The Cricket Thread, Mark 2

[DangerMark]

Been hit by a double post glitch, so expanded thoughts below, but the recurring one is: EngLOLand.

Edited August 16, 2021 by DangerMark
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[DangerMark]

India become the second team to declare after lunch on the last day and bowl their opponents out in the fourth innings; and bear in mind with Ishant Sharma gone at 208-8, they might have thought they were in decent shape against statistically one of the worst tails in Test Cricket, although probably not any more. Jasprit Bumrah has doubled his run count in this series.

I think that deserves another EngLOLand

Edited August 16, 2021 by DangerMark
Double Post

[The Natural]

England produced one of their worst home performances in recent memory to lose the second Test against India by 151 runs at Lord's.

From a position where they started the final day as marginal favourites, England's bowling was flayed by the India tail before their batting capitulated to 120 all out.

Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah - two genuine tailenders - shared a ninth-wicket stand of 89 in front of some raucous Indian support.

Shami had reached 56 not out and Bumrah an unbeaten 34 when India declared on 298-8, setting England an unlikely 272 to win or 60 overs to survive.

They instantly found themselves 1-2 after openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley fell for ducks, and hope faded when Jonny Bairstow then, crucially, captain Joe Root were dismissed in the space of four balls either side of tea.

Even the prolific Root, who made an unbeaten 180 in the first innings, could not save his team. He was caught at first slip off Bumrah in the first over after tea and England looked beaten.

Disappointing England Test performances have become commonplace, especially overseas. They have also been bowled out for 85 and 60 at home by Ireland and Australia respectively, but at least they won those matches.

What makes this defeat so abject is the manner they threw away a genuine chance of victory, one which came after they were second best in the drawn first Test and allowed India to reach 276-3 on day one here.

Their tactics during the Shami-Bumrah stand were completely baffling. Perhaps sucked in by the emotion of Anderson being peppered by Bumrah on the the third evening, England targeted the man rather than the stumps. By the time they changed the plan, it was too late.

Not only that, but the fractious nature of the contest - there were numerous verbal exchanges between the two sides - seemed to galvanise India, while England wilted.

With India 181-6 overnight - 154 ahead - their hopes seemed to rest on the swashbuckling Rishabh Pant.

That they could be taken to a declaration by Shami and Bumrah - men who averaged 11 and three respectively in Test cricket - is barely believable.

bbc.co.uk.

Edited August 16, 2021 by The Natural

[Guest Jimbo_Tsuruta]

Anderson, Broad and Root deserve to put their feet up and stay home for the Ashes. The rest should be glad they don't have a manager like Fergie or Clough giving them the hairdryer treatment or forcing them to go on a twenty mile hike at 4am. Useless.

[The Natural]

3 hours ago, Jimbo_Tsuruta said:

Anderson, Broad and Root deserve to put their feet up and stay home for the Ashes. The rest should be glad they don't have a manager like Fergie or Clough giving them the hairdryer treatment or forcing them to go on a twenty mile hike at 4am. Useless.

Add Ben Stokes to Anderson/Broad/Root. Stokes' mental health is more important than cricket.

[Guest Jimbo_Tsuruta]

2 hours ago, The Natural said:

Add Ben Stokes to Anderson/Broad/Root. Stokes' mental health is more important than cricket.

Yep. Archer and Stone are doubtful through injury too. I'd just pick Woakes, Curran, Robinson and Wood as frontline seamers and give those we've mentioned time off.

Edited August 17, 2021 by Jimbo_Tsuruta

[DangerMark]

I don't think England are too far away, there were two things that India did twice that England at best only managed once each: Their top three hung around and they mopped up the tail. If England can find an opener who can consistently avoid getting out in the first over, they can do the first of those things; then the second is a case of not outsmarting yourself. Bowl at the stumps and eventually you'll find the hole in Bumrah and Shami's bat.

Of course finding a better opener than Dom Sibley is probably harder than it sounds. Burns seems the better batter, but he probably deserves the ol' shepherd's crook for that second innings dismal. I mean, dismissal. He was completely bamboozled.

[The Natural]

Mark Chapman is one of my favourite presenters.

[The Natural]

 

[DangerMark]

Despite the stat posted by my esteemed colleague @The Natural, Rory Burns is England's second highest run scorer on the year, if you don't count extras. This goes some way to explaining why Sibley has been dropped in favour of Dawid Malan, but Burns survives despite his last outing, the kind of dismissal the word "bamboozled" was invented for.

[SirFozzie]

England Fans: "There's Only One Jimmy Anderson"

India Fans: "Thank god"

 

India 4/2.

[The Natural]

22 minutes ago, SirFozzie said:

England Fans: "There's Only One Jimmy Anderson"

India Fans: "Thank god"

 

India 4/2.

21-3 now with Kohli gone for 7! Anderson 3-6 after 5.5 overs.

Edited August 25, 2021 by The Natural

[SirFozzie]

56-4! 

The England Fans should be singing "Are you England In Disguise?".

Welcome to top order-collapseville!

 

edit: Crazy comparisons. (as in, Anderson since THIS age compares to THIS bowler's full career)

 

Edited August 25, 2021 by SirFozzie

[The Natural]

74-9 now!

[SirFozzie]

2 minutes ago, The Natural said:

74-9 now!

what in the actual fuck?

 

Apparently, they ARE england in disguise!

[The Natural]

20 minutes ago, The Natural said:

74-9 now!

 

17 minutes ago, SirFozzie said:

what in the actual fuck?

 

Apparently, they ARE england in disguise!

78 all out!

England to bat...

Edited August 25, 2021 by The Natural

[SirFozzie]

And it's taken 5 deliveries to get two legal balls for 8 runs. (2 Noballs and a wide, + a 4)

[SirFozzie]

First time in over a decade that a batting team goes in, loses all their wickets and then doesn't get any wickets and trails at the end of the day.

[The Natural]

Statistics correct at end of India's first innings. Legend.

Edited August 26, 2021 by The Natural

[The Natural]

Currently England 282-2 with Joe Root on 70.

[The Natural]

There was chat during the Lord's Test about Joe Root scoring the most runs in a calendar year.

He's up to 1,357 at the moment.

Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf holds the record with 1,788.

With another innings in this Test, two more games in this series and three Ashes Tests to come, Root could well get there.

[The Natural]

This was Joe Root's sixth Test century of 2021. Only Denis Compton and Michael Vaughan have made six in a year for England.

[The Natural]

Root moves to 2nd with POS Pietersen on Most Test Centuries for England. Cook's on top with 33.

[The Natural]

 

[The Natural]

Joe Root has just overtaken Sachin Tendulkar in 2002 for most runs in Tests in a calendar year.

He's only 395 off Mohammad Yousef at the top.

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That four took Root to 500 runs for the series, from just five innings.