Pakistan vs West Indies (2 tests)

[PhatBoy]

he needs to answer the call with the bat, if he's unable to bowl

Given that he can’t walk, he’s already taken two wickets on this wretched surface, took a ridiculous catch to give himself this injury, and has put on 10 so far to boost the lead over 250, he’s getting it done.

 

[sr36]

And windies batsmen struggle against reasonable spinners - which Pakistan have (they aren’t exceptional but they’re capable) on tracks which just offer a normal level of help. As was on display against Bangladesh a few months ago.

Additionally, Warrican and Motie, while far from mugs, wouldn’t pose an especially big danger to Pakistan on said normal spinning tracks. I would be amazed to see either of them collect 5 in an innings for less than say, 80, on a standard subcontinental deck.

Yep. Plus Windies is a bizarre batting line up - pretty much the entire team averages in the 20s. Braithwaite is the only one likely to get in and milk the bowlers on a good pitch, but they're all more than capable of chipping in handy runs. And a pitch like this, no one gets in, so it diminishes the weakness of their batting line up and makes it all about how many blokes can chip in handy runs.

 

[Gethelred]

There's something absolutely hilarious about the commentator's attitude towards the advertising they have to do in the coverage. Just a wry, "I have to do this" sort of thing, a mild, half-hearted attempt at vamping on the subject of laundry powder or the coverage's favourite phone.

And just like that, it's over.

 

[PhatBoy]

Ok here we go.

 

[RAPPA]

Sajid is a tosser

 

[RAPPA]

Pakistan love burning reviews

 

[PhatBoy]

Can’t say I’m overly disappointed with this start

 

[cricketnut14]

Can’t say I’m overly disappointed with this start

i'm rootin for your boys Phat !

 

[Cleavy]

go Windies!

 

[Bedi]

This is set up nicely for a thrilling finish

 

[PhatBoy]

i'm rootin for your boys Phat !

Thanks mate, would be absolutely monstrous for us if we won.

Still massive batting problems for us to iron out but would be a huge overseas win following on from the Gabba one

 

[PhatBoy]

This is set up nicely for a thrilling finish

Rizwan. He’s the ace in the hole. Shakeel can bat but Rizwan can pace an innings and has nerve. Get Rizwan and we have the game on our terms

 

[sr36]

This is set up nicely for a thrilling finish

Possibly - Pakistan have a couple of bats that could do it for them, but their tail haven't looked likely at all this series. I think they'll fall 100 short.

 

[PhatBoy]

As bad as we are capable of being - and believe me I’m not blind to it despite my always present optimism, the thing about a multi tiered structure to test cricket that pisses me off is this:

If, hypothetically, Sri Lanka and Pakistan were to go into a tier with England, Australia, South Africa, NZ and India, that means three sides we beat regularly are playing in a ‘league’ we can’t be a part of (Sri Lanka, Pakistan and England). Sri Lanka, Pakistan and England frequently lose when they tour the Caribbean either in matches or series, we have won test matches in England in two of our last 3 tours there, if we win tomorrow in Pakistan it will mean by my count we’ve won matches in two of our last three away series against them as well, including the UAE. We were only 40 runs off a series win over South Africa last year, too, though we haven’t beaten them in a test match for donkey’s years.

You can now as of last year add a drawn series with Australia to that list, unlikely as it may be that we would square another series with them in Australia; but who knows, on our home deck later in the year we may sneak a test.

That’s just a West Indies aspect. Bangladesh have just as many gripes given some of their results, too.

Yes you want consistently competitive cricket.

But that has never existed. There has never been a time where season after season, series after series, every team that comes up against every other team has been evenly matched and producing the highest standard of cricket imaginable. People nostalgically think there was, but there wasn’t. There were a few periods where there were 3-4 decent sides but they weren’t playing each other every other week. And often when they did, it was a let down.

What is good is letting teams play one another and hoping for what has ALWAYS provided cricket lovers with fascination and great entertainment - matches like the Gabba last summer or Headingley during the Hope/Brathwaite test or the recent SA one wicket win or the Perera test where something completely out of the blue happens and you go ‘what the f**k was that!!!!’ And you remember why you love test cricket beyond just the series that you automatically dial yourself in for on autopilot like The Ashes or the BG Trophy etc - which by all means have their place but will always be there

 

[sr36]

As bad as we are capable of being - and believe me I’m not blind to it despite my always present optimism, the thing about a multi tiered structure to test cricket that pisses me off is this:

If, hypothetically, Sri Lanka and Pakistan were to go into a tier with England, Australia, South Africa, NZ and India, that means three sides we beat regularly are playing in a ‘league’ we can’t be a part of (Sri Lanka, Pakistan and England). Sri Lanka, Pakistan and England frequently lose when they tour the Caribbean either in matches or series, we have won test matches in England in two of our last 3 tours there, if we win tomorrow in Pakistan it will mean by my count we’ve won matches in two of our last three away series against them as well, including the UAE. We were only 40 runs off a series win over South Africa last year, too, though we haven’t beaten them in a test match for donkey’s years.

You can now as of last year add a drawn series with Australia to that list, unlikely as it may be that we would square another series with them in Australia; but who knows, on our home deck later in the year we may sneak a test.

That’s just a West Indies aspect. Bangladesh have just as many gripes given some of their results, too.

Yes you want consistently competitive cricket.

But that has never existed. There has never been a time where season after season, series after series, every team that comes up against every other team has been evenly matched and producing the highest standard of cricket imaginable. People nostalgically think there was, but there wasn’t. There were a few periods where there were 3-4 decent sides but they weren’t playing each other every other week. And often when they did, it was a let down.

What is good is letting teams play one another and hoping for what has ALWAYS provided cricket lovers with fascination and great entertainment - matches like the Gabba last summer or Headingley during the Hope/Brathwaite test or the recent SA one wicket win or the Perera test where something completely out of the blue happens and you go ‘what the f**k was that!!!!’ And you remember why you love test cricket beyond just the series that you automatically dial yourself in for on autopilot like The Ashes or the BG Trophy etc - which by all means have their place but will always be there

Plus it's all cycles. Personally, I think if Windies can keep their bowlers fit and playing test cricket, they're just a couple of quality batters away from becoming a really solid team again. Bowling looks like becoming strong. Kiwis who are currently strong are never far away from being pedestrian. Pakistan are perpetually on the verge of being awesome or awful.

You don't want to have teams like that fall into a pool that rarely plays test cricket. It's a fast track to them collapsing as test playing nations/regions.

 

[Cleavy]

2 wickets in the opening 2 overs of day 3, and this might be over in this session

 

[sr36]

2 wickets in the opening 2 overs of day 3, and this might be over in this session

It's odds on to be.

 

[yabsy]

2 wickets in the opening 2 overs of day 3, and this might be over in this session

Will be over in the first hour I reckon...Another very short test match

On Redmi Note 8 Pro using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[PhatBoy]

Missed the first two wickets - this looks plumb

 

[Gethelred]

Motie looks very, very dangerous here. Excellent trajectory for the subcontinent.

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

Warrican bowls Rizwan.

2 wickets left for victory.

 

[Gethelred]

****ing jaffa from Warrican!

A setup worthy of Herath; last two back a length outside off, big slow ripping balls to drag his foot across; flat, straight quicker one that doesn't spin to go through the checked drive on the yorker, drifting in ever so slightly.
Can genuinely bowl, I'd be interested to know how he'd go away from spinning conditions.

 

[cricketnut14]

9 down !

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

Noman gone for 6. Caught by Warrican.

Pakistan = 9/131.

 

[PhatBoy]

****ing jaffa from Warrican!

A setup worthy of Herath; last two back a length outside off, big slow ripping balls to drag his foot across; flat, straight quicker one that doesn't spin to go through the checked drive on the yorker, drifting in ever so slightly.
Can genuinely bowl, I'd be interested to know how he'd go away from spinning conditions.

He’s not shown a lot in his career to date, to be honest. Reliable but unremarkable