3rd Test: India v England at Kolkata Dec 5-9, 2012

[Hallatia]

Alastair Cook passed 24 hours of test batting on this tour - amazing

 

[AlwaysGreen]

I'm assuming England's tactics here are to get in front, accelerate their scoring and declare some time tomorrow 300 plus ahead and attempt to bowl India out without batting again.

Cook, Amla and Clarke for mine are the best 3.

 

[Hallatia]

starting to hear shouts every second ball, so India are trying really hard to get back into this. Particularly since the new ball. But, England are currently sitting on 287/1, Trott has passed his half century, Cook his 150. Partnership 122

 

[Hallatia]

296/1 at lunch Cook 167, Trott 66

I forgot to mention that Cook was dropped half an hour or so ago by Ishant Sharma off his own bowling

 

[BunniesMan]

Alastair Cook is the best batsman in the world besides Clarke.

 

[BunniesMan]

And I loathe Trott. When you're at 1/304 a strikerate of 35 is offensive.

 

[Hallatia]

For those suggesting that Clarke is better than Cook

Michael Clarke

Home 3840 @ 64.00
Away 2833 @ 41.06

Alistair Cook

Home 3408 @ 44.84
Away 3484 @ 60.01

And as good as Michael Clarkes year has been, his 4 centuries have been in Australia on roads.

He has a long way to go to prove himself as the best in the game

JH Kallis

Home 6738 @ 58.59
Away 5919 @ 53.80
Neutral 323 @ 107.66

 

[Hallatia]

Cook and Trott's partnership was broken by Ojha, with Trott departing for 87. Cook continues to occupy the crease, KP has joined him. England currently have a 23 run lead

 

[BunniesMan]

If I was an England selector I would drop Trott for that performance.

 

[Hallatia]

Cook was run out in a ridiculous fashion for 190. If BM were an England selector, he would no doubt drop him for that performance

 

[BunniesMan]

Cook was run out in a ridiculous fashion for 190. If BM were an England selector, he would no doubt drop him for that performance

I'm on record saying Cook is the 2nd best batsman in the world.

A stupid run out is one thing. Completely different. Scoring at 35 when your team is in such a dominating position is offensive and the complete opposite of a team first approach.

If England don't win here, a fair share of the blame should go to Trott.

Pietersen has 40 odd at a SR in the 60s. His score is more valuable than Trotts 87.

Batting superslow when you've got your eye in and your team is in a commanding position is an unforgivable sin in my view.

If India bats even reasonably well they should be able to get a draw here. And that should be considered a failure for the poms as they were 1/300.

 

[TheParraboy]

I'm on record saying Cook is the 2nd best batsman in the world.

A stupid run out is one thing. Completely different. Scoring at 35 when your team is in such a dominating position is offensive and the complete opposite of a team first approach.

If England don't win here, a fair share of the blame should go to Trott.

Pietersen has 40 odd at a SR in the 60s. His score is more valuable than Trotts 87.

Batting superslow when you've got your eye in and your team is in a commanding position is an unforgivable sin in my view.

If India bats even reasonably well they should be able to get a draw here. And that should be considered a failure for the poms as they were 1/300.

nonesense

There is two full days left with england almost 200 ahead

Any side in the cricketing world will take that at the start of a test match in india

 

[AlwaysGreen]

f**k of bunniesman you worthless gimp. SR means SFA in tests and it is obvious to anyone who has spent more than 30 seconds studying the game that the pitch they are playing on is difficult to bat on. Trott played what was in front of him. He's not my favourite player but he sticks around.

Hopefully our new number 3 shows as much application as Cook and Trott rather than supply the slips cordon catching practice.

 

[Twizzle]

For those suggesting that Clarke is better than Cook

Michael Clarke

Home 3840 @ 64.00
Away 2833 @ 41.06

Alistair Cook

Home 3408 @ 44.84
Away 3484 @ 60.01

And as good as Michael Clarkes year has been, his 4 centuries have been in Australia on roads.

He has a long way to go to prove himself as the best in the game

seriously, where does it matter where they make their runs ?

that highlights that Cook cant bat at home, I'd say that is a weakness that he needs to work on

 

[Hallatia]

44.84 is a decent average, if you think that that average highlights that Cook can't bat at home, then you must think that Clarke's 41.06 away average must suggest that he can't bat away from home. And, sides tend to play more matches away than they do at home

 

[lockyno1]

seriously, where does it matter where they make their runs ?

that highlights that Cook cant bat at home, I'd say that is a weakness that he needs to work on

It swings an reverses in England all day long, Clarke has an equally ordinary record there from memory.

 

[Hallatia]

As for the state of this match, India are batting now after having restricted England's lead to 207

 

[Tommy Smith]

Of course it matters, Twiz.

For one, away tests are much harder to win. So to perform better away from home shows that you're a real leader in tough situations.

And secondly, batting well away from home shows that you can bat in all conditions. Not just roads in Brisbane and Adelaide. But on turning wickets in the sub continent. Seaming conditions in RSA, and in England with the Duke ball.

It speaks alot to a batsmans quality if he can score runs all around the world, against all attacks and in all conditions.

And to the person who said S/R means SFA in test cricket, you couldn't be more wrong. The ability to score runs quickly and take the game away from the opposition is crucial.

That's essentially why, for example, a Ricky Ponting or Sachin Tendulkar will always be a better batsman than Jacques Kallis or Rahul Dravid.

 

[Xfactor1979]

Its too bad Andrew Strauss never played for South Africa, he could have potentially been a partner for another South African opener Richard Levi

Thus the two could have formed a combination known as 'Levi-Strauss' :lol:

 

[Twizzle]

Of course it matters, Twiz.

For one, away tests are much harder to win. So to perform better away from home shows that you're a real leader in tough situations.

And secondly, batting well away from home shows that you can bat in all conditions. Not just roads in Brisbane and Adelaide. But on turning wickets in the sub continent. Seaming conditions in RSA, and in England with the Duke ball.

It speaks alot to a batsmans quality if he can score runs all around the world, against all attacks and in all conditions.

And to the person who said S/R means SFA in test cricket, you couldn't be more wrong. The ability to score runs quickly and take the game away from the opposition is crucial.

That's essentially why, for example, a Ricky Ponting or Sachin Tendulkar will always be a better batsman than Jacques Kallis or Rahul Dravid.

well if it matters what does it say about Cookies batting ?

seriously you staticians should spend more time watching guys bat and less time on Statsguru so you can make your own mind up rather than have a website tell you what your opinion should be

neither are at the end of their career so its hardly cut and dry its just a yardstick of where they are at this point in their career and could change considerably either way