Rootin' for Joe etc...

[baganboy]

England's test cricket team suddenly looks good again. SA weren't the strongest but equally England had injuries (Burns, Anderson, Archer - 3 first team players).

How have they improved? They've picked batsmen to bat and bowlers to bowl (and hit a few very useful tail end runs). Who'd have thought a strategy tried and tested over 120+ years of test cricket would work, as compared to the confused bits and pieces selections that got them into so much trouble?

Don't hear too many people suggesting Curran to bat at 3 any more.

Burns for Denly, Foakes for Buttler, and a few spinners, and hopefully the trajectory can continue.

SA is down in the dumps though. They were abject when they visited India - literally seemed like we are playing beginner test-nations - Afghanistan or something. Sad: SA has been a team I thoroughly liked...

[blahblah]

That's what I thought from what I saw. They seem to have confidence issues and when it goes it goes big style. But will struggle vs the very best...

Great last over in T20. Did you win the (Champagne) Super Nover?

[baganboy]

Oh yes! It was Wonderwall.

[blahblah]

don't look back in....

[forestfan]

What a crazy game this is sometimes. One of England’s worst ever days in Test cricket last time they took to the field, and now nine days later they produce one of the best. And two years to the day from the Stokes innings, on the same ground.

Only the third time a team has bowled out the opposition on day 1 then closed with a lead and no wickets down. The most recent was also England in the Melbourne Test of 2010 in “Cook’s Series”.

Jimmy set it up but the other bowlers then let him rest those 39-year-old legs for the second innings. And great to see Hameed make an impression after his remarkable journey from next big thing to scrapheap and back again.

[unc.si.]

Jimmy's second wicket was a thing of wonder. I think that ball would have got anyone out from any era, especially coming after the previous 3. God help us when he hangs up his boots

[Jester]

Did I hear on commentary that it's the first time in ? years that England have passed their opponent's first innings total batting second...?


What a day though!!!!!!

[forestfan]

Did I hear on commentary that it's the first time in ? years that England have passed their opponent's first innings total batting second...?

First time we’ve done it on day 1 for 11 years I think (certainly without losing a wicket, at least…)

[hancockjr]

And only third time anyone has ever done it (NZ the other in 2001).

[Jester]

Did I hear on commentary that it's the first time in ? years that England have passed their opponent's first innings total batting second...?

First time we’ve done it on day 1 for 11 years I think (certainly without losing a wicket, at least…)

Boxing Day test in Oz - they scored less than a ton too!

[baganboy]

I really hope this is the moment when everything clicks into gear for Haseeb Hameed. He can be your next Cook.

We are losing by an innings this time. The entire middle order is so badly out of touch, it is painful to see. Cannot hope that Pant will carry us through this series too.
Anderson though. What a bowler.

The last two tests should be awesome! We are known to come back well from <100 1st innings debacles

[blahblah]

Having watched the last day of the previous test and the first of this, I hope England play Pakistan: it would be total randomness

[forestfan]

Having watched the last day of the previous test and the first of this, I hope England play Pakistan: it would be total randomness

England v Pakistan… well, we’ve seen an on-field slanging match between England captain and Pakistani umpire, a forfeited match after Pakistan were accused of ball-tampering by the umpire and refused to play, and a bowler bowling deliberate no-balls for the benefit of bookies, at the instruction of his captain. And Stuart Broad scoring 160-odd, which with hindsight was the most bonkers one of all.

[blahblah]

Having watched the last day of the previous test and the first of this, I hope England play Pakistan: it would be total randomness

England v Pakistan… well, we’ve seen an on-field slanging match between England captain and Pakistani umpire, a forfeited match after Pakistan were accused of ball-tampering by the umpire and refused to play, and a bowler bowling deliberate no-balls for the benefit of bookies, at the instruction of his captain. And Stuart Broad scoring 160-odd, which with hindsight was the most bonkers one of all.

Yep. I need more of that in my life

[chiplesschaps]

I really hope this is the moment when everything clicks into gear for Haseeb Hameed. He can be your next Cook.

We are losing by an innings this time. The entire middle order is so badly out of touch, it is painful to see. Cannot hope that Pant will carry us through this series too.
Anderson though. What a bowler.

The last two tests should be awesome! We are known to come back well from <100 1st innings debacles

Couldn't agree more about the state of India's batting. Although, deep within I hope they can reproduce some of that Shai Hope / Kraigg Brathwaite masterclass at Headingley

[baganboy]

Having watched the last day of the previous test and the first of this, I hope England play Pakistan: it would be total randomness

I was discussing the Pakistan bowling attack at the moment with a friend - has there been a more English Pakistan bowling attack?
Abbas- tight line and length - like any self-respecting Angus Fraser;
Hasan Ali, shaping away from the right hander with a joke or two thrown in for good measure, oh-ever-so-Hoggy;
and brilliant Shaheen, high arm steepling bounce - like a lefty Harmison.
Invariably the selectors would disrupt all that to bring in a Shenwari or a Naseem Shah - because pace is pace yaar!

Sacrilege as it may be for an Indian cricket fan, but how can you not love Pakistani cricket?

[blahblah]

Anderson's first over has the ball swinging and seaming.

[blahblah]

India nearly got to Lunch without losing a wicket.

[baganboy]

ChePu played. All is well with the world again.

My favourite Indian cricketer since Anil Kumble, that man. If he plays 300 balls more (he can, but probably won't), India will win this. If he plays less than 50, we will lose by an innings.
Almost unbelievable we are even in such a position...

[Jester]

Anyone else thinking the ECB told England to take a rest yesterday to take the game into the fourth day.....?!!

Great win anyway!

[forestfan]

I guess we’re back to this one then, even if temporarily

As it stands, the stand-in captain has 47 more Test caps than his team-mates put together.