Cricket

I miss decent batting

Abdur Rehman 3.0 2 3 2

Abdur Rehman 9.5 - 4 - 25 - 5

Pakistan on their way to a famous victory. England on their way to a shambolic defeat.

How many England batsmen have been out lbw or bowled playing back on the crease? You would think they would learn. You would think.

Very well played by Pakistan, though. They've done everything right. But England's batsmen have done so much wrong in both matches. Oh well, still a great test match.

72-9, Prior tried to attack and gone. He had to do something, though.

Wow, that wasn't in any way embarrassing.

Andy Zaltzman @ZaltzCricket
2000-01 seems a long time ago - England won in Pakistan and Sri Lanka that winter. Since then, one win in 19 Tests in Ind, Pak, SL & UAE.


I have to say though that despite that defeat, pretty pathetic as it was, a few positives.

1) It's important to have a good Pakistan team, world cricket needs it. Hopefully they can start playing at home soon in front of big crowds.
2) It's nice to see another very good bowling attack, again it's something world cricket needs and it's great that it's a spinning attack. Can't see a better group of spinners than this Pakistan team.
3) It was enjoyable to see batsmen having to earn their runs, with techniques and temperament truly tested. England failed the test, but as a neutral I would rather watch that kind of test instead of flat tracks. Misbah even cheekily thanked the curator at the end of his post-match interview.

Yeah as annoyed as I am at the England cricket team, it has been an enthralling test and a real tight test match with ebbs and flows.

Agree that this is probably the best spin attack in the world, just need a seamer or two (imagine if they had Asif and Amir).

For all the talk of dead tracks, we have now had two results which is always good for test cricket

On a separate note, 6 england batters scored 1 or less

England losong a series to pakisran. Australia belting india. Orde is rstored. Life is good. Amd I am drunk.

David Hogan wrote:England losong a series to pakisran. Australia belting india. Orde is rstored. Life is good. Amd I am drunk.

Best comment on this thread yet.

David Hogan wrote:England losong a series to pakisran. Australia belting india. Orde is rstored. Life is good. Amd I am drunk.

Haha! I remember posting in this topic, but I didn't know that I wrote this. I shouldn't be allowed to have a smartphone. I never did this before I had access to the net while out and about.

England in big trouble if the lead goes past 300.

Stuart Broad is an idiot. Had the chance to build a partnership with Prior but instead decides to open up his shoulders and slog wildly at the new ball. England deserve a whitewash for such idiocy.

Problem is, whenever England have tried to build something, they've gone into their shell and got out. Not saying that was a good shot, execution was poor and he's better than that, but the tactics used by England this series have been mostly rubbish and allowed the Pakistani bowlers to get into a rhythm and once they get into it, they have been all over England. Ajmal and Rehman have had the middle order especially on toast.

Pakistan's bowling is very good, though. England's bowling in this series has also been very good. Bowled them out for 99 first innings and will still lose! But Pakistan have managed to get some partnerships going, only one huge one in the 3 tests but a few 'solid' ones along the way and it's been the difference in the end.

All true. It's just good seeing England losing again. Been too long.

Though, in all seriousness, it's much better to see Pakistan playing so well. They've been in the cricketing wilderness for far too long.

David Hogan wrote:Though, in all seriousness, it's much better to see Pakistan playing so well. They've been in the cricketing wilderness for far too long.

Same could be said of Australia. Ho ho ho.

But yeah that's true, just a shame this has happened in the UAE in front of the hardest of hardcore of the Barmy Army and a small group of Pakistan fans (although there were more than that towards the 2nd half of the 2nd test) and not in Pakistan in front of thousands.

Haha. Touche.

I'm really excited about the Australian team at the moment. So much going for them at the moment. If we had a match winning spinner, we would be close to being a complete team (noting that it was just one good series against a pretty awful Indain team).

Michael Clarke has the chance to break all sorts of records this year and Ponting is back scoring centuries. This is also not forgetting that we still have Shane Watson to come back into the fold. Exciting times, indeed.

Bloody every kid was bowling leg spin in the street while Warne was playing. Can't believe no decent leg spinners came through.

Stuart MacGill had the potential to be a great spinner. Was just unfortunate to be around at the same time as Warne.

India win!! Feels like an eternity since we last won.

Sami Rockfeller wrote:India win!! Feels like an eternity since we last won.

When in doubt, play against Sri Lanka

Ponting opening with Warner. Strange decision.

"If India lose this, they will be sad. If Australia win this, they will be happy." - Great insight there from, I think, Michael Slater.

What an innings by Dhoni, I didn't expect India to win with 13 required from 4 balls but how wrong could I be.

what a finish!

Dhoni is a master at timing a run chase. That 6 in the last over was monstrous.