International cricket thread

MFPM

Gillespy wrote: »

India well placed at the MCG. Rahane, the stand in captain, with a fine hundred and good contributions by Gill, Pant and Jadeja who is still in. Really impressed by how they have bounced back from Adelaide.

Meanwhile Pakistan are 30/1 after 20 overs still trailing by 401 runs. Looks hard work all around there.

Yep, India well placed barring a 36 all out collapse! They seem to have Smith's number, first Test duck in 4 years.

Love watching Kane Williamson bat - he hit his 23rd Test Century, he gets a bit overlooked in the Smith/Kohli/Root pantheon debate but can hold his own with any of them in my view.

Close enough game going on in South Africa against Sri Lanka.

TrueDub

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

Brisbane Heat collapsing again. Woeful stuff after such a solid start.

Edit: maybe all the domestic T20 tournaments around the world's posts should be in a thread specifically for them?

There's usually a specific thread for the IPL, whenever it happens. If someone wants to start a BBL thread then go ahead, I reckon there's enough interest in it. Not sure about the other franchise leagues though, might be better to leave CPL/BPL/PPL/Whatever posts here.

Gillespy

Australia effectively 2-6. Green in with Cummins and Starc to come are capable of putting some score together. Never know how India will cope chasing a middling score after what happened at Adelaide.

Smith's terrible run of form continues. Bowled behind his legs by Bumrah for eight. India can't be believing their luck, last tour Smith and Warner were banned. Now Warner is injured and Smith is in horrible form. They have their own problems but Australia are there for the taking.

Gillespy

Very impressive win by India. Rahane hitting the winning runs capped a dream game for him. Like with Williamson, there's a lot to be said for a calm, considered captain. Two debutantes looked right at home. Allrounder Jadeja added a lot.

Australia got what they deserved. Scratched around, counterattack never came to try and get something to defend. Bowlers couldn't save them like in the first game.

Richard Hillman

Proper cricket lads. Fafs 199, Rahanes Century, the end of the NZ-Pakistan game. Real cricket that will be remembered.

Meanwhile in ODI/T20 somebody hit 70 off 30 balls and nobody remembers it the next day.

Gillespy

Williamson cementing his no. 1 ranking with another great hundred. Really put the boot down to go from 50 to 100. Scores almost level with only three down. Big Lord's test final has added something to this winter's cricket. NZ well placed if they win here.

MFPM

Gillespy wrote: »

Williamson cementing his no. 1 ranking with another great hundred. Really put the boot down to go from 50 to 100. Scores almost level with only three down. Big Lord's test final has added something to this winter's cricket. NZ well placed if they win here.

A real masterclass by Williamson, three centuries by the NZ players in that innings. They've really dominated Pakistan in this series.

Gillespy

Must be as daunting a place to tour as anywhere now NZ. Win or lose the toss on any colour pitch, they have the means to win there. Has to be annoying them how badly they did in Australia this time last year. Hadn't much luck with injuries and they met a rampant Labuschagne. Also was before Jamieson started who would have made a big difference there. Still the manner of that series loss casts a shadow over their celebrating no.1 ranking. Need a few big away series wins next.

Gillespy

Australia well on top after three days at the SCG. Again very reliant on Labuschagne and Smith for runs. Smith finally ending his drought with a hundred. Marnus out in the 90s. Pucovski on debut made 50 too. Interesting story with him, real prodigy who was blighted with concussion problems delaying his debut until now.

All falling apart for India. Jadeja injured his thumb and will miss the rest of this and some of the England series. Pant got hit too and probably won't keep. Long list of injuries now. Bumrah looked a bit concerning too late yesterday.

Sideshow is where the next game will be held. India don't want to go to Brisbane citing bubble concerns. Cynics suggest it might be due to Australia's great unbeaten record at the Gabba.

Richard Hillman

Big morning session. Hard to see how the pitch will go. Australias middle order is a bit strange. The likes of Wade, Paine and Green could go for zip, although Starc and Cummins can hold bat. The middle to lower order could easily come good and bat well at a good rate until tea. But of Course India have to get through Smith and Labuschagne first.

India definitely don't want to be going to the Gabbatoir 2-1 down.

y0ssar1an22

after a decent opening partnership of 71, india now 98/2 chasing 407.

as an aside, anyone see the reason for the earlier postponement?

Gillespy

Siraj claimed he was racially abused. Appears it wasn't and the police cleared everyone. Read accounts of Indians in the area who heard nothing racist said. Feel sorry for those fans thrown out.

Also feel for Cam Green. It interrupted his rampage to his maiden hundred.

It will be difficult for India to bat out a draw here. Pujara and Rahane will have to do most of it. No Jadeja and not sure about Pant.

MFPM

Great response overall by the Aussies to the last test. Nice to see Smith back among the runs. Surprised if India hold on to the draw but either way the series is set up for a big finale in Brisbane. Is Kohli due back for the 4th Test?

Gillespy

No Kohli isn't coming back. Covid restrictions would stop him even if he tried to now. He'll be well rested for England on Feb 5th.

MFPM

Gillespy wrote: »

No Kohli isn't coming back. Covid restrictions would stop him even if he tried to now. He'll be well rested for England on Feb 5th.

Yeah, I figured that. The Indi/Eng home and away series and the Ashes looking like really good series to look forward to.

Richard Hillman

The pitch was a bit up and down until lunch when I went to bed but runs were still scored. They'll be a bit of moisture in the surface, so it won't be a spinning dustbowl but Lyon will bowling a fair bit today.

Gillespy

Pant having a good crack at this total. Good fun while it lasts. 230 is still a long way away yet.

Turns out there's more to the Siraj racism story than I said earlier. Braindead stuff in these times and in with such a small crowd so spread out.

Richard Hillman

Looks like we could be having a late night. I was only intending to stay up until lunch but this one could be a runner

Gillespy

Pant falls for 97 right on the second new ball. 145 more to get now. He has given India a chance. Pujara is looking a lot more comfortable today. He holds the keys nows. A fit Jadeja would be great to have waiting to bat.

Richard Hillman

I have been so well behaved in keeping my sleep schedule over Lockdown and here I am still awake st 6am :pac:

Gillespy

Stayed up to watch it all. While Pant and Pujara were in it was to see if they could pull off a huge win. When they fell and Vihari couldn't run anymore it was to see if they could bat for the draw. As good as it gets if you like this game.

So impressed by India this series. Captain and best player leaves after a horrific loss in Adelaide, so many injuries and they refused to roll over. Draw will do them at the Gabba but I hope they can go to the well again and win it.

Delighted for Paine. Average keeper, average batsman and a poor captain. And so fake as a man. The most annoying keeper around to listen to from him shouting catch it and appealing every ball to his stupid ''banter''.

Gillespy

More bad news on the injury front for India with Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of Brisbane with an abdominal strain. That's their full first choice attack gone.

Mysterypunter

Sri Lanka are 25-3 early against England, they are completely useless, crowd of sloggers, and Karunaratne is missing with an injury, so it's Angelo Matthews vs England

Gillespy

135 all out after winning toss and batting. Bess, England's worst bowler gifted a 5fer. Broad and Leach bowled well.

Bat once now will be the plan while the pitch is still good.

Richard Hillman

Test cricket is brutal. Get battered in the first 40 overs and now you have live with it for the next couple of days. SL very unlucky with 2 of the wickets but the rest was tosh.

Sri Lanka are the warmed up team. They had the SA series and just came off their own T20 Comp. England had a half white ball Series in SA and last played a test in September.

VillaMad

It's been coming for a while for Sri Lanka as they haven't had any star power coming up for a while and with the likes of Herath and Malinga gone their bowling now looks light and the batting simply doesn't have anyone near a Jayawardene or Sangakkara.

Wouldn't totally rule them out of the test match despite their position but somebody is going to have to play a blinder in the second innings.

Richard Hillman

We are hopefully playing Sri Lanka soon. Could be a shot at a test win. We'll need to bring every spinner Ireland possesses though :pac:

Gillespy

Aus win the toss and bat. Ashwin doesn't make it either. Naratajan and Washington Sundar make their debut. Shardul also plays. Such an inexperienced attack lets see how they go.

VillaMad

First Test: Agarwal, Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Kohli, Rahane, Vihari, Saha (wk), Ashwin, Yadav, Shami, Bumrah.

Fourth Test: Sharma, Gill, Pujara, Rahane (capt), Agarwal, Pant (wk), Sundar, Thakur, Saini, Siraj, T Natarajan

That's pretty incredible for India with only Pujara, Agarwal and Rahane from the first test and only Pujara has remained in the same spot. Hard to see them beating an Australian side that has such a consistent selection apart from their openers.

VillaMad

Great start for India. Another failure for Warner as Siraj finds the edge.