Test Benaud Qadir Trophy 3rd Test Pakistan v Australia @ Lahore March 21-25

[MinerBoy]

A 50 run plus opposition partnership and on cue the pessimists and doom and gloom merchants arrive, how predictable..!

While one or two wickets prior to stumps would of been good, Pakistan have a huge mountain to climb here in a record breaking pursuit, consider:

A. 107 overs is the longest 4th innings ever batted on this ground, Pakistan must 'survive' 121.

B. A run rate of 3.0 runs/over must be maintained during 90 overs for victory - thus far Pakistan's best R/R day is this series is 2.3 runs/over.

C. 208 runs is the highest successful 4th innings run chase at this venue, Pakistan need 351..!

Including the fact it's a day 5 dry crumbling pitch, if Pakistan can somehow overcome/achieve any of the above targets, then I'll be happy to join the inevitable 'Stupid Cummins, nonsense declaration!' pile on - but I seriously doubt that will be the case...

While all true, the couter is there's been barely any test cricket here for 25 years and in that time T20 cricket and the ability to chase scores has changed the game a lot.

Will be a very interesting final day.

 

[Santana]

I've been shitting all over cummins captaincy so give him props when he does well. Great declaration. Results kinda irrelevant now because hes been willing to risk losing it to win. That's good captaincy

No, no I am pretty sure he is going to be judged on losing series

This isn't K grade

 

[t_94]

Gee there are some bed wetters on this board.

 

[peternorth]

Gee there are some bed wetters on this board.

That’s the essence of test cricket. Five days. A roller coaster of emotions.

 

[Topkent]

No, no I am pretty sure he is going to be judged on losing series

This isn't K grade

Jeez this couldn't have gone any further over your head.

 

[BStaff17]

It's not the team's job to take unnecessary risks to get results for test series.

Well sometimes you have too.

Obivously if this was the 1st test you wouldn't risk an early declaration. But its the last test.

If we had bowled pakistan out in karachi we wouldnt be needing to take risks.

Pakistan haven't done themselves any favours with producing dull pitches but what can you do.

 

[Jamurp]

This would feel pretty undeserved if Pakistan pull this off, have rolled out some awful decks, shown absolutely no intent all series, and as good an effort it’d be to chase the runs today, they’re only in with a chance because we gave then one, they’d still be batting now if they were in our position.

Also good on Cummins for the declaration, if we lose we lose, I don’t think Pakistan will bat quick enough to win anyway, bit of reverse and take our chances and it could be a really solid series victory.

 

[frankrizzo]

but what can you do.

Give yourselves over 100 overs at them with attacking fields where only results are a series win if things go right or series draw if we struggle? crazy people are trying to pretend our only two choices were risk losing to win or a certain draw when reality is this declaration might actually mean we miss chances on day 5 as extra attacking fielders now might end up saving runs on day 5 instead of being in catching positions.

 

[Scott Van Persett]

If we want any chance of winning this test , get Smith out of slips, he’s already lost one test for us , a liability

 

[to1994]

They had a good start against us last night but we've seen this hundreds of times before. There's some recent scars from India chasing down a decent total about a year ago and Headingly, but the fact is these sorts of scores in the fourth innings just aren't chased down without a freak Innings. Pretty sure Babar is the only one capable of playing a Stokes, Lara or Pant like knock that's unbelievably good and gets them over the line.

Shafique looks a class player for the future but he's prone to making a mistake at his young age. Fawad is a walking wicket against our pace bowlers so you've essentially got to take 4 key wickets before the last hour and the series is probably won.

I'm fine with our declaration. We can't let poor fifth day bowling in the past dictate our plans, we SHOULD be winning from here. Decision making around this has cost us Two Tests in the last Four so if we lose from here I'm not going to scrutinise Pat too hard aside from on him leaving Steve Smith in the slips.

 

[grumbleguts]

Sadly Sweppo doesn't look like making it, we seriously need a second spinner

We need a first one as well.

 

[grumbleguts]

Interesting stat:
Marnus Labuschagne averages 62.14 in tests when he is not ranked the #1 batter in test cricket, but only 26.77 when he is ranked the #1 batter in Test cricket.

 

[Pippen94]

Brave decision by Cummins. Captains use to do this back in the day. The outcry from fans these days for a loss, even in series which will be forgotten not long after it's played has changed things

 

[Mikevk123]

Batsmen this series for Australia.

Usman Khawaja 496 at 165.33
Steve Smith 226 at 56.50
Alex Carey 179 at 59.67
Marnus Laubschange 170 at 34
David Warner 169 at 33.80
Cameron Green 155 at 51.57
Travis Head 68 at 22.67

Innings scores
Usman Khawaja 97,160,44*,91, 104*
David Warner 68,36,7,7,51,
Marnus Laubschange 90,0, 44,0,36,
Steve Smith 78,72,59,17,
Travis Head 8,23,26,11*
Cameron Green 48,28,79,
Alex Carey 19,93,67

 

[Westend]

Brave decision by Cummins. Captains use to do this back in the day. The outcry from fans these days for a loss, even in series which will be forgotten not long after it's played has changed things

Yes but its strange for me.......last test not willing to enforce the follow on when you are 400 ahead with 2 and half day to go and an innings in hand....and then give the opposition 350 to win off 120 overs .....seems to be a bit of fly by your pants captaincy

Also was the declaration about the amount of runs 350 or was it the overs ??? 120 I am assuming the over to bowl them out and if It was the overs why didn't we go harder with the bat ???? 60overs we batted at 3.78 run rate okay not bad...but really they didn't throw the bat at any stage ...and if they knew that they where going to declare after 60 overs why not throw the willow for at least 5 overs at the end

For me I would of batted an extra 5-10 overs thrown the willow go hard with bat and then declare and then have 15 overs at them with the ball

 

[DaRick]

They had a good start against us last night but we've seen this hundreds of times before. There's some recent scars from India chasing down a decent total about a year ago and Headingly, but the fact is these sorts of scores in the fourth innings just aren't chased down without a freak Innings. Pretty sure Babar is the only one capable of playing a Stokes, Lara or Pant like knock that's unbelievably good and gets them over the line.

Shafique looks a class player for the future but he's prone to making a mistake at his young age. Fawad is a walking wicket against our pace bowlers so you've essentially got to take 4 key wickets before the last hour and the series is probably won.

I'm fine with our declaration. We can't let poor fifth day bowling in the past dictate our plans, we SHOULD be winning from here. Decision making around this has cost us Two Tests in the last Four so if we lose from here I'm not going to scrutinise Pat too hard aside from on him leaving Steve Smith in the slips.

Babar and Rizwan are the ones I really worry about here.

In this context, I don't endorse this declaration - we were looking quite untroubled when batting, with the exception of the odd one keeping low or reversing so I'm not sure how many gremlins the Day 5 pitch will have, and their start has been bright - but never mind.

 

[Pippen94]

Yes but its strange for me.......last test not willing to enforce the follow on when you are 400 ahead with 2 and half day to go and an innings in hand....and then give the opposition 350 to win off 120 overs .....seems to be a bit of fly by your pants captaincy

Also was the declaration about the amount of runs 350 or was it the overs ??? 120 I am assuming the over to bowl them out and if It was the overs why didn't we go harder with the bat ???? 60overs we batted at 3.78 run rate okay not bad...but really they didn't throw the bat at any stage ...and if they knew that they where going to declare after 60 overs why not throw the willow for at least 5 overs at the end

For me I would of batted an extra 5-10 overs thrown the willow go hard with bat and then declare and then have 15 overs at them with the ball

Maybe thinks old ball will do trick. Plus Pakistani batting is short in this test. I think we'll see a result today.

 

[Ephemeral Hope]

Babar and Rizwan are the ones I really worry about here.

its as simple as if we get Babar we probably win if not we lose

 

[JackOutback]

I think we squibbed the follow-on in the second Test, I like this declaration; it's bold, gives Pakistan a sniff, which in turn gives us a chance to nab wickets. But we need to bowl well if and when they shut up shop. Pakistan showed a lot of fight in the second Test, I expect the same if they lose a couple this morning.

 

[Kid A]

Pakistan have no chance. They need two centuries to reach the total - what are the odds of that? One good spell of reverse and it's all over. A few more tricks in the pitch with Swepson or Labuschagne and it's done. Get out their top order and it's all over. This isn't an Indian batting line up that goes down to #8.

 

[Westend]

Maybe thinks old ball will do trick. Plus Pakistani batting is short in this test. I think we'll see a result today.

Yeah maybe they want to get the ball to get to the 30-40 over mark to reverse as quick as possible

I agree there will be a result ...hopefully to us what worries me though if it does not reverse our spinners look non threatening we really need them to stand up today

 

[Lia]

I don't mind the timing of the declaration, would have liked to see some more shots before the last over but the Khawaja 100 complicated this a touch. Our 2 main seamers will need to do the bulk of the work it seems with Lyon chipping in. Swepson doesn't look like taking too many wickets on these pitches.

We need a different first slip, maybe Khawaja. Smith is much better in the outfield than Khawaja too so win-win? Pretty sure that Khawaja has been at slip at times for Swepson/Kuhnemann in Shield cricket.

 

[dopefish]

I can't believe the poms got out of jail. I went to bed when they were 9/114. I see they've put on 90 runs for the last wicket.

 

[corbies]

Pakistan have no chance. They need two centuries to reach the total - what are the odds of that? One good spell of reverse and it's all over. A few more tricks in the pitch with Swepson or Labuschagne and it's done. Get out their top order and it's all over. This isn't an Indian batting line up that goes down to #8.

According to the bookies the odds of that are about $3.25. A 30% chance of it being achieved.

 

[The 747]

Gee there are some bed wetters on this board.

This promises to be a pretty funny thread if Pakistan get anywhere near looking like they might, maybe, win.

Hate on Lyon
Hate on Starc
Everything is Alex Carey's fault including Smith dropping catches.
JL wouldn't let this happen
Why isn't Green bowling from both ends?
Why isn't Swepson Warne?
Hate on the pitch