The Ashes | 2025-26 | 5 tests | Nov 21 to Jan 08 | Discussion Thread

[MK55]

Richardson 138 WOAH. Speed gun glitch?? LOL

[Gollum]

3 minutes ago, Suhaan said:

Wonder how many goras will criticise this pitch,this test finishes in 2 days

 

Nobody, this will also be rated 'excellent' just like the Perth pitch. Different standards for goras, system unka hai. 

[Suhaan]

Jhye picks first test wicket,many more to come

[MK55]

LolBoland hasnt bowled yet 

[Gollum]

Perth test 5 sessions, this one heading that direction. Our Cape Town test last year had 93 overs total bowled across all innings. 

 

Even our worst rank turners aren't this bad. Pooks use industrial fans to dry their pitches, matches still go to 3rd day. 

[Tillu]

Lottery pitches leads to results like this.

[MK55]

1 minute ago, Gollum said:

Nobody, this will also be rated 'excellent' just like the Perth pitch. Different standards for goras, system unka hai. 

I think Brett, McGrath and obviously the Poms have criticized it.  Mark waugh too now that Australia r about to lose. CA ceo too has criticized. 
but yeah the rating matters. So we will see

[Gollum]

Just now, Tillu said:

Lottery pitches leads to results like this.

A lesson to all countries. More you doctor your pitches, more chances of it backfiring. Eng won the toss here, just like RSA in Kolkata, and that was enough to cook the home sides. 

[Nikola]

England batters should start slogging already and get target below 80 before tea

[Suhaan]

6 minutes ago, Gollum said:

WTC points system also deserves blame for that, you hardly see draws in world cricket these days. In 2000s, half the matches ended up as draws. Nowadays you have to do something extraordinary to secure draws, like 21 SCG, this year's Manchester test in our case. 

I was talking about the same thing and some of them didn't like it ,thers no jealousy

It doesn't help develop next crop of players , quality of cricket especially batting drops at the same time

Edited December 27, 2025 by Suhaan

[Trichromatic]

5 minutes ago, Gollum said:

WTC points system also deserves blame for that, you hardly see draws in world cricket these days. In 2000s, half the matches ended up as draws. Nowadays you have to do something extraordinary to secure draws, like 21 SCG, this year's Manchester test in our case. 

 

Someone like Pujara who was miles ahead of Ganguly as batsman played lesser number of tests and avg similar to him.

 

It's a travesty of this system.

[Suhaan]

Le le review

[Gollum]

1 minute ago, MK55 said:

I think Brett, McGrath and obviously the Poms have criticized it.  Mark waugh too now that Australia r about to lose. CA ceo too has criticized. 
but yeah the rating matters. So we will see

Perth pitch was just as bad. Just that Head played an ATG knock and that diverted attention from any legit criticism, poor Khawaja was dragged through the mud by the gora racists for calling that pitch '****' which it actually was. 

 

Modern batsmen are criticized for lack of technique, temperament. May be partially true but not like these guys are so bad that match will get over in less than 2 days....besides guys like Smith, Root are great players who would have succeeded in any era, if even they find it impossible to play, maybe accept your shortcomings as pitch curator. 

 

Perth pitch given top rating by ICC

[vvvslaxman]

This is a lesson for INdian team as well. Don't make lottery pitches.

[Lone Wolf]

Cummins would have loved bowling here.

This is made for HTD bowling 

[Gollum]

9 minutes ago, Suhaan said:

I was talking about the same thing and some of them didn't like it ,thers no jealousy

It doesn't help develop next crop of players , quality of cricket especially batting drops at the same time

 

8 minutes ago, Trichromatic said:

 

Someone like Pujara who was miles ahead of Ganguly as batsman played lesser number of tests and avg similar to him.

 

It's a travesty of this system.

Things were fine before the pandemic. In fact if you see the numbers at that time, Smith used to average 64, Kohli 55, Pujara 53.....latter two averaged 65 odd at home....at one point Kohli's avg even touched 70 and had second best home record after Bradman. 

 

I think 2013-20 test cricket was glorious to follow, best phase of that format with perfect balance between bat/ball, pace/spin....not many pakau draws as well. 

 

Teams started going to extremes after that in terms of pitch preparation.

 

PCB rolled out pattas to make mediocre Babar a superstar but when they started finishing last in consecutive WTCs, even PCB had enough. This kind of pitch prep is not normal. 

 

Edited December 27, 2025 by Gollum

[Lone Wolf]

1 minute ago, vvvslaxman said:

This is a lesson for INdian team as well. Don't make lottery pitches.

They don't know how to win on flat or sporting ones without winning the toss 

Once we lose the toss on a good pitch it's game over 

[vvvslaxman]

Just now, Lone Wolf said:

They don't know how to win on flat or sporting ones without winning the toss 

Once we lose the toss on a good pitch it's game over 

 

We did win 2 tests in England.  Could have won at SCG too but for absence of Bumrah. Those are good wickets.

[Nikola]

Richardson looked promising bowler for Australia 4-5 years ago but seems like injuries will cut his career short, he isn't good enough to play at this level now.

[vvvslaxman]

Loss of Gill played a big role in one of the test loss.   ALso Pant's pathetic captaincy against their tail.