International Cricket Thread

[tee rex]

Wellington: full day's play, no wickets. First time ever in NZ.

This at a ground where teams have capitulated for sub-100 in the past. Climate change, eh?

[Etienne]

Yeah, some great batting by Mendis and Mathews. It does appear that the pitch is a bit like the subcontinent ones where if you don't strike with the new ball you're buggered.

[Satchmo Distel]

Cook to be knighted, Boycott to explode. I'd have thought Jimmy Anderson was more worthy but maybe he will get it when he retires?

[nmrfox]

Suranga Lakmal bowling excellently in overcast conditions on a green wicket. Gets the hapless Jeet Raval, who not only has a style like Keaton Jennings but bats as badly too, Tom Latham and Kane Williamson to leave NZ at 22/3 and under pressure.

[nmrfox]

4 for Lakmal as Henry Nicholls gets bowled through the gate. 36/4 and time for the ever dogmatic and pragmatic BJ Watling.

[Janik]

India's entirely new opening partnership, Agarwal and Vihari, are up to the team average recently (21). All Agarwal, Vihari is yet to get off the mark.

The pitch looks pretty scruffy and a ball has just kept low enough to beat Paine and go for four byes in only the seventh over of the match. Which doesn't bode well for the game lasting five days.

[ad hoc]

The pitch looks pretty scruffy and a ball has just kept low enough to beat Paine and go for four byes in only the seventh over of the match. Which doesn't bode well for the game lasting five days.

But the score at stumps (215/2) would rather point to a draw

[G-Man]

SA have Pakistan at 64/4, even with Philander and Ngidi missing. The wicket doesn't look particularly horrible to bat on.

[diggedy derek]

How you feeling about Steyn becoming top wicket taker G-Man? I was half expecting recently that he might never bowl in Tests again.

Genuinely fast bowlers who can swing it don’t come along every day - Marshall, Trueman, Flintoff, Gough...?

[Etienne]

Imran, Akram, Waqar.

[diggedy derek]

God, bad memory blank...

[Satchmo Distel]

Steyn has the best strike rate of anyone with more than 200 Test wickets

[Satchmo Distel]

SL have just gone from 100-5 to 104 all out in the space of 3 overs

Pakistan have a debutant born this millennium - Shaheen Afridi

http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan...r/1072470.html

[diggedy derek]

Steyn has the best strike rate of anyone with more than 200 Test wickets

These kind of stats are one reason I'm glad to see his glittering Test career have some sort of decent ending. His average is also wonderful for someone bowling in this era – although even more brilliantly it's not even first or second among current SA bowlers.

[Satchmo Distel]

India seem to be playing not to lose rather than taking risks to go for the win. Disappointing, unless Australia collapse twice, in which case well played.

[ad hoc]

The declaration, however, does show intent

[Sporting]

Yes, but why bat so slowly before?

[ad hoc]

Sounds like it was that sort of pitch. Twenty years ago no-one would have thought their run rate especially slow.

[Sporting]

That's true...we've been spoiled by modern-day run rates.

[tee rex]

Trent Boult, ball by ball: W...WW.W...W

Four lbw ducks for nos. 7-11. Fred Goodall would be proud!

[diggedy derek]

India have Australia two down with lunch still a ways away. They’ve got a shot at a big lead, and the attack to do it.

[diggedy derek]

Jadeja gets Khawaja. Marsh Sr has two off 24, and with those kind of strike rates there’s a serious risk Australia get themselves out.

[Sits]

Seven down and still just over 300 behind. I have to keep trying reminding myself Australia is my second team.

[ursus arctos]

Could be worse.

Sri Lanka are 4 for 1 “chasing” 680

[Etienne]

The game is surely lost, but that's some spell by Pat Cummins. (Edit : it seems that India just kept getting out to average balls rather than it being an unplayable spell).