There’s no rain in the forecast at the moment for the next four days (Thu-Sun).
AUS all out 469. We’ll take it.
Pitch looks to be a curious beast. Batting should be at it’s easiest now but there is still some spite in it. Indeed it might be starting to deteriorate.
There will be chances and if the edges stick it might be a pleasing late night viewing.
Indeed! 30/2 and 71/4 suggest just a hint of spite - and that the Aussie bowlers can keeping hitting a dangerous length when they find it.
Also, I’ve complained before that compressed tour schedules and the resulting lack of warm-up matches are bad for the game because you don’t want easy wins against visitors unaccustomed to the conditions, you want to see good cricket.
So, am I glad to see Australia getting this chance to find their groove? Not as much as you would think.
Stumps Day 2 India 5-151 off 38 chasing 469
Only Rahane remains of the batting order. Five bowlers each with a single wicket.
That’s the result of a well co-ordinated bowling unit at something like the peak of their game.
The wickets for Boland (Gill) and Green (Pujara) show the focused application of a mantra expressed since the U10s. “Aim to hit the top of off”.
Put the ball where batters need to ask the paramount question “Play it or leave it?” Win the battle of attrition.
On the downside; neither side seems particularly inclined to keep up with the required over rate.
Will be a shame if this final plays out a draw because insufficient overs were bowled to obtain a result.
I feel like being an India fan will invariably make this comment sound like sour grapes, but I can’t understand why the ICC wouldn’t make the World Test “championship” a true 4- or 5-match series, with warm-ups, like major series between top test cricket sides normally do. Aren’t these teams supposed to play each other every few years anyway?
Honestly, there isn’t a particularly good argument about this other than scheduling. To pick any more at it would leave you asking questions like “Why do we need a world test championship?” or “if we’re going to have one, shouldn’t countries that aren’t Australia, India and England be playing a lot more tests?” and that just sounds like troublemaking.
In the match, Australia (Boland) struck early to remove Bharat for 5. Rahane and Thakur are, per commentary “fighting back” but India are, let’s face it, 250+ behind and 6 wickets down, so unless they can keep it up for another session and a half this flurry of runs is not really going to worry Australia.
After the close an Indian coworker was telling me that India had “plenty of batting left” and I mocked for thinking Thakur was a proper batter. So far he’s holding his own.
Having to stop for lunch is fundamentally an anti-batter rule.
He is, but now a risk he’ll be stranded short of his 50.
Well, he made it, then got out, shortly followed by his team. Comedy moment near the end as Australia trap Siraj lbw and walk off the field, only for Siraj to correctly review it. But they got Shami in the next over anyway.
The lead is 173 which is less than it could have been but should still be more than enough. Will they be able to score quickly enough to have another bowl before the close? Scratch that, it’s only day 3 - no need to hurry, with the weather still looking good.
Australia throwing away wickets for fun but they can afford to, with the lead nearly 300 I think they already have enough - can’t see India chasing that down on this pitch.
They are getting to the stage where they can’t realistically lose. I wonder if they will declare
No real need yet - if I were them, I’d try and bang in a quick 100 tomorrow morning and then set the Indians 400 just before lunch. Give yourself plenty of time, and accept that if India bat 5 sessions at 3.5 an over, they’ll win.
More likely 150 for a declaration midway through afternoon session.
I have my doubts they’ll achieve that they’ll add 50-75 all out which will send the message there are still (and worsening) gremlins in the deck.
Doff my hat to Carey.
Good knock.
Let’s go for 400 lead. (Currently 378)
416 ahead. Time to declare guys, let’s get on with it
Stumps Day 4
IND chasing a record 444 for victory are 3/164 needing a further 280 in 90 overs.
AUS have three big wickets, but all the IND top order are big wickets.
Need to get Kohli, Rahane (both at crease) plus Jadeja for under 200.
Think that’s doable. If not IND are WTCs on due merit.
Don’t think playing out a draw for a shared title is in the thinking.
Double wicket maiden (almost triple) to Borland dismissing Kohli and Jadeja tilts the odds (further) the AUS way
Aus win easily in the end, once the batters were out of the way it was a procession.
Probably given Aus a lot better preparation for the Ashes than the Ireland game gave to India.
Roll on Friday, first Test of the Ashes!