**Official** Pakistan v New Zealand in the UAE 2014

[morgieb]

I also think if "it's inconclusive" is the result, then the team shouldn't lose a review.

Yeah would probably agree.

The obvious solution is for companies to sort their **** out and pay for Hot Spot/Snicko. But that still leaves HawkEye....

 

[Blocky]

Vettori already dismissed their best batsman cheaply, what use would Wagner be?

Seriously though, been unimpressed with Boult & his lack of control.

He's amazing when the ball is swinging but completely clueless when it isn't, hopefully experience gets him over the line but in these conditions, Wagner just has a lot more to offer - it's unfair to Wagner also that on the back of a year where he took a tonne of wickets at an average of 22, that he's left out of three tests in a row when none of the bowlers have performed.

 

[Blocky]

Be interesting to see what Hafeez attempts against Craig or Sodhi.

 

[cnerd123]

3/109 in 28 overs for the spin trio. Not a bad call so far.

 

[Daemon]

Really wish they'd show more hawk eyes of spinners bowling. It's hard to catch how much the ball is dipping and how much they're flighting it from the usual angle.

 

[Howe_zat]

What is it about Hafeez scoring a massive hundred that makes the thread go all quiet?

Go prof go

 

[smash84]

oh, the 3rd test started today. I was thinking it would start on the 30th of nov.

 

[smash84]

WTF......HAFEEZ 175 not out?

 

[cnerd123]

WTF 178 to Hafeez srsly? Lol.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Hafeez hahaha

NZ need to hire Steyn

 

[cnerd123]

43-9-159-3 for the spin trio.
47-12-118-0 for the pace trio.

Spinners bowling fewer overs but going for more runs than the quicks. Took all of today's wickets too.

Worth noting Craig and Sodhi went for >4 rpo while the other bowlers were <3.

Did they have more attacking fields/mindsets when they bowled, or was it just poor bowling?

 

[Howe_zat]

Just goes to show that despite the debate centring around the spinners, if Southee and Boult were played out comfortably then NZ were cooked regardless.

 

[Howsie]

I literally watched one ball of today's play, the first one Boult bowled. Good length outside off, Hafeez just drives it past point for four. Thought that would do me, glad I didn't bother tuning in.

 

[Kippax]

I literally watched one ball of today's play, the first one Boult bowled. Good length outside off, Hafeez just drives it past point for four. Thought that would do me, glad I didn't bother tuning in.

I think these are Boult's sentiments, too. Sending sullen little texts to his brother Jono after they lost the Abu Dhabi toss.

 

[straw man]

Was reasonably impressed with our bowling in the first two sessions last night, after the disappointment (tstl) of losing the toss. I think we all predicted that Craig would take the first two wickets right . Every wicket was a surprise given the glazed flatness of the wicket; it's like they took the last pitch and then found new technology to remove variability at a now sub-atomic level. Strongly suspect Hafeez tickled that catch down the legside too, which could have given us a chance to put Pakistan under real pressure. It's a shame the Why Did You Bother Review System that we have for this series was never going to detect it.

I think now we're into the third test of the series it's fair to make a call on the pitches, and the call is that the toss confers far too much advantage. That the conditions transition linearly and predictably from highly batting-friendly to relatively spin-bowler friendly, without anything to even the balance (say, something to make batting not ridiculously easy at the start of day 1) or any randomness (like say atmospheric conditions that might provide swing at different times in an NZ test) means the toss-loser faces the equivalent of trying to break serve in tennis.

Seems Pakistan got away from us in the last session. I think this pitch may break up in a way that's a little more random-variation rather than dusty rough, and that unfortunately, we are in for a toweling.

 

[straw man]

Amazed that Vettori has scrubbed up to play this match too, as I thought his achilles problem was too debilitating to back up day after day. Don't share the optimism that he'll continue to play tests after this one-off, so hoping for a fitting farewell in this match.

 

[Kippax]

the toss-loser faces the equivalent of trying to break serve in tennis.

I enjoy that element tbh, it's like a howling wind in links golf. The cosseted players might say 'ew....random'. True champions like Ernie Els or Gary Player tended to soldier through from the half of the draw who got the bad weather. They'd thrive on finding a way to get it done.

 

[Athlai]

We're not as far out of this match as were in the first Test, but we desperately need to win the first session today if we're going to have any hope here.

 

[hendrix]

Yeah I don't mind an advantage given to the winner of the toss, but it's the degree of advantage that's an issue.

I thought the Dubai pitch wasn't as flat as this one.

I don't like seeing batsmen consistently able to drive through the line like Hafeez did in this innings without needing to worry at all about any degree of bounce or deviation.

 

[straw man]

@Kippax: You're right that it's a 'test of character' etc etc and I would expect none of the NZ players to indulge the feeling that fate had been mean and nasty to them. However I as a spectator can. I can even pretend that it's purely because I want a good spectacle and not just because my team is on the receiving end.

In these conditions the away side should be awarded the toss in the first match and every second subsequent toss .