2nd Test (Edgbaston) - July 2nd

[Son Of Coco]

Jeez is it really that hard to admit the entire world tamper home wickets to be productive to what the home teams perceive as their strengths?

This is what England tells themselves to justify their own actions.

 

[Johan]

i think that the (correctly made) point is a lot of the commentariat in the west act like it’s a Shifty Loser Tactic only deployed by Shifty Subcontinental Boards when they’re just as guilty… usually there’s a bit more intellectual honesty in the discussion about it on here

People are racist

 

[Daemon]

With each wicket Akash takes I first feel joy and then anger at the self sabotage by dropping him for the first game

 

[Johan]

man we should have poached Seales or Sham- nah nah, not that guy, definitely not that guy

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

If we're gonna chase this down you'd think this pair probably needs to halve the deficit.

 

[centurymaker]

Why not an extra slip against Jamie Smith when Akash Deep is bowling??

Crazy tactics.

I don't like Gill's captaincy. He's super conservative. There's no way this lot can win any away series with this mindset.

 

[SkyBlue]

Magic spell from Akash

Spell of the series so far

 

[Spark]

i think that the (correctly made) point is a lot of the commentariat in the west act like it’s a Shifty Loser Tactic only deployed by Shifty Subcontinental Boards when they’re just as guilty… usually there’s a bit more intellectual honesty in the discussion about it on here

Frankly the hypocrisy doesn't bother me that much - it's fine, whatever, do what you have to do. What bothers me is that England Tests used to be some of the best viewing in the world, and I'd always go out of my way to watch them because they were so unpredictable and compelling as a contest between bat and ball.

But these days? I'd rather do literally anything else rather than watch another session of "fielding captain has stopped bothering to try to take wickets normally so here's another two hours of six legside boundary riders while the bowler hammers down half-tracker pies because hoping the batsman skies one is the only way he's going to get out". Genuinely some of the most unwatchable filth and it happens day after day on these pitches that England are rolling out.

Frankly Aus has to take partial blame for it for pioneering this godawful tactic (admittedly in pretty extreme circumstances), now it's unfortunately become a fixture and it's an absolute ****ing blight on the sport.

 

[wpdavid]

Maybe I'm showing my bias too much but I do think Australia at least have a bit of a claim to the moral high ground with "pitch doctoring". I honestly don't think we've been guilty of ****ing with pitches to get the ideal result the team needs. Most other nations OTOH have. India aren't even that bad in that regard!

I'm with you regarding Australia actually. Maybe in 1978/79 when the pitches were really bowler friendly to give your side a chance when they were missing all of the Packer players. And 1974/75 was supposed to suit L&T. But I don't actually have a problem with any of that, and obviously that's had nothing whatsoever with the recent hammerings.

From an English pov, I'd argue that Headingley in 1972 was the only time we've been guilty of over-doing it.

 

[Johan]

Frankly the hypocrisy doesn't bother me that much - it's fine, whatever, do what you have to do. What bothers me is that England Tests used to be some of the best viewing in the world, and I'd always go out of my way to watch them because they were so unpredictable and compelling as a contest between bat and ball.

Are we seriously gassing up 2019-2022 England home tests???

 

[Shady Slim]

Frankly the hypocrisy doesn't bother me that much - it's fine, whatever, do what you have to do. What bothers me is that England Tests used to be some of the best viewing in the world, and I'd always go out of my way to watch them because they were so unpredictable and compelling as a contest between bat and ball.

But these days? I'd rather do literally anything else rather than watch another session of "fielding captain has stopped bothering to try to take wickets normally so here's another two hours of six legside boundary riders while the bowler hammers down half-tracker pieces because hoping the batsman skies one is the only way he's going to get out". Genuinely some of the most unwatchable filth and it happens day after day on these pitches that England are rolling out.

Frankly Aus has to take partial blame for it for pioneering this godawful tactic (admittedly in pretty extreme circumstances), now it's unfortunately become a fixture and it's an absolute ****ing blight on the sport.

agree, and with the bolded especially

 

[centurymaker]

Is Gill planning to take with him this big lead into the 3rd Test? Field placements make little sense with opposition 5 down.

 

[Spark]

Are we seriously gassing up 2019-2022 England home tests???

The 2019... Ashes? Yes...? I remember the 2021 India series being quality viewing as well.

 

[Burgey]

People are racist

Joe Root certainly has questions to answer.

In all seriousness though, England has looked completely clueless as soon as the ball has deviated more than a millimetre. It’s why they prep flat decks - they lack the temperament and technique to survive and prosper in difficult conditions.

 

[Johan]

The 2019... Ashes? Yes...? I remember the 2021 India series being quality viewing as well.

I'd rather take a shotgun, put it in my mouth and pull the trigger than sit through another year of what England were pulling in the 2021 India series, lol. Horrible series, just horrible stuff

 

[Thala_0710]

That in seamer by Akashdeep is unplayable

 

[Shady Slim]

Maybe I'm showing my bias too much but I do think Australia at least have a bit of a claim to the moral high ground with "pitch doctoring". I honestly don't think we've been guilty of ****ing with pitches to get the ideal result the team needs. Most other nations OTOH have. India aren't even that bad in that regard!

i think we had some pretty shocking anti-cricket bouncy roads from after the johnson ashes to right before that series where south africa rinsed us at hobart (and maybe a bit after that series too?)
there was also that period around the turn of the decade just come where the MCG sucked so much but i feel that was localised rather than rigging it

 

[Daemon]

The late declaration makes even less sense right now.

 

[Spark]

I'd rather take a shotgun, put it in my mouth and pull the trigger than sit through another year of what England were pulling in the 2021 India series, lol. Horrible series, just horrible stuff

Wtf are you talking about? That series most definitely had a better balance between bat and ball than the vast majority of English Tests since the 2023 Ashes.

 

[SkyBlue]

Brilliant bowling

Test cricket = fast bowling. It should always be a bowler's game.