England had a 6 hitting competition yesterday but the early signs were that both openers are gong to have a good look before bringing that out. Until Duckett, on the final ball of the 5th over, comes down the track and only just evades mid on in the ring. There is some turn but it is very slow turn so plenty of time to react to that and more of an issue is going to be the total lack of any bounce. Don't go back!!!
15-0 (5)
And that is exactly what Root does to Sajid. Out LBW for 5 (6) and not even Root bothers to review
Why are they playing back to the spinners when there is low bounce?
It's instinctive. How many times do they play spinners on such tracks? They don't because we don't produce them and it's easy over here just to rock back and punch and cut the ball.
Can't judge the wicket until both sides bat on it but we certainly can't complain that we've had the worst of it given that we've had "first dibs" on it.
Sajid and Noman have been the only bowlers utilised today, as they were in the 2nd innings of the last match in addition to finishing the final 15 overs of the 1st innings in that Test too. That's 77 consecutive overs across three innings and must surely be a Test record?
Ah, I bet the West Indies would love to take the Sabina Park wicket from 1998 with them wherever they go.
Nothing like a home grown strip when you want to win a deciding Test.
Please stop this agenda. As McCullum says, all teams prepare wickets to suit their bowlers. Why do we produce green seamers instead of bunsen burners? Did you complain when England bowled Australia out for 60 and Broad took 8-15? Or every other occasion when we have skittled the opposition because of having the likes of Anderson and Broad? Pakistan and India bowl and bat better on their wickets. We do the same on ours. That is Test cricket.
How do they get away with these type of pitches in the Asian countries? It is like the pitch we played on the West Indies, totally rigged, although that one was dangerous.
How do they get away with these type of pitches in the Asian countries? It is like the pitch we played on the West Indies, totally rigged, although that one was dangerous.
What is "rigged" though? We've won the toss, we have the advantage of batting first and they will have the worst of the wicket. So, by rights, unless our batsmen don't bat as well as theirs and our bowlers don't bowl as well as theirs, we should win easily. As they did in the last Test.
As Atherton says, the ball isn't spitting, it's keeping low. He has just said "it is important not to exaggerate the spin". He is there and has seen the pitch at length. You have to play on the front foot. Three of the five wickets were caused by players not doing that, one was because he chose to drive a ball that wasn't there to do so and the other one missed the ball and left his stumps exposed. It is slow and low. Duckett was in very little trouble until he got out but, perhaps, our "flat track bullies", who would prefer a dead track, aren't up to it in these conditions.
Bangladesh won 2-0 in Pakistan recently. New Zealand won the last Test in India. Opposition teams can do that. Or would we prefer pitches out there where both sides score 800 plus?
How do they get away with these type of pitches in the Asian countries? It is like the pitch we played on the West Indies, totally rigged, although that one was dangerous.
What is "rigged" though? We've won the toss, we have the advantage of batting first and they will have the worst of the wicket. So, by rights, unless our batsmen don't bat as well as theirs and our bowlers don't bowl as well as theirs, we should win easily. As they did in the last Test.
As Atherton says, the ball isn't spitting, it's keeping low. He has just said "it is important not to exaggerate the spin". He is there and has seen the pitch at length. You have to play on the front foot. Three of the five wickets were caused by players not doing that, one was because he chose to drive a ball that wasn't there to do so and the other one missed the ball and left his stumps exposed. It is slow and low. Duckett was in very little trouble until he got out but, perhaps, our "flat track bullies", who would prefer a dead track, aren't up to it in these conditions.
Bangladesh won 2-0 in Pakistan recently. New Zealand won the last Test in India. Opposition teams can do that. Or would we prefer pitches out there where both sides score 800 plus?
Even Ramiz Raja described the track as doctored. Whilst we need to balance our approach and face up to different challenges, this feels like a subcontinent third of fourth day track already.
Ah, I bet the West Indies would love to take the Sabina Park wicket from 1998 with them wherever they go.
Nothing like a home grown strip when you want to win a deciding Test.
Please stop this agenda. As McCullum says, all teams prepare wickets to suit their bowlers. Why do we produce green seamers instead of bunsen burners? Did you complain when England bowled Australia out for 60 and Broad took 8-15? Or every other occasion when we have skittled the opposition because of having the likes of Anderson and Broad? Pakistan and India bowl and bat better on their wickets. We do the same on ours. That is Test cricket.
I just like to see a fair test between bat & ball. Not a 150 all out and over within 3 days.......nor 700/5 and drawn after 5 days.
A pitch on day one should give the team batting first a chance to get between 300 & 400. The best batsman in the world has struggled to get into double figures in his last 2 innings.
How do they get away with these type of pitches in the Asian countries? It is like the pitch we played on the West Indies, totally rigged, although that one was dangerous.
What is "rigged" though? We've won the toss, we have the advantage of batting first and they will have the worst of the wicket. So, by rights, unless our batsmen don't bat as well as theirs and our bowlers don't bowl as well as theirs, we should win easily. As they did in the last Test.
As Atherton says, the ball isn't spitting, it's keeping low. He has just said "it is important not to exaggerate the spin". He is there and has seen the pitch at length. You have to play on the front foot. Three of the five wickets were caused by players not doing that, one was because he chose to drive a ball that wasn't there to do so and the other one missed the ball and left his stumps exposed. It is slow and low. Duckett was in very little trouble until he got out but, perhaps, our "flat track bullies", who would prefer a dead track, aren't up to it in these conditions.
Bangladesh won 2-0 in Pakistan recently. New Zealand won the last Test in India. Opposition teams can do that. Or would we prefer pitches out there where both sides score 800 plus?
Even Ramiz Raja described the track as doctored. Whilst we need to balance our approach and face up to different challenges, this feels like a subcontinent third of fourth day track already.
Leaving a bit of grass on the pitch for seamers is "doctoring" the pitch too. You still have to bowl the right length, with the right line and the right variations. McCullum, Stokes, Atherton and Hussain have all said that it is "fair game" for them to do so. Do we or do we not have the advantage of batting first because not doing is what was suggested as our reason for losing the last Test. So our fate should be, very much, in our hands. We have four spinners to pick from and the pitch is the reason we went in with only two seamers.
Ah, I bet the West Indies would love to take the Sabina Park wicket from 1998 with them wherever they go.
Nothing like a home grown strip when you want to win a deciding Test.
Please stop this agenda. As McCullum says, all teams prepare wickets to suit their bowlers. Why do we produce green seamers instead of bunsen burners? Did you complain when England bowled Australia out for 60 and Broad took 8-15? Or every other occasion when we have skittled the opposition because of having the likes of Anderson and Broad? Pakistan and India bowl and bat better on their wickets. We do the same on ours. That is Test cricket.
I just like to see a fair test between bat & ball. Not a 150 all out and over within 3 days.......nor 700/5 and drawn after 5 days.
A pitch on day one should give the team batting first a chance to get between 300 & 400. The best batsman in the world has struggled to get into double figures in his last 2 innings.
Because he played the wrong shots. Babar has been dropped for getting low scores and he was the world number one at one point. They all make mistakes.
I agree about low scored but India were 46 all out against NZ. Let's see how many Pakistan make. But, when all is said and done, Pakistan have to bat last. So, we should be in the driving seat even if this ends up a two and a half day Test. And we've had plenty of them under McCullum. It's just that we've been the ones winning.
Ah, I bet the West Indies would love to take the Sabina Park wicket from 1998 with them wherever they go.
Nothing like a home grown strip when you want to win a deciding Test.
Please stop this agenda. As McCullum says, all teams prepare wickets to suit their bowlers. Why do we produce green seamers instead of bunsen burners? Did you complain when England bowled Australia out for 60 and Broad took 8-15? Or every other occasion when we have skittled the opposition because of having the likes of Anderson and Broad? Pakistan and India bowl and bat better on their wickets. We do the same on ours. That is Test cricket.
I just like to see a fair test between bat & ball. Not a 150 all out and over within 3 days.......nor 700/5 and drawn after 5 days.
A pitch on day one should give the team batting first a chance to get between 300 & 400. The best batsman in the world has struggled to get into double figures in his last 2 innings.
Because he played the wrong shots. Babar has been dropped for getting low scores and he was the world number one at one point. They all make mistakes.
I agree about low scored but India were 46 all out against NZ. Let's see how many Pakistan make. But, when all is said and done, Pakistan have to bat last. So, we should be in the driving seat even if this ends up a two and a half day Test. And we've had plenty of them under McCullum. It's just that we've been the ones winning.
That India NZ test also featured 2 innings of 400+ and 1 110/2which you’re conveniently leaving out. India batted poorly on a pitch where runs were to be had and most of the wickets were taken by seamers.
I agree that teams can prepare wickets to suit themselves but there’s a limit to that where it stops being about the cricket. Stokes and Mccullum are hardly going to criticise before the test starts or risk being reprimanded and Athers is still broadcasting to the nation of Pakistan so will understandably be being careful with his words.
Ah, I bet the West Indies would love to take the Sabina Park wicket from 1998 with them wherever they go.
Nothing like a home grown strip when you want to win a deciding Test.
Please stop this agenda. As McCullum says, all teams prepare wickets to suit their bowlers. Why do we produce green seamers instead of bunsen burners? Did you complain when England bowled Australia out for 60 and Broad took 8-15? Or every other occasion when we have skittled the opposition because of having the likes of Anderson and Broad? Pakistan and India bowl and bat better on their wickets. We do the same on ours. That is Test cricket.
I just like to see a fair test between bat & ball. Not a 150 all out and over within 3 days.......nor 700/5 and drawn after 5 days.
A pitch on day one should give the team batting first a chance to get between 300 & 400. The best batsman in the world has struggled to get into double figures in his last 2 innings.
Because he played the wrong shots. Babar has been dropped for getting low scores and he was the world number one at one point. They all make mistakes.
I agree about low scored but India were 46 all out against NZ. Let's see how many Pakistan make. But, when all is said and done, Pakistan have to bat last. So, we should be in the driving seat even if this ends up a two and a half day Test. And we've had plenty of them under McCullum. It's just that we've been the ones winning.
I agree that teams can prepare wickets to suit themselves but there’s a limit to that where it stops being about the cricket. Stokes and Mccullum are hardly going to criticise before the test starts or risk being reprimanded and Athers is still broadcasting to the nation of Pakistan so will understandably be being careful with his words.
Ah, I bet the West Indies would love to take the Sabina Park wicket from 1998 with them wherever they go.
Nothing like a home grown strip when you want to win a deciding Test.
Please stop this agenda. As McCullum says, all teams prepare wickets to suit their bowlers. Why do we produce green seamers instead of bunsen burners? Did you complain when England bowled Australia out for 60 and Broad took 8-15? Or every other occasion when we have skittled the opposition because of having the likes of Anderson and Broad? Pakistan and India bowl and bat better on their wickets. We do the same on ours. That is Test cricket.
I just like to see a fair test between bat & ball. Not a 150 all out and over within 3 days.......nor 700/5 and drawn after 5 days.
A pitch on day one should give the team batting first a chance to get between 300 & 400. The best batsman in the world has struggled to get into double figures in his last 2 innings.
Because he played the wrong shots. Babar has been dropped for getting low scores and he was the world number one at one point. They all make mistakes.
I agree about low scored but India were 46 all out against NZ. Let's see how many Pakistan make. But, when all is said and done, Pakistan have to bat last. So, we should be in the driving seat even if this ends up a two and a half day Test. And we've had plenty of them under McCullum. It's just that we've been the ones winning.
That India NZ test also featured 2 innings of 400+ and 1 110/2which you’re conveniently leaving out. India batted poorly on a pitch where runs were to be had and most of the wickets were taken by seamers.
I agree that teams can prepare wickets to suit themselves but there’s a limit to that where it stops being about the cricket. Stokes and Mccullum are hardly going to criticise before the test starts or risk being reprimanded and Athers is still broadcasting to the nation of Pakistan so will understandably be being careful with his words.
I haven't "conveniently" left out anything. But we always seem to be looking for excuses when we don't bat well. Gower has just pointed out that, all bar Duckett, played the wrong shots to the wrong ball.
So, once and for all, I will ask you and the others saying that this pitch is unfair. Do we or do we not have a massive advantage in winning the toss if this wicket is as bad as we are saying?
Comments
70-2 (18.5)
80-3 from 56-0
93-3 (24.1)
98-4 (25.5)
if England had played sensibly, they could have been 100-0.
98-5 (26.4) and 5 wickets lost for 42 runs
Nothing like a home grown strip when you want to win a deciding Test.
110-5 (30) at lunch
Stokes 5* (9)
Smith 6* (13)
As Atherton says, the ball isn't spitting, it's keeping low. He has just said "it is important not to exaggerate the spin". He is there and has seen the pitch at length. You have to play on the front foot. Three of the five wickets were caused by players not doing that, one was because he chose to drive a ball that wasn't there to do so and the other one missed the ball and left his stumps exposed. It is slow and low. Duckett was in very little trouble until he got out but, perhaps, our "flat track bullies", who would prefer a dead track, aren't up to it in these conditions.
Bangladesh won 2-0 in Pakistan recently. New Zealand won the last Test in India. Opposition teams can do that. Or would we prefer pitches out there where both sides score 800 plus?
118-6 (32.1)
A pitch on day one should give the team batting first a chance to get between 300 & 400. The best batsman in the world has struggled to get into double figures in his last 2 innings.
I agree about low scored but India were 46 all out against NZ. Let's see how many Pakistan make. But, when all is said and done, Pakistan have to bat last. So, we should be in the driving seat even if this ends up a two and a half day Test. And we've had plenty of them under McCullum. It's just that we've been the ones winning.
I agree that teams can prepare wickets to suit themselves but there’s a limit to that where it stops being about the cricket. Stokes and Mccullum are hardly going to criticise before the test starts or risk being reprimanded and Athers is still broadcasting to the nation of Pakistan so will understandably be being careful with his words.
So, once and for all, I will ask you and the others saying that this pitch is unfair. Do we or do we not have a massive advantage in winning the toss if this wicket is as bad as we are saying?