TOPIC:

the ICC has to put a stop to curators deliberately degrading wickets - the wicket here has turned back to silt dust even before the game started , it's just the roller that has kept it solid
 

As I say, India knows its not that good, series win out here was little bit of a fluke; our keeper cost us the series, dropping many catches. Figures are revealing: Sharma averages over 60 in Inida, 31 in Australia; Kumble, with the  ball, averaged 25 in India, nearly 40 in Australia. In short, players with such records, if everything was equal, would not make the Shield side

I get the feeling 77 might be an insurmountable total for us to chase on this wicket!
Of course I hope I am wrong though................ 
 

Southerner i agree with you mate - someone needs to tell India these wickets are no good, but they have the money and everyone in the ICC seems to be scared of them. 

As we found out years ago with the Monkeygate scandal they threatened to go home and rather than say goodbye we caved in and treated our own like criminals because of the TV rights that can be made showing games live in India.

they've hung in for a bit and then decided to hit over the top and get it done before the wicket fell apart again - is that the finals spot done ?

Yep I think we have clinched a place in the World Test Championship decider in England now with that win.
We will more than likely play India again as they sit comfortably in 2nd spot.
I wonder if the Pommy curators will dish up a dustbowl for that game, with the Ashes Series almost straight afterwards?!?!

premiership hangover wrote:

Southerner i agree with you mate - someone needs to tell India these wickets are no good, but they have the money and everyone in the ICC seems to be scared of them. 

As we found out years ago with the Monkeygate scandal they threatened to go home and rather than say goodbye we caved in and treated our own like criminals because of the TV rights that can be made showing games live in India.

during the week of tests the pitch is gradually stripped bare of grass and there must be close to 50 "groundsmen" some of  whom move in with sticks fashioned into a broom of sorts , scratching piles of grass off  -  there's pretty much rolled mud left
The ICC really should have a drop in pitch system in place everywhere mate

no, it has proven that India's top order is the  problem to the credit of our bowlers. India won the toss and stll blew it. I would rather watch this series then someone make a triple century on an easier pitch.

Axar was hardly given a bowl in this test, which left a lot of responsibility on Jadeja and Ashwin. In this test the 2 inexperienced spinners supported Lyon well and they bowled as a unit.
Head again proved how dumb a decision it was to leave him out of the first test. He took the sting out of a potentially nerve racking chase by getting himself in and then attacking the bowling. He will open again in Ahmedabad, but I think he should revert back to number 5 for the ashes series.

the pitch ended up being condemned and then fined
referee Broad noted that the 5th ball of the test broke through the surface of the pitch and dust clearly visible