Cricket fred

[Digby]

Well that's a nuisance, still we're still in a position to make a decent first up score at least. Certainly been India with the momentum going back their way for a good few overs now though

[fivepointer]

Absorbing final session. Stokes and Butler did very well to see the day out. England maybe just ahead at the close but that might change if they fold quickly tomorrow.

[Digby]

Absolutely, the morning session could take the game either way. Which makes for a good game to watch

[Digby]

A truly weird review from England, with Rashid going for a lbw review on a stock leg spin ball pitching outside the off stump. Batsman played no shot but with the ball spinning the wrong way Cook is going to be cross with Rashid, and one wonders why Rashid didn't say it wasn't his googly

[Digby]

India in the main look really calm chasing down England's 400, though they have made the odd rash shot which hasn't cost them too much yet. The pitch is starting to do a bit though, some lowish bounce and some spin.

[Digby]

Moeen has some variety in his bowling today, balls far too short and balls pitch up on the full. Rashid has had some good deliveries, but not enough.

We should perhaps have scored 450+ given our start, but even with saying that the bowling has been a mix of impotent and poor.

England now bowling with an alternative to a packed offside field pitching the ball outside off stump. We're set with Woakes to bowl short, no one in catching positions, and people back on the leg side, the ball is bouncing a bit, but not much and it's slow bounce.

[Digby]

Well it's spinning now, any lead would be good, crucial not to be chasing too many just to draw level

[fivepointer]

May have swung decisively India's way with Kohli's knock. 50 ahead with 3 wkts left. Going to need a very good 4th day to avoid defeat.

[Discreet Hooker]

We're getting tanked ~ Official verdict .

[Digby]

Ashwin and Kohli have been the players of the series, and we've had nothing to match them. We have perhaps found two good new batsmen, but relying on them for wins away in India isn't an overly likely scenario, and Broad bowled well before being lost to injury (and actually he bowled well whilst injured) . Ali still doesn't look up to speed and he's had a lot of time put into getting him this far, then again Rashid doesn't make an obvious case himself and perhaps mayn't have advanced enough had he had the time and effort spent on Ali.

I do think we've been more let down by the batting than the bowling, but even with 400 on the board our spinners weren't much in this match.

[fivepointer]

Our spinners are no match for India's. Plus they have the inform batsman in world cricket right now. We're having the odd good session and there have been some fine individual efforts but overall we're being outgunned by a far better side.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Anyone catch The Verdict today? Butch seems quite in love with Karun nair and why the hell not. Some incredible batting.

[Digby]

If India can take this cricket on the road they'll take some stopping. I've tended to think for about 10 years they can't be asked with working as hard as test cricket demands, but they've been massively more consistent this series.

[Discreet Hooker]

Seems like that the press are putting pressure on Cook over the captaincy . Capt. Marvel would have made no difference in India in this series . I know Root is on standby but I really hate these cricket press hacks who come up with these suggestions .A much smaller group of sportswriters but for some reason seem to wield more power than in any other single sport .

Heard Cook saying on 5Live that he will be thinking about his future over the holiday period which suggests that the doubt is there .

[fivepointer]

Right that Cook mulls things over. We didn't lose because of his captaincy, but it may be he's had enough and no longer wants the added pressure.

The final 2 sessions yesterday were feeble. At lunch we had the saving of the game. To cave in the way we did was a dreadful way to end the series.

[Stom]

Right that Cook mulls things over. We didn't lose because of his captaincy, but it may be he's had enough and no longer wants the added pressure.

The final 2 sessions yesterday were feeble. At lunch we had the saving of the game. To cave in the way we did was a dreadful way to end the series.

It's part of it. He just doesn't seem to get spinners, and offers no backup to them in the field.

I do think we need a change here, as we have stagnated.

BTW, what about the lineup?

I'd love to see something like this (although Digby will surely disagree )

Cook
Hameed
Jennings/Hales
Root
Ali
Stokes
Bairstow
Rashid
Broad
Anderson
Wood

[Mellsblue]

I think the cricket press wield more influence as it tends to have a higher proportion of ex-players as press.
There is nothing Cook could've done about yet another collapse but I wouldn't blaim him if he steps down. It'd be a shame for him to go on such a low but he's reign will be remembered as a success. Losing in India to such a dominant team and without any world class spinners is no slight. The collapses could be but they've been ever present in English teams for ever and a day. You therefore can't really pin it on the captain.

[belgarion]

Is this the first time a team has posted 400+ in their 1st innings in 2 test matches (in the same series)
& still lost both tests by an innings?

[Digby]

Right that Cook mulls things over. We didn't lose because of his captaincy, but it may be he's had enough and no longer wants the added pressure.

The final 2 sessions yesterday were feeble. At lunch we had the saving of the game. To cave in the way we did was a dreadful way to end the series.

It's part of it. He just doesn't seem to get spinners, and offers no backup to them in the field.

I do think we need a change here, as we have stagnated.

BTW, what about the lineup?

I'd love to see something like this (although Digby will surely disagree )

Cook
Hameed
Jennings/Hales
Root
Ali
Stokes
Bairstow
Rashid
Broad
Anderson
Wood

Is that a side for all conditions, or if we were in India or similar? Broadly I'd think we don't have good enough spinners to play two, that Ali isn't a good enough batsman to be at 5, and that omitting Woakes is more than a little harsh given the year he's had. I really don't know who the spin option should be, no one since Swann has looked remotely up to standard, and that's not just down to Cook's captaincy

[Mellsblue]

Is this the first time a team has posted 400+ in their 1st innings in 2 test matches (in the same series)
& still lost both tests by an innings?

Let's just say it is. Another unwanted record will hardly be noticed amongst the avalanche.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

If your spinners can't reliably put the ball somewhere, there's not much setting of a field that will rescue it.

[WaspInWales]

Is this the first time a team has posted 400+ in their 1st innings in 2 test matches (in the same series)
& still lost both tests by an innings?

Let's just say it is. Another unwanted record will hardly be noticed amongst the avalanche.

I reckon more cricket records fall when England are involved than any other team.

[WaspInWales]

Right that Cook mulls things over. We didn't lose because of his captaincy, but it may be he's had enough and no longer wants the added pressure.

The final 2 sessions yesterday were feeble. At lunch we had the saving of the game. To cave in the way we did was a dreadful way to end the series.

Not overly enthused about Root being mooted as the next captain if Cook does stand down.

His youthful looks may belie his test experience, but I'm not sure the added pressure will help his game. He's out best player and one of, if not the first name on the sheet, so why some quarters in the press are keen to see it happen is beyond me?

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Right that Cook mulls things over. We didn't lose because of his captaincy, but it may be he's had enough and no longer wants the added pressure.

The final 2 sessions yesterday were feeble. At lunch we had the saving of the game. To cave in the way we did was a dreadful way to end the series.

Not overly enthused about Root being mooted as the next captain if Cook does stand down.

His youthful looks may belie his test experience, but I'm not sure the added pressure will help his game. He's out best player and one of, if not the first name on the sheet, so why some quarters in the press are keen to see it happen is beyond me?

The added pressure has to go on someone. The best player seems the most likely to be able to bear it.

[Mellsblue]

Who else is there? Of the established players Anderson is too old, Broad too injury prone, Bairstow already has too much on and, from what I know, isn't leadership material whilst Ali needs to find a settled position to bat and isn't, again from what I know, leadership material. Stokes is an option but seems the sort of player who doesn't need the burden of captaincy dulling his game.