Pakistan v Australia, 1st Test, Rawalpindi, 4-8 March, 2022

450+ on the cards.

It's amazing what batsmen with simple orthodox techniques can achieve. Are you watching Rory?

Looks like I was right to include Pakistan in Test cricket’s big four… they could easily be rolled for 50 second time around, mind you!

skully wrote:A-jar might have been worth a thought.

Anywho, it looks to be an evening to Netflix a movie and flick over occasionally in the hope of a wicket.

Only hope of a flurry of wickets is if the Paksters declare

Test cricket in Pakistan was dire before their deserved break. Looks like it's similar with their underserved restart.

tricycle wrote:Test cricket in Pakistan was dire before their deserved break. Looks like it's similar with their underserved restart.

That's strong, care to clarify?

Basil wrote:

tricycle wrote:Test cricket in Pakistan was dire before their deserved break. Looks like it's similar with their underserved restart.

That's strong, care to clarify?

He’s Indian

horace wrote:450+ on the cards.

After two days

Ugh. But the awful TGM news trumps my sadness at our lack of wicket-taking.

I can see how this will pan out.
Pakistan declare at 600, around tea on day 3.
Australia get rolled for 200-250, then following on for under 200.

It’s going to be a very strange day’s cricket. Will the Aussies have any appetite for it?

Nope. Black armband shares are through the roof.

Everyone going through the motions I expect. Will they consider cancelling/postponing a day’s play?

My care factor for this match is pretty much zero now.

beamer wrote:

Basil wrote:

tricycle wrote:Test cricket in Pakistan was dire before their deserved break. Looks like it's similar with their underserved restart.

That's strong, care to clarify?

He’s Indian

Meh. I wasn't initially in the Pakistan out of hosting camp, which in hindsight was probably ludicrous. Things aren't really much better there. Just yesterday there was a blast in a Shia mosque in Peshawar that killed 50.

And politically... Islamabad cheered on as Kabul fell to the Taliban. Their suave Oxford educated prime minister called Osama bin Laden a martyr. One of their ministers called a terror attack on India soldiers in India an achievement for them. I'm not going into theit domestic politics and the rise of the tehreek e labbaik

From a cricketing standpoint- they held and got official sanction for a tournament called the Kashmir premier league with the tagline Khelo Azaadi se. That translates to - play with freedom (But the word for freedom is easily interchangeable with independence). At the very least it's a very very hot potato.

Azhar Ali getting some valuable crease time in ahead of his stint at New Road this season.

Basil wrote:Azhar Ali getting some valuable crease time in ahead of his stint at New Road this season.

Seems like he's playing on a New Road at the moment.

Azhar closing on a double, Australia using 8 bowlers including three part-time spinners. Seems like a typical England effort!

Root would probably have won the toss and put them in.

Basil wrote:Root would probably have won the toss and put them in.

And played no specialist spinner at all… (if Lyon was English would he have got 400 Test wickets? Or just been chopped and changed and dropped and rested until his confidence evaporated?)

And one of said part-timers does for him eventually. Bowling, (Labu)Shane…

And Pakistan only get one over at them before close of play.

beamer wrote:

Basil wrote:Root would probably have won the toss and put them in.

And played no specialist spinner at all… (if Lyon was English would he have got 400 Test wickets? Or just been chopped and changed and dropped and rested until his confidence evaporated?)

They would play Bess ahead of Lyon because they like his character and he also offers more with the bat, (ignoring the inconvenient truth that he's a shite offie).

Terrific knocks from all the Stanis.

Yes, Les Burdett could have curated the pitch but the locals still had to bat well. Few of our bats seem capable of sustained efforts but hope I am wrong.