Bethell has bowled 6 overs across the entire match. If you pick him, it's as a very talented batsman, but he is way off being a Test spinner. Not a threatening red ball spinner, and not a steady, economical one like a Dawson or Giles either.
Which begs the question, was the team selection right, as it basically left us with a 4 man attack, even before the Woakes injury?
Who might have been a better pick?
I would have given Dawson another game. He's a decent enough No 7 bat.
I bet he would have scored more runs in this match than Bethell, who looked like someone who hasn't played for weeks.
That's what happens when this regime thinks they can throw a player into an extremely important Test match after preventing him from playing in the CC all season.
That's what happens when this regime thinks they can throw a player into an extremely important Test match after preventing him from playing in the CC all season.
You make very fair comments when it comes to Bethell He has been put into this team totally undercooked. Having said all that I still struggle to see why Stokes and company hold him in such high regard. Brooke looked a superstar from the first time I saw him. Smith will in my opinion go on to have a successful England career. Bethell I have doubts about.
Bethell's last red ball game 25th June 2025 in which he scored 20 & 12 respectively. His last one before that? 20 months ago on 17th December 2024 in the Test against New Zealand. Even the likes of Brook and Root play some red ball cricket let alone someone who has never scored a FC ton. He is supremely talented but talent alone isn't enough.
That's what happens when this regime thinks they can throw a player into an extremely important Test match after preventing him from playing in the CC all season.
You make very fair comments when it comes to Bethell He has been put into this team totally undercooked. Having said all that I still struggle to see why Stokes and company hold him in such high regard. Brooke looked a superstar from the first time I saw him. Smith will in my opinion go on to have a successful England career. Bethell I have doubts about.
I do think he is a real talent, as are Brook and Smith, but he has come into the side so undercooked. I get the fact that they want to support him but there is absolutely no substitute for experience. One red ball match in 20 months does not offer him that especially as the next time they might want him to face one might be against Starc, Haslewood and Cummins. I would have, as I said, played Dawson instead anyway.
And that is that. I have not watched any of this. Flicked on to see we were 118-3 and thought fuck then Root and Brook gave me small hope but we are done. (and how many no balls and wides did we give them and not to mention the 6 dropped catches? If stokes was playing we may have had a chance. Oh well it is what it is. I hate some of the Indian cricketers and their shennagins, but they deserve to win this game and draw the series. Fair Result. They battled to stay in the last game and got a big lead in this game.
Two evenly matched teams which always goes to the last session. Chris Woakes is putting his pads on 😱
I don't think anyone would be able to handle the tension if it does go to the last session
They put the covers on when they went off for tea at 4 and came out at 4.30. What is this if it's not the last session 🤔
It's the fourth to last session
I will concede it's the 4th day 😀 it will be an anti climax if the match has to finish tomorrow morning in front of a few hundred people and not in the final session today.
Why test cricket is such and amazing sport yet also slowly dying all summed up here. Ebb and flow from session to session across 4 days following a topsy turvey series. Into the final throws of the game and series with everything as finely poised and exciting as you could hope for. Fuck off for bad light and utterly kill the moment. The sport doesn’t help itself sometimes.
Why test cricket is such and amazing sport yet also slowly dying all summed up here. Ebb and flow from session to session across 4 days following and topsy turvey series. Into the final throws of the game and series with everything as finely poised and exciting as you could hope for. Fuck off for bad light and utterly kill the moment. The sport doesn’t help itself sometimes.
To be fair, it had been drizzle as well as bad light, so not good conditions. And the bad light foresaw heavy rain.
Comments
He has been put into this team totally undercooked.
Having said all that I still struggle to see why Stokes and company hold him in such high regard.
Brooke looked a superstar from the first time I saw him.
Smith will in my opinion go on to have a successful England career.
Bethell I have doubts about.
edit and has now caused a lot more
Chris Woakes is putting his pads on 😱
Test cricket is the dogs testicles when you have close contests.
Never easy....!
It's been a brilliant series. Two very well matched teams, close finishes and packed stadiums.
They put the covers on when they went off for tea at 4 and came out at 4.30.
What is this if it's not the last session 🤔
I will concede it's the 4th day 😀
it will be an anti climax if the match has to finish tomorrow morning in front of a few hundred people and not in the final session today.
If this heads Oval way can see them coming back tomorrow