The International Cricket Thread

[paul_e]

I made the mistake of looking at this thread without checking the score, I'd never have guessed 58-4 given our shit bowlers and their comfortable batting you're all talking about.

[PaulWinch again]

Well the shit bowlers thing is obviously nonsense. They were very comfortable though, and then Carse bowled brilliantly.

I’d still probably favour India but it’s really in the balance now, great fightback.

[Meanwood Villa]

India still favourites I'd say, they only need one big partnership really to crack it but the nerves will be jangling for sure.

[PaulWinch again]

It’s not shit bowlers, demonstrably, but they’re not bowling well enough.

Its been 3 matches and 6 innings now. This is just the level they are.

Demonstrably proven wrong. There’s a difference between not playing well and being bad.

[Olneythelonely]

I made the mistake of looking at this thread without checking the score, I'd never have guessed 58-4 given our shit bowlers and their comfortable batting you're all talking about.

I don’t think they ever looked comfortable really. Archer and Woakes bowled poorly (that doesn’t make them shit) then Carse and Stokes bowled brilliantly.

Game on.

[Villan For Life]

Some people on this thread have no real appreciation of the nuances of test cricket.

India are 4 down and whilst they are favourites you can never write England off.

Carse bowled a beautiful spell and picked up two wickets including Gill who has played very well in this series.

The untypical weather in the lead up to the Edgbaston test and during this current Lords test has resulted in un-typical pitches which suit India more than they suit us. If we were having a normal English summer with grey skies and greener pitches then the current score in the series would look a bit different.

Our bowlers are not terrible, they are bowling in alien home conditions with a set of balls that go soft very quickly.

India will not fancy facing us tomorrow, for reference look up the scorecard for the Edgbaston test in 2018.

This test is far from over; India are marginal favourites but don’t discount an England victory.

[Meanwood Villa]

We'd be bricking it the other way round. Fingers crossed for a big performance tomorrow morning.

[simboy]

That’s a session England won. They had to.

I still would rather the Indian attack over the England attack but Carse, Stokes and to an extent Woakes bowled well. Again, I would rather have the Indian top six but you cannot account for Gill’s timidness or what had got into Jaiswal.

A proper Test match with a lot of needle. I still expect England to lose but maybe they can get something out of the game. Three left handers in next for India. England really do need Bashir to step up on a slightly worn day 5 pitch.

[Exeter 77]

Stokes taking that late wicket has definitely made it a more interesting final day.

[Mellin]

Indeed, VFL. The pitch is clearly doing plenty and is demonstrably low scoring. It's not far off 50/50 now. I haven't checked the odds, but they will be close.

135 runs in these conditions four down? I think I'd rather be the batting team...just, but it could be unplayable tomorrow and England have the runs on the board.

[simboy]

England 6/4 India 8/15 on Sky Bet. 

[PaulWinch again]

What those wickets have shown is this is a pitch to target the stumps. It seems to be the area to hit is a good length or a little shorter than that. We’ve probably got 13 overs or so until the ball really softens, so we need a couple early.

[PaulWinch again]

Watching the highlights back, Carse got the seam position absolutely spot on in that spell. It was top bowling.

[PaulWinch again]

It’s so frustrating for the Windies, they’ve got such a good seam attack. Even Greaves is a really nice all rounder 4th seamer. But they just need a couple of proper class batsmen - they’ve got some good ones, but they need a couple of real high class ones. Then they would be really good side.

[PaulWinch again]

Pant gone to a beauty, but a lot of batting left.