“We’re going to bounce back”. “We’re ready to put it right”. “It won’t happen again”. Oh, just shut up and play.
India’s last away Test for nearly two years offers a final chance for some redemption. Or, more likely, one final beating at the hands of a rejuvenated Australia.
England follow up their inept first innings batting performance with an even more inept one second time around, allowing Pakistan to complete a very comfortable win inside three days.
England fought to keep themselves in contention on a day of old-fashioned Test cricket.
After five months of (presumably) non-stop drinking, a massively hungover England have clearly lost all semblance of co-ordination and are unable to play spin bowling on a perfectly normal first day pitch.
Before India visited England’s green and pleasant land last summer we came up with our own predictions for the series. Not a single one of us got the score right. In fact, no one even got close. So we’ve done it again for a laugh.
Put away your Dan Brown books and boxset of Oh, Doctor Beeching!, for England are back in Test action for the first time since last August. Series against Pakistan are often peppered with action and controversy in equal measure (much like Oh, Doctor Beeching!) and though much of the bad feeling between the two teams has dissipated since the infamous tour of 2010, both will be keen to continue recent excellent form.
After India’s shambolic batting efforts this tour thus far, it didn’t require much imagination to predict them being rolled within three days on a bouncy WACA wicket.
When you’ve lost six consecutive Test matches away from home, you could really do with not playing the next match in conditions that are alien to you, yet ideal for your opposition. So it must be with at least a smidgeon of apprehension that India travel to Perth.
The G’s have laid down the gauntlet, and the H’s have stepped up to the plate