Root is on another level this year it’s mad
England v India 2021 Cricket Test Series
- Thread starter TheGame
- Start date
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
Root 100 again
The lad is untouchable at the moment. Amazing effortless knock today.
Root operating on a completely different level to everyone else in this series. Absolute class.
It’s so much harder to get batsmen out when they’re like that too. You saw it coming with Hameed earlier when during a really good innings the runs dried up and he got stuck. You felt there a wicket was coming albeit from a good ball
Root has now scored 500 in 5 innings. He's incredible to watch in this form.
This has been such a masterclass by Root
The middle order is made of glass again. I know they should be in a winning position but this is poor from the likes of Butler and Ali.
Feels wrong to complain, but it’s pretty frustrating not to be looking at a lead over 400.
Hoped Bairstow, Buttler, Ali might do better in this position with the pressure off and some licence to play. None of them really able to do anything different to normal though, still a big worry.
Really pleased for Hameed after his disaster at Lords.
Really pleased for Hameed after his disaster at Lords.
Yes, the Stokes and Pope get back in the better.
Very. It was good to see the opening pair making 100+
Yeah
Yep. I was lucky enough to be there yesterday and basically couldn’t have scripted a better day. He’s so much more exciting to watch than Sibley as well.
Why is Curran chasing balls that are going over his head at this point in the day.
It's beyond me. I know we are 340 up but if the middle order hadn't thrown their wickets away we could have been beyond a India win by the end of tomorrow.
The match was beyond an India win 200 runs ago.
Get 450 and we collapse the way we did in the 4th innings of the last test.
Kohli finds a performance befitting of his reputation? It’s obviously very unlikely, but not out of the realms of possibility that a decent test team can find a big score on this pitch.
Bloody hell lads, i thought i was pessimistic sometimes.
Typical India (especially under Kohli) to drop so low after a high. As his batting gets worse, we really need to find another test captain.
I don't think anybody believes we will lose but we have left runs in this wicket that we could have had on the board. It's more that the middle order needs to find form. Going to the crease 200 up on a pitch that India couldn't get to seam should have been the perfect time to find that form. Chasing bouncers above your head is not the way to find that form.
Huh? I literally said it’s very unlikely. Unless you think it’s impossible India can score 400 plus on a flat pitch against England’s, what, third bowling unit + Anderson.
English fans doing their best impression of Indian fans in this thread
We haven’t won in 7 test matches and did you see our batting in the last game. Nothing is beyond the realms of possibility where England are involved.
Half way thorough India's second innings in the last game it looked like England's game to lose. Then on the last day with about 2 hours to go it looked like it was a stick on draw and somehow we managed to lose it. I'm never certain with the English test team.
The ODI and 20/20 teams are competitive but when it comes to tests....
Come on guys, this game is done. Will take a monumental effort to draw here.
Just for clarity, it is possible to be disappointed that some of the out of form batsmen chucked their wickets away, but still be happy about the match situation.
It is possible to think the game is almost done, but be wary that India have one of the best batters in history, plus England have a big history of collapses.
Although you can’t blame us, after all we were told last week that England can’t compete against the best right?
It is possible to think the game is almost done, but be wary that India have one of the best batters in history, plus England have a big history of collapses.
Although you can’t blame us, after all we were told last week that England can’t compete against the best right?
For me it's the fact that the whole middle order gave their wickets up cheaply. Yes I still believe we will win the game but if in the next match we don't have such a good start can we rely on the middle order to dig us out?
India could put on 600 in two days, and then bowl out England on the final day.
Yeh and Mila Kunis might pop up on my WhatsApp tomorrow night for a pint
Agreed. It is that ability to effortlessly tick along at a 50+ strike rate that sets Root apart. Most batsmen have to take more risks and be aggressive to do that but Root is just coasting along while pocketing runs. It is so special.
If India win this then there’s nothing more to see in test cricket.
Overton for Curran in the next test could be a good option. Gives a chance for Wood or Mahmood to play.
Would be (pleasantly) surprising to see this match go into day 4.
Poor finish by England tbh,from 298/2 should have made at least 500
Shami has bowled well, some wanted him dropped.