Cricket

Could end up with a nightmare scenario... takes a while to get the tail out, we rush out scoring, all out for 100, Pant smashes them to the win after tea in the fifth day...

Haha, yeah, there's that version too! Made more likely as I can't see England batting well in India twice and India batting poorly twice...

I would be vaguely comfortable if the situation allowed us to bat the same way as the first innings, but given 2 days left we will have to score a little quicker, that’s where it could go wrong...

England did pretty well in 2012:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_cricket_team_in_India_in_2012%E2%80%9313

I suspect we'll bat again, don't want a freak scenario where we're chasing even a miniscule total on a wearing track and make a meal of it. Get one of these two and you're into a pretty weak tail...

Meanwhile in Bangladesh

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/55969692

Leach has got a wicket!

Been a tricky session, just have to ride out the rough bumps

What a catch Stokesy

Dat catch!

Slog time

Burns ffs

How? How is bess getting these wickets

Because he's a decent bowler? This is a very worthwhile read for those armchair critics that keem away in the background.

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cricket/england-spin-dom-bess-sri-lanka-b1795710.html

Phenomenal, I'm starting to believe that Stokes is actually a cyborg

India are having a great time, love all the shithousery round the bat.

No team in their right minds opens their bowling with spin!!

Love the fact that Gavaskar refused to translate what was being said

The point is that he’s having to learn on the job. He’s nowhere near the finished article but needs must.

We’ve been spoiled by a run of decent English spinners - Giles (latterly), Swann (better than decent), Ali (should be playing) and Panesar (when his confidence was there).

Neither Bess or Leach can hold a candle to them.

I agree that he's learning on the job, but the abuse he gets on that job is totally unwarranted. He's learning fast, and making a very good fist of it!

However Giles was a decent defensive spinner, and bat at best. Swan for the few years he was at his peak, top class, (but it was a few years) . Monty I loved (I saw his first test wicket, Tendulkar in Nagpur), and yes Ali should be playing.

those armchair critics

Oh come on, what a load of nonsense, whether or not there's a historical bias against off spin in the press doesn't change the fact that Bess has been picking up wickets with some absolute dross. That's not me saying he's dross but that he's been picking up wickets with deliveries he really shouldn't be.

Joe Root is so good

much better lads

The regular piles-cream adverts during the 05 ashes are one of my favourite examples of targeted advertising....

Every bowler ever has managed to pick up wickets with absolute dross. I'm sure we both remember watching Mike Hendricks bowling over after over of controlled tight seam, and the knight at the other end bowling dross.

The bile that is being sent Bess's way is un-merritted in the current setting, time is a better judge.

Joe Root is so good

He's better that that, once restrictions are lifted make a beeline to see him live because you'l want to tell your grandkids you saw him play