alfie wrote:Agree with DFM there . Rather than throwing it away - a criticism that might fairly have been levelled at some players in the previous two games ? - I think it more correct to say they were simply unable to stand up to some really excellent bowling (and late first innings batting) from a very good Indian team.
So more outplayed than guilty of poor tactics , on this occasion. Indeed I suspect another fifty runs would have been enough ; but apart from dropping Jurel on the third morning they didn't do a lot wrong in the field. And while the bats won't be happy with their efforts here , it is probably worth remembering that (apart from Duckett whose average of 42 owes a lot to one innings of 190 against Ireland) only Root in this team averages north of 37. A lot of stronger lists have been done over in tricky conditions in India in recent years.
I am disappointed England couldn't force an unlikely win on that quite gripping final afternoon ; because I'd have loved to see a decider in a series in which 3-1 is perhaps just slightly misleading . India have certainly been the better team ; but not as overwhelmingly so as we might have expected at the beginning. As for England , I think they do need to both continue to play without fear , as has been their recent mantra (it has brought them a decent measure of success , after all) ; but also try to refine their game situation management. Can't be easy , in the heat of very intense play at this level ; but knowing when to adjust your tactics at crucial points is an important part of the game - and it is one in which they have a mixed record . (SA 2022 : very good. Lord's 2023 : rather bad. And others each way) The more times you get it right the better...
Won't see much of T5 as away for the Folk Festival at Port Fairy ; but I've enjoyed these four matches , despite the end result
alfie wrote:Agree with DFM there . Rather than throwing it away - a criticism that might fairly have been levelled at some players in the previous two games ? - I think it more correct to say they were simply unable to stand up to some really excellent bowling (and late first innings batting) from a very good Indian team
alfie wrote:And while the bats won't be happy with their efforts here , it is probably worth remembering that (apart from Duckett whose average of 42 owes a lot to one innings of 190 against Ireland) only Root in this team averages north of 37. A lot of stronger lists have been done over in tricky conditions in India in recent years.
meninblue wrote:This Indian team is not at all very good imo. The worst considering experience and form that has been selected/ fielded for high profile test series
sussexpob wrote:meninblue wrote:This Indian team is not at all very good imo. The worst considering experience and form that has been selected/ fielded for high profile test series
Murali is pretty widely appreciated as the greatest spin bowler of all time, and was especially tough to play on those SL pitches. If we could hypothetically clone three Murali's in a lab, then went and took peak Malcolm Marshall from the past in a time machine, you'd expect that such an attack throw into helpful pitches would be the worst case scenario type of attack to face....
India have fielded 4 spinners in this series, in packs of three, that all have better records in India than the greatest spinner ever had playing in his home conditions (note - when removing the matches SL played vs Zimbabwe's Z team in the mid-2000s)...... Oh, and Bumrah averages 6 runs less than Marshall did at home.... and has the best average of any bowler to have taken 100 wickets since before World War I....
In short, for much of this series India have in the context of home conditions, pretty much had the best attack in the history of the game.
A few middle order meh run scorers in the batting line might not be perfect, but when your bowling attack on averages bowls out a side for under 200, it hardly matters a lot.
This is a VERY good team at home.
sussexpob wrote:If we could combine Hartley and Bashir, we'd have a hell of a spinner. Bashir has the control but doesn't turn it much, Hartley can rip it off the pitch but sprays it around... I'd personally go for Hartley, because I think being able to turn it big is such an asset for a spinner, and tighter, taller spinners like Bashir who rely on accuracy and bounce haven't tended to do well in England.
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