comment by Everywhere you go always take Lamela with you. (U7905)
posted 1 minute ago
Bat for 30 mins after tea and declare on 400 hopefully. If Buttler is smashing it then maybe he can get us to 420, but don't want to spend more than 6/7 overs batting.

India are a team that could chase it down but it would be silly if we batted to way over 400 imo.
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Standard England would be to wait for a lead of 450+ and hope the pitch does the rest even if India try to block out rather than actually chasing the total.

comment by Amanda Hugginkiss (U11574)
posted 15 minutes ago
First time all match I'm able to actually sit down and watch the Test while I work. Happy days.

Lovely shot for 6 by Buttler, off a no-ball too. How can a facking spinner bowl a no-ball? Comms just said there's been 9 no-balls off spinners this test. I'd be absolutely fuming if England did that.
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They've bowled 25 all game which could genuinely be the reason we win

comment by Everywhere you go always take Lamela with you. (U7905)
posted 2 minutes ago
Bat for 30 mins after tea and declare on 400 hopefully. If Buttler is smashing it then maybe he can get us to 420, but don't want to spend more than 6/7 overs batting.

India are a team that could chase it down but it would be silly if we batted to way over 400 imo.
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Agree, but maybe I am being optimistic but there is no way India are batting passed 400 in 1 day. No way at all.

My gut feel is this ends a draw.

Decent session that considering the context of the game. If we can get around 5-6 an over for 12-15 overs, that should put in a decent position and still leave 105 overs or so in the match to try and bowl them out whilst hopefully having too many runs on the board for them to chase.

400 is plenty, dangle the carrot as Bumble would say.

Wouldn't rule India out of winning this. Chasing in the fourth innings seems to be in vogue atm.

India showed that in Aus, Windies yesterday, even the saffers are threatening to chase a big target in pakistan.

If kohli and Pant got on top of our spinners then they would get runs quickly. However, that's a risk that needs to be taken. 400 is plenty on a deteriorating pitch.

should be looking to get 100 more.

So do we bet on or declare now

For my money if we do bat on - as soon as buttler has gone we come in

I think this session might reveal how much we trust our spinners. If we keep batting past the 200 mark, that suggests we're concerned our spinners will get carted for big runs and/or won't make the most of the surface.

comment by Everywhere you go always take Lamela with you. (U7905)
posted 8 minutes ago
Wouldn't rule India out of winning this. Chasing in the fourth innings seems to be in vogue atm.

India showed that in Aus, Windies yesterday, even the saffers are threatening to chase a big target in pakistan.

If kohli and Pant got on top of our spinners then they would get runs quickly. However, that's a risk that needs to be taken. 400 is plenty on a deteriorating pitch.
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Our best chance to win is if it their batsman come out be aggressive I feel so it's a chance worth taking.

Pope gone

comment by Bennyville (U8058)
posted less than a minute ago
Pope gone
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I'm astounded he lasted as long as he did

Declaration fairy imminent now.... Give Buttler two overs to smash 25 and come in

Get at these lads....or this is a waste of time

Tiktok tiktok

I know Bess is new at the crease but padding these deliveries isn't achieving much. If we're going for a 400 lead we might as well get there as quick as possible

Rooty....FFS what are you waiting for...no way they are knocking these off in 4 sessions or less

Get on with it ffs

We’ve been here before haven’t we

I just don't get it, hit it or get out, just don't waste flucking time and overs.

No way are India winning this game... In all likelihood it will be a draw, but the pitch is deteriorating and I fancy our bowling attacked more than theirs... And this is just time wasting now

they'll be 50odd for nothing at close

Buttler has added nothing since he's been out there after tea... Surely the whole point of going back out was 4 him to have a swing

comment by Neo (U9135)
posted 4 minutes ago
I just don't get it, hit it or get out, just don't waste flucking time and overs.
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If they were going to try and bat for a specific period of time to give them more overs to bowl and give our bowlers more of a break, why not just bat more cautiously with the batsmen so they can then add quick runs from a momentum point of view.

Slowing it down now will make India feel comfortable that then can just keep bowling defensive lines knowing it's eating up overs without having more runs to chase. Bizzare tactics.