England have just hammered India. India’s new T20 Captain has now captained 5 matches and won…0.
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Errr, what have I watched? Excellent bowling from the 4 English bowlers, good speed from the quicks and good flight and placement by the spinners, they put it in the right place and watched the Indians self-destruct.
Wow, Tongue got a 4-fer (even after an amazing drop) and another bowler got POTM.
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Agreed. In the Test Match he was saying ‘dot ball’ which grated a bit for me, but as the match progressed he changed this to ‘no run’ the more traditional term used on TMS. Well done, seems to have taken advice and put it into practice! Good on him - not many ex-players have made the transition from summariser to ball-by-ball, thereby becoming a broadcaster who played Test Cricket rather than an ex-player who makes comments. The most prominent of course is Aggers himself, who is now the ‘father of the house’. I felt Ed Smith ‘the wordsmith’ was great in this regard too, until higher things called. The game and the world have changed of course but these broadcasters have the gravitas of being Test players whilst still keeping the spirit of Arlott and Johnson alive in a form appropriate for the modern, but not too modern, era.
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Finn is so much better than he was last year … he perhaps took the media course run by the chap who whose on a view from the boundary the other day.
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Yes, Tongue took more wickets than Archer and was more economical. Daft.
As you imply, quite a watch. Was it poor batting or being unlucky in picking out England’s fielders at times? I think much of the blame goes with constantly hitting the ball in the air, which is the same with the women. I know T20 is a game of boundaries, but when you flick the ball away (or cut it) without keeping the wrists in control, you’re asking to be caught.
Too many IPL bashathons perhaps, on strips which aren’t as variable as those over here?
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One team batted like headless chickens…and it wasn’t England!
I watched the match and if India had played like that at home there would have been a riot. I guess IPL pitches are very different but it didn’t look like the fastest or bounciest strip ever made. Just poor.
Still it is T20. Next match might go the other way.
Bruce
Followed the start of the match on the BBC text commentary. I quite like the commentary but I wish they would have a version without all the keyboard warrior comments. They were piling into Phil Salt after 1 over (calling him rubbish, etc) - quite bizarre. I thought his was a really gutsy innings; struggled initially and then hit his stride. 70 is not a shabby score in a T20.
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It felt very odd at the time.
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Some pretty crude thrashing from India without great effect so far.
I thought India were supposed to be good at this? I suppose there’s time yet.
Bruce
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Has Brook forgotten Rehan Ahmed bowls?
Hasn’t missed him yet, Jacks has done well.
Will Ahmed open the batting?
Bruce
What a gutless couple of matches from India. It looks like they aren’t actually interested.
Not to take anything away from very good all-round England performances.
Bruce
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Make that 6 matches.
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Well, here’s the Highlights of yesterday’s T20 v India for anyone interested. I’m not sure what someone has put in the India players’ tea, as they seem to be very below par. In the IPL, it seems to me that batting is the primary discipline, as even good length stuff gets walloped. But, during this tour, it seems there’s confusion, and India’s bowling has, at times, fallen apart, with plentiful extras gifted.
For the last 2 games Phil Salt has, at times, being playing Eric Morecambe cricket, ‘all the right shots, just to the wrong balls’ (yesterday he was 0 from 9 balls), but thanks to a bit of help, he ended up with 59 from 42. I see a clamour from IPL teams to get hold of Brook.
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Unusual to see an India side look so un-confident. I have watched these last two matches and they seem to have lost all conviction. Batting has been either an ugly thrash or a block, bowling inconsistent in execution. They looked distracted, and were well beaten on both occasions.
England have executed their skills pretty well, and India have allowed a very rusty looking Phil Salt to work out which end to hold, eventually to good effect. Bowlers yesterday were excellent.
The much lauded Sooryanvanshi is learning not every pitch in the world is a total road. For now he looks to be there for a good time not a long time. I wonder if he will ever break into a red ball side?
Bruce
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I think the last two Salt innings have been excellent. Brings a bit of glue.
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First Women’s Test match ever to be held at Lord’s starts today. Women’s Test matches are rare beasts. I wonder how long it will last.
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He’s certainly got value from his bat, as yesterday he used pretty much all of it - more chalk please 
…and us 'umble (former) club players know what it’s like to scratch around!
Better than getting out in the first over!
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