England v India 2025 Test Match Series June 20-August 4

[swingdog]

Now followed by The Hundred a concept the ECB now admits as attracted no new viewers to English cricket but which continues to disrupt the summer.

ECB admits no evidence Hundred has attracted new fans to other forms of cricket

Richard Gould, the ECB chief executive, has admitted they have no evidence that new fans attracted by the Hundred have gone on to attend other forms of cricket

www.theguardian.com

 

[to1994]

I still can't believe that braindead shot by Bethell in the second innings.

That should be pack your bags and never come back stuff.

Damien Martyn was banished for years at a young age for throwing his wicket away in similar circumstances. Wonder if it'll happen to Bethell.

 

[DaRick]

You don’t think they’ve gotten better since:

Rory Burns, Dawid Malan, Sam Billings, the Ollie Pope that batted at 6 rather than the one that averages 42 at number 3

They've most certainly gotten better, if only because I don't see how they could've gotten much worse.

BazBall at Adelaide, The Gabba and possibly Perth worries me (shorter boundaries, though the pink ball is a wildcard). SCG a bit less so, and the MCG must be one of the world's least suitable grounds for it.

 

[davidgoes4wce]

You don’t think they’ve gotten better since:

Rory Burns, Dawid Malan, Sam Billings, the Ollie Pope that batted at 6 rather than the one that averages 42 at number 3

Still a bit of an unknown with their batters on these wickets. Harry Brook, Duckett (despite spending some time in the BBL), Crawley, Bethell and Jamie Smith for me. All of those batters are a bit unproven in Australia. I also rate Australias middle to lower order better with the bat than Englands.

That England pace attack might cause a bit of trouble to Australia but the key lynchpins in : Smudge, Head and Carey are still world class at this level with the bat.

 

[Borough Blood]

You don’t think they’ve gotten better since:

Rory Burns, Dawid Malan, Sam Billings, the Ollie Pope that batted at 6 rather than the one that averages 42 at number 3

Bring back Carberry and his shiny helmet

 

[PhatBoy]

Still a bit of an unknown with their batters on these shorts. Harry Brook, Duckett (despite spending some time in the BBL), Crawley, Bethell and Jamie Smith for me. I also rate Australias middle to lower order better with the bat than Englands.

That England pace attack might cause a bit of trouble to Australia but the key lynchpins in : Smudge, Head and Carey are still world class at this level with the bat.

You can only judge players on what they’ve done. Carey and Webster and Head have been very good recently at digging the Aussies out of strife.

Based on what he ‘can’ do I’d suggest Smith has a much higher ceiling than Carey BUT there is a big caveat there in that Smith froze a bit today and Carey has shown he can make good runs under pressure.

Brook should be fine. He has the game to be destructive against pace and bounce. One or two innings could be put down to a fluke. He’s played so many eye catchers now it’s becoming a habit. Crawley is never going to be anything good, the best they can hope for from him is to average 35 and get them off to 3-4 good starts with Duckett.

England’s best attack could do damage, but their not-best attack could be absolute fodder.

 

[PhatBoy]

Now followed by The Hundred a concept the ECB now admits as attracted no new viewers to English cricket but which continues to disrupt the summer.

ECB admits no evidence Hundred has attracted new fans to other forms of cricket

Richard Gould, the ECB chief executive, has admitted they have no evidence that new fans attracted by the Hundred have gone on to attend other forms of cricket

www.theguardian.com

What an abortion of a concept

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

 

[DaRick]

You can only judge players on what they’ve done. Carey and Webster and Head have been very good recently at digging the Aussies out of strife.

Based on what he ‘can’ do I’d suggest Smith has a much higher ceiling than Carey BUT there is a big caveat there in that Smith froze a bit today and Carey has shown he can make good runs under pressure.

Brook should be fine. He has the game to be destructive against pace and bounce. One or two innings could be put down to a fluke. He’s played so many eye catchers now it’s becoming a habit. Crawley is never going to be anything good, the best they can hope for from him is to average 35 and get them off to 3-4 good starts with Duckett.

England’s best attack could do damage, but their not-best attack could be absolute fodder.

I expect Brook to get away a few times, but I've always doubted his defensive technique and his capability against the short ball.

A Jaiswal-like series (big innings + low scores) wouldn't surprise me.

EDIT: If our pitches have any bounce, I expect Duckett to offer quite a few chances to the slips cordon, with the way he compulsively prods outside off. Zak Crawley is basically John Crawley - lethal off his pads, but poor outside offstump. I don't expect us to bowl to him the way we did in Manchester again, luckily.

 

[BStaff17]

 

[PhatBoy]

I expect Brook to get away a few times, but I've always doubted his defensive technique and his capability against the short ball.

A Jaiswal-like series (big innings + low scores) wouldn't surprise me.

Yeah that wouldn’t surprise me. I would expect to see him play a lot of ramps and upper cuts to the shorter stuff - I know it just about got him out yesterday and will probably get him into trouble here too but probably his most effective shot to straighter short balls is the sort of upper-hook that he flicks over fine leg.

 

[swampy]

What a match. Both teams kept throwing punches and Siraj managed the knockout blow.

The 40 runs Washington Sundar scored in the last wicket partnership proved absolutely crucial! Becoming a very clutch cricketer.

 

[PhatBoy]

View attachment 2386148

Looks like the spider caught himself a couple of flies

 

[DaRick]

Yeah that wouldn’t surprise me. I would expect to see him play a lot of ramps and upper cuts to the shorter stuff - I know it just about got him out yesterday and will probably get him into trouble here too but probably his most effective shot to straighter short balls is the sort of upper-hook that he flicks over fine leg.

That works pretty consistently against wicket-to-wicket bowlers like Hazlewood, but it's dangerous against Cummins (angles the ball in and has an awkward action so you don't pick up the ball quickly), and very difficult against Starc (left-arm angle).

I haven't mentioned Boland because he doesn't really bowl short deliveries, and so Brook is likely well-equipped to take him on simply because he doesn't defend much.

Would expect it to come off sometimes, though.

 

[PhatBoy]

That works pretty consistently against wicket-to-wicket bowlers like Hazlewood, but it's dangerous against Cummins (angles the ball in and has an awkward action so you don't pick up the ball quickly), and very difficult against Starc (left-arm angle).

I haven't mentioned Boland because he doesn't really bowl short deliveries, and so Brook is likely well-equipped to take him on simply because he doesn't defend much.

Would expect it to come off sometimes, though.

I honestly think one of the worst things he could do here or in general against some of those bowlers would be to try and defend.

Sehwag had success in Australia to me because he continued to try and attack. He never had a brilliant defence, just a moderate one so he backed his eye. I don’t think Brook - as you alluded to - has a great one either. Keep out the ones you absolutely have to, leave occasionally, and play your shots. Otherwise he will feed Carey and the slips probably

 

[PhatBoy]

wtf am I gonna do now from 8pm most nights. Look at pr0n?

 

[AJ_2000]

wtf am I gonna do now from 8pm most nights. Look at pr0n?

The ECB hopes you watch the hundred...

 

[AJ_2000]

View attachment 2386148

England going to extreme lengths to avoid shaking hands

 

[scottywiper]

There really is nothing like Test cricket. The drama and tension on the fifth day can be unbearable.
Great series and awesome to see Poms fall agonisingly short.
Kudos to Woakes for walking out. Would have been incredible if he had to face.

 

[PhatBoy]

There really is nothing like Test cricket. The drama and tension on the fifth day can be unbearable.
Great series and awesome to see Poms fall agonisingly short.
Kudos to Woakes for walking out. Would have been incredible if he had to face.

Was really hoping he would for one ball just for the theatre factor.

 

[ams4crows]

Test cricket is the best sport in the world when it involves Australia, England or India and at times South Africa

Any other team and it fails to deliver

 

[Trojan90]

Test cricket is the best sport in the world when it involves Australia, England or India and at times South Africa

Any other team and it fails to deliver

Over to you PhatBoy

 

[DaRick]

I honestly think one of the worst things he could do here or in general against some of those bowlers would be to try and defend.

Sehwag had success in Australia to me because he continued to try and attack. He never had a brilliant defence, just a moderate one so he backed his eye. I don’t think Brook - as you alluded to - has a great one either. Keep out the ones you absolutely have to, leave occasionally, and play your shots. Otherwise he will feed Carey and the slips probably

That's the point; I don't think Brook will.

Boland is difficult to defend, but less difficult to attack because his variation relies on using the crease rather than changing up his length or using slower balls.

 

[PhatBoy]

Test cricket is the best sport in the world when it involves Australia, England or India and at times South Africa

Any other team and it fails to deliver

A team in Pakistan earlier this year recovered to win a test match from 7-37 in the first session of the match, you realise, with a dreadlocked spinner leading the way with bat and ball on pitches the hosts openly admitted were doctored.
Pakistan have played out a draw 9 wickets down against NZ just 14 short of a 319 target within the last 2 years.
It’s a couple of years since the West Indies were set almost 400 to win a test in Bangladesh and a debutante smashed 200 not out at a run a ball to chase it down.

Even the ‘sometimes south Africa’ call is harsh. Pound for pound, considering they play nowhere near as much test cricket as the other big nations, is harsh: they play in a huge percentage of thrilling matches.

The WTC final was absorbing. The 2 wicket win against Pakistan to seal their place in the final. The match against India where they took 6-0 or whatever it was and Markram smashed that ridiculous hundred on that disgraceful pitch. They’ve played a heap of memorable tests.

 

[PhatBoy]

That’s just games not involving Australia, India and England. There’s plenty of good ones that involve them against one of the so called lesser teams.

West Indies at the Gabba.
England losing to NZ by a run after making them follow on.
Australia’s big run chase in NZ last year.
England vs Sri Lanka last year
Some of the India/NZ tests.