Of course it's about vengeance. It's creepy that Cook works so well as the creepy Japanese kid, guyliner and all.
Couch Talk 196 with Simon Taufel
6 years ago
Showing posts with label alastair cook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alastair cook. Show all posts
Comic: A Brief Preview of South Africa vs England
Strange question to ask your nemesis, really.
I actually do think Vern and those perfect balls will be a handful for Cook, considering Praveen Kumar got him a few times in that Eng vs Ind series I'm not allowed to talk or think about anym - what just happened I think I blacked out and why is there a dart sticking out of my neck...
India vs England: The good, the bad, and the slightly unattractive
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| Personally, I love my metaphors on a plate. |
Apparently, we have been avenged.
For me, it's only close to 30% done - because Tests do matter that much.
But I'll take the 5-0, mostly because it was fun to watch the English team constantly complain about the cold dish they were being served. (See picture above)
Anyway, here's what we learned from this series:
- Even if you hate Ravindra Jadeja (which you probably do), you have to admit that he really has worked hard, and is now the ideal all-round option for India, given the lack of
Irfan Pathanother options. He was the highest wicket-taker in the series, with 11, and an average of 17. With the bat, he averaged 37 from 3 innings with a good lower-order strike-rate of 110. He isn't going to single-handedly win you one in fifteen games like Yusuf Pathan, but he's pretty steady. For now. - Ashwin, unlike Harbhajan, takes wickets. One Challenger Trophy won't save you, Bhaj.
- Selection is still weird. Why on earth would you have Rahane open, when there's no way he can bat in the top 3 in a full-strength XI? He did well enough, but from his innings of 91, he looks like a much better middle-order batsman to me.
- Take Vinay Kumar's 4-30 away, and in the four other games he gave away 150 runs in 24 overs, taking just 2 wickets. Really shouldn't be a regular in the side.
- Umesh Yadav was erratic too, but his pace was clearly an asset at several points in the series. I'd keep him around. And what a great debut for Varun Aaron!
- The world's #1 spinner fails at the home of spin? What's that about? Swann took only 2 wickets at 95.5, conceding 5.3 rpo.
- It's all #trottsfault, for scoring 202 runs at 50.5, at a strike rate a shade under 80.
- Virat Kohli (270 runs @90) doesn't know what ugly batting is. Dhoni (212 runs, not dismissed), on the other hand, knows it better than anyone else, and excels at it.
- Parthiv Patel had a rare bad series since his comeback, but no one cares since he's just a stop-gap opener, like Dinesh Karthik before him. This can't happen to Rahane, which, again, is why he should be in the middle-order. Unless someone retires from ODIs soon.
- Do English fans feel the same way about Dernbach as I do about Vinay Kumar?
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| Took me five minutes just to decide whether to put the comma after "bitch". |
Series against Windies coming soon, I'll be back.
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The grudge series
This is probably a day late, but what the hell. MS wants that revenge.
Click to enlarge.
Click to enlarge.
Lessons from the Ashes
· Shane Watson: Was one of the rare Australian batsmen who looked comfortable at the crease, till the moment he kept getting out. Unfortunately for him and the team, it was always after he got a start. He was the 2nd leading run getter for Australia with 435 runs at an average of just over 48, but the fact that he didn’t score a single century in 5 tests should give pause to those who think that Watson is a long term prospect as an opener.
· Simon Katich and Phil Hughes: Katich never really got going despite a typical crabby 2nd innings at Adelaide, before injury ruled him out for the rest of the series, and possibly ended his career. Phil Hughes was the shadow of a batsman he was when he made his debut, and he was a horrid replacement for Katich, with his technique laid bare upon stern examination. He might still have a bright future ahead, but he has lots of work to do.
· Ricky Ponting: The strain of becoming the first Aussie skipper to lose three Ashes series resulted in a public meltdown at the MCG. It was sad to see a great player disintegrating before our very eyes, and even as he trudged off in the 2nd innings of that Test after getting his stumps splattered, one could sense that it was probably his last Test innings. He had a terrible series, where he was outscored by Peter Siddle and had only a solitary 50 to his name. The only good thing that happened to him this series was that he didn’t have to be present at the SCG as the losing captain, when Strauss lifted the urn.
