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

[sage]

 

[vvvslaxman]

3 hours ago, Chaos said:

This is how plaayers contribute. Uncles @Nikhil_cric @Lord @vvvslaxman

Thank you grandpa. we will make a note of it lol

[vvvslaxman]

If they want to address the issue first stop trying to shift the blame on bazball. Recent test losses showed they lose even when they attempt to play conventionally. 

[vvvslaxman]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-15361083/Steve-Smiths-SAVAGE-eight-word-dig-Jofra-Archer-tempers-flare-Australia-England-Brisbane.html

 

Archer then took the new ball and began to bowl much faster than he had done in England's first innings, perhaps channelling his spell against Smith at Lord's in 2019.

But Smith took him on, swiping him for four, a move that rattled Archer. 

'You only play those shots when there's not much on the score, mate,' Archer was overheard saying to Smith, who hit back immediately. 

 

'You only bowl fast when there's nothing going on, champ,' Smith said, returning fire.

The Englishman did not take the sledge kindly, with the pair exchanging a couple of frosty words in the middle for a few moments, before Archer walked away. 

Speaking to Cricket Australia after the match, Smith broke his silence on the frosty confrontation.

'That stays on the field,' he said.

'That was good banter, he's a good competitor and he comes hard at ya so that's fun.'

[adi B]

3 hours ago, Chakdephatte said:

The more I see England, the more I feel it wasn't an achievement. 

England's cricket team is a strange case .

They won home and Away against Nz and Saf with ease but got their Arse spanked by Aus ,Ind and even lost Test matches to Srl ,WI and Pak .

I guess it depends on which side of the bed they get up 

[Gollum]

11 minutes ago, adi B said:

England's cricket team is a strange case .

They won home and Away against Nz and Saf with ease but got their Arse spanked by Aus ,Ind and even lost Test matches to Srl ,WI and Pak .

I guess it depends on which side of the bed they get up 

Eng tours RSA next year, 3 test series. I think they will get spanked, RSA pace battery on spicy pitches will be a terrifying prospect for them, levels above this Aussie attack. 

[putrevus]

Stokes just got exposed as captain this series, his tactics on field were awful.

 

They should have bazballed today instead of stonewalling when ball was doing nothing and stonewalling yesterday evening when it was doing something.

 

I did not see him making any adjustments on the field.They are going to lose the series to Aussie team which had one legit bowler.

Edited December 7, 2025 by putrevus

[sage]

 

Imagine if GG said this 

[BacktoCricaddict]

On 12/5/2025 at 6:08 PM, Lord said:

 

You found that out today?

 

Its because 'Smith's in England have that nickname. Hussey picked that up in county cricket and then it carried on from there

Yep. I had no idea that Smudge was a common nickname for Smith. Perfect fit for this guy. 

 

On a related note wasn't the agreement that he would never be captain even if he was allowed to return from serial cheating?

[Gollum]

I think Smith has a case for being the greatest slip catcher of all time. I have lost count of his blinders like this one, and rarely drops anything. I don't think any sportperson has the kind of hand-eye this guy has got. 

 

Dude has never played tennis but managed to return a Djokovic serve. People have no idea how fast even NCAA D1 serves are, a normal person won't even be able to spot a WTA serve in time. Never mind a Djokovic first serve at 220 kph. Pro tennis players usually guess the type of serve and direction based on ball toss, grip, racquet swing (Federer had success because he disguised these things very well), an amateur will have no idea of such things. 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2025 by Gollum

[vvvslaxman]

Nasser and Athers talk about exactly the same thing i brought up  

 

Nasser : Last night when it is doing more England seemed to play more shots...... why they are playing more shots when zipping around like that

 

Athers: 1 or 2 don't trust their defense.

 

This is the point. If you don't have good defense this is what happens. This is not the usual pink ball test. Pitch was not challenging like the adelaide oval pink ball tests.

 

 

Edited December 7, 2025 by vvvslaxman

[putrevus]

9 minutes ago, Gollum said:

I think Smith has a case for being the greatest slip catcher of all time. I have lost count of his blinders like this one, and rarely drops anything. I don't think any sportperson has the kind of hand-eye this guy has got. 

 

Dude has never played tennis but managed to return a Djokovic serve. People have no idea how fast even NCAA D1 serves are, a normal person won't even be able to spot a WTA serve in time. Never mind a Djokovic first serve at 220 kph. Pro tennis players usually guess the type of serve and direction based on ball toss, grip, racquet swing (Federer had success because he disguised these things very well), an amateur will have no idea of such things. 

 

 

He takes one catch per innings, which is just unreal.His catching technique just like his batting is different.

 

It is between him and Mark Waugh.

Edited December 7, 2025 by putrevus

[Gollum]

2 minutes ago, putrevus said:

He takes one catch per innings, which is just unreal.His catching technique just like his batting is different.

 

It is between him and Mark Waugh.

Don't think his technique can be replicated with success. Because he has got the reflexes and reaction time of a cat. 

[vvvslaxman]

Alistair cook from 2012, Pujara from 2018 gave a perfect blue print for wearing Australians down. Had one of them done it Starc would have fizzled out. They could have potentially targeted others

[vvvslaxman]

If you are bored watch this epic trolling lol

 

 

[Chaos]

Just now, vvvslaxman said:

If you are bored watch this epic trolling lol

 

 

Uncle today i have steadiness of 99 according to oura ring

[Lord]

8 hours ago, Gollum said:

Statement by Smith at the end.

 

Picture of the match

 

[Lord]

2 hours ago, Gollum said:

I think Smith has a case for being the greatest slip catcher of all time. I have lost count of his blinders like this one, and rarely drops anything. I don't think any sportperson has the kind of hand-eye this guy has got. 

 

Dude has never played tennis but managed to return a Djokovic serve. People have no idea how fast even NCAA D1 serves are, a normal person won't even be able to spot a WTA serve in time. Never mind a Djokovic first serve at 220 kph. Pro tennis players usually guess the type of serve and direction based on ball toss, grip, racquet swing (Federer had success because he disguised these things very well), an amateur will have no idea of such things. 

 

 

 

And he often does it in crunch situations like this one. Nothing was happening and produces this.

[Gollum]

13 minutes ago, Lord said:

 

And he often does it in crunch situations like this one. Nothing was happening and produces this.

Aussies always produce magic with their fielding/catching in crunch situations. 

 

Women's SF was an exception where they were put under immense pressure by our girls, and made blunders on the field. 

[sage]

Boycott seething