India v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Ahmedabad, Nov 16-20

And people wonder why test cricket is dying.

One got to see the 'quality' of bowling India displayed during SL innings. It was awful to say the least.

20+ no-balls, plenty of long hops and freebies to Lankan batsmen. Not even a single ball was delivered at 140 kmph.

I'm surprised SL only scored at 3.75.

Now this no-ball problem seems to be plaguing SL.

Sidhu wrote:And people wonder why test cricket is dying.

Hey, Mocca, how you doing?

Harper continues to flounder, Dravid wrongly given out.

Harper's 4th mistake in this game.

SG wrote:Harper continues to flounder, Dravid wrongly given out.

Harper's 4th mistake in this game.

Let the sooking begin

Final over of the day coming up.

At stumps day 4, Ind: 2/190, 144 runs still behind.

I expect last rites to be done anytime during post lunch session tomorrow.

It'll fizzle to a draw, and you know it.

SG wrote:At stumps day 4, Ind: 2/190, 144 runs still behind.

I expect last rites to be done anytime during post lunch session tomorrow.

The Indian team has turned Catholic?

SG wrote:SL have now WRs for best partnership for 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th wicket, most for any nation.

Jayawardene also involved in 3 of them - 3rd, 4th & 6th. I haven't consulted Skully or Wide Wally on this point but must be the first time that any batsman has been involved in at least 3 separate TWR partnerships since The Don.

Losing Dravid before stumps is obviously the important nail in the probable coffin that may well be awaiting us. Sachin & laxman can bat out a couple of sessions. But I hope the pressure won't get to them. The strip is still good to bat on and they shouldn't ideally be thinking of the Lankan lead as much as on getting past there session by session. TBH, we do have better chances of drawing. Lankans should have declared early with 250 lead and given us a look in to create more chances and time to get us. If they get a draw here, the timing of declaration will come back to haunt them big time.

If ever people wonder why Test cricket is in trouble, this Test is a good example.

So it turned out to be a road then...

It's not test cricket that's farked - it's the surfaces its played on!

Jesus, what a f**king bore-fest!

One of my solid reasons for the devaluation of "stats" when used in debate ...

JKLever wrote:So it turned out to be a road then...

It's not test cricket that's farked - it's the surfaces its played on!

Which is why Test cricket is in trouble. If they prepare pitches like this all the time, what's the point?

It's a clever plan to entice more Indians to attend and worship at T20 games , don'tcha know!

Gambhir, Jayawardene and Samaraweera - all averaging 50+. And it's exclusively because they're epic flat-track bullies. They play on roads like this piece of shit week-on-week and inflate their averages.

gambhir home avg= 50

away avg = 55

he's not a FTB.

even jayawardene isnt. he was at the start of his career but is now just a class player.

samaraweera, however, is the epitomy of a FTB

Away? AWAY? Playing all but 5 of your Tests on the sub-continent means you've scarcely played an away match. These sub-continental FTBs don't understand the meaning of 'away' - the only non-subcontinental pitches Gambhir has played on have been in NZ and Zimbabwe against two of the turd nations. He'd never average over 50 if he played all his Tests in England, he just isn't good enough.

Jayawardene's the ultimate though. Averages 38 (THIRTY EIGHT - 3 and outside of the sub-continent. He's probably not even a more talented batsman than Ian Bell.

If you took out his runs in Zimbabwe, you'd really strip away the veneer to reveal what an embarrassingly average batsman Mahela Jayawardene is. He's probably not even better than Paul Collingwood.

Allan D wrote:

SG wrote:SL have now WRs for best partnership for 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th wicket, most for any nation.

Jayawardene also involved in 3 of them - 3rd, 4th & 6th. I haven't consulted Skully or Wide Wally on this point but must be the first time that any batsman has been involved in at least 3 separate TWR partnerships since The Don.

I'd reckon you are right, AD.

Chivalry Augustus wrote:Away? AWAY? Playing all but 5 of your Tests on the sub-continent means you've scarcely played an away match. These sub-continental FTBs don't understand the meaning of 'away' - the only non-subcontinental pitches Gambhir has played on have been in NZ and Zimbabwe against two of the turd nations. He'd never average over 50 if he played all his Tests in England, he just isn't good enough.

Jayawardene's the ultimate though. Averages 38 (THIRTY EIGHT - 3 and outside of the sub-continent. He's probably not even a more talented batsman than Ian Bell.

If you took out his runs in Zimbabwe, you'd really strip away the veneer to reveal what an embarrassingly average batsman Mahela Jayawardene is. He's probably not even better than Paul Collingwood.

Sage as a very sage thing, Gussie!

He'd never average over 50 if he played all his Tests in England, he just isn't good enough.

Yep, since you said that it has to be true. You've some sort of crystal ball which tells you that he'll never succeed in Eng.

And as if Eng pitches (or for that matter Australian pitches which are one of the flattest going around) seam all day and night.

And scoring runs in Eng is the ultimate criteria of being the best in business. By that token, Yusuf should not be a FTB. But he is, one of the biggest ever.

Stat: This Test provided only the second instance of WKs from each team scoring a ton in the same game - Dhoni and Prasanna Jayawardene.

The previous instance also involved India, against WI in Antigua in '01 when Ajay Ratra and Ridley Jacobs scored tons.

India's bowling bar some time with Zaheer and then Ishant has always been crap. India is probably missing Kumble most at this point. Not that the pitch is any help.

But with 8 wickets needed, Murali might just spring a surprise or 2. We are really just 2 wickets away from absolute pandemonium.....