International cricket thread

Strumms

Good recovery by SA. NZ have missed a chance or two but the batsmen looking reasonably comfortable.

should get a lead 320 plus….

aggressive batting now… 39/3 to 183/4 is a nice recovery.

212 is the highest successful run chase in tests at this ground im reading.

Mysterypunter

Bedingham 104* now out of 213-5. 244 is the lead, very handy one for South Africa

Strumms

In Rajkot, England lose the toss and will be made field.

Wood comes in for Shoaib Bashir.

Stokes says he’d have batted first too.

Strumms

3.4 overs of not very good bowling and 22 runs conceded and Wood subsequently finds what’s been the solitary excellent delivery so far, picks up Jaiswal’s wicket…. Excellent delivery…

Gillespy

Gill never looked like scoring runs today. Into India's inexperienced middle order already, big wicket will be Rohit now.

MFPM

Rohit and Jadeja really steadied the ship after that disastrous start...100 partnership now, need to keep going.

Mysterypunter

Rohit went on with his start, and lead a recovery. 131 for him, and looking a lot healthier at 301/4. Jadeja 96* Sarfaraz 52*

Mysterypunter

Jadeja made a mess of getting to a hundred. Ran out the new man. He's 100* out of 315/5

Gillespy

Sarfaraz looked great on debut, really backed up the hype around him. Even enough day you'd say now after that run our. Could have been so much better for England if Root managed to catch that Rohit chance. Happy to see Mark Wood taking wickets, too often he bowls well for no reward.

Strumms

At 33/3 England were in charge, big time, now rolls somewhat reversed.

Reasonable to surmise that the probability will be India from stumps at 326/5 will be posting a 400 plus first innings score or worse for English.

England need a really impressive first session with the ball to avoid that happening.

Unfortunately 3 of the 5 England bowlers are wicketless so far including Anderson. Not an ideal situation for the English side. 46 wicketless overs between the 3 of them.

wont be anyone in the India camp having a sleepless night, they’ll be comfortable having recovered superbly from that disastrous start having been 33/3…to 326/5…. That is some going….

Stokes and co. need a hell of a session with the ball but I know where my money is, not on England.

No adverse weather to save England, the opposite, they’ll be under the pump again tomorrow and for the rest of the test, temperature highs up in the mid 30’s every day. So the longer they are in the field….

let’s see if they can get a decent session in in the morning, they might have a sliver of hope if they can skittle India for 380 but in the same breath I’m going to be somewhat surprised if that happens.

Likelihood is their goose is cooked even at this early stage.

VillaMad

Didn't see much of today's play, but England sort of blew their great start and India sit in a very healthy position similar to day 1 in the last test match. Pitch looked good from what I saw but things can change quickly in India and runs on the board are the important currency to have.

Sarfaraz Khan looked good from the bits I saw and I find it absolutely mental that with an average in first class cricket of 69.85, he has had to wait until the age of 26 to break into the India team. Just shows you with their population and numbers playing the game, how hard it is to break into their team.

India look a little like a side in transition at the moment and even then they still are likely to win. Their older players in this side in Sharma, Jadeja and Ashwin are all probably on their last legs in test cricket and even Kohli is now 35. The introduction of new players into the side particularly in the batting has been a long while coming and has had mixed results so far which is to be expected.

VillaMad

Brilliant hundred by David Bedingham to set New Zealand a tricky target. Bedingham is probably the only player in the team that would likely have played if they had brought their regular side and he was able to play because he didn't have to opt in for the T20 tournament as he didn't have a central contract. One wonders what the likes of Rabada, Markram and co are all thinking while their country is playing.

South Africa were comfortable until Phillips took a screamer of a catch from Peterson and then they sort of fell apart as the pitch suddenly looked like a bit of a minefield. Thought Southee kept the ineffective spinners on for too long and then when he finally brought Henry and O'Rourke back they made inroads.

You would still have to favour New Zealand with the likes of Williamson and Ravindra to come but Piedt has bowled extremely well so far and looks like being the main threat. A great achievement by this "South Africa A" side whatever the outcome to push New Zealand this close.

As for New Zealand, it's been a poor match so far. A test series is upcoming against Australia and their bowling at the moment doesn't look great as it's starting to creak. However, O'Rourke was excellent and looks a real find and putting him in alongside Jamieson will make life tough for any batsman, but Southee and Wagner are starting to look a little over the hill. Their batting so far looks overly reliant on Williamson and Ravindra. Conway has to be a concern as his form has fallen off a cliff and Latham hasn't done much recently either.

Gillespy

Keegan Petersen would probably make South Africa's best team too I think. Bedingham and Petersen had a nice partnership going when I got up to watch the India game. No time later I checked in again and NZ were batting.

New Zealand have been in decline for a while really. Three nil defeat in England, lost a game at home to Bangladesh. Still a good team just not as formidable.

Strumms

England will be rueing the two missed reviews, you don’t often see one in an innings but two… seems to be an emotive frenzy for any appeal with their captain the worst culprit.

Strumms

NZ lose Latham early. It’s an awful shot, a nothing delivery, Latham with a nothing shot, an aggressive nervy looseness… won’t enjoy seeing it back.

MFPM

Poor captaincy by Rohit, Duckett hitting to all parts giving England momentum yet Ashwin doesn’t bowl. Eventually brings on Ashwin and gets a wicket in his second over.

Gillespy

England going great guns in reply. 150 up already in just 26 overs. India will be desperate for some reverse to bring Bumrah and Siraj into the game. Looks easy at the moment.

VillaMad

Once Williamson got in that was it for South Africa and it was an easy win in the end for the Kiwis. They will hope to have Daryl Mitchell back for the test series against Australia. Hard one to call at this stage that series as Australia weren't very impressive in their home summer.

Super day for England and in particularly Duckett. Everything seemed to come off for him and he just had a clear mind of what he was going to do and India had no answer to it. 500 for Ashwin as well. Terrific career for him.

India still hold sway as England really will need to score big and have a nice lead over India as the pitch will surely turn late on and you don't want to be chasing many then.

Ah just see that Ashwin has had to pull out of the rest of the test match due to a family emergency. He paid tribute to his family and father in particular in the interviews at the end of the day and what should have been one of the most special days of his career seems to have had a sad turn.

Gillespy

First session will be critical for India to make inroads with how hot it gets later in the day. Bumrah and Siraj will have to bowl a lot with the way the spinners are being attacked. Late 30s it gets up to.

By the way how much better is the commentary this game without KP, Murali Kartik and Harsha Bhogle.

Strumms

Ravi Ashwin has left the test. Family reasons… huge blow for India, huge boost for England….

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/cricket/india-vs-england-ravi-ashwin-family-emergency-b1139721.html

losing runs and wickets with him being a quality all rounder.

in terms of batting its 11 vs 10, a huge boost for the English, can they take advantage ?

MFPM

India have responded well this morning given the news about Ashwin. England have lost 5 wickets - Foakes following Stokes back to the dressing room quickly also poor shots from Root, who's been poor with the bat this series and Duckett but he played brilliantly.

MFPM

England 9 down, another 2 quick wickets. Bit of a collapse this from England 207/2 to 304/9. 126 behind. India back in control?

MFPM

England all out 319. 126 behind.

5/20 off 38 balls for India.

Furze99

Keeping an eye on this one - Root shows why this silly bazball nonsense is nonsense in test cricket. Trying play T20 shots in a test innings with your team in a growing position of strength. Might work out once in every 5 or 6 matches, but that's poor odds.

Looks like India will have healthy 300+ lead by end of day. 22 yr old opener with a century. Even with 10 men, you'd think that Englands goose will be well and truly cooked.

Gillespy

Root is just in poor form. It's normally a good shot for him, ask Cummins, Hazlewood or Southee if it's a low percentage shot for him. Bairstow and Root's form is a problem for England. Foakes too.

Jaiswal retired hurt. Another brilliant innings by him. This turning into a proper hiding now. India in total control. What a missed opportunity by England with them a bowler down as well as all the other big players missing.

Strumms

How come Ben Duckett can score 153 on this wicket and not a single other England batsman can score a half century ? 5 of the 11 batsmen only on single figure scores. England probably at least 80 off being in a position to attain a result…if they had bowlers able to take wickets of course.

bowlers have no real impact, 3rd innings of the test and India set for a really substantial lead unless a miracle unfolds.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121779411#Comment_121779411

I read a post match comment by Ben Duckett defending Root's tactics likewise and also hoping to face as big a target as possible! Are they on drugs or hallucinating in the heat :) There's professional sportsman confidence and there's hubris.

InsideEdge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121776986#Comment_121776986

Yep, far too many Indian voices commentating on an Indian Test Match...

Gillespy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121781890#Comment_121781890

KP isn't Indian is he? So that's a silly thing to take from my post. Sanjay Manjrker, Deep Dasgupta and Nick Knight have replaced them and for me that's a good upgrade.

MFPM

Anderson hit for three sixes in a row, not sure I've seen that before - England's most expensive bowler in this innings. India utterly dominant at the moment, lead almost 500. India should have long since declared, assume they're letting Jaiswal get 200? At least Ben Duckett will get his wish today, the more runs to chase the merrier apparently!!