2nd Test: New Zealand v Australia @ Hagley Oval Christchurch Mar 8-12, 2024

[Mr Angry]

Next test for us is when?

 

[Twizzle]

9 months away

 

[Mr Angry]

9 months away

Oh yeah I forget the BCCI has their Mickey mouse comp, which Indians show up to, whilst test matches play to empty crowds in Mumbai.

Aussies and Kiwis show up for real cricket.

I won't watch a minute of the IPL.

I am glad blokes get rich

 

[undertaker]

Also, well done to the Kiwis that turned out for both tests in Wellington and Christchurch, especially at a time when test crowds have been below par outside of the ICC's "Big 3".

 

[undertaker]

Oh yeah I forget the BCCI has their Mickey mouse comp, which Indians show up to, whilst test matches play to empty crowds in Mumbai.

Aussies and Kiwis show up for real cricket.

I won't watch a minute of the IPL.

I am glad blokes get rich

I remember in the first couple of years or so when IPL matches were broadcast on Channel 10 (via their secondary channel, One).

Like in the first few years of Super Rugby when Channel 7 used to broadcast matches before the tournament got shafted to being exclusively broadcast on Foxtel, the popularity of the IPL - both on FTA tv, and general interest from cricket fans in Australia - never took off, and ended up like Super Rugby (i.e. confined to PayTV).

I barely see any Aussie cricket fans around these days that are fanatical over IPL franchises, even with all the star Aussie players competing in the tournament. There was a moderately stronger interest in the early years when Warne/Ponting/Gilchrist/Hussey/Lee/Symonds et al were playing in the IPL

 

[undertaker]

Next test for us is when?

Late November vs India.

 

[undertaker]

Meanwhile England sorry Shitball for all the carryon about how they are change test cricket remain in 9th.

England have 12 more tests in the 2023-25 WTC:

3 vs West Indies (home)
3 vs Sri Lanka (home)
3 vs Pakistan (away)
3 vs New Zealand (away)

Test series in New Zealand and Pakistan won't be easy (yes, England clean-sweeped in Pakistan last time in 2022, but first test was won in fading light. Another 10 mins of batting would've been enough for Pakistan to salvage a draw. The second test was close and was there for Pakistan to win had they not squandered several opportunities). West Indies series at home will depend on the fitness of Shamar Joseph. If he plays, look out! I can see him being just as lethal as Jofra Archer was in the 2019 Lord's test, causing the exact same problems to the English batsmen as he did last summer in Adelaide and Brisbane.

Hypothetically, if England pull off a Houdini and win all remaining 12 tests (and don't lose any more points for slow over-rates), the maximum score they can finish up on in the WTC table is 165/264, which is 62.50%.

IMO, they are too far behind at the moment (as a result of that 4-1 series loss in India) and I can't see them squeezing into the top 2. The obsession with Bazball in the 2nd test was their downfall in India after winning the first test, and set the tone for their poor performance throughout the remainder of the series.

 

[Rod]

Mitchell is a bit like his old man who spoke a lot about journeys and processes when he was All Blacks coach. Went down like a cup of cold sick with the NZ public, and he was sacked despite a decent record.

strange comment tbh, nobody has said they shouldn't be proud of how they played. Coney is brilliant, summed it in a nutshell, wish he was still commentating would be the best there is…

I think Mitchell should be the next captain so I'll defend him a bit on this one, I think he's just done a bad job of communicating their internal thought processes. Focusing on processes rather than outcomes is a very common mentality in pro sports, but when you communicate that the way Mitchell did it makes it sound like they don't care about winning.

I agree it sounded terrible though, especially given how dopey it sounds when Stokes says similar things.

 

[PJ]

Oh yeah I forget the BCCI has their Mickey mouse comp, which Indians show up to, whilst test matches play to empty crowds in Mumbai.

Aussies and Kiwis show up for real cricket.

I won't watch a minute of the IPL.

I am glad blokes get rich

Nor I. Doubtful I watch any T20, not cricket and not for me.