The International Cricket Thread

[Monty]

Root was out hooking off a no-ball too, and Brook was fortunate to get dropped. The calculation was so clear that it wasn't worth it. It's not the same thing as driving when there are slips - this is hitting the ball in the air right in the area where they have fielders waiting. It was totally brainless.

[PaulWinch again]

Looking dicey here.

[paul_e]

Root was out hooking off a no-ball too, and Brook was fortunate to get dropped. The calculation was so clear that it wasn't worth it. It's not the same thing as driving when there are slips - this is hitting the ball in the air right in the area where they have fielders waiting. It was totally brainless.

but in terms of impact on the game Stokes only score 7 more runs that Root. Why was it a mistake from Root to back his ability and try to hit over the field but it's not a mistake from Stokes to let their bowlers go back to a more familiar plan and trap him with the sort of good delivery everyone knows Starc is capable of?

"You can't account for good bowling" or something similar is the normal response but the entire point of bazball is to do exactly that, if we just let the bowlers dictate play they will eventually find something.

Look at how they have the field set to Brook, he's not going to get caught at slip because they haven't got the balls to take fielders out of positions protecting the boundary so him being so aggressive removes the risk of him being bowled in the exact manner Stokes was.

[UK Redsox]

Lyon update

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/66066325

Australia spinner Nathan Lyon suffered a "significant calf strain" on day two of the second Ashes Test and is a doubt for the rest of the series.

Lyon pulled up when running to field a ball and had to be helped by the physio as he walked back to the dressing room.

The 35-year-old has not returned to the field since and arrived at the ground on crutches before day three.

Cricket Australia said he will "require a period of rehabilitation after this match is concluded".

"A decision regarding his availability for the remainder of the series will be made at the conclusion of the game," they added.

Lyon could bat, if required, later in the game.

[UK Redsox]

As someone who has twanged calf muscles, I know that it's bloody painful and takes quite a while to recover

[PaulWinch again]

And there we go. Subsiding, another dumb shot.

Really really poor and they’re into the tail.

[OzVilla]

Bazball = brainless cricket.

[Monty]

Siri, is it 'positive cricket' to go from 200-1 to giving up a first innings deficit of a 100?

[PaulWinch again]

Only Stokes has been got out here.

[PaulWinch again]

Siri, is it 'positive cricket' to go from 200-1 to giving up a first innings deficit of a 100?

Quire and this is 100% a result of that 45 mins yesterday.

[Risso]

FFS, being attacking doesn't have to mean being utterly stupid, does it. We'll be luck to get within 80 of their total at this rate, from a really good position yesterday. Chucking wickets away willy nilly isn't good or clever cricket, it just means we're going to get walloped in every test this series if it continues.

[Paul.S]

I’m all for positive cricket but this is idiotic. If they’d have left the majority of short balls alone yesterday then today would’ve been the day when they could’ve opened up. Throwing the ashes away isn’t anything to celebrate.

[German James]

FFS, being attacking doesn't have to mean being utterly stupid, does it. We'll be luck to get within 80 of their total at this rate, from a really good position yesterday. Chucking wickets away willy nilly isn't good or clever cricket, it just means we're going to get walloped in every test this series if it continues.

This. 1000 times this! I'm all for Bazball, I've watched more of these two matches than I have any cricket for years because of it. But batting positively/aggressively doesn't have to mean swinging at every single ball, chosing shots your average cider-fueled village tail-ender would! A bit of pragmatism after they started bowling short was what was needed.

[taylorsworkrate]

Only Stokes has been got out here.

Not just this innings really. How many of our batsmen were actually got out in the first test rather than throwing their wicket away? Compare that to how hard our bowlers have had to work to get their batsmen out....

Australia are on the verge of going 2-0 up in the series and we've just handed it to them on a plate.

[Lsvilla]

I've sold my day 3 oval tickets as that tosser Lynch has called a train strike. Was hoping I'd be seeing a pivotal day in an ashes decider - the way England have approached this I'm glad I'm not going to be seeing a 5-0 humiliation live.