TOPIC:

Still only 7 out . We may face a loss on FI 
Need  wickets in a hurry.

I think the inexperience of the attack is showing Anchorman. Axar and Ashwin have batted beautifully but they are getting the same sort of stuff served up to them all the time. Cummins has only bowled 7 overs and I thought it would have been better to break up the spinners and for him to bowl a few short spells of hostile bowling but he has just kept the spinners going. One too many of them, Boland would have provided variety and a tighter line. Cummins has had a really poor series so far with the ball.

An opportunity lost and now they may pay the price in the 2nd innings. Could really get ugly in the last hour and the Australian team seem to be out of ideas and their body language has been really poor since tea. New ball is the last hope otherwise the batsman will be chasing a significant deficit again.

Series is slipping away unless they can break this partnership

Reckon Aust could of done with another hour mikeh, Head was on a roll, could of easily been another 50 ahead. Now Head has to come out again and try and replicate his effort. Definitely need another 200 minimum....

mikeh wrote:

I think the inexperience of the attack is showing Anchorman. Axar and Ashwin have batted beautifully but they are getting the same sort of stuff served up to them all the time. Cummins has only bowled 7 overs and I thought it would have been better to break up the spinners and for him to bowl a few short spells of hostile bowling but he has just kept the spinners going. One too many of them, Boland would have provided variety and a tighter line. Cummins has had a really poor series so far with the ball.

An opportunity lost and now they may pay the price in the 2nd innings. Could really get ugly in the last hour and the Australian team seem to be out of ideas and their body language has been really poor since tea. New ball is the last hope otherwise the batsman will be chasing a significant deficit again.

Series is slipping away unless they can break this partnership

Not just the Aussies the Indian lower order batsmen are making runs against. A second quick - like Mitch Starc with his swing would have been interesting. A very good day for us though regardless. Head impressive late in day and got the 2nd Innings off to an excellent start. 

Cummins has copped a pounding from the "experts ",  for not bowling himself to try to break that partnership. Could very well prove costly.
Australia let games roam like that far too often.
A good start in today a play is vital.
A 100 run lead would have been very very handy, but.....

Bazball continues on it's merry way.Big test win over NZ.
Veteran Stuart Broad back in the wickets.

gtrxuone wrote:

Bazball continues on it's merry way.Big test win over NZ.
Veteran Stuart Broad back in the wickets.

GTR I see where Anderson & Broad have now taken the most wickets as a pairing in Test Cricket surpassing McGrath and Warne who took 1001 wickets between them in their 104 Tests together.
Mind you it did take the Pommy duo 30 more Tests to surpass McGrath & Warne!

I think a 250 lead would be very useful on that pitch. If Head and Labusagne can get going again this morning it will be a lot easier to get that lead. Alternatively if India can remove both of them in the first hour, they will be well and truly back in it.
The game is tantalisingly poised at the moment. One thing for sure is that Head should open the innings for the rest of the series.

As far as Bazball is concerned, it is really scary from an ashes point of view how England are playing at the moment. They have just taken the white ball philosophy that was the blue print of their world cup success and transferred it into the Test arena. Run rates of 5.5 an over are just amazing in the red ball game and it gives them so much time to get 20 wickets as well.

lost too many quick wickets to get a decent lead now 
we'd need a tailender to do what India have

Agreed, Southerner, at 5-95 after a disastrous opening hour, it will require a small miracle for us to get a lead of 200, which is the minimum for us to have a decent shot at victory.
Sadly, I suspect this game will be over today.