*Official* 1st Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, 05 - 09 Feb 2021

[Arachnodouche]

Hadlee and Imran are the "good to great" stories there. Anderson is the "average to very good" story. Still unsure where Ishant ends up but as of now it reads "poor to good".

What amazes me is that Morne Morkel has the same improvement in his second half of his career as Jimmy A. Maybe he is the real underrated one around here.

He's also been fortunate in the sense he kept getting picked through the many years that he was bad. Credit to him that he continued improving, but our limited reserves have played to his advantage too. Would've been binned for good a long time before he found his mojo by any other top side.

 

[honestbharani]

He's also been fortunate in the sense he kept getting picked through the many years that he was bad. Credit to him that he continued improving, but our limited reserves have played to his advantage too. Would've been binned for good a long time before he found his mojo by any other top side.

But you can also possibly say he may have improved much faster had he been binned much earlier, so its not sure either way, lol.

 

[sunilz]

He's also been fortunate in the sense he kept getting picked through the many years that he was bad. Credit to him that he continued improving, but our limited reserves have played to his advantage too. Would've been binned for good a long time before he found his mojo by any other top side.

He was also picked at very early age due to lack of India's fast bowling resources. So all his development took place in international cricket. For other countries he might have debuted after maturing as fast bowler.

 

[Arachnodouche]

He was also picked at very early age due to lack of India's fast bowling resources. So all his development took place in international cricket. For other countries he might have debuted after maturing as fast bowler.

Yeah agreed. And who's to say the experience gained through the bad times hasn't helped him in the long run. Fascinating career.

 

[sunilz]

So is Ishant definitely better than any of them ?

 

[weldone]

Siddle, Harmison, Kaneria

 

[flibbertyjibber]

He was also picked at very early age due to lack of India's fast bowling resources. So all his development took place in international cricket. For other countries he might have debuted after maturing as fast bowler.

Well Broad was the same for us, took him a while to get it together.

 

[BSM]

I don’t believe that’s true. I think Archer believes there’s more to his bowling than needing to rely on pure pace, he may have a point, but I do tend to agree with Mackembhoy and I’ve voiced this sake concern in previous Test series. Perhaps with his lack of action recently we can allow him this Test to find his rhythm and fitness again, although expect a big effort on the pace front from him tomorrow.

Yeah its frustrating to watch when you know that he can bowl very fast, but it seems like sometimes he focuses on just trying to put it in the right areas. His opening spell today was very accurate but fairly slow while his opening spell in the first innings included a lot of poor balls but he ultimately took two wickets. Perhaps he saw Ishant and Bumrah getting the ball to pop off a length and was just trying to get it to do the same? It's still annoying to watch as he is definitively better trying to bowl quickly but I think its a bit disingenuous to call it laziness as some people are.

 

[Woodster]

Yeah its frustrating to watch when you know that he can bowl very fast, but it seems like sometimes he focuses on just trying to put it in the right areas. His opening spell today was very accurate but fairly slow while his opening spell in the first innings included a lot of poor balls but he ultimately took two wickets. Perhaps he saw Ishant and Bumrah getting the ball to pop off a length and was just trying to get it to do the same? It's still annoying to watch as he is definitively better trying to bowl quickly but I think its a bit disingenuous to call it laziness as some people are.

I thought his opening spell in the first innings was really good, with over 550 on the board I don’t care if he goes at four and five an over if he offers the threat he did in the first innings. Look I appreciate things are slightly different in this Test, he’s on the back of not much cricket and he’s in conditions where he’s trying to figure out how he can be most effective,the odd frustration I have with him are based more on previous Tests where he hasn’t recognised the situation of the Test and absolutely steamed in when it required.

 

[Manee]

I know I've been tremendously negative toward India for the whole Australia series. However, I believe they can chase this. I don't know why. I know it is far too fast for a Test team to score. But I believe!

 

[Shri]

archer has one of those medical skin stickers on that you apply for muscle niggles

is he okay

re archer's bowling speed

 

[Arachnodouche]

I know I've been tremendously negative toward India for the whole Australia series. However, I believe they can chase this. I don't know why. I know it is far too fast for a Test team to score. But I believe!

After two months of pessimism, finally some positivity! Might lead to disappointment this time around but good on you

 

[Anil]

I know I've been tremendously negative toward India for the whole Australia series. However, I believe they can chase this. I don't know why. I know it is far too fast for a Test team to score. But I believe!

what happened in australia was special because it is rare...doesn't mean it will happen all the time...scoring 380 on a final day wearing pitch against a disciplined england attack is frankly not going to happen...our best hope is to somehow hang on and force a draw, go into the 2nd test all square...

 

[Burgey]

Going home resting/rotation that they seem keen on.

Given the schedule you can't blame them but seems bizarre seeing as he is one of the better players of spin in the side.

That’s just ****ing ridiculous

 

[Woodster]

Yes I’m not entirely sure they’ve gone about this whole mental rest/rotation thing exactly in the right way and I’m sure there are reasons beyond our knowledge. I don’t get the Buttler thing, if he’s struggling is it worth bringing him to India for one Test. Bairstow in an interview was very open and talked about the difficulties, etc, but surely we need our strongest side for this India trip instead of switching people in and out and some continuity.

I don’t doubt that staying in bubbles has a significant impact on people’s well-being that are being kept away from their families, I just think it could be all done with more cohesion, I think in some cases they are trying to give players a break before they actually need one (like multi-format players) to eradicate any future problems, but Buttler in for one Test I’m not sure does anyone any favours. However, there are bigger things at play here other than cricket.

 

[Pothas]

Well he played the two in Sri Lanka so guess they are seeing it as him playing the first three matches rather than just one, it is not like they went home between the two series. I think they have managed it really well so far, also kind of funny how loads of people wanted Foakes to play anyway and are now complaining that he is going to get a chance.

 

[Woodster]

But could Foakes have been given the chance in Sri Lanka and Buttler played against India? It’s a difficult situation to handle and to know exactly what the right thing is to do.

 

[Jack1]

Ishant Sharma claiming India can chase the score down. Don’t think he understands the asking rate is already too high in a test match on day 5. India will be batting for a draw only

 

[Victor Ian]

While this should normally be a near impossible chase, India is currently on one of those vibes where anything is possible. This time Pant get's his hundred. Why not Sundar too?

 

[Niall]

While this should normally be a near impossible chase, India is currently on one of those vibes where anything is possible. This time Pant get's his hundred. Why not Sundar too?

I know they chased against an elite Aussie bowling line up but this is a much bigger target and the pitch is doing something.

If they chase this it's easily surpasses Mumbai because that 2008 Indian batting line up was absolute gun.

Sehwag at the top blasting.

Rohit at the top doing whatever he does

I hope India drop Nadeem no matter the result not a good enough bowler and it must be infuriating for Pant, Sundar and all Indian fans to know batting stops ay 8. Kuldeep is actually a decent number 9.

What do we reckon next test?

Kuldeep or Axar?