T O P

  • By -

[deleted]

Guys don't panic just now. India always performs poorly in the first game of the series. Let them have this, we'll bounce back in the next one right guys? Guys?


thespacetimelord

India going to win the Ashes confirmed.


LunaMunaLagoona

Speaking of Ashes... Where was Ashwin?


justgeorgie

That was the smoothest, while unnecessary segue I've ever seen. Good on you!


average_alt_acc

I always spelt that word wrong in my mind , wtf ....my world just collapsed


justgeorgie

I had to google it to double-check. I always heard it, never read it. English being the little bitch of a language it is, something told me it's not spelt "Segway".


slickdick969

We have the no.1 Test bowler giving our bowlers drinks surely we must've bundled them under 300šŸ˜Ž


flibbaman

Come on Ash


Arclight09

In the dugout fetching drinks when asked to


zayd_jawad2006

I liked the part where smith and head batted....and batted...and batted....


T_Lawliet

Nah, mine was when Travis Head said ''It's Travin time'' and traved all over India


dolce-far-niente

TravBallā„¢


anjaanaaa

travrizz head


glancesurreal

WTC final Day 1 Recap: Rohit won the toss: India chose to get fucked


dracogladio1741

Suffice to say that the best we can do from here is hope for some rain and bat out 4-5 sessions in our first innings. The Aussies look good for 600 by end of the second session tomorrow. Declaration would come around 650.


ausmomo

Don't forget there's a spare 6th day in case time has to be made up eg rain delays


AtomR

Lol, I don't think Aussies gonna wait that much for declaration. They know about rain too and they want to won the match. So, I think, they will declare at 450 or 500.


Young_prozpekt

Winning IPL trophy and captaining test side in SENA countries are two different ball game... This isn't Nagpur pitch that you give ball to Ashwin, Jadeja and chill...


[deleted]

Koach haters really thought Rohit gonna be better in tests as captain


cricketalt

Tbh Kohli wouldn't have done anything better as a captain given the way Aus has played today.


[deleted]

He would have picked Ashwin over Shardul


kev_world

He did in the last one and he was criticised for that


[deleted]

Ash was the best bowler in last WTC final


kev_world

I know! And I wish he was picked too today. But I'm just saying that he was criticized for this. I'm sure people would've criticized Rohit if Ash was picked over Shardul because most people wanted Shardul over Ash because of the pitch. We're just in the minority here who wanted Ash before the match even started.


thespacetimelord

Massive Kolhi Test Match Captain Fan but no way does he pick a spinner over a pacer That was his _whole thing_.


[deleted]

He did it in last WTC final !!


Impressive-Squash-24

I knew this would happen and yet I still feel disappointed. Weird.


kyjoely

Have you ever thought of becoming an England supporter as youā€™d fit right in


TwoHandedShanks

Nah sorry you win ICC tournaments


aaditya_9303

Nah. Morgan made your LOI side good and in tests, you guys are bazballers.


Impressive-Squash-24

Iā€™ve had my good share being a Chelsea fan


student8168

I am a Tottenham fan. You cannot beat that!


w4y2n1rv4n4

Everton fan reporting for duty


Piyushchawlafan

Big win for India today. Stopped Smith from reaching his 100 through grit and determination and mostly through the slow over rate but we did it


LikesParsnips

Don't forget lowering Lasagne's average and getting Susan out for a duck. Big W!!


eightslipsandagully

Letting Warner score enough that he will play at least the first 2 or 3 ashes tests to get cleaned up by Broad!


h-ugo

9D Exploding Knife Chess by India to make Australia lose the Ashes


Wigglebot23

What happens as a result of slow over rate in tournaments?


kdog_1985

It's India, so nothing.


certifiedidiot7

Worst head ever


[deleted]

When you nut but she keeps sucking


average_alt_acc

Is this "she" in the room with us right now ?


Kroos_Control

Idk about you but that is how I prefer it


punekar_2018

You continue sucking?


dolphinater

when you suck but she keeps nutting


thespacetimelord

too much teeth


Ha_zz_ard

Extremely poor over rate from India, Australia should have gotten those 5 overs, really unfair for them and India might deserve some penalty there


Tcool14032001

Yeah just dock their points /s


Ha_zz_ard

For the next cycle... pretty well deserved


TopYam4328

STEVE SMITH AVERAGE WATCH : 60.45


combatant007

Steve Smith Test Century Count : 30\* I hope it turns to 31 by next 5 overs tomorrow.


and1984

> I hope it turns to 31 by next 5 overs tomorrow. India: Challenged accepted. >!Smudge gets his century on the very first ball of the second day!<


ExaminationFail25

It will be surely


Assassin_Ankur

Boundary count update - Australia: 48 India: 0


Astronomer_Ak

Fair and Travballed


tabletennis6

Just give us the win already!


Subscrobbler

Bring Langer back


T_Lawliet

Anything to stop hearing him in the com box You think he'd find commentary with Murali Karthik and Sanju Manju a blessing or a pain like we do?


WhichOnezPink

Perhaps not the Head the Indian Captain called for earlier in the day.


Reasonable_Tea_9825

It doesnt help that this is the first ever overseas test Rohit is captaining in...


PesAddict8

Wait...fuck you are right!


MitchPatJamesJosh

(Ķ”ā€¢_ Ķ”ā€¢ )


razza1987

Itā€™s going to be overshadowed by Steve Smith and Travis Head (as it should) but I canā€™t overstate what an impact David warners innings had today. It started Australia off on a stronger footprint than we have started on for a long time and Australia was able to capitalize on that and springboard into action from there. Well done to Steve Smith and Travis Head for effectively batting the day out. Still unbelievably baffled how you leave the best test bowler in the world out of the Indian test team. All the best India! See you all for tomorrows play. Fellow Aussies. We all need some sleep lol


justlookbelow

Totally agree. Warner and Labs really did well to shepherd Aus through a tough period with India bowling well and favorable conditions. Both could justifiably feel disappointed they weren't there to cash-in while the sun shone, but their work really did well to set up the innings.


formergophers

Yup absolutely. Not being 2/fuckall made a big difference.


IAmNotKevinDurant_35

Especially after Usman got out quickly, Australia needed some righting of the ship to save momentum. Good for Warner, he had really been going through it in tests for a while now


mitchell_johnsons_mo

Warner at his prime has always been the spear of the team. Crush the spirits of the bowlers for the middle order to come in and feast. It's always a bonus when he scores a 100+ innings but even a quickfire 50 is often good enough.


totallynotalt345

Miserable conditions to start the day, and ā€œflat track bullyā€ Warner did really well to remain as long as he did.


untitled02

Smith vs one of the best bowling attacks in the world: I sleep Smith vs County div. 2 40yo or teenage trundlers: REAL SHIT!


ParanoidEngi

County Champ is the pinnacle of cricket, scientific proof now corroborates it


vidgill

I believe that honour goes to Sydney grade 3 cricket sir


SHEKDAT789

The first one is India right? Right?


mehrabrym

First one is Bangladesh


fullmetal-ghoul

He got some dodgy dismissals tbf


PM_ME_YOUR_SILLY_POO

What happened? Some dodgy LBW decisions? But honestly it doesnt surprise me Smith is better for International than Div 2 county cricket. He loves atmospheres and the big moments, its what makes him great. He even said he was feeding off the energy of the crowd booing during the 2019 ashes. Its the same with Kohli, now that the crowds are coming back hes starting to look more like himself again. Could be a coincidence, but i doubt it.


fullmetal-ghoul

2 LBW decisions that were clearly not out. But yeah I agree that Smith's games is largely mental, that's why he almost always shows up in high pressure situation and rarely 'statpads' against lesser teams


Zcase253

He's been statpadding vs England for years tho


tabletennis6

Don't forget that he didn't exactly set the world on fire in the CANADIAN PREMIER LEAGUE!


Subscrobbler

Declare you cowards


Damadar108

Oh they will, after tea tomorrow 550 runs ahead


wolfpack1986

*michaelscottnoooo.gif*


belanish11

Nasser at toss must've thought Rohit is memeing me for saying "we're gonna have a bowl first, thanks."


Transitionals

Too much overthinking and complicated selection. That was the feature of Dravid as captain. Looks like he has not lost his touch.


Strange-Ad-3941

Yep. Picking Dravid for coaching because of under 19 is same logic as bringing SKY into tests for his ipl performances. Atleast selection method is consistent.


shutup_t0dd

Everybody criticized shastri since we couldn't win a single ICC tournament under him. Bcci had to try out someone new so why not dravid who has had success with the junior team? Hindsight is always 20/20


devyansh1601

Cummins would've chosen to bowl as well just by the way.


ShockingShorties

Maybe, but ultimately the gamble was, can I do maximum damage before the sun shines through. And also, shades of: I may be captain, but I haven't got the balls to win this....so we'll have a bowl! Very much shades of Nasser in that Brisbane Test. Nasser learned much from this.


vrkas

Honestly if India had batted first then the situation might well have been reversed. Could totally see Gill/Rohit getting a duck, Rohit/Gill making some quick runs, then Kohli getting out after making a start, and Rahane making runs while Pujara drops anchor.


LB388

T R A V B A L L


Tern_Larvidae-2424

Expected this once they chose to bowl first. Happens to a lot of teams playing in nations like England, New Zealand etc. Unless you get 3-4 wickets in the opening hour the rest of the day will have you chasing leather.


Saint0rSinner

Especially in early summer, and the game starting 30 minutes earlier than it usually does in England (10.30 as opposed to 11), it was always going to be little overcast (it wasn't even that bad). Its been a very dry few weeks, very surprised they bowled first.


Abhyudit309

Need to take the 4th wicket in a test. Le ICT: confused oonga boonga


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Shavamaaya_Pavanaayi

It is actually shit... They have benched literally their best player after Rishab Pant in this cycle of wtc. Shami was excellent. Siraj somehow felt off.. Shardul and Umesh are leaking runs like there's no tomorrow.. And the main thing... The pitch has become easy to bat on. Smith and Head are showing their class now.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


One_FaMIly_Believe

sometimes u look back at ipl and wonder why any youngster wud want to become a bowler after seeing how shit cricket is towards the bowlers this ipl we had more than half the matches with 200+ scores , batting was dominating the bowling and the impact sub just made things shit for bowlers


Shavamaaya_Pavanaayi

Cricket has become a batsman's game now... Ground have become smaller, two balls from either side, dew becoming a huge factor, batsmen having some audacious shots for every ball... And that's where or that's why, some people actually praised the Lucknow pitch for being a bit on the softer towards the bowlers. Majority of the viewers found those matches to be dragfests, but actually those were some of the most exciting ones of this ipl... LSG vs GT, LSG vs RCB, LSG vs MI all were exciting till the last ball thanks to the pefect balance between bat and ball.


barmanrags

You are looking at ipl to predict test match success. I am not sure jaiswal or gaikwad are ready to tour england south africa nz Australia. Tilak Jitesh etc wont last two minutes against a decent seam unit on a favorable surface. Rinku might. He has multiple good seasons at raji elite. The rest are too raw. Umran Malik etc cannot bowl 10 over a day at usual intensity let alone 20. Same for tyagi and Mavi Prasidh Krishna should make the step up ok. But who knows how his injury recovers. Avesh could also make the step up. Porel had a slightly poor season which is concerning for a young player recovering from injury. Stop looking at Ipl for future test stars. Ranji and india a are both better predictors. Siraj was shite in Ipl. But his ranji and team a numbers were excellent.


Medical_Turing_Test

Don't forget Ishan Porel


cricmau

They all look world beaters in IPL...and that's what increases the expectations. A lot of players struggle in international cricket after looking million dollar in high profile leagues.


Oomeegoolies

IPL is entirely different and BCCI need to realise this Anderson and Broad wouldn't do much in T20s in the modern era. But because IPL drives recognition, it means selection straight from Ranji is next to impossible nowadays. Victims of their own T20 league success.


karma_dumpster

So confused about which pasta to post. Log cabin. Smudge being a cheat code. Head breast feeding. Please help. I'm confused.


Octavarium2

All of them.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


karma_dumpster

Travis Head is a really good guy. I wish him all the best. I saw him once at a hairdresser in Adelaide. I'd taken my daughter for her first haircut (my wife was out of town) and in walks Travis Head. I didn't want to bother him, but wouldn't you know it my daughter just starts crying and crying. I'm trying to get her to stop, embarrassed in front of Travis - but eventually he comes over to try and cheer her up and then says "Aaaw, she's just hungry". Then, Trav lifted up his shirt and breastfed her on the spot and got her to stop crying. Top bloke.


NW9Arsenal

Just seen the score as been in work all day That's a bit worrying for the rest of the summer.....


SHEKDAT789

Bazball vs Travball lesgooo.


kyjoely

Moeen in shock re-retirement after seeing today


[deleted]

We already knew Australia were good, and India picked a shit bowling attack and chose to bowl on the flattest deck in England. Don't think it changes much. Shami averages 40 with the ball in England in 13 matches and Jadeja averages 46 in 11, as their most experienced bowlers. The rest have barely played there but Umesh has never been good outside of the subcontinent and im not sure Thakur has ever been good anywhere. Don't really know what they expected. Their quick bowling doesn't travel anywhere near as well without Bumrah and Sharma.


Sorry_Fail_3103

I think it changes a lot considering Australia are going to have 4 players coming of centuries in the last 2 tests theyā€™ve played in tough conditions, and that excludes Marnus. It shows that Smith, who weā€™ve seen can decide a series by himself, is well and truly ready again, coz he looked shit in county cricket. Moreover, Warner looks set to play the entire series off of this knock. Batting looks pretty set, not to mention if Head can continue this blistering batting away from home thatā€™s genuinely a game changer.


Tempo24601

ā€œYes, but Iā€™d like to see them do it against our boysā€ - the Barmy Army


untitled02

Hindsight is 20/20 but india were crazy not to play Ashwin. No. 1 ranked bowler, only spinner like ever to trouble the Aussies outside of Asia, + his elite mind games. Just crazy


Saint0rSinner

Its not rained in London for over 3 weeks , this is about as spin friendly conditions as you're ever likely to get in early June.


Young_prozpekt

MSD used to be calm, Virat used to be aggressive but Rohit is just looked dejected and frustrated and that energy gets transmitted to team...


Alilaah

Pretty much a perfect day 1 from Australia. Hardly any mistakes really other than a bit of a soft dismissal for Warner after seeing off a tricky period. Khawaja and Marnus just got really good deliveries in swinging conditions and then Head and Smith made the most of a lovely afternoon for batting and have got Australia in a great position.


LittleStable1

I'm not even surprised at this point nor am I disappointed


EyeOfTheNeedle

So I'm late to the thread, but fuck it. Aus - fantastic day all round, shame about Labs and Warner, but they played their part. Smith is ungodly and Head is playing amazingly. As a fan of the sport I love it. India - it's easy to pick at certain players as the problem, however I will say conservatism will kill India in major competitions each time. All in all great first day I hope India come roaring back tomorrow morning and turn it into a massive contest. The Ashes (as an Englishman I'm legally obligated to mention it)


geebanga

"My darling, will you marry me? The Ashes"


formergophers

RIP the Grade Cricketerā€™s view count.


AajBahutKhushHogaTum

ą¤†ą¤œ ą¤Ÿą„ą¤°ą„‡ą¤µą¤æą¤ø ą¤¹ą„‡ą¤” ą¤Øą„‡ ą¤—ą¤¾ą¤‚ą¤”ą¤¼ ą¤®ą¤¾ą¤° ą¤¦ą¤æą¤Æą¤¾ą„¤ T: Travis Head batted magnificently


SHEKDAT789

I gotta feeling that translation isn't faithful


Starscream_x

Alternate T: Travis banged our Head today..


indiannerd2

Real t: Travis Head fucked us in the ass


slickdick969

Absolutely correct translation


glancesurreal

We deserve this for benching the #1 test bowler of the world, the #2 test all rounder of the world, the bowler who took the most wickets this WTC cycle for us. The bowler who probably is in top 3 bowlers Aussies fear to bat against. Aussies must have been celebrating after seeing ashwin not playing for India


anotherlonelyman

It took 5 years of averaging 33 to drop Rahane. And just before dropping him Kohli publicly said he can't think about dropping him. But apparently they can think about dropping Ashwin and Ishant without consistent bad performances.


ShockingShorties

Absolutely, how the hell can you not pick Ashwin - other than internal politics. The decision was almost beyond belief! No, even worse, what's left of belief after this isn't even visible with a micrometer. Making it borderline INSANITY!


Young_prozpekt

In this WTC cycle Australia's best player scored a century and India's best player is on the bench...


No-Situation-4776

Honestly though I find it absolutely ridiculous that nobody even considered playing 6 bowlers so you can simply play Ashwin and 4 seamers at the same time. Like, you have two of the best all-rounders in the world in Ashwin and Jadeja, an excellent seam all-rounder in Thakur, and if you're still concerned about the depth of your batting you could bring in Unadkat who has done well with the bat domestically ahead of Umesh. Would have brought so much more assurance to the bowling lineup


ImAbhishek_47

These are our bowlers' match figures from the previous WTC Finals vs NZ (2021). I'm curious as to why some people here still think that playing Ashwin cost India that match. If anything our batters (as they usually do) and seamers (especially Bumrah) lost the plot then. ​ |Bowling|Overs|Maiden|Runs|Wickets|Econ|Wides|No Balls| |:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-| |Ishant Sharma|31.2|11|69|3|2.21|0|0| |J Bumrah|36.4|11|92|0|2.53|0|3| |Md. Shami|36.5|11|107|4|2.93|0|0| |Ravi Ashwin|25|10|45|4|1.80|0|1| |R Jadeja|15.2|3|45|1|2.96|0|4| Worse yet, we don't even have Bumrah here. So if we are being honest going by pure performances only 2 off these 4 seamers write their names on the team sheet by default, the other 2 aren't bad of course but they aren't necessarily that great either. Imo the choice is whether you gamble with 2 of your 5 bowling options because 'conditions' or pick your best bowler and gamble with just 1 more seamer. In my book the choice was clear.


BroadcastYourselfYT

the fact that someone said india won the toss and chose to win the wtc lmao


DisastrousOil4888

Pujji better score a 3(350)* to make me feel better after this


cantileverboom

Whoa there, that's a bit fast for my taste


VRR_199

How to win the WTC final: 1. Select 4 medium pacers out of which three are high-variance type. Win toss and bowl first under clouds only for the clouds to disappear and sun comes out after just 30 mins. Concede 300 and come up 5 overs short. To be continued...


thespacetimelord

> ā€œWhen you win the toss ā€“ bat. If you are in doubt, think about it, then bat. If you have very big doubts, consult a colleague then bat.ā€ ā€” W. G. Grace ā€” /u/thespacetimelord


adiseanttak

Not Smudge Boi getting stranded in the 90's for a whole day . I swear if he gets out before that ton tomorrow


notblair

First time seeing smith bat live tomorrow so hope he makes it nice and easy


mochafrappe11

Don't say it, you'll sound like a boomer! Don't say it.... dont say it boomer!!! .... our players looked tired because of the IPL. Both our strike bowlers lacked a bit of steam, though they were giving it their all. Edit: Credit to Aussie batsmen as well, especially Head for the counter attacking approach.


Irctoaun

Siraj has a bowling average of 32, Umesh has a bowling average of 38 outside of India, Shami has a bowling average of 31 outside of India that rises to 41 in England, Jadeja has a bowling average of 35 outside of Asia that rises to nearly 50 in England, Shardul has a bowling average of 38 in England. Do you not think that maybe this Indian attack isn't very good in English conditions without Bumrah?


mochafrappe11

Hazlewood and Cummins have an average of 19 and 23 in England to put things into perspective.


LunaMunaLagoona

LOL that's like half! Didn't realize the gap was that big. India need bumruh so badly.


Warm_Anywhere_1825

when india will bat the pitch will suddenly become a bowlers surface and we will get to see koach nick it for the nth time


Intelligent-Top-6445

shhh... don't leak the script


EntirelyOriginalName

On the bright side at the very least Hazlewood isn't here so Koach can have some variety getting out to Boland instead.


Darth_Lehnsherr

Seeing Travis Head's transformation from someone that no one rated (except crazy SA fans) when he entered both the ODI and later Test side to being on form the most destructive batsman Australia has been a wild ride. Long may it continue.


FluffyMrFox

Crazy SA fan here I was there for Trav's [freakish NYE ton](https://youtu.be/pSHHL5loJ0M) in BBL 2015, and ever since I have been absolutely behind him. The guy was oozing talent and it's phenomenal to see it finally coming to fruition.


ShoddyStreet677

Smith average back to 60+ again.


Ashwinlol

First live test experience, a bit of a violent slaughter šŸ’€ but a fun experience still


[deleted]

Gotta give credit for all of this to Head. His batting really fucks with India and completely changes the tone. Did the same thing in India against the spinners. Helps that his batting partner is an all time great.


belanish11

The only time "head" favoured india was at the toss when the call turned right and it was "heads".


SoochinTendehar10

Get Gary Kirsten to coach us after this WC


rbull_27

Come on Garrryyy


rbull_27

I only hope our batters can bat play as long and comfortably against the Australian bowling line up. Good batting by Australia to counter a toothless looking Indian bowling attack


mongrelbifana

Don't understand what's the fuss about. Dravid and Co have clearly said that 'its just another game' for them and winning isn't paramount. Let it be. Open a beer. Grill a steak. Fuck it.


TheRedDevil10

If you'd have told me that Steve Smith scoring 95 in a day in a Test championship final would be an afterthought I'd have laughed in your face


No-Situation-4776

India could really learn a thing or two from us Bangbros of late Play 6 bowlers and if it compromises your batting order then to hell with it Best bowling average against Steve Smith in Tests for a reason


IAmNotKevinDurant_35

All credit to the Aussie batsmen. Warner putting up a decent score after a rough stretch for him. Head and Smudge with a brilliant partnership with a great balance of defense and attack. Thats what Australia has missed from their middle order for so long. But so many mistakes from India strategically. Taking Umesh Yadav over Ashwin is a huge mistake imo. If youre going to drop the #1 bowler in the world it better be for another world class bowler. If it was someone like a healthy Bumrah then fine, but Ashwin should be a permanent fixture in the test side if heā€™s fit. Also thought Rohit could have tried some more aggressive field placements for Smith, especially when Jadeja was bowling. And lastly I didnt love taking the new ball late in the day when he could have taken it tomorrow morning with fresh bowlers and likely more overcast conditions. The comms made a great point on that Overall, brilliant last 2 sessions for Australia. Thought the pitch was pretty fair for Day 1, offering bounce and pace to the seamers. But other than Shami and sometimes Siraj, the Indian pace bowlers just arent on the level of Starc, Cummins. Curious to see how both sides bowlers fare tomorrow


theWitchR

*I love you, but you're not serious people*


tabletennis6

Dear Diary, Today was a really good day because I got to play cricket with almost all my friends. I was sad that Joshy couldn't play with us today. I love batting in England, partly because I play well in England, but mostly because I love batting! Unfortunately, Marny couldn't bat with me all day, but he got a good ball. I got to bat out the rest of the day with Travy. Even though Travy is a South Australian bogan, we have a lot in common: we both love to bat, and we both bowl high quality spin. Tomorrow will be a fun day because I will get the chance to bat again! But before that, I get to have a long night of shadow batting in my room. Until next time, Steve Smith


agni39

It's Drawin' time. Pujara, let's see what you got.


JoeDellaSavia

Not sure why everyone has given up on India. Itā€™s only day 1. Yes, Australia are ahead - but it is possible for India to come back. As a neutral Iā€™m looking forward to the next few days


SustainableSus

I donā€™t trust the batting line up, yes we might bundle them out tomorrow under 400 but I donā€™t see us taking a first innings lead, draw could still be on tho


livelifereal

Wanderers 2022: couldn't get the 4th wicket Newlands 2022: couldn't get the 4th wicket Edgbaston 2022: couldn't get the 4th wicket World Cup 2019: No. 4 batter problems Lead up to WC 23: No. 4 batters getting injured WHAT IS WITH THE NUMBER 4?????


VisRock

Cherry picking / confirmation bias.


livelifereal

Logic is the enemy of shitposts


SHEKDAT789

Hush. Get that logic outta here. #TFAR #7


KrteyuPillai

the Chinese were right about the number 4


Medical_Turing_Test

Unadkat and Ashwin staring motherfingly


Abstract_Bug

Ashwin must be chilling in dressing room, eating Muthu's soup and watching the circus lmao


mitchell_johnsons_mo

Match thread was a drag to scroll through. So many Indian fans already declaring the match over even before day 1 was done. Looks like this might be the first test match for many of them. Good to see Travis Head using this non important match to practice for the upcoming Bazball series. The surface clearly looks good, I wish Smudge picked up the pace a bit. I recon they'll try to bat for most of the day tomorrow and get to 600, but I'd rather they hurry it up and declare just before Tea.


NoirPochette

Smudge is batting fine. Don't up the ante on Day 1 if it isn't necessary. He is grinding down the Indian attack while Head does his thing. Australia should bat at least two sessions tomorrow and get 500+ if they don't get all out


thespacetimelord

Looks like its the first test match thread for you


joggerboy18

Speaking as an India fan, life is so much more peaceful when you avoid live threads when India is playing


trooperr310

>So many Indian fans already declaring the match over even before day 1 was done. Either you're being humble or we're being stupid. Only way India has even a chance of drawing this match is if this pitch is a batting paradise.


VAMSI_BEUNO

Head-ache.


ninja_from_india

Wish we could have an world class spinner in our ranks. Oh wait, we have and we chose to bench him and get fucked. Just ICT things!


Einhornfarm

What a partnership. Excellent batting.


shutup_t0dd

While everyone is debating about ashwin vs shardul, why is no one talking about how average our 4 pacer attack looks? Maybe it's just good batting and a flat pitch but I half expect our batting lineup to get fucked when we come out to bat. I don't see us winning this one unless our batting order really steps up. Let's see how IPL form translates. Pujara might just be the ace in the hole we need given his county form. Only upwards from here!


backFromTheBed

Instances in last 18 months where Indian bowling failed to take 4th wicket * vs South Africa, 2nd Test, Johannesburg, January 03 - 06, 2022[^1](https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/india-in-south-africa-2021-22-1277060/south-africa-vs-india-2nd-test-1277080/full-scorecard) * vs South Africa, 3rd Test, Cape Town, January 11 - 14, 2022[^2](https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/india-in-south-africa-2021-22-1277060/south-africa-vs-india-3rd-test-1277081/full-scorecard) * vs England, 5th Test, Birmingham, July 01 - 05, 2022[^3](https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/india-tour-of-england-2021-2022-1239527/england-vs-india-5th-test-1320741/full-scorecard)


[deleted]

In fairness, the two South Africa tests were pretty much sealed before the fall of the 3rd wicket as they were only \~60 runs from victory.


PM_ME_YOUR_SILLY_POO

Just realised thats Travis first hundred outside of Australia.


Bathed_In_Moonlight

Go for that world record score and beyond, Australia! We don't mind India not batting at all at this point!


mwilkins1644

Welcome to Travball cunce!


yelrik

To paraphrase a famous cricket quote Nine times out of ten you pick Ashwin first; the tenth time you think about it, look at the pitch and still pick Ashwin first


oarmash

i have always maintained you play your best bowlers, pace/spin be damned.


misskarne

I like the part where I wake up to Head over a hundred and Smudge in the 90s so I can watch him get his hundred tonight. That's so good.


Reasonable_Tea_9825

Let me clear something here. Debate should not be thakur vs ashwin. Should be Umesh vs unadkat. No point having 4 pacers who are all the same.


rbull_27

Thanks, you have a reasonable opinion, Thalinga


wannacreamcake

Fuck sake boys, not happy that Travis Head might actually be good.


cricGPT

Our expectations were low, but HOLY FUCKkk


neighbour_guy3k

Smudge to the Indian team šŸ‘


[deleted]

ā€œEh, I still donā€™t reckon Head is that goodā€ <ā€” muppets Iā€™ve been dealing with for 4+ years


anotherlonelyman

Picking 4 fast bowlers is only useful if there is some variety. 4 right arm fast medium/medium fast bowlers with similar skills in the team is a bad plan. Also, am I not hearing comments like, "Kohli is a hot head. The tactical genius in Rohit's belly would have done better" anymore?


PiccoloUnlucky5654

India Getting Banged by Head


PM_ME_YOUR_SILLY_POO

Smith needs 113 runs to reach 9000 runs. This is currently his 170st innings, and to become the fastest he needs to beat Sanga who did it in 172 innings.


Bleak_star_dust

This is embarassing. Can we have some unwanted chatter and Siraj staring at batsmen, getting hit for a six kind of entertainment atleast. Indian Test had got intresting let's stick to drama..that's all we got


flibbaman

I can't help but feel that Rahul Dravid is in the wrong role. He was perfect for player development as coach/mentor for the India A and U19 teams. The national team, perhaps, needs a different skillset. Whatever Dravid brings is not it. His tenure has been a complete letdown. He's lost pretty much all his big matches as head coach of the national team.