@Manicmania we used have "reserve days" to cover such events. The reason they don't now is there is simply to much cricket. They are already playing 5 tests in 6 weeks. Which in its self causes problems.
India have no chance to practise between tests, they could be punch drunk by the 4th test.
There has never been reserve days for Test matches, only for one day finals or possibly semi finals.
I am sure they used to have reserve days and rest days, can't find any reference online, so I'll assume your right.
Rest days yes but no reserve days, but then again many years ago there were such things as timeless Tests where they just played on and on. One famous one involving England in South Africa only finished as England had to get their boat home!
Pathetic performance by India really. They need to turn things round or this series could be a humiliation!
India must feel demoralised, Series gone, captain with back problems, wouldnt mind betting, with Kohli involved, that there is some inner turmoil too.Sides with character and good captaincy dont capitulate like that. Next test is at Trent Bridge then Rose Bowl then Oval - it might only be the 5th test where they get a pitch that suits them - they could well be 4 down by then.
Who will we leave out when Stokes returns to the side? It would be hard on Pope or Curran if it was one of them. I've got a feeling it could be Buttler.
Who will we leave out when Stokes returns to the side? It would be hard on Pope or Curran if it was one of them. I've got a feeling it could be Buttler.
I doubt Stokes will be available for Nottingham, and why would you change the team anyway after that performance?
The pathetic Indian batting has also eased the workload of the English bowlers, none of our bowlers bowled 30 overs in the match, never mind an innings! I can't see England dropping Rashid to play 5 seamers, so the options are really to drop Buttler for Stokes or rest one of the other pace bowlers, maybe at Southampton if the next match is more taxing.
There is little doubt, that the current format of international tours makes it highly unlikely that five match series will be closely fought out, or even competitive.
As many of our older members will recall, a tour used to be exactly that, and touring teams would generally play three county games before the first test, and then at least one more FC game between each test match.
This had the effect of meaning that out of form players were able to play in the tour matches, and play themselves into a bit of form in a less testing environment. It also meant that the players not in the First XI, had the opportunity to put themselves in the spotlight, by making runs in FC fixtures.
Certainly in the Ashes in 03 & 07 in England, the Aussies were able to bring in players like Ponting, Langer, Fleming, Reifel and Kasprowicz, who hadn’t been in the test team, but had played all of the FC games, thus were able to jump into test cricket with no drama’s.
Contrast this with India now, who are basically having 3 or 4 days between tests, and have no opportunity for out of nick players to get themselves back into some kind of form.
I truly hope that India don’t subside like they did last time they were here, it is a bad look for test cricket if the number one ranked side, is going to cave in when the going gets tough.
Part of the problem, is that none of these Indian players really need to play test cricket, so you wonder how much defeat hurts them? In the days of Kapil Dev, Ravi Chastri, Gavaskar and others, test cricket was the ultimate beacon for your career, now with the IPL, all of these guys are set for life financially , so how much do they really want to work on their technique against the moving ball?
In the back of their minds, they are probably thinking that this tour will be over in a couple of weeks, and they will soon be back in the IPL/Big Bash/Pakistani PL, where the ball doesn’t move anywhere, and they can keep clobbering sixes whilst getting handsomely rewarded!
This truncated series is what India wanted, the only thing that will change this is if there's a backlash from their supporters back home, and I suspect that a lot of them don't care. England fans are a bit different, when we were stuffed down under, most cricket fans here deeply cared
Good point, I think that Kohli deeply cares about what happens with the test team, as he knows that his legacy depends on it, the rest of them look like they don’t have the stomach for the fight in foreign conditions and can’t wait to go home.
Heard a very interesting story the other day, in that Murali Vijay and Dhanesh Khartik can’t stand each other, as Vijay had an affair with her whilst she was with Khartik, and is now married to her with two kids.
I bet that makes for some headaches for Kohli when he is setting the field!
Good point, I think that Kohli deeply cares about what happens with the test team, as he knows that his legacy depends on it, the rest of them look like they don’t have the stomach for the fight in foreign conditions and can’t wait to go home.
Heard a very interesting story the other day, in that Murali Vijay and Dhanesh Khartik can’t stand each other, as Vijay had an affair with her whilst she was with Khartik, and is now married to her with two kids.
I bet that makes for some headaches for Kohli when he is setting the field!
Comments
116 for 7
I'm pleased Suzie saw a great days play.
Motm Woakes?
Next test is at Trent Bridge then Rose Bowl then Oval - it might only be the 5th test where they get a pitch that suits them - they could well be 4 down by then.
As Bob Key said on sky sports this evening, is Stokes currently a better bat than Pope?
If the answer is yes, then it's Pope that misses out. If its no, it's either Rashid based on conditions or Curran like for like.
I half joked that England would play with 7 bowlers. They could line up like this before the end of the summer
Cook
Jennings
Root
JB
Stokes
Butler
Woakes
Curran
Rashid
Broad
Anderson
Now for the winter they need a second spinner and from the above team it could be Jennings is the most vulnerable. So it could evolve into
Cook
Ali
Root
JB
Stokes
Butler
Woakes
Curran
Rashid
Broad
Anderson
It wasn't as far out as I thought when I said it!
Even Ashwin didn't look dangerous on that pitch.
The pathetic Indian batting has also eased the workload of the English bowlers, none of our bowlers bowled 30 overs in the match, never mind an innings! I can't see England dropping Rashid to play 5 seamers, so the options are really to drop Buttler for Stokes or rest one of the other pace bowlers, maybe at Southampton if the next match is more taxing.
And also why wasn't Alex Hales called to give evidence either seeing as he was very much present at the time of the fighting?
As many of our older members will recall, a tour used to be exactly that, and touring teams would generally play three county games before the first test, and then at least one more FC game between each test match.
This had the effect of meaning that out of form players were able to play in the tour matches, and play themselves into a bit of form in a less testing environment. It also meant that the players not in the First XI, had the opportunity to put themselves in the spotlight, by making runs in FC fixtures.
Certainly in the Ashes in 03 & 07 in England, the Aussies were able to bring in players like Ponting, Langer, Fleming, Reifel and Kasprowicz, who hadn’t been in the test team, but had played all of the FC games, thus were able to jump into test cricket with no drama’s.
Contrast this with India now, who are basically having 3 or 4 days between tests, and have no opportunity for out of nick players to get themselves back into some kind of form.
I truly hope that India don’t subside like they did last time they were here, it is a bad look for test cricket if the number one ranked side, is going to cave in when the going gets tough.
Part of the problem, is that none of these Indian players really need to play test cricket, so you wonder how much defeat hurts them? In the days of Kapil Dev, Ravi Chastri, Gavaskar and others, test cricket was the ultimate beacon for your career, now with the IPL, all of these guys are set for life financially , so how much do they really want to work on their technique against the moving ball?
In the back of their minds, they are probably thinking that this tour will be over in a couple of weeks, and they will soon be back in the IPL/Big Bash/Pakistani PL, where the ball doesn’t move anywhere, and they can keep clobbering sixes whilst getting handsomely rewarded!
This truncated series is what India wanted, the only thing that will change this is if there's a backlash from their supporters back home, and I suspect that a lot of them don't care. England fans are a bit different, when we were stuffed down under, most cricket fans here deeply cared
Heard a very interesting story the other day, in that Murali Vijay and Dhanesh Khartik can’t stand each other, as Vijay had an affair with her whilst she was with Khartik, and is now married to her with two kids.
I bet that makes for some headaches for Kohli when he is setting the field!