England V India cricket

[Gargamel]

Buster should still go to Sri Lanka, he good a very good ball today, which admittedly he played badly. But it’s a hard job, and it takes time to learn. I would still back him.

No one could drop Cook and try a new player, that’s just absurd, it’s a dead rubber and the crowd want to say goodbye. Plus in this match we are winning because of his runs.

Anyway, we are ahead, 150 lead and eight wickets in hand. I think we will be 350mahead by just after tea and the. Have an hour at them tomorrow night.

Well that’s the plan.

[toastyhamster]

MId-morning collapse, Bairstow out wafting at one outside off, Curran and Rashid to put on a few.

Still be too much for a team halfway to the plane.


MIght as well toss a coin for the openers this winter, I can't see how randomising the whole batting order every innings could make things any worse. Broad to open :-)

[DeejRC]

Burns seems to be the next chap.

Must admit, I don’t exactly what we have to lose by giving Roy and Hales their heads.

[Murph7355]

DeejRC said:

Burns seems to be the next chap.

Must admit, I don’t exactly what we have to lose by giving Roy and Hales their heads.

I would also re-try some of the "failed" guys. Get them in at 1/2 for a series. Root needs to go to 3. Ali back down the order.

I wonder if Bairstow is still feeling the effects of his finger.

Rashid needs to be allowed to go back to ODI only (Tuffers was amusing yesterday playing Where's Wally(/Rashid)).

Curran and Pope both need to be given more of a bash now.

This has been a great series (for an England fan at least) and just what test cricket should be about. The one change I'd make is to adopt a suggestion I heard recently about the toss...either abandon it and give the visiting the side the choice of when they bat (either for the first test and then alternate, or all the way through - home advantage feels like it's bigger now than ever so a bit of levelling wouldn't hurt), or just do it for the first test and then alternate it.

Looking forward to next year. World Cup and the Ashes.

[Gargamel]

In fitting style, Cook tucks one off his hips for 4, to secure his 45: batting average, and pass the half century mark for the second time this test ( I think he made more runs this test than the rest of his series)

[snake_oil]

Alastair Cook has become only the second player to score 50+ in both innings of both his debut and his final Test match.

South Africa's Bruce Mitchell is the other (88, 61* v England, 1929; 99, 56 v England, 1948-49).

/TMS



Sangakkara record next up. Come on Chef!

[SydneyBridge]

5th highest test run scorer and highest left hander

amazing final test

[Dr Z]

If Cook's still there at lunch, I might pop in for the afternoon.

[Gargamel]

SydneyBridge said:

5th highest test run scorer and highest left hander

amazing final test

Highest Opener too

[Gargamel]

Cool Cook Cracks Colossal Century Number 33

Well played Chef

[Black can man]

Wow !

[anonymous-user]

Fantastic

[CooperD]

Great scoring from Chef. Top work. What a superb ovation.

[IanUAE]

Century no. 33 at the age of 33.

What a way to play your final test.

[SydneyBridge]

amazing

What a feeling it must be for him in the middle- no pressure at all

he would have got an amazing reception if I had got a first ball duck- but now....

[FiF]

[thegreenhell]

YES!

Century in his first and last Test matches, the fifth player to do so. Also the only player to score 100 and 50 in both his first and last matches.

[snake_oil]

So pleased he got the fairytale. What a fantastic servant he has been.

And what a performance today - really kicked on. Superb.

[Dr Z]

Right I'm off to the Oval. Well done Cooky!

[swanny71]

Master Chef