India v England 3rd test Ahmedabad

[ClaretMat]

At least they took the time to look at it properly.
From the front on view it looked to be a clear edge, side on view was a little more inconclusive. They were only using one angle for decisions yesterday.

[matttheclaret]

Root gone this time. That's probably the game

[Vino blanco]

If Bairstow is a test batsman, then I'm a Yorkshireman.

[SalisburyClaret]

The rabbits are out the hutch now

[Vintage Claret]

68-7!

[matttheclaret]

Archer should be batting at 11

[Vintage Claret]

Archer averages 8 in test cricket after 18 innings

Even Jimmy averages 9.5 ( played a lot more games, granted)

[Vino blanco]

Is this pitch a good advert for test cricket though?

[SonofPog]

Not at all.

The ball is a joke, The pitch is a joke, The Indians are a joke. And frankly our batting has been a joke too.

Is there a Pitch rating lower than Poor?

[MrTopTier]

Jimmy in to save the test.

[MrTopTier]

Pitch is a shocker, a lot of the batting is worse than shocking though.

[MrTopTier]

49 to win on the second day. Crikey.

[DAVETHEVICAR]

This pitch is inferior to a “cow field”
I hope it is reported to the ICC as it is sub-standard for Test Cricket

[MrTopTier]

Next test is here as well!

[claret wizard]

Joke game really. There's prepping a pitch for the home team and then there is no prepping at all and making it a lottery. The game has hinged on umpire and review decisions.

Hopefully the next pitch will be better, 6 days to get it ready.

Whatever the final result (we could skittle them out) it's a joke.

[Longsidelenny1882]

Never complain again when colnes games finish early upthecolne

[Quickenthetempo]

Puzzling decision to open the bowling with the 2 spinners. New ball under lights, give Jimmy a go.

32-0 off 4. They have bowled tripe.

[Mondsley]

The last 2 or 3 posts sum up what I was going to say but hadn't got round to it! We all love exciting cricket but games that are an even contest between bat and ball. This pitch is nowhere near test match standard. Dont hold your breath on it being reported. New stadium that I got bored of hearing about yesterday. And India are a law unto themselves. Just look how they refused to have DRS for a time. Lovely people, except when they are on a cricket field. Not sour grapes, just fact.

[TheFamilyCat]

This was certainly not a 'test' match. Batters were certainly tested but the spinners just had to put the ball somewhere near and let the pitch do the rest.

[claretonthecoast1882]

The real losers in this are Channel 4.

Will make them think twice about bidding for a touring England side in the future.

[Granny WeatherWax]

The real losers in this are Channel 4.

Will make them think twice about bidding for a touring England side in the future.

The real loser is test cricket.

In the long term no one wins from test cricket finishing in 2 days. The ICC need to step in for the good of the format.

[claretonthecoast1882]

The real loser is test cricket.

In the long term no one wins from test cricket finishing in 2 days. The ICC need to step in for the good of the format.

Don't hold your breath the ICC telling India what to do

[ClaretTony]

Joke game really. There's prepping a pitch for the home team and then there is no prepping at all and making it a lottery.

Couldn't agree more. There's nothing I enjoy more than watching spin bowlers at either end testing the best batsmen in the world, but this was no contest at all, an absolute nonsense of a test match.

[Colburn_Claret]

30 wickets in less than 2 days says it all.
I thought they had watch dogs to ensure wickets are up to standard. Someone's not doing their job, aside from the groundsmen.

[International class]

Indians consistently preparing pitches for sharp turn on the 1st day is not a test pitch.

Absolute joke.

[MT03ALG]

After losing the first test match India ensured they were not going to lose again. What about the fans who bought tickets for days 3,4,5, if there were any? It was also interesting to see the fans crammed together with few masks being worn. I wonder how many of them will become ill during the next few days. The wicket for the fourth text will be a batting track (with India winning the toss ?!)

[Quickenthetempo]

As bad as the pitches have been. We have been bowled out for less than 200 in the last 5 innings.

Since 2016 we have been bowled out 5 times in just one session.

Shocking really.

[redcloud203]

all nations - including England - try to engineer a pitch to suit their team but this is being taken too far now by all nations , The icc needs to srep up and do something - not sure how - or test cricket will soon become something from the past .

[Dark Cloud]

Archer should be batting at 11

No, Archer should be batting at 12!! I'm fed up with everybody saying as well being an excellent bowler, he's a really competent/dangerous batsman. He's not, he's hopeless and I've never seen him look comfortable or make a significant contribution with the bat. At least Jimmy admits he's crap! Digressing slightly, I honestly think MOST England batsmen tried hard and were actually undone by an extremely helpful pitch in a country where they learn to spin a ball every which way from about 3 years old and I can't attach blame tbh. Bairstow and Archer being the ones who looked utterly hopeless on ANY pitch!!!
If Root is taking 5 for against top quality batsmen, well used to playing in those conditions, then it tells you everything you need to know about the pitch.

[tiger76]

Just posting my thoughts, India deserved to win no arguments there, however the last 2 pitches have been abysmal, and I'm glad Root took 5 for virtually nothing as that just highlights what a joke this surface is, yes you expect turn in India of course you do, but not turning square from ball 1 of day one which the last 2 pitches have done.

And even the Indian batsman who are accustomed to these conditions struggled to post a score, unfortunately for England we couldn't manage to exert any pressure on them when it mattered, even a target of 120 would have been testing on that surface, but none of the England batsman were adept enough at somehow making runs in those conditions, and even on day 1 when England got into a decent position at 74-2 we couldn't make the most of it.

2 decent innings in the match, Crawley for England, Rohit for India, and no other batsman passed 30, how can that be considered a fair contest between bat and ball, it's one thing to benefit from home advantage, but this test has been ridiculous, and purely the fact this is the shortest completed test since 1935 is a sobering stat in itself, that was the days of uncovered pitches for heavens sake.

As for the 4th test being a road I'm not so sure about that, India need a win to ensure they pip the Aussies for a WTC Final place, so I'd expect another turning track, and if that is the case then England will need to find an answer to combat this world-class spin, if you watch many of the Indian batsman they took a big step forward, partly to smother the spin, but also to reduce the odds of them being LBW, hence why they got the benefit of any tight calls, both by the on-field umpires, but also by DRS, and that is something England should be looking to replicate next week, the only batsman that tried to play on the front foot were Crawley, Foakes at times, Root and in the 2nd innings Stokes, and it's no coincidence they looked England's most likely run scorers.

Congrats to Ashwin on his 400 he's a quality bowler in all conditions, which is why he's taken so many test scalps, and the 2nd fastest to reach that landmark after Murali, that's some company to be in.

[bfcjg]

The wicket really made it a farce .

[Devils_Advocate]

Dont know much about cricket and these particular circumstances but completing the match in just two days sounds much better than it dragging on for four or five days.

[tiger76]

Dont know much about cricket and these particular circumstances but completing the match in just two days sounds much better than it dragging on for four or five days.

You clearly don't know about cricket DA, but the bigger issue could come with the broadcasters & sponsors, if they're forking out expecting a 4-5 day game, and they are only getting 2 days for their money it'll make them think twice when the next rights come around, and as with any sport if the income is reduced it'll potentially have long-term consequences, test cricket is already struggling to compete with the shorter form of the game as it is, and episodes such as this won't help it's reputation.

[Devils_Advocate]

You clearly don't know about cricket DA, but the bigger issue could come with the broadcasters & sponsors, if they're forking out expecting a 4-5 day game, and they are only getting 2 days for their money it'll make them think twice when the next rights come around, and as with any sport if the income is reduced it'll potentially have long-term consequences, test cricket is already struggling to compete with the shorter form of the game as it is, and episodes such as this won't help it's reputation.

That 20-20 vision competition where they smack it around for about 1 hour each seems to be the future and where the most skill is. If test cricket (and the broadcasters) cant adapt to make it a bit more interesting then just maybe its had its day and isnt such a big loss

[tiger76]

That 20-20 vision competition where they smack it around for about 1 hour each seems to be the future and where the most skill is. If test cricket (and the broadcasters) cant adapt to make it a bit more interesting then just maybe its had its day and isnt such a big loss

You may well be correct, and like everything the market will dictate, as a traditionalist I actually enjoy the longer form of the game, but it certainly doesn't help itself with all the slow play, 13 overs an hour with spinners bowling in tandem is mad, and there is also far too many breaks in play to retain the interest of the younger viewers, and like it or not they're the future of any entertainment, so if you can't attract those in large enough numbers, then yes eventually the product will die out, and the pyjama form of the game appears to be where all the money is.

[Burnley1989]

That 20-20 vision competition where they smack it around for about 1 hour each seems to be the future and where the most skill is. If test cricket (and the broadcasters) cant adapt to make it a bit more interesting then just maybe its had its day and isnt such a big loss

You always bring a smile to my face DA

[RVclaret]

Absolute farce of a test match. The quickest to finish since 1935 tells you all you need to know. Between two strong batting line ups too.

Personally didn't find any of it entertaining like I have seen others comment.

[Local cricketer]

21 out of the 30 wickets to fall fell to balls that went straight on suggests it more poor batting

[MACCA]

The 3rd day in a test match can usually go a long way to deciding the result, let's hope we grab the game by the scruff of the neck today!

[CleggHall]

It’s over MACCA you can go back to bed!

[TheFamilyCat]

21 out of the 30 wickets to fall fell to balls that went straight on suggests it more poor batting

Not really. The batters were set up for the exaggerated turn.

[MT03ALG]

My prediction is that the fourth test wicket will be a batting wicket with India winning the toss !