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

[Gollum]

8 hours ago, Lord said:

 

Have to look to include good spin players like Sarfaraz or even Easwaran

Sarfu yes. But not Easwaran, has flopped in every A game so far, just a domestic bully. 

[Gollum]

Just now, Lord said:

 

this is a rubbish attack without Cummins,Hazelwood,Lyon though

Still got to score nah. Dravid has respectable stats in Aus because of that 2003-04 tour which didn't have McGrath, Warne and played on super pattas. 

[vvvslaxman]

3 minutes ago, Lord said:

 

this is a rubbish attack without Cummins,Hazelwood,Lyon though

More to do with surface. MCG wicket spooked the curator. HE made it a flat one with just 5 mil grass.  ALso SCG is not a bouncy pitch like Perth. Root loves such pitches. Also a tired trundler attack from Australia can easily be feasted against.

[Ultimate_Game]

51 minutes ago, Gollum said:

Root has made amends for his record in Aus now, complete batsman. No signs of slowing down. 

 

Well he did score in dead matches and haven't had any impact whatsoever. These type of performances are like closing the stable door after the proverbial horse has bolted.

[Gollum]

2 minutes ago, Ultimate_Game said:

 

Well he did score in dead matches and haven't had any impact whatsoever. These type of performances are like closing the stable door after the proverbial horse has bolted.

In WTC era, every test matters, no more dead rubbers in the larger scheme of things. If Poms make it 2-3, suddenly their WTC F chances are brighter. 

 

That is why the 0-3 against NZ hurts, had we won in Mumbai (140 target), we had a real chance at making the WTC final. 

[Lone Wolf]

England's BazBall style tactics have helped in SCG.

Pant also counterattacked in Sydney test though against far better attack.

Our front plonker bozos couldn't even bat properly last year. All they had to do was give some support to Pant.

[Lone Wolf]

Neser with some soft wickets... A bowler like him wouldn't even be in second XI in early 2012-13 era.

Folks like Clint McKay, Bollinger would have been picked over him.

Edited January 5 by Lone Wolf

[Nikola]

I think the pitch has gotten quick today, and the new ball had good movement. This is a very good total, according to what I saw, all depends on how England's bowling attack performs.

[Ultimate_Game]

18 minutes ago, Gollum said:

In WTC era, every test matters, no more dead rubbers in the larger scheme of things. If Poms make it 2-3, suddenly their WTC F chances are brighter. 

 

That is why the 0-3 against NZ hurts, had we won in Mumbai (140 target), we had a real chance at making the WTC final. 

 

But nobody looks at it like that, especially in high profile series like Ashes or BGT. Yes every match matters but scoring runs when the series is gone are impactless. As an example Root probably scored more runs in this series against Aus than Pant did in 2020-21 against Aus but we all know which runs matter the most. Same with runs scored by Head as he scored them when it really mattered and turned the series. All Root has managed to do is score soft and cheap runs.

[Lone Wolf]

Potts vs Head is reminding me of the ultimate horror of waking up and watching 

Vinay Koomar vs David Warner in 2012.. the dreadful days

[Ultimate_Game]

1 hour ago, Lone Wolf said:

Potts vs Head is reminding me of the ultimate horror of waking up and watching 

Vinay Koomar vs David Warner in 2012.. the dreadful days

 

Vinay Kumar was the worst of Kumars. Bhuvi and Pravin Kumar were way ahead and Vinnie Koomar was in the same category as Ashok Dinda. Both used to run fast with a longish runup and the batters had no problem hammering them away.

[Gollum]

@Laaloo Root 160, partyyyy 

[Lone Wolf]

44 minutes ago, Gollum said:

@Laaloo Root 160, partyyyy 

He is a Sachin fan or Root hater?..  as it stands no one can stop him to reach the summit at present.

[Gollum]

20 minutes ago, Lone Wolf said:

He is a Sachin fan or Root hater?..  as it stands no one can stop him to reach the summit at present.

He is both but more of the former, can't stand anyone coming near Sachin.

[Gollum]

Smith has scored a 100 in every Ashes he has featured in till now. Hope that record stands after tomorrow. Has hardly batted this series, 136 runs at 45 avg. 

Edited January 5 by Gollum

[Serpico]

20 minutes ago, Gollum said:

Smith has scored a 100 in every Ashes he has featured in till now. Hope that record stands after tomorrow. Has hardly batted this series, 136 runs at 45 avg. 

Nope he didn't score in last Aussie ashes (2021)

[Bigg Brother]

Head is MOS in last Ashes in Australia as well. Mostly he will be MOS this time also. What a player he is...

[putrevus]

Root has completely shut the past ghosts of Australian failures. 41 100s and counting plus only 2000 runs needed to reach the summit.

 

No one is breaking Root's records once he crosses Sachin.

Edited January 5 by putrevus

[Manucrick]

2 hours ago, putrevus said:

Root has completely shut the past ghosts of Australian failures. 41 100s and counting plus only 2000 runs needed to reach the summit.

 

No one is breaking Root's records once he crosses Sachin.

Root record will be safe forever poms will say root better than bradman

[vvvslaxman]

2 minutes ago, Manucrick said:

Root record will be safe forever poms will say root better than bradman

I doubt so. It will stay like Anderson's record even though he went past teh greats like Warne, Mcgrath