Stokes making sure 
Cricket
- Thread starter EdWeatherall
- Start date
SA batting is a joke. How do they justify playing five bowlers when the batting has been so weak and they're playing Sri Lanka in Durban?
Likewise Adil Rashid is unlikely to encounter a red ball in an England shirt for a while, if ever again. That may just be possible in Sri Lanka in 13 months but a lot can happen in that time. More unjustly Ben Foakes has been discarded as England revert to their old regime in the batting order. “Jonny [Bairstow] is happier down the list,” said Bayliss, “and his record down there is one of our better ones.” This raised two questions: is the experiment with Bairstow at No 3 over? Is that bad news for Foakes? Which prompted the answers “Yes” and “Yes, unfortunately”.
Can't believe Foakes is being dropped so swiftly.
But I suppose the decision is more explainable if you're certain Bairstow is never going to be a 3, which is not that much of a stretch to imagine.
Can't believe Foakes is being dropped so swiftly.
But I suppose the decision is more explainable if you're certain Bairstow is never going to be a 3, which is not that much of a stretch to imagine.
De Kock always has a face like he’s about to burst into tears at any moment.
Bayliss is talking rot as per usual, but I'm not sure it's worth paying attention to it anymore. He's shown that he can change his mind at the drop of a hat, and he'll thankfully feck off after the Ashes.
With Barstow's current form I wouldn't pit it past Foakes reclaiming the gloves anyway.
@crappycraperson @KM
What's the view on the Dinesh Karthik/Pant decision? I am surprised. If this was going to be made, this should've been tried some ttime ago.
Very last minute.
What's the view on the Dinesh Karthik/Pant decision? I am surprised. If this was going to be made, this should've been tried some ttime ago.
Very last minute.
I'm okay with it personally. DK for some reason is an excellent T20 player but fails to do the job in ODIs and has quite a mediocre record in that aspect. Also the thing with Pant is that he can play in the floater role effeciently.
Personally I'm more surprised with Jadeja and Shankar thing. Shankar looks like a very good batsman but his bowling looks mediocre to me but has done quite well so far.
Think the mistake they've made is they should've tried this out for awhile. Pant is untested in ODIs - he will be better than karthik over time but I don't know if he's ready.
One thing I didn't understand with Karthiks thinking is, he seemed to become a 25 run specialist which isn't really that important in ODIs
Yeah in hindsight they should've done that. It's bizzare that they rested Pant for the Australia ODIs if they had him in mind for WC.
What's your thoughts on Shankar BTW? His batting has really surprised me. Looks a very good bat.
Decent base to build from. I have not seen enough of his batting beyond these few ODIs/T20s, but not that surprised. He averages 47 for TN in Ranji and I've heard a few local people in the past here say he's actually a very good batsman. His power game is a little odd, I think, and I think he needs to figure that one out because he relies on technique and timing even there. It's always easier to build a power game on top of technique than vice versa, so I don't think that'll be a problem. I like his temperament as well - he actually seems like a test #6 to me right now.
His bowling is very ordinary, though. If he was 10K quicker, he'd have been a superb backup for Pandya.
As it stands, I think he's going to the WC. Seems like a player who can fill-in anywhere between 5-7 given the state of our middle order.
I think the team we've selected for the last three ODI for Aussie is our WC Squad.
Regarding Shankar I was reading Shastri interview on cricbuzz and he seems to rate Shankar highly.
Thank god they've selected Pant. It was absolute nonsense to not pick him.
They've also dropped Khaleel so thank god for that. Looked absolutely mediocre.
Yes, but it's all a complete clusterfeck. We play so much cricket through the year and yet there's no clarity on what the squad for the WC should look like.
BTW how stupid it is that ICC are only allowing 15 members squad for a format like this where every team has to play 9 matches at least?
Taking Pant is a no brainier. Lot of pitches in England are pretty flat and he can play the role, Buttler plays for England, for us down the order. Kohli wants someone in middle order who can accelerate from the get go and Pant is our best bet. Karthik got dropped once Rayadu cemented his place. Only problem is that Pant is probably just back up for Dhoni and Jadhav.
Might cost them, Perera is playing a blinder 134NO, need 22 to win but SA need 1 wicket.
What a fecking chase. What an innings.
Unbelievable stuff from Kusal Perera. Shit captaincy from Faf though, keeping field wide open throughout that last wicket partnership. Just bowl to Kusal as you have bowling to everyone throughout!
There needs to be big changes to this S.A. side. The chief selector needs to go, I don't think Gibson knows what he's doing and we're just not producing batsmen anymore. Congrats to Sri Lanka, fully deserved win. Also agreed with the post above. Fads captaincy was very poor for that last wicket stand.
Fecking hell did Sri Lanka really win that 
I stopped following when it got down to the last wicket partnership. I thought it was done and dusted there. Well done Sri Lanka.
I stopped following when it got down to the last wicket partnership. I thought it was done and dusted there. Well done Sri Lanka.
That was amazing
What an effort from Perera!! Well done.
Damn I missed the innings
One of the greatest ever innings it looks like.
One of the greatest ever innings it looks like.
Well, I've calmed down now (not really!)
Wow. Just wow. I spent about more than an hour standing up and frantically pacing around the TV at the end there. We so desperately needed that win after a few years of absolute rock bottom. I'd literally forgotten what that felt like.
153* Not Out. Chasing 304. Came in at 52/3. Were 226/9. Against one of the best bowling attacks in the world.
Kusal Janith Perera
Wow. Just wow. I spent about more than an hour standing up and frantically pacing around the TV at the end there. We so desperately needed that win after a few years of absolute rock bottom. I'd literally forgotten what that felt like.
153* Not Out. Chasing 304. Came in at 52/3. Were 226/9. Against one of the best bowling attacks in the world.
Kusal Janith Perera
Best one I've ever watched live. Has to be one of the all time GOAT Innings for sure.
Literally Mirrors Lara's 153* against Australia, but Perera's was better imo.
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Has to be better than Lara’a tbh. That was a home and this was away. Both the bowling lineups were comparable.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/47265557
Big loss for England. Was hoping he'd step in to the ODI job when Bayliss leaves.
Big loss for England. Was hoping he'd step in to the ODI job when Bayliss leaves.
Amazing knock from Perera against the Saffers, what an innings. One for the history books.
That six he creamed off Steyn with 13 to go was huge.
Would prefer 4 fast bowlers instead of 3. In a 3 fast bowler set up, if there's an injury and not enough time to get replacements, you are forced to play 2 spinners.
Not the same with batting - plenty options on the bench.
Would choose Kaul for Rahul. You ideally want a top order backup in the squad, but Rahul's been extremely unreliable..
Really should be 16 player squad..
Disappointed but not surprised at what Shannon Gabriel said to root. That sort of thing is still considered a huge insult in most places in our little corner of the world. It’s sad, but I have no doubt that’s the sort of sledging that goes on at the domestic level.
What an innings by Perera
Absolutely worth a watch lads!!
Wow, that was quite perfect, as to how to bat with the last man.
Can’t have been many better 4th innings knocks then that, put on 78 for the final wicket and scored over 50% of the runs in a 304 run chase phenomenal
Great stuff!
What a knock. That shot to finish it off was class.
It looks like the Saffers were bowling too short to him, he was right onto the shirt balls.
The absolute balls to whack Dale Steyn for 6 like that.. having gotten so damn close.