh krishna is million times better then trundler like kamboj. Just needs to stop spraying

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Tbh, as gutting as this is, the 2-2 V Oz is the bigger missed opportunity. England were the far superior outfit in that series. India fully deserved the draw here.

Anyway to the thread title, I don’t think we managed our bowlers well enough. As selfishly pleased as I was to watch Archer bowl in the flesh at OT, him playing this one could have been huge. But who knows. Maybe without him at OT we wind up losing there. But to suddenly get to a decider and be fielding what felt very much like a dead rubber attack (Atkinson is class but first game back and all) isn’t a good reflection on the way they’ve managed the rotation.

Is this how India fans felt when we levelled up the series in 2022? It’s a weird feeling, if you’d have told me when India were effectively minus 311-2 at Old Trafford that the series would be drawn, or when we had 73 left to chase yesterday with 7(!) wickets in hand, I’d have been devastated, but I can’t really argue with a draw not being a fair result, India were far more competitive in our two wins than we were at Edgbaston, and for all of our huffing and puffing, ultimately we didn’t come that close to blowing the house down at Old Trafford. I think once it became clear that Wood wasn’t going to play at the Oval, perhaps we could have rested Archer for Old Trafford and had him play at the Oval, and maybe brought back Tongue in, but I dunno, it’s sort of shuffling deckchairs isn’t it? I like our potential bowling unit, but I do worry about their fitness and ability to keep steaming in day in, day out, he may be declining, but I feel Woakes could be a miss in the Ashes

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

What have we learned? Apparently it’s important to play red ball cricket if you want to be prepared to play a Test match, shocking I know!

 

[honestbharani]

I actually think Overton was pretty immense bowling whenever he got those wickets yesterday and without him, you may well have been looking at a 450+ chase which changes so many things.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

I actually think Overton was pretty immense bowling whenever he got those wickets yesterday and without him, you may well have been looking at a 450+ chase which changes so many things.

He was better in the second innings (on the friendliest wicket of the series), and a bit unlucky with some tough chances dropped off his bowling, but he was still third best, and his first innings was shocking

 

[kevinw]

I would say that Jamie Overton is comfortably the worst selection England have made for many years, since whenever England last picked Jake Ball.

 

[Arachnödouche2.0]

I'm just happy we squeaked through here. Three losses to Eng thumping down 370-run targets would've been seriously emasculating.

 

[jaydesh]

Umpiring has been poor for much of this test and the series. Especially Kumar Dharmasena. The guy is literally a long lost cousin of the Col. Almeida character in Kuch Kuch Hota hai (an iconic Bollywood film) with his weird bias towards England. At least until that Overton lbw when he realized he was there to be an ICC umpire, not an interviewee of the revived East India Company.

Ahsan Raza was also pathetic after a good match at Manchester, as were Saikat and Reiffel earlier.

 

[Coronis]

Overton should never play Test Cricket again.

The sub rule needs looking at, any bloke with a dislocated shoulder should not be running around in agony.

Shouldn’t have dislocated his shoulder imo.

Its impossible to perfectly sub a player in that can replicate another. One team will be pissed and the other will have an advantage depending on the match situation. That’s why they only do fielding subs since a fielder will have less impact than a batsman/bowler. Perhaps it needs to be looked at, but I don’t really think there’s a simple solution.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Shouldn’t have dislocated his shoulder imo.

Its impossible to perfectly sub a player in that can replicate another. One team will be pissed and the other will have an advantage depending on the match situation. That’s why they only do fielding subs since a fielder will have less impact than a batsman/bowler. Perhaps it needs to be looked at, but I don’t really think there’s a simple solution.

Where is the line? And do you treat batters and bowlers differently? Woakes was obviously not going to bowl again, but what happens if someone gets what looks like a little twinge from stretching, it could be serious or it could just be the sort of knock that comes with the territory of 5-day cricket

 

[Northerner]

I would say that Jamie Overton is comfortably the worst selection England have made for many years, since whenever England last picked Jake Ball.

Agreed, Potts too has not had a look in this series,

 

[nick-o]

Anderson retired too soon

 

[jaydesh]

I would say that Jamie Overton is comfortably the worst selection England have made for many years, since whenever England last picked Jake Ball.

There have been worse, to be honest. Keaton Jennings, Dom Bess, Tom Westley, etc. But agreed, Overton was useless. Only picked cause it was his home ground.

 

[Coronis]

Where is the line? And do you treat batters and bowlers differently? Woakes was obviously not going to bowl again, but what happens if someone gets what looks like a little twinge from stretching, it could be serious or it could just be the sort of knock that comes with the territory of 5-day cricket

They should pick someone who is a complete spud with the bat and ball but an excellent fielder

 

[flibbertyjibber]

The Indian coach is clueless at picking pjayer of tte series. Clearly Root. Idiot.

 

[kevinw]

There have been worse, to be honest. Keaton Jennings, Dom Bess, Tom Westley, etc. But agreed, Overton was useless. Only picked cause it was his home ground.

Dom Bess wasn't that bad. Shame he got the yips as he could easily be England's first choice now.

 

[trundler]

Jennings at least deserved to be picked and if he had been given as much backing as Crawley he'd probably have done better.

 

[Molehill]

Jennings at least deserved to be picked and if he had been given as much backing as Crawley he'd probably have done better.

Yeah, those picks may have ended up a bit average, but they had all done something to earn selection. There was literally nothing to justify Overton.

It’s annoying that I’ve not seen a single member of the media question them on this. Are they all part of the club too?

 

[jaydesh]

Yeah, those picks may have ended up a bit average, but they had all done something to earn selection. There was literally nothing to justify Overton.

It’s annoying that I’ve not seen a single member of the media question them on this. Are they all part of the club too?

His brother was also a bang average pick for the 2017/18 Ashes