Re: The test

16:27, Sat 5 Jul
Charcy
IanT
India are batting on too long here.

I don't really understand what they are doing.

They're terrified of England's ability to chase in the 4th innings. A lot of teams are.

But this is ridiculous from a team behind in the series.
There's too much opinion and not enough fact.
16:30, Sat 5 Jul
It's testament to how well this team has done. India might well throw away a victory here due to the fear of our ability to chase

I'd understand if they were only 400 ahead, but 500 is more than plenty
16:38, Sat 5 Jul
Charcy
IanT
India are batting on too long here.

I don't really understand what they are doing.

It’s pretty obvious, no?

1) put the game out of reach. This England team is chasing crazy totals often
2) given that the old ball and tired bowlers have done nothing all game, give themselves 14-16 overs with the new ball tonight, then another stint with Deep and Siraj on fresh legs in the morning. They’ve got 2 very poor bowlers playing as all rounders and while Jadeja is good, barely a ball has turned.

It’s the perils of having a poor bowling unit that they have no faith in. Apparently this is the highest number of runs that any team has ever scored in the initial two tests of a series.
16:50, Sat 5 Jul
I hear you, and they should have enough even with this attack to win.....but it's a negative mind set and a very old fashioned way of playing a test match.

It's 2 weak attacks.

This series will be won by the team who can get most wickets, or rather, the batting unit that makes the fewest mistakes.
There's too much opinion and not enough fact.
16:53, Sat 5 Jul
Interesting looking at the Australia West Indies game. The Aussies look very beatable at home.
Tell you what that crack is really moreish.
16:56, Sat 5 Jul
Yeah, I've been following that series.

The Aussie openers look very vulnerable to me, and I hope they persist with Green at 3.
There's too much opinion and not enough fact.
16:57, Sat 5 Jul
If they've got a poor bowling attack are they not going to likely need more overs? So it's not'obvious' as such.
17:26, Sat 5 Jul
Rain due tomorrow…
17:31, Sat 5 Jul
IanT
Woakes is good at Lords, as is Stokes....and I quite like Tongue.

Not convinced by Carse, but then I'm not sure Joffra is quite ready either.

Actually thought Carse bowled a lot better than Tongue, but I’m not sure he’s really test class. He can bike at 90 though. Tongue bowls too many poor balls for me. But I do pity our bowlers having to bowl on these last two test match pitches.
17:37, Sat 5 Jul
India aren't bowling too bad on a 4th day pitch tbf...
17:45, Sat 5 Jul
Aside from the first hour on Day 1 India's seamers have outbowled ours completely.

More accurate, more movement, more intensity

Woakes looks like he's lost a bit of pace, Tongue a bit raw and inconsistent, and Carse is injured
18:12, Sat 5 Jul
It's all over.

1-1 and to Lords.
There's too much opinion and not enough fact.
18:17, Sat 5 Jul
Praying for rain here.

An unbelievable ball to get Root there. India's bowlers have been fantastic, they've completely out-bowled us
18:17, Sat 5 Jul
Yes we’ve been out bowled massively

So much for only winning with Bumrah
18:27, Sat 5 Jul
Leithblues
Praying for rain here.

An unbelievable ball to get Root there. India's bowlers have been fantastic, they've completely out-bowled us
Not sure it was that unbelievable. Bowled from wide on the crease, targeting off stump and Root was trying to clip it to midwicket. Only a small deviation off the seam was enough to miss Root's half-bat.