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Edgbaston test : Day by day prediction and discussion

Sooda

By Sooda
in Cricket Talk

Edgbaston test : Day by day prediction and discussion  

  1. 1.

    • Praveen Kumar
      2
    • Ishanth Sharma
      8
    • Sreesanth
      5
    • R.P Singh
      7

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Number Grand Master

Number

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Poms on top? It's just not cricket! : SMH ENGLAND is so close to achieving the No. 1 Test ranking, her majesty is rummaging down the back of the royal sofa looking for MBEs. After routing India again, it need only maintain its 2-0 lead in the four Test series to plant the flag of St George on the statistical summit. So, with Australia edging closer to the relegation zone than the notional world championship, how do we reconcile the old enemy's success? How to ridicule and belittle their achievement, while consoling ourselves about Australia's sorry plight? Alas, not easy. Far-fetched as it once might have seemed, finding fault with English cricket right now is like assassinating the Dalai Lama's character - even allowing for His Holiness's appearance on MasterChef. There is the blatantly obvious. Raise an eyebrow as Strauss, Trott, Pietersen and Prior walk out and call them South Engfrica. But apply the same standard to Australian Olympic teams and other sports in which we have been the beneficiary of skilled migration and that taunt falls flatter than a sumo wrestler's mattress. We might suggest the Indians now play Test cricket out of contractual obligation and are merely moonlighting in creams from their real jobs as one-day betting propositions and Twenty20 mercenaries. We might venture that a chain-smoking asthmatic could have blown down India's house of straw. But to claim England is world No. 1 by default would prompt an uncomfortable glance in the mirror. If England is merely filling a gap between the great Australian team that once held the title and the next true giant, how poor must Australia be to have plunged to mid-table mediocrity? Besides, with India to tour next summer, it might be best to hold our tongues until we find out if our patchwork crew is capable of exploiting the subcontinent's flimsy resolve. The most optimistic Australian booster might argue that England's pre-eminence is merely cyclical. However, as optimism gives way to impatience, the wheels of the current Australian cycle are turning more like those of a postie on a work-to-rule than that of Cadel Evans. So slowly that you can't help remember, with some dread, the apparently ''cyclical'' decline of the West Indies. No, as much as we would like to dismiss England's rise to Test cricket's pinnacle as the result of some astrological irregularity, the English stars are aligned. Our only consolation is to revel in past glories and suggest their performances are reminiscent of Australia's bygone days. At 8 for 124 on the opening day of the second Test at Trent Bridge and with the ball swinging like a wind chime in a hurricane, England was under siege. The subsequent half-century by Stuart Broad was the sort of match-turning performance once expected of Adam Gilchrist or, given Broad then took 6-46 including a hat-trick, Shane Warne. Like Old Australia, England's batting has more depth than Curtly Ambrose's bath tub, meaning a quiet start to the series by Alastair Cook has been inconvenient, not fatal. Once England teams were unrecognisable from Test to Test, let along series to series. That Eoin Morgan for Paul Collingwood is the only significant change to the team that destroyed Australia here last summer is indicative of their stability. In Australia, meanwhile, if you can spin a bottle top you are a decent chance to wear a baggy green. Which is not to argue this English team would be any match for Australia's great Taylor/Waugh era line-up. Merely that it has the essential ingredients. Talent, stability, depth, strong leadership and a ruthlessness that moved captain Strauss to declare, even before the No. 1 ranking is achieved, that his team is set on world domination. Maddeningly, there is not only much to respect about England, there is also little to dislike. The swaggering Pietersen, obviously, is a pantomime villain. But Warne's presence in the commentary box during the current series surely confines an Australian throwing stones at Pietersen to a very fragile glasshouse. Besides, when Pietersen stands to attention and strokes the ball down the ground with Haydenesque brutality, it is hard not to applaud. So let's say it before it becomes official and a nation that once condemned Australians for their gloating parades the conquering heroes through Trafalgar Square. Uh-hum. England - choke-splutter. Best team in the - errr-hummmm - world. http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/poms-on-top-its-just-not-cricket-20110802-1i9w3.html

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Ramzz Newbie

Ramzz

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ppl miss the whole point on the whole broad-swann partnershup at 124/8 had we bowled them out for 150 odd, our batsmen would have had about 20 more overs to face. and trust me it was swinging round corners. i was at the ground and it was barely light enough to play, thats how cloudy it was we would have been 4 down atleast on that day, and would have probably managed 150 or so ourselves. so we wouldnt have even had a bloody lead
The way Dravid and Laxman played those 15 or so overs was class. We would have maybe lost 1 more wicket but having them out for 150 would have mentally tormented the English...they wouldn't have been able to attack as much.
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Cricketics Contributor

Cricketics

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Will Zaheer be able to perform in 3rd test if fit As we all know Zaheer is a Muslim and would be having Rozaperhaps. I play cricket with lot of Muslims in my team, and they do tend to take break from the game or some of them just choose to not have Roza fast on that paritcular match day. But this is a 5 day game. I think it's hard for a bowler to keep fast for 5 days and perform. I know it feels weird to discuss this. but I think it's important topic.

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anotherhawkeye Newbie

anotherhawkeye

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Well it's a valid topic though. I am not really bringing religion. It's a challenge for Zaheer if he can perform. Yes' date=' it's hard to bowl and be on the field without drinking any water, gatorade etc all day.[/quote'] See that you have already deleted my post because you don't agree with it. Good for you. It's pretty simple. If he is going to fast, then he will excuse himself from the team. I trust his judgement.
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wobblydoggy Community Regular

wobblydoggy

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Ways to even things out For the third test England have decided in the spirit of cricket and seeing as blood sport is banned in the UK, to make the following changes. Cook will remain at opener and be encouraged to prod harder and follow any swinging ball with his pad (No change there then) Strauss will not play a third man, like Dhoni and allow Tendulkar to milk his 100th hundred off glances + his usual drives. Bell, in at three for the injured Trott, will have an inch taken off each side of his bat Pietersen will only be allowed to score on the 'on side' Morgan will not be allowed to sweep. Prior will not be allowed on the pitch at all, he is just too scary and so he will be replaced with Davis in pink Bresnan has been told to go and stay at his granny's till the test, which usually means he puts a stone on, so that should slow him up a bit. Broad will open with Cook, to give the Indian bowlers a chance to poleaxe him(Strauss has to bat at 5 where he might score some bloody runs) Swann has been asked to tell a few more jokes to Harby and Sreesanth on the pitch, to cheer them up a bit. Tremlett is to under go surgery to shorten him by 6 inches Also we are not going to bother with the toss, bloody Strauss cannot win it anyway, so you will get first choice as usual. and lastly, Anderson is not going to be allowed to bowl at Tendulkar, because it is just not fair on the old guy:winky: This post is meant to be humorous, please take it as such

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