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[Steverulez]

This test is going to be a draw due to rain, I suspect.

Always baffled me why they start at 11am, if they started earlier they could easily get more cricket in a day and be in a much better position to deal with rain delays

 

[kmag]

This test is going to be a draw due to rain, I suspect.

Always baffled me why they start at 11am, if they started earlier they could easily get more cricket in a day and be in a much better position to deal with rain delays

The time honoured English answer is dew. In England there can be heavy dew on the grass in the morning so they give that time to disappear. They start earlier pretty much everywhere else though and in the days of those super supper machines you'd think they could at least get an extra 30 or 45 minutes in.

As for a draw, there's plenty of time for England to bowl India out if they bowl well and India don't improve with the bat. If there's overheads tomorrow, I'd perhaps declare maybe not overnight but I wouldn't really worry about getting the lead up much past drinks tomorrow morning. If the rain stays away Sunday and Monday you've opened a chance you'll lose the game if India bat really really well, but if the forecast stays true it'll give you a shot to bowl out a really shaky India side and try and maybe have to chase down a total between showers on Monday. If England bat into the afternoon then barring an almighty collapse it's looking like a draw given the forecast.

 

[Jezbollah]

Hugely frustrating for such a loss of play today due to part of the Old Trafford ground not being able to drain away the standing water.

 

[Antiwhippy]

You know, this is probably the first test since australia came back from england that is adversely affected by weather from what I can remember.

 

[kmag]

Hugely frustrating for such a loss of play today due to part of the Old Trafford ground not being able to drain away the standing water.

If the match is still going tomorrow, it'll be interesting if they can get any play on Monday even if it's going to be dry. There is a metric shit ton of rain hitting tomorrow, between 40mm and 55mm is expected which will really test the drainage going into Monday.

Having thought about it, if I'm Cook I'd be batting no longer than 20 overs today.

 

[Dynedom]

This test is going to be a draw due to rain, I suspect.

Always baffled me why they start at 11am, if they started earlier they could easily get more cricket in a day and be in a much better position to deal with rain delays

India will be quite happy, I'm sure.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Man Kumar Sangakkara is approaching a pretty monstrous average now. Wonder if he'll crack 60 before he retires?

 

[Steverulez]

I appreciate they don't want to throw wickets away and its a great partnership but I was hoping they would speed up a bit, plus some shots and then get India back in to bowl.

150 ahead and declare I think

Edit: Seems very premature I guess. They'll probably go on until lunch at least, don't want to declare early I guess

 

[Antiwhippy]

England will probably want a 200 run lead I reckon.

Wooo, finally, one for pankaj. Dat 274 average though. :lol

 

[Steverulez]

Is Woakes known for hitting it about a bit? Should have got Broad in for some quick runs

 

[kmag]

Is Woakes known for hitting it about a bit? Should have got Broad in for some quick runs

Woakes is a better batter than he is a bowler. He's got an average of near 40 in FC cricket, and an average of near 40 in T20 with a s/r of 124. He can tonk it.

 

[Steverulez]

^ Interesting, I hope to see him and Broad hit a few shots, get some quick runs.

Nice hit from Broad, 6! Two!

Shit, the ball inside his grill? Blood dripping off his face, thats nasty

 

[Antiwhippy]

That's a good T20 shot.

It's almost curious to see india try this tactic against england. The same tactic that england used against sri lanka that caused them to lose.

 

[Jezbollah]

 

[Antiwhippy]

Looks like broad is out for now. Could hamper england here.

 

[Antiwhippy]

It's staggering how toothless the england seam attack looks without broad.

Maybe woakes and jordan can prove me wrong but they barely look threatening to the batsmen at all. I think none of them have that natural nip back that broad gets when he's on song.

edit: welp, well done woakes.

 

[Steverulez]

It's staggering how toothless the england seam attack looks without broad.

Maybe woakes and jordan can prove me wrong but they barely look threatening to the batsmen at all. I think none of them have that natural nip back that broad gets when he's on song.

I just said that to my Dad. Although if Plunkett wasn't injured i'd say he is looking like a very good choice to complement the attack and i'd be happy with him replacing an injured Broad.

Woakes wicket was good, absolutely plum as well.

Personally i'd have played Stokes instead of Jordan for this test, his batting offered nothing but his bowling was alright

 

[Antiwhippy]

Yeah it was a good nut, and I'd agree with keeping stokes. I thought he bowled really well throughout the series, including against sri lanka.

 

[kmag]

India will be all out by close of play. Pujara can't play spin, at all.

And that by the way is why before DRS you never got those decisions. The umpire is just guessing when you're that far forward. Terrible decision, it's just a guess and it happens to be very wrong.

Ali continues his unbelievably good fortune with the ball.

 

[Steverulez]

Pretty much nothing going for it

 

[Antiwhippy]

Now I love moeen, I think that he's a pretty quality cricketer and personally think that too many people underestimate him with the ball, but christ India has played him really poorly. :lol

 

[kmag]

Now I love moeen, I think that he's a pretty quality cricketer and personally think that too many people underestimate him with the ball, but christ India has played him really poorly. :lol

Indian who can't play pretty ordinary off spin. This will be over tonight.

Kolhi gone. This collapse is something else. 4 wickets with one good ball. India are absolutely appalling.

 

[Steverulez]

5 down. India look like they have already gone home

 

[Jezbollah]

England are ripping India a new arsehole.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Eh, about as ordinary as lyon, though I think lyon is comfortably better because he can get much better bounce, but moeen has the right ingredients in there. Flight, drift, and variable spin. Just needs to vary his pace more and be more accurate, which seems to be aspects which he's improving in.

Yeah I sense an innings defeat.

 

[kmag]

Eh, about as ordinary as lyon, though I think lyon is comfortably better because he can get much better bounce, but moeen has the right ingredients in there. Flight, drift, and variable spin. Just needs to vary his pace more and be more accurate, which seems to be aspect which he's improving in.

Yeah I sense an innings defeat.

Still pretty ordinary, half his wickets have been from pies.

 

[Steverulez]

Moeen Ali, what a hero.

bbctms: India have lost 4 wickets for 8 runs in 23 balls #engvind b

That was before the Jadeja wicket...

 

[Antiwhippy]

Eh, most spinners get some wickets from piss at some point. I still remember that spell by Lyon this year in the MCG. Especially when bell just chipped a dolly straight to johnson. Was hilarious.

 

[kmag]

Is there any point to Jadeja. He can't spin it and he can't bat in test cricket. How India have crumbled in bright sunshine against a hobbled England attack consisting of a tired looking Anderson a slightly better than part time off spinner and two guys who'd look pretty ordinary bowling county cricket.

 

[Antiwhippy]

No idea why they're playing ali like he's ajmal though. I thought indian batsmen can read spin?

 

[Gareth Bale]

Decent collapse

 

[Antiwhippy]

I still reckon that the batting collapse of the year has to go to australia. That Port Elizabeth collapse vs SA with 9 wickets for 22 runs is pretty hilarious, considering that we had a century opening stand.

 

[Mindwipe]

Well this should go on as late as required, I'm there and in serious danger of getting a tan.

I've got tickets tomorrow too, but given the weather outlook I think I'd rather not have to risk travelling and get this over with.

 

[mclem]

Well this should go on as late as required, I'm there and in serious danger of getting a tan.

I've got tickets tomorrow too, but given the weather outlook I think I'd rather not have to risk travelling and get this over with.

I think you can probably start thinking about a satisfied journey home.

Edit: Or even just go.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Man, Jordan really doesn't deserve to cleanup the tail with the way he bowled throughout the match, but good on him I guess.

 

[kmag]

India are mentally shot, there's no real reason for this collapse, England's attack a man down and all barely even bowled well this innings. India as soon as they got one up shat themselves.

 

[War Peaceman]

India are mentally shot, there's no real reason for this collapse, England's attack a man down and all barely even bowled well this innings. India as soon as they got one up shat themselves.

Completely agree. After their great victory they were immediately crushed and just look mentally destroyed.England played well but not this well. That first spell from Broad and Anderson on the first day broke India and that spell wasn't even that great (too wide in general).

Moeen is clearly not a great spinner but if you keep getting wickets then there must be something there. People will learn to play him to some extent but he is also improving. The more respected he becomes as a bowler the fewer easy wickets he will get, but his bowling confidence must also be sky high.

 

[Steverulez]

Broad has a fractured nose and the medical team anticipate he'll be fit for the 5th test... i'd have rested him myself if Plunkett was fit I think but he's also one of our best bowlers so I can see why they want him.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Man this pakistan vs sri lanka match is tense.

I don't know why fast bowlers go for the bouncer instead of the yorker when they have to save runs. What the pakistan bowlers are doing now are pretty much handing the win on a plate to mathews.

 

[mclem]

Love the fact that Cricinfo have posted an article as a roundup for Sunday at Old Trafford (i.e., confirming that it was pissing it down).

What's the test with the most lost sessions/overs that still came to a result? I guess it's tricky to get data for when sessions would have been lost after the match has been concluded, but I'm curious where this match comes in those rankings.

 

[Antiwhippy]

I know that it's cricket "journalism" and all that, but it's pretty funny to see all the "England is doomed, sack the captain, no spirit, blah blah blah" from lords get reversed onto india right after old trafford.

 

[Vaddon]

Good start this morning for England.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Was about to say that broad looks like he shouldn't be allowed to bowl but it seems like he's handling it well.

edit: apparently having an in-seamer is all you need to get the Indian batsmen out.

 

[kmag]

For all the talk of England turning the corner, I'm not sure this tells us much more than out of form Indians can't bat in these conditions and Anderson and Broad really like it when the ball swings on a green top with cloud cover. Since Lords where England genuinely screwed up their bowling, there's not really been any point where England were under pressure (maybe the first morning in Southampton where India bowled as badly as England did first up at lords and 3 of the English top four got lives early on) which has been their downfall lately.

Other than the effect on bowling and batting averages this is as good as over and was when England won the toss. The only chance India had was to bowl England out cheaply first up and then hope that conditions improved for their own innings.

And that was a pretty poor decision from the umpire there. I know it was just about touching the stumps according to Hawkeye but it didn't look anywhere near plumb.

 

[Antiwhippy]

I kinda like jordan at the start but he's been seriously unimpressive with the red ball.

edit: and just as I said that...

 

[Vaddon]

Oof, that was a pretty soft dismissal.

 

[3Sixty]

God India are painful to watch.

 

[kmag]

I kinda like jordan at the start but he's been seriously unimpressive with the red ball.

edit: and just as I said that...

He's just got 2 for 0 in his 5th test and his average is still north of 44. He's not a particularly good bowler, but then with this India side in these conditions you don't have to be (see Ali,M)

 

[Antiwhippy]

To be fair to ali I think he's proven to be slightly better than jordan. At least he isn't spraying it around.

I rate woakes to be a better bowler but he isn't really doing much either.

 

[kmag]

To be fair to ali I think he's proven to be slightly better than jordan. At least he isn't spraying it around.

I rate woakes to be a better bowler but he isn't really doing much either.

Ali isn't bad, he gets a bit of rip and some nice flight, but a cursory glance at his county record (Average of 39 in the 2nd division) suggests he's hardly the new Murali which India have conspired to make him out to be