Holdsworth_MaraSonnerMy Blue HeavenTest cricket is fantastic
The first three days shows up silly people
I genuinely think England will win this series.
You usually speak the most sense with cricket, and often make calls other people don't (especially regarding Indian cricket). This would be huge though, wouldn't it?
I can certainly see it being very close - 3-2 either way. The way Stokes and the England team just do not know when they're beat and hun out these results is amazing.
OldhamHoldsworth_MaraSonnerMy Blue HeavenTest cricket is fantastic
The first three days shows up silly people
I genuinely think England will win this series.
You usually speak the most sense with cricket, and often make calls other people don't (especially regarding Indian cricket). This would be huge though, wouldn't it?
I can certainly see it being very close - 3-2 either way. The way Stokes and the England team just do not know when they're beat and hun out these results is amazing.
Statistically it’s still improbable but my logic is
1) india aren’t quite as impregnable at home recently as it might look. Australia should really have beaten them last year, and England could well have won that daft series in 2021.
2) for 3 or 4 years now despite their bowling brilliance they’ve really struggled to take 4th innings wickets.
3) the middle order loses wickets in clusters and either Jadeja or Kohli have to anchor. Obviously Kohli isn’t playing so there’s a lot resting on Jadeja.
Let’s see. Just a hunch. I agree it’s going to be close.
Agree with all your reasoning.
Add to that Stokes captaincy and the aura around the England team now, plus the immense pressure India are always under at home.
It's just quite staggering when you compare the two 11's and factor in India being at home.
strong possibility Jadeja won’t be fit this week too…
India could very well still win 4-1
Sure they'll miss Kohli for another test, they've got some unproven batters in the middle order, Shubman Gil is completely out of sorts and they're possibly also missing Jadeja for the next test
However they are at home with all those advantages - can bring a multitude of players in
Ashwin is bound to feature strongly at some point, Wood will need rotating out of things so we'll have either Jimmy or Olly Robinson to come in. And India could've won this game and really should have put it to bed by racking up 550+ first innings
Not sure they'll be as profligate and leave that many runs out on the park next time but this England will keep attacking with the ball up front and then smashing their way to a first innings score that keeps them competitive (they'll come unstuck once or twice). England have become a very good team down the stretch (Edgbaston aside) when games need managing (especially Stokes ability to switch gears), securing or clinching games emphatically. Hartley looks very decent for a number 7 or 8 bat too
KL Rahul & Ravindra Jadeja ruled out of the 2nd Test.
Sarfaraz, Sourabh, Sundar included in the Indian team.
There’s a massive pool of talent India can draw on, including experienced and promising youngsters. The question is whether they withstand the pressure on them. The Indian public is merciless.
It just underlines to me how incredible this transformation of the England team has been. Both Australia and India failed in run chases that England have been tackling in a positive frame of mind in the last couple of years. We know though as soon as things go wrong plenty want to climb into England too. It was never just biff, bash and total gung ho - that short pitched bowling tactic was roundly condemned as negative in the Ashes last year (Agnew, I hear you) but it worked. People patted themselves on the back suggesting Stokes ‘had listened’ to them when knocking it around for 6 an over without acknowledging it was England’s approach which meant there were numerous boundary riders to the best pace attack in the world (probably).
Stokes said people might not believe him but he’s a keen observer of the game and even within this game he learnt a lot about what to do. It’s been a thrilling period and I feel sorry for people who can’t enjoy the ride. Seeing every ball of the Headingley test live last year will never be topped for me. Even it all goes to pieces now (and whoever follows Stokes has a job in their hands - Ollie Pope?) it’s been unforgettable.
Nothing will diminish my admiration of Bumrah mind. If he was playing for us we’d be strong favourites in my book.
OldhamI'm gonna say it. I really don't like Agnew.
Neither do I, he's just become a crotchety old sod who seems to take no pleasure from anything.
There's a fine line between being a traditionalist and just refusing to move with the times.
Agnew's also shown himself up with his reaction to criticism on more than one occasion.
He's not as big an arsehole as Michael Vaughan, but it's close.
We seem to always revere well-spoken, condescending public school boy types. He's a competent broadcaster and very knowledgeable. I just don't like him. I find him sneery and with a whiff of thinking he's superior.
Vaughan is definitely a prick, another one who it's easy to dislike.