3rd test vs Pakistan Rawalpindi

Post by miked
Masood says he wants a dry wkt to favour spin, but I assume that it wont
be as dramatic as Multan was, just hope Stokes can win the toss. I
believe that in 8 tests since july we've won just 1 toss, so i spose
theyve done pretty well to have a 6-2 record. Will england stick with
the same team? the obvious change would be to bring back atkinson for
someone, but Potts and carse both bowled well.

If there hadn't been a longish gap between Tests I think they might have
rested Carse, but as it is I think Atkinson will probably come back in
for Potts. Assuming the pitch is like everyone expects, I think that
will be the only change, but if it looks unexpectedly seam-friendly then
Woakes could come in for Bashir. I suppose there's an outside chance
that Rehan Ahmed might come in.

Post by miked
Meanwhile theyve said that smith will miss part of NZ tour for paternal
duties, and Cox will sub. Still would prefer Foakes.
mike

Apparently the last time Cox kept in a match was in summer 2023, which
hardly inspires confidence, though McCullum says he's been keeping well
in the nets.

--
John Hall

"I don't even butter my bread; I consider that cooking."
Katherine Cebrian

miked

2024-10-22 14:25:43 UTC

Carse and Potts rested, Atkinson and Ahmed come in. So 3 spinners,
Atkinson plus bitson Stokes. Seems a tremendous gamble. If England dont
win the toss they will be screwed.

mike

John Hall

2024-10-22 15:35:22 UTC

Carse and Potts rested, Atkinson and Ahmed come in. So 3 spinners,
Atkinson plus bitson Stokes. Seems a tremendous gamble. If England dont
win the toss they will be screwed.
mike

It shows what they think the pitch is likely to be like. They obviously
think that even on the first morning there's unlikely to be any help for
the quicks.

--
John Hall

"I don't even butter my bread; I consider that cooking."
Katherine Cebrian

miked

2024-10-23 14:42:03 UTC

Post by miked
Carse and Potts rested, Atkinson and Ahmed come in. So 3 spinners,
Atkinson plus bitson Stokes. Seems a tremendous gamble. If England dont
win the toss they will be screwed.
mike

It shows what they think the pitch is likely to be like. They obviously
think that even on the first morning there's unlikely to be any help for
the quicks.

England warmed up for a 5 day test by having a 6 hitting comp which
Ahmed won. They really are nuts

mike

max.it

2024-10-23 18:03:23 UTC

Post by miked
Carse and Potts rested, Atkinson and Ahmed come in. So 3 spinners,
Atkinson plus bitson Stokes. Seems a tremendous gamble. If England dont
win the toss they will be screwed.
mike

It shows what they think the pitch is likely to be like. They obviously
think that even on the first morning there's unlikely to be any help for
the quicks.

England warmed up for a 5 day test by having a 6 hitting comp which
Ahmed won. They really are nuts
mike

and then the pitch kept low.

max.it

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miked

2024-10-24 22:29:48 UTC

Post by miked
Carse and Potts rested, Atkinson and Ahmed come in. So 3 spinners,
Atkinson plus bitson Stokes. Seems a tremendous gamble. If England dont
win the toss they will be screwed.
mike

It shows what they think the pitch is likely to be like. They obviously
think that even on the first morning there's unlikely to be any help for
the quicks.

England warmed up for a 5 day test by having a 6 hitting comp which
Ahmed won. They really are nuts
mike

and then the pitch kept low.
max.it

i think i'd prefer a seamer to ahmed ATM with that low bounce. England
at last won the toss but really rather wasted the advantage of batting
first. At 118-6, 267 seems a great recovery, but i only started
listening when england were 200-6, so i hoped theyd get to 300, but
again the main batters crawley, pope, brook & stokes made it rather easy
for pakistan, and they were largely outdone by sajid until smith came
in, and then just as it looked bad for pak, smith gus and ahmed all gift
their wkts. Smith was out for 91, then some eagle eyed chap noticed a 6
was a 4, so he lost 2 runs. Just wondering what if it been SS and he'd
been out for 101 like that in the ashes;) Anyway 1 big partnership by
pakistan will take the game away from england. Bashir was again
inconsistant. Dunno why stokes took Gus off when he had just got Kamrun,
should have let him go at shakeel. Wish they had kept Carse in, Stokes
isnt ATM worth his place in the side.

mike

John Hall

2024-10-25 08:23:29 UTC

Post by miked
Carse and Potts rested, Atkinson and Ahmed come in. So 3 spinners,
Atkinson plus bitson Stokes. Seems a tremendous gamble. If England dont
win the toss they will be screwed.
mike

It shows what they think the pitch is likely to be like. They obviously
think that even on the first morning there's unlikely to be any help for
the quicks.

England warmed up for a 5 day test by having a 6 hitting comp which
Ahmed won. They really are nuts
mike

and then the pitch kept low.
max.it

i think i'd prefer a seamer to ahmed ATM with that low bounce.

After today's pre-lunch session, it looks like they made the right call
in choosing Ahmed.

Post by miked
England
at last won the toss but really rather wasted the advantage of batting
first. At 118-6, 267 seems a great recovery, but i only started
listening when england were 200-6, so i hoped theyd get to 300,

Me too, after having feared when Stokes was out to make it 118-6 that
they wouldn't make 200 and maybe not even 150.

Post by miked
but
again the main batters crawley, pope, brook & stokes made it rather easy
for pakistan,

Yes, they were slow to realise that - while sweeping was the right
tactic in Multan - it was risky here because of the low bounce, and the
shot did for a couple of them..

Post by miked
and they were largely outdone by sajid until smith came
in,

Crucially, Smith and Atkinson trusted their defence and played
themselves in before going on the attack.

Post by miked
and then just as it looked bad for pak, smith gus and ahmed all gift
their wkts.

I wouldn't criticise Smith or Atkinson. Noman did Atkinson in the
flight. Smith went for the slog-sweep rather than the straight hit
because the Pakistan captain had just strengthened the straight field.
He'd played several slog-sweeps successfully earlier, but this time got
a top edge. Attacking the bowling had been successful, and was even more
called for now Atkinson was out, so I don't think he should be blamed.

Post by miked
Smith was out for 91, then some eagle eyed chap noticed a 6
was a 4, so he lost 2 runs.

Yes, the replay showed the umpire clearly signalling four, so the
scoreboard operator or scorer had clearly blundered.

Post by miked
Just wondering what if it been SS and he'd
been out for 101 like that in the ashes;) Anyway 1 big partnership by
pakistan will take the game away from england. Bashir was again
inconsistant. Dunno why stokes took Gus off when he had just got Kamrun,
should have let him go at shakeel. Wish they had kept Carse in, Stokes
isnt ATM worth his place in the side.
mike

Except for his captaincy, maybe, but it's hard to know how much that's
worth.

--
John Hall

"I don't even butter my bread; I consider that cooking."
Katherine Cebrian

miked

2024-10-25 13:07:05 UTC

Post by miked
Anyway 1 big partnership by
pakistan will take the game away from england. Bashir was again
inconsistant. Dunno why stokes took Gus off when he had just got Kamrun,
should have let him go at shakeel. Wish they had kept Carse in, Stokes
isnt ATM worth his place in the side.
mike

Except for his captaincy, maybe, but it's hard to know how much that's
worth.

looking at gus figures and those of leach/bash it looks like they could
have done with another seamer, but thats not possible if stokes is
playing with 3 spinners. Those 8th and 9th wkt partnerships really took
the game away from england and now with only 7 wkts left i would be
surprsied if pak have to chase much more than 100. Also wonder if Pope
and Smith swap roles. Pope might be better at 6 and looks pretty good
keeping wkt, and smith go at no3 where he doesnt have to bat with the
tail all the time!

mike

John Hall

2024-10-25 15:58:08 UTC

Except for his captaincy, maybe, but it's hard to know how much that's
worth.

looking at gus figures and those of leach/bash it looks like they could
have done with another seamer, but thats not possible if stokes is
playing with 3 spinners.

Given that Pakistan didn't even bowl the one seamer that they picked and
given how the pitch was expected to play, I don't think England's
selection of only one quick (+stokes) can be criticised. Both of
Atkinson's wickets were rather "gifted", to use the modern jargon.
(Remarkably, in every innings he's bowled in for England Atkinson has
taken at least two wickets, with the exception of the two innings at The
Oval against SL when he had picked up a niggle.) I'm surprised that
Stokes didn't give himself a few experimental overs, though. I know the
outfield has been kept too lush for there to be much hope of any reverse
swing, but even so.

I think the most disappointing bowler was Leach. It's surprising that
he got only one wicket.

Surprisingly the ball didn't seem to be keeping low as often today as it
did yesterday.

Post by miked
Those 8th and 9th wkt partnerships really took
the game away from england

Yep. Noman and Sajid not only bowled better than our spinners but batted
better than most of our batsmen as well.

Post by miked
and now with only 7 wkts left i would be
surprsied if pak have to chase much more than 100.

Yep. It will probably all be over by the end of tomorrow.

Post by miked
Also wonder if Pope
and Smith swap roles. Pope might be better at 6 and looks pretty good
keeping wkt, and smith go at no3 where he doesnt have to bat with the
tail all the time!

I was wondering the same thing.

Post by miked
mike

--
John Hall

"I don't even butter my bread; I consider that cooking."
Katherine Cebrian

John Hall

2024-10-26 09:33:29 UTC

Except for his captaincy, maybe, but it's hard to know how much that's
worth.

looking at gus figures and those of leach/bash it looks like they could
have done with another seamer, but thats not possible if stokes is
playing with 3 spinners.

Given that Pakistan didn't even bowl the one seamer that they picked
and given how the pitch was expected to play, I don't think England's
selection of only one quick (+stokes) can be criticised. Both of
Atkinson's wickets were rather "gifted", to use the modern jargon.
(Remarkably, in every innings he's bowled in for England Atkinson has
taken at least two wickets, with the exception of the two innings at
The Oval against SL when he had picked up a niggle.) I'm surprised that
Stokes didn't give himself a few experimental overs, though. I know the
outfield has been kept too lush for there to be much hope of any
reverse swing, but even so.
I think the most disappointing bowler was Leach. It's surprising that
he got only one wicket.
Surprisingly the ball didn't seem to be keeping low as often today as
it did yesterday.

Post by miked
Those 8th and 9th wkt partnerships really took
the game away from england

Yep. Noman and Sajid not only bowled better than our spinners but
batted better than most of our batsmen as well.

Post by miked
and now with only 7 wkts left i would be
surprsied if pak have to chase much more than 100.

Yep. It will probably all be over by the end of tomorrow.

Post by miked
Also wonder if Pope
and Smith swap roles. Pope might be better at 6 and looks pretty good
keeping wkt, and smith go at no3 where he doesnt have to bat with the
tail all the time!

I was wondering the same thing.

Post by miked
mike

Well, day 3 was even more depressing than I'd feared. How a game can
change in 24 hours! At lunch on day 2, Pakistan were still 90 runs
behind with only 3 wickets left; by lunch on day 3, they had won by 9
wickets. Root and Brook almost knocked off the deficit, and it looked
possible that England might be able to set Pakistan a challenging
target, and then there was the familiar collapse.

--
John Hall

"I don't even butter my bread; I consider that cooking."
Katherine Cebrian

miked

2024-10-28 00:26:26 UTC

Post by John Hall
Well, day 3 was even more depressing than I'd feared. How a game can
change in 24 hours! At lunch on day 2, Pakistan were still 90 runs
behind with only 3 wickets left; by lunch on day 3, they had won by 9
wickets. Root and Brook almost knocked off the deficit, and it looked
possible that England might be able to set Pakistan a challenging
target, and then there was the familiar collapse.

Yes it was worse than i expected too and Stokes seems to be collecting
unusual ways of getting out. But neither his batting or captaincy
impressed in this match. After the 1st test England again showed a
complete inability to adapt to changed conditions. In both defeats
failure to finish off the tailenders cost them a lead and batting
collapses handed control of the game to pakistan. After winning 5
consecutive tests this summer, england have now lost 3 out of 4, and a
lot of questions on whether either Pope or Stokes are worth their place
in the side.

mike

John Hall

2024-10-28 10:04:58 UTC

If Stokes doesn't bowl, he doesn't seem to bat so well, possibly doesn't
even captain as well, which is weird.

--
John Hall

"I don't even butter my bread; I consider that cooking."
Katherine Cebrian

dnorth

2024-10-28 13:52:06 UTC

Post by John Hall
If Stokes doesn't bowl, he doesn't seem to bat so well, possibly doesn't
even captain as well, which is weird.

In 14 Tests in which he didn't bowl, he has played 24 innings and made
654 runs @ 27.25, HS 80, 5 50s. 9 of those Tests were against Australia
or India (in India) though.

miked

2024-10-28 16:31:44 UTC