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What a talent Aamer is at such a young age...
Question is, will pakistan utilize him properly? Give him the proper mentors, proper support system, and yes when needed the REST.

They were saying Pakistan were to play 6 tests in 49 days, so in theory, 30 days of cricket out of 49, that is pretty intense. He has also as a fast bowler already played a lot of cricket for someone his age(which we can safely bump up a couple of years).

For their sake, let's hope they keep him away from Akhtar and Asif.
 

zing

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Still 1-0 down in the series...SL took 9 wickets, and lost only 4 having declared. The laughter was and is justified, especially when the rankings are taken into consideration.

:smirk:
We are half the side we are if you take out 2 of our main bowlers. Even with all of them fit, we are a terrible bowling unit.. but the replacements are so dire that any team can score 400 against us easily.

If all our bowlers are fit and do a reasonably decent job, our batting can carry us through to a win in a lot of games.

As far this Englad series, I think England will win the tests 3-0 or so.. England's worst batsman(Prior) is at least as good as Pakistan's best. Maybe Umar Akmal stands out, but everyone else is terrible.
 
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As far this Englad series, I think England will win the tests 3-0 or so.. England's worst batsman(Prior) is at least as good as Pakistan's best. Maybe Umar Akmal stands out, but everyone else is terrible.
I'm fairly sure we'll win as well, as although the bowling conditions are helpful, our batsmen are used to the ball moving around, so can handle it a bit better. Pakistan's batsmen will probably find the going difficult

Think it's going to be a tough series for Cook, think he'll really struggle against this attack with the ball swinging around, and Pietersen is out of touch at the moment
 

ha_rooney

Correctly predicted France to win World Cup 2018
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fecking bastard Akmal missing the easiest of stumpings. He's gone back to his usual school-boy wicket-keeping today, dreadful performace. Plus, I wish they'd turn stump-mic down when he's standing up to the wickets, his fecking voice gives me a headache.

Morgan's been really impressive so far. Quality player.
 

Ole's_toe_poke

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I love Collingwood. This is someone who has made the best from what he has been given. Limited talent but effective player. Averages 45 in tests. Stunning.
 

ha_rooney

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Morgan survives on the review with the umps decision overturned. So close to the breakthrough Pakistan needed.
 

Sultan

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There's really no middle ground with Pakistan cricket.

Either bordering on the amazing or the rediculous.

Really love Morgans attitude.
 

Allforone

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Dominant from England, to be fair i expected the English batting to be the difference in this series, Pakistans bowling attack especially with Amir is high quality but Englands batting is experianced and very deep, Englands top 7 batsmen all averageing well over 40, on a swinging day and uneven bouncing pitch to make over 330 runs for just 4 wickets down is a dominant display of batting.

England really only need to get around the 300 mark and be in control of these tests as Pakistans batting is really weak especially in bowling friendly conditions, this pitch is already keeping ridiculously low and turning miles on day 1, not to mention the dramatic new ball swing.

Can see England winning this by an innings if things go well tomorrow morning, Anderson and Swann being major players with the ball.
 

Allforone

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We are half the side we are if you take out 2 of our main bowlers. Even with all of them fit, we are a terrible bowling unit.. but the replacements are so dire that any team can score 400 against us easily.

If all our bowlers are fit and do a reasonably decent job, our batting can carry us through to a win in a lot of games.

As far this Englad series, I think England will win the tests 3-0 or so.. England's worst batsman(Prior) is at least as good as Pakistan's best. Maybe Umar Akmal stands out, but everyone else is terrible.
Better in truth, Englands lowest averaging batsman Matt Prior Averages a tick below 41 in test cricket, Pakistans best batsman Umar Akmal averages 39, i said it yesterday, not 1 Pakistani batsman would get close to this England team and thats where this series will be won and lost.
 

Rams

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Morgan looks very very special I have to say. I also like the look of the bowling attack; Anderson, Broad, Finn and Swann. These are good times for English cricket.
 

Allforone

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Morgan looks very very special I have to say. I also like the look of the bowling attack; Anderson, Broad, Finn and Swann. These are good times for English cricket.
Yup but there’s still serious question marks over the potency of the bowling attack in non favourable conditions, away from home England have struggled to take 20 wickets on a consistent basis and that needs to be improved if were to become the No.1 side in the world.

On flat tracks in Aus or the subcontinent you often either need a real raw pace speedster to take the pitch out of the equation as it were or a mystery spinner, Englands attack is a good one but lacks either of those and is rather orthodox in its approach, which is why its still a tad blunt on flat tracks away from home, hopefully that’ll change in the upcoming tours though, i really fancy this England side to atleast draw the upcoming ashes series downunder.
 

KM

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Pakistan's Backup Wicketkeepers must be really shit if Kamran Akmal keeps on getting the opportunities. Morgan is a star really, excellent player.

It looks like I have over-rated the Pakistani team :nervous:
 

VP

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We are half the side we are if you take out 2 of our main bowlers. Even with all of them fit, we are a terrible bowling unit.. but the replacements are so dire that any team can score 400 against us easily.

If all our bowlers are fit and do a reasonably decent job, our batting can carry us through to a win in a lot of games.

.
It's pathetic how it has reached this stage. For a country obsessed with cricket and with so much money in the game in India, it's embarrassing.
 

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^Because everyone wants to be a batsmen..what kid seriously dreams of pounding in over and over for no reward?

Get some genuine pitches going, it will result in bowlers doing better, and little vinod and rakesh dreaming of being the new Ishant bowling India to victory, and not Sehwag batting India to victory.
 

KM

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^Because everyone wants to be a batsmen..what kid seriously dreams of pounding in over and over for no reward?

Get some genuine pitches going, it will result in bowlers doing better, and little vinod and rakesh dreaming of being the new Ishant bowling India to victory, and not Sehwag batting India to victory.
Bingo.

India's pace bowling has traditionally been weaker as compared to the rest but the decline of spin bowling has also been quite alarming. The Likes of Ojha and Mishra have struggled to impress in International Events while Bhajji has been crap for the last year or so. It doesn't also help when our Selectors are idiots picking Ojha over Murali Karthik(who has consistently been bowling well in tough English conditions). On a side note, Raina looked very impressive in Test Matches, very calm and composed innings by someone whose natural instinct is to attack.
 

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Raina has the same flaw as Yuvraj in his game, BOUNCE. I know the cliche is to say, ALL players from the subcontinent have issues with it, the really good ones have it in their game to adapt.

Yuvraj unfortunately does not, or has let the commercial side of his fame get to this head, thus not spending enough time working to supplement his natural talent. Raina will need to fix this issue, if he wants to be a truly successful batsmen for India in the test arena.

The signs for Suresh Raina so far are good though, the selectors have not rushed him, and with every new challenge he has been given, he has risen to the task so far.
 

KM

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Raina has the same flaw as Yuvraj in his game, BOUNCE. I know the cliche is to say, ALL players from the subcontinent have issues with it, the really good ones have it in their game to adapt.

Yuvraj unfortunately does not, or has let the commercial side of his fame get to this head, thus not spending enough time working to supplement his natural talent. Raina will need to fix this issue, if he wants to be a truly successful batsmen for India in the test arena.

The signs for Suresh Raina so far are good though, the selectors have not rushed him, and with every new challenge he has been given, he has risen to the task so far.
The thing I liked about him was his temperament, Lankans tried hard to tempt him with Bouncers and bowls outside the off stump but rarely did he get tempted by it and thus played a good innings when we really really needed a partnership.
 

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So India finally all out for 707

some stats

- batted for 225.2 overs
- 4 SL bowlers gave up 100+ runs, with Randiv giving up 222 runs(73 overs!!!)
- despite the massive score, there were two batsmen who scored less than 4 runs(Rahul Dravid and Harbhajan Singh)
- overall run rate :3.13, SL was 4.02

SL now 50/1

Day 5 session 2. Safe to say this is going to be a draw.
 

KM

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I always found him more like Dravid :confused:

He seems to be such a steady player, a rock really. Always thought of him like Dravid for some reason
Dravid is technically miles ahead of Collingwood. Collingwood like Dhoni despite not being naturally talented have had very good career mainly due to their application. Both are solid and consistent performers who have unorthodox batting styles.
 

wr8_utd

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Dravid is technically miles ahead of Collingwood. Collingwood like Dhoni despite not being naturally talented have had very good career mainly due to their application. Both are solid and consistent performers who have unorthodox batting styles.
Yeah true Technically dravid's far superior to almost anyone.

Dhoni used to be so explosive some years back. Yet remember that innings versus Sri Lanka in an ODI where he made around 183* :drool:
 
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So India finally all out for 707

some stats

- batted for 225.2 overs
- 4 SL bowlers gave up 100+ runs, with Randiv giving up 222 runs(73 overs!!!)
- despite the massive score, there were two batsmen who scored less than 4 runs(Rahul Dravid and Harbhajan Singh)
- overall run rate :3.13, SL was 4.02

SL now 50/1

Day 5 session 2. Safe to say this is going to be a draw.
It's games and pitches like this that are terrible for cricket
 
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45/5, Anderson 11-5-19-3 and Finn 3-1-4-2

Will Pakistan even reach 100, not looking likely at this stage
 

ha_rooney

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Brilliant batting by Pakistan so far. We have England right where we want them... :cool:
 
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The thing is, if Akmal had had a better day, they would be right in this match as they'd have got England in trouble, that's probably one of the main reasons they are going to get destroyed here
 

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8 runs to avoid the follow on, with 1 wicket in hand.

Bad light stopped play.

Either way, Pakistan will lose this test within 4 days, not even rain can save them, the match has progressed much too quickly.
 

Rams

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Yup but there’s still serious question marks over the potency of the bowling attack in non favourable conditions, away from home England have struggled to take 20 wickets on a consistent basis and that needs to be improved if were to become the No.1 side in the world.

On flat tracks in Aus or the subcontinent you often either need a real raw pace speedster to take the pitch out of the equation as it were or a mystery spinner, Englands attack is a good one but lacks either of those and is rather orthodox in its approach, which is why its still a tad blunt on flat tracks away from home, hopefully that’ll change in the upcoming tours though, i really fancy this England side to atleast draw the upcoming ashes series downunder.
I think Finn and that lad of Pakistani origin (name?) will provide that. Swann is also a very good spinner. I think the Ozzies are shitting themselves.
 

ha_rooney

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I think Finn and that lad of Pakistani origin (name?) will provide that. Swann is also a very good spinner. I think the Ozzies are shitting themselves.
Ajmal Shahzad is the guy I think you're referring to. He and Finn (especially) will be useful on the Aussie pitches. Anderson is a quality bowler when it swings, but when there is no swing he if very average. I'm no expert on Aussie pitches but I don't think it swings for a very long time, in which case I think he will struggle. Finn's bowling will be suited to the Australia pitches, and Botham reckons Shahzad will be very useful with reverse swing.

If both of them play, then one of Broad and Anderson will have to drop out, something I can't see happening. The attack that started this test is probably the one they go with in the ashes.