The International Cricket Thread

[PaulWinch again]

Smiths an excellent batter - it’s been a great series and I back us to knock them off.  Still get frustrated by the with some of the shot choices. 

I get the argument that it’s how some of them play but we were cruising and have now invited the pressure ourselves. 

On the flip side though if Brook doesn’t play his way we’re never in the position to win it. I think it’s fine, the shot selection was logical he just got the execution wrong. That happens, but his enterprise, in combination with Root’s brilliance, has given us a very good chance.

[Dante Lavelli]

What influence can the groundsman have at this stage?

[Meanwood Villa]

I saw several comments from Indian fans last night saying the heavy roller would make the pitch easier to bat on this morning.

I think heavy roller was referring to the machinery rather than the man.

[Beard82]

Smiths an excellent batter - it’s been a great series and I back us to knock them off.  Still get frustrated by the with some of the shot choices. 

I get the argument that it’s how some of them play but we were cruising and have now invited the pressure ourselves. 

On the flip side though if Brook doesn’t play his way we’re never in the position to win it. I think it’s fine, the shot selection was logical he just got the execution wrong. That happens, but his enterprise, in combination with Root’s brilliance, has given us a very good chance.

Yeah thats very true, but once he got us back in the game I would have liked him to be a litte more successful.  I get Im probably asking an leopard to change his spots.

[paul_e]

One way or another - it's just so great that it's going to go down to day 30 of play. Only test cricket can do this, and the absolute best thing about this Bazball thing is how it's showed test cricket to its best advantage time after time.

Day 25 surely, but otherwise I agree completely. I get people don't like seeing people get out cheaply but the flipside to that is that you rarely have boring sessions in England games anymore, especially when we're batting.

The only thing that has let this series down a little is that England have had to field a weakened seam bowling attack. Archer, Wood, Atkinson should all be regularly involved with Stokes and then the likes of Woakes, Potts and Carse are the rotation options.

[PaulWinch again]

Smith gone.

[Villan For Life]

I’m not sure what they reviewed there, it was clearly out. Maybe the tension is getting to the umpires.

It’s now raining.

[PaulWinch again]

Yikes Overton gone. This looks very difficult now.

[paul_e]

Think we're very unlucky there, was surprised he put up his finger.

[LeeB]

It's mental that a 5 test series is coming down to this, but in fairness India absolutely deserve not to lose the series.

[ChicagoLion]

Smith brainless.

[PaulWinch again]

18 looks miles away at the moment.

[paul_e]

The slightly frustrating thing here is that they've only taken 17 wickets, if worries could've batted in his normal position in both innings I think this would look very different. Such an unfortunate injury.

[LeeB]

The slightly frustrating thing here is that they've only taken 17 wickets, if worries could've batted in his normal position in both innings I think this would look very different. Such an unfortunate injury.

I was watching as it happened, you thought at the time it will be a problem for us bowling 2nd innings, not so much that we'd need his batting to get us over the line.

[paul_e]

Fucking autocorrect, obviously meant Woakes there.

Either way this is fucking tense.