The International Cricket Thread

[taylorsworkrate]

Top 4 got good deliveries, but Bairstow and Moeen have gone carelessly. Very much exactly what they - and we - did not need.

I wouldn't include Ducketts in that to be honest. His was a poor shot at a ball way too close to cut

[Paul.S]

I’m sure there is but you look at this and wonder if there’s any plan at all. It looks like “go out there lads and throw your bat at it.”

[Flamingo Lane]

Blimey, that shot that got Moeen Ali out was truly awful, as was the one that almost immediately preceeded it.

[aev]

I am pretty sure the point of bazball isn't to simply slog it around, but feel empowered to play how you want to play (ie clarity of thinking and commitment to playing the way you see it).

Maybe the issue is we are picking too many players that can't or won't "dig in".

[taylorsworkrate]

Blimey, that shot that got Moeen Ali out was truly awful, as was the one that almost immediately preceeded it.

He'd mistimed the previous one so so badly, how on earth could he have the confidence to play it again straight away?

[taylorsworkrate]

Shambolic session from England. It's shown up once again what a lack of character there is in this group of players

[Steve67]

I am pretty sure the point of bazball isn't to simply slog it around, but feel empowered to play how you want to play (ie clarity of thinking and commitment to playing the way you see it).

Maybe the issue is we are picking too many players that can't or won't "dig in".

Bazball feels to me like an excuse to get out how you want to and not worry about it.

Terrible morning for England. Show some gumption.

[paul_e]

Bazball is, as I've said many times, about controlling the flow and tempo of the match. It's not just slogging, it's not players having no instructions but I can see why some people think it's that and have therefore decided it's to blame for the problems.

The idea is to take options away from the opposition. They want a spinner to come in and occupy an end for a whole session, so you smash him to the rope a few times and make them worry about how expensive it is to leave him in. They flood all their field to the off side and bowl a 5th/6th stump line, don't be afraid to step across and give yourself angles to hit on the leg side.

It's not working in this series because 1, Australia are a good side and 2. a lot of our players are struggling for form which is creating a lot of sloppy play. In this specific match momentum is playing a big part. Both sides know that Australia should've have made 200, our bowlers dominated and created good chances early in the innings for everyone in their top 6, by dropping some easy catches we gave them the momentum. 263 isn't a great score, but when you know you should've bene out for 100 less it feels like a win, and vice versa for the bowlers. That has carried into this innings and they've done the basics far better than we did. That's the difference between the sides here.

[PaulWinch again]

Bloody terrible - once again Stokes stands alone.

[aev]

“We’re not up there saying you need to do this, you need to do that. What we are doing is  saying you’ve got the backing of the whole dressing room to go out there with something in your end that you feel is the best way for you to take the game on at any given time.”

[olaftab]

I hate this I truly despise the Aussies cricketers and finding it very hard to take this. The two seniors Bairstow and Ali have been nothing less than a total shamble. They are there because they are skippers friend. Just fuck of both of you, just go and do something where you may be useful like digging roads, just fuck off.

[Nev]

It's lazy cricket. It takes hard work, concentration, focus and stoic determination to stay at the crease for a long spell - look at Khawaja. Playing almost every delivery and then practically shrugging shoulders when you get out with an attitude of "well at least I tried" really isn't good enough. The accusations of carelessness and a sloppy approach are had to fend off when you look at both batting and catching, the concession of so many extras and the seemingly laissez faire response to setbacks.

What looked like fine margins in the first test now look like big problems.

[Villan For Life]

Ten off two balls from Wood off Starc at the start of the afternoon session

[Villan For Life]

Ten off two balls from Wood off Starc at the start of the afternoon session

Make that 16 off 3

[Monty]

And gone. Somehow managing to concede a nigh-on three figure deficit here. Congratulations everybody.