The Winter Cricket Thread

[TheMajorSTFC]

Hopefully we can wrap this up pretty early, don't fancy another chase like in UAE around the 100 mark (or even 60 odd I think)! KP quality, Captain Cook rising to the challenge again and big up to Monty Panesar! Hopefully I will awake to some good news on a Monday

[jonny72]

In regards to KP, when he scores big runs, he gets them quickly. I remember he virtually won the test in Columbo because he scored a big ton at a run a ball, whilst everyone else, was struggling to score at 1 in 3, and we won with only an hour to spare. But he needs to be consistent.

As others have pointed out, the stats suggest KP is consistent with the best average of all the current England players.

Think the cause of the apparent inconsistency is the extremes you get with KP. He's just as likely to get out after a few balls as he is to make a double century, whereas most players don't hit as many lows or highs. Think you get the same extremes from all the top sportsmen, look at Cantona and Maradona - one moment they're the best in the world and the next they're cheating, stamping on someone, talking crap or doing drugs. If you take away the bad you'll lose the good.

Barring another meltdown, come his retirement KP will be the highest scoring English batsman and in the all time top 10 and will be go down in history as one of the all time greatest players. Though the chances are Cook will eclipse him by the time he retires.

[Nemo]

Job done, beautiful.

[STFC_Manc]

Well what a fantastic test match, enjoyed every over of it.  It just goes to show how well KP and Cook performed on day two. Monty also had a fantastic game, he doesn't get a look in at home but in Asia he just keeps taking wickets!

[TheMajorSTFC]

Brilliant news to wake up to! Hopefully we can carry on this momentum in the last 2 test matches!

[kerry red]

Makes you wonder if there is any room for more than 1 seamer in the side

[TheMajorSTFC]

Makes you wonder if there is any room for more than 1 seamer in the side

Apparently the pitch for the third test is slightly quicker, I'd still expect to see Panesar and Swann in the side though! Will Ian Bell come straight back in for Bairstow?

Also, a word on the Aus v SA test match...talking about grinding a draw! Du Plessis 110* off 360 odd balls...winner takes it all for their final test starting Friday also!

[Nomoreheroes]

Most of us agree KP is arrogant but the above response to KPs innings takes the biscuit.

Has KP only got his shit together because he played as NMH advocated?

You can have opinions about technique (and I believe his variations from conventional technique are what make him difficult to bowl to and I enjoyed the reverse sweep for the 100) but not about consistency of scoring about England's highest averaging current test batsman. 

An average is all about consistency unless you mean it would be more useful for KP to score 49 or 50 every innings (no more, no less) or that a top world test batsman should be dropped to no. 7 if he gets two low scores on the trot??

Read this and eat humble pie:

Kevin Pietersen's 186 is the third-highest score by an England batsman in India. It is also the highest score by an England batsman in Mumbai surpassing Graeme Hick's 178 in 1993.
Pietersen and Alastair Cook, who scored 122, now have 22 centuries each and are joint-highest on the list of England batsmen with the most centuries.
The 206-run stand between Pietersen and Cook is the third-highest third-wicket stand for England against India and and the highest such stand in Tests in India.
Pietersen's strike rate of 79.82 is the sixth-highest for a 100-plus score by an England batsman against India. It is also the third-highest strike rate for Pietersen in away Tests (100-plus knocks only).
The century is Pietersen's tenth score of 150 or more in Tests. He is now joint-highest with Wally Hammond and Len Hutton on the list of England batsmen with the most 150-plus scores

Bit unfair that one. I was giving my opinion on Pietersen. I'm pleased that he came out and proved me wrong by batting incredibly well. But, I honestly do think that the foundation for that innings was build upon a solid defence. He didn't give his wicket away by playing an outrageous shot. He wasn't hoping around like a cat on a hot tin roof. He applied himself, got a start and then punished anything wayward. There was the odd audacious shot, but that didnt come until he was seeing the ball like a football.

I didn't think that Pietersen had that in him at this stage of his career. As you get older your poweres decline. You don't see the ball as well and you can't move as quickly. Some of the most successful players with long careers have adapted their game to cope with this. I could be wrong, but I believe that Pietersen could probably have biffed the Indians around a while ago without concentrating on defence because of pure talent. Now though, its a different stage of his career. I don't think he can just walk out there and consistently biff it. If he becomes a little more orthodox (as he was in this innings) I think he will score a lot more runs for England. If he returns to the way he approached the first test, then I believe he will fail more often than not - As he will be batting with the same mentality as a number 7. 

[DMR]

I feel sorry for the kids you coach

[dphunt88]

Looking towards the 3rd Test, Steven Finn got through 16 overs for the England Performance Programme side today. Returned figures of 4-50. Simon Kerrigan, promising left arm spinner from Lancashire, also took 4 for. I just wonder if England could be tempted to go with three spinners in Kolkata? Especially as India's 9 right handers struggled against Montys left arm spin so much.

[Nemo]

Four man attack of Finn, Anderson, Panesar and Swann for me, with Patel to provide a bit of relief every now and again.

Kerrigan is promising but wouldn't be my third choice spinner yet, and nor would I consider playing three spinners- our quicks are too good to only play one.

[fittons_coaching_badge]

Four man attack of Finn, Anderson, Panesar and Swann for me, with Patel to provide a bit of relief every now and again.

Kerrigan is promising but wouldn't be my third choice spinner yet, and nor would I consider playing three spinners- our quicks are too good to only play one.

Finn, Anderson, Panesar and Swann sounds about right with Bell back in for Bairstow.

I would put emphasis on the members of the top 6 other than Cook and KP.  Of Englands 420 odd I think the other 9 barely made 100 between them?  When Cook and KP fail it will need the others to come to the party and that would become really important with the extended tail.

[dphunt88]

Four man attack of Finn, Anderson, Panesar and Swann for me, with Patel to provide a bit of relief every now and again.

Kerrigan is promising but wouldn't be my third choice spinner yet, and nor would I consider playing three spinners- our quicks are too good to only play one.

I was playing Devils advocate really. Finn, Anderson, Swann and Panesar is the way I'd go as well. The other thing I'd consider is dropping Patel to get Ian Bell back in the side and sticking with Johnny Bairstow at 6. With Swann and Panesar playing, it negates the need to play Samit, especially as KP can give you 4-5 overs a day as an old school partnership breaker.

[Reg Smeeton]

Four man attack of Finn, Anderson, Panesar and Swann for me, with Patel to provide a bit of relief every now and again.

Kerrigan is promising but wouldn't be my third choice spinner yet, and nor would I consider playing three spinners- our quicks are too good to only play one.

Think England may be hoping that Azeem Rafiq, can be the next young spinner to make it as Swann replacement.  Stilla lot to do, but spinners don't really come through until they're a bit older than 21.

[leefer]

Looking towards the 3rd Test, Steven Finn got through 16 overs for the England Performance Programme side today. Returned figures of 4-50. Simon Kerrigan, promising left arm spinner from Lancashire, also took 4 for. I just wonder if England could be tempted to go with three spinners in Kolkata? Especially as India's 9 right handers struggled against Montys left arm spin so much.

Doubt it...the pitch will be flatter i reckon.
I cannot understand why KP isn't used more when the pitches turn like the last one...he turns it miles though he does throw up some rubbish also.
I am hoping it is an unchanged side.......when does the third test start.