It’s been a while since England had a great Test batting line-up, but against a stronger Indian bowling attack than we faced - and also playing in India - they look like worldbeaters in the First Test compared to our modest efforts in December-January.
With three centuries in as many Tests (starting with two Tests against Sri Lanka), the much-maligned Joe Root is in career-best form after a modest 2020.
I think he’s now the ninth batsman to score a century in his 100th Test.
Of course, India is still to bat and I expect Virat Kohli will be hungry for runs after seven weeks out of the game.
I agree 100% Arch.
England have looked totally at home against this Indian attack, virtually the same attack that all bar Smith & Labuschagne looked all at sea at even on our flat decks here in Aus.
Root is in career best form atm with Centuries in his last 3 Tests (2 vs SL in Galle before this Test), Sibley looks solid as an opener, Stokes we know is a gun and their bowling attack is their real strength- Anderson, Archer, Stokes, Bess, Leach (plus Broad, Wood, Woakes etc not even playing in this Test).
Early days I know but we desperately need the likes of Pucovski, Green and another batsman to really step up consistently with the Poms on our soil next Summer to support Smith, Labuschagne & Warner who himself was all at sea against Broad in 2019.
Beas, with the South African tour having been cancelled, I hope all those who were selected for that trip take the opportunity to play as much Sheffield Shield cricket as they can.
The poor old Shield has sadly been forgotten these past two months, but there are 20 of the rostered 30 matches still to play.
A perfect opportunity for blokes to make a statement ahead of the 2021-22 home Ashes series.
In time, assuming he gets more of a bowl, I wonder if Cam Green can emulate the feats of Ben Stokes.
Dependent on his health, you’d think Will Pucovski is a walk-up start, while perhaps Dave Warner has one more 500-run series in him.
Arch I am really looking forward to the Sheffield Shield resuming now and with a full compliment of Test players playing across the States, bar those going to NZ for a nonsense 3 T20 games.
Root went on to make 218 his second double century in his last 3 Tests, Stokes made his usual quickfire 82 whilst the Pommy tail is wagging something we havent seen from our tail for a long time let alone against India!
BH always easier for the tail to make runs when the top order guys have squeezed the bowling attack for 120 + overs…another great knock by Root, certainly in a rich vein of form, no one doubted his ability, just his durability at the crease. Rather Joe in smoking hot form now then in the Ashes I guess.
If India bat long, this game could easily meander into a draw…hopefully the last two won’t be draws, because the last thing Aust needs is a long haul flight to Lords for a one off test match v NZ… especially with NZ having the luxury of a two test match series v Eng prior to the final, don’t fancy Aust or India’s chances coming into UK conditions cold for a one off match.
Beas ‘n’ Freez, by batting into Day 3, Joe Root seems to have adopted the old English tactic of first making sure his team can’t lose and then worry about maybe winning the game.
Chennai is warm all year round, so I wouldn’t have thought Root would enforce the follow-on unless England dismisses India cheaply.
That said, the To and Froms do have three pacemen and three spinners (including Root), meaning they can rotate their bowlers frequently.
Re the Test Championship final, I just assumed we had to beat South Africa 3-0 to qualify, with that option now gone since the tour has been cancelled.
However, maybe 0-0, as you suggested, Freez, could open the door for us.
Archie that’s what I read after that SA cancellation, only way Aust sneak in, is if Eng and India draw the series 0/0…saying that don’t really think Aust getting in is a plus, yeah if they sneak a win great, but for me the Ashes win is the priority…long way to go for a one off match…though I guess with some shield games thru to March - April is better prep then none at all…pity someone like Phillipe is off to play 20/20 in NZ…a few shield matches would of been better for the kids development TBH
Fully agree with you about the Ashes, Freez.
One isolated Test in the middle of winter will mean nothing if it disrupts our preparation against what I see as an improved England team.
Thought I read that the Shield season might run into April, so Josh Philippe should have a chance to play a bit of red-ball cricket after the NZ tour.
Good posts guys, needlesss to say, i enoyed England’s win. Root needs to get those runs here to be considerred a genuine great.
Not sure what has happened to some of my previous posts on this match but seem to have disappeared?
I cant stand the Poms but how refreshing was it to see a bowling team on Day 5 actually pitch the ball up, aiming at off stump and looking for a bit of reverse swing and or a few too keep low!
Something the braindead Australian cricket team’s staff- Langer, Paine, Bowling Coach, Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc etc could take note of instead of their brainless, mindless short pitched rubbish they dished up at Sydney & Brisbane on Day 5 vs India just recently!
Well looks odds on the series will be 1 - 1 at the end of this test. After losing the toss, England really needed to bowl India out for 200 on a pitch that was throwing up puffs of dust on the first day, but a combination of inconsistent bowling and an outstanding innings by Rohit allowed them to get up to 330. Then today the English batsmen were no match for Ashwin and Co. Foakes was actually the best equipped to handle the spinning delivery and he was the only batsman who didn’t look like getting out any ball.
At the end of day 2 the Indian lead is 250 which is probably more than enough but the home team will endeavour to pile on the pain tomorrow to put at least another 150 on top of that.
Mike considering how each side has handled the first 2 days here do you think we can expect similar pitches served up as this current one in Chennai for the next 3 Tests in Ahmadabad?
Especially seeing as India need to win the series comfortably to be playing NZ at Lords for the Test Championship?!
Mike considering how each side has handled the first 2 days here do you think we can expect similar pitches served up as this current one in Chennai for the next 3 Tests in Ahmadabad?
Especially seeing as India need to win the series comfortably to be playing NZ at Lords for the Test Championship?!
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I think we can expect similar conditions in the last 2 tests (I think its only a 4 test series). England demonstrated yesterday that they were pretty clueless when they are facing high quality spin on these types of pitches. The only exception was Foakes who showed the rest of his mates that it is possible to score runs on these tracks with a mixture of soft hands, patience and a bit of luck.
The only positive out of this game for England is the performance of Ollie Stone who with Archer could make life very uncomfortable for the Australians next summer.
I think England will be serving up some green tops for India next time they tour the UK
Think the likes of Bumrah, Siraj, Shami etc wouldn’t complain one bit if the English served up a few green decks next time India tours the UK mate…plus the likes of Pujara, Kohli and Rahane have compact techniques to handle the moving ball…reckon Gill, Sharma or a Shaw would struggle though…
Be interesting to see how Eng rotate their bowlers in the Ashes series…can see Anderson, Broad and Woakes play in the day/night test and the GABBA…whilst Archer, Wood or Stone for the Optus match perhaps…as for Sydney and Melbourne…Leech and Bess for the former and a mixture of fast/swing maybe…at 39 and 35 there is no way Broad and Anderson will play more then 3 tests each…hopefully Langer will use his noggin and devise a similar rotation policy…because all 4 of Lyon, Starc, Cummins and Hazelwood were cooked by Brisbane day 5 when the series was up for grabs…
Yep spot on Freeze, it was extremely obvious to all bar those in the Australian Cricket Team set up that Starc was cooked in Sydney and yet they pressed ahead with him again in Brisbane only 3 days later, end result he had no impact on the Test whatsoever.
Just as concerning was the poor lead up most of our Test squad had in the lead up to the recent Test Series vs India with most away playing silly Buckethead cricket in the IPL and virtually having no red ball cricket at all heading into Adelaide which funnily enough was our only win and with a pink ball not red!
If they (CA, Langer, Bowling coach etc) have not learnt their lesson and have ALL players playing all of the Sheffield Shield cricket lead up games heading into the Ashes next Summer they should ALL be sacked immediately!
unsure why you would change a winning team; good posts, all - ironically, Foakes should be in the team every test match; Buttler can be saved for KFC cricket.
Wonder if Paine sent Ashwin a well done txt for his 100 yesterday…yep Foakes should be playing test cricket over Buttler every day of the week Ark…composed wearing both types of gloves mate…
After Indias inevitable victory today I have 3 questions
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Will the ICC sanction the Chennai authorities for producing a sub standard test wicket that was obviously doctored to assist India to get back into the series?
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Will the ICC instruct India to produce a fairer wicket for the last two tests that give both teams a chance of playing their best cricket?
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Will the ICC sanction Kohli for his disgraceful behaviour in this test in that he showed blatant dissent to an umpire on the ground when a Video decision went against his team ( the Joe Root one) and also bullied an umpire into referring a decision to the third umpire even though it was obvious to everyone apart from Kohli that he had been clean bowled by Moeen Ali?
I suspect the answer to all these questions will be No as the ICC appears to stand for the Indian Cricket Council
Freezin: you will have to coonvince Buttler to play first, it seems
Mikkeh: your right; England should have also done better with the bat
If the pitch was doctored, how did Ashwin make a 100 then?..Eng batted poorly in both digs…just goes to show get a side under the pump and that’s when the true test of ability begins. India got contributions right across the board with the bat…bar Pujara and Gill across both digs…Eng got none…Ali and Leach took wickets, same as Ashwin, Patel etc…just India’s batsmen dug in more…luck of the toss perhaps…day nighter now, so I guess the spin won’t be as much a factor…as much as India improved, England regressed…that’s cricket I guess.