Your comments, please, on England’s almost embarrassingly emphatic nine-wicket defeat of India at the Gabba.
A carper’s field day this was not. Make no bones about it, England supplied an effortlessly professional performance with which it’s hard to quibble, with the possible exception of bowling too many bouncers during the Dhoni-Binny partnership.
It’s a confidence booster. It’s a shot in the arm. It’s the dawn of a new era/freakish one-off (delete as applicable depending on perspective).
Here are your talking-point starters for ten:
- The big story was Steve Finn, who took an ODI career best 5-33 and contributed a match winning performance for the first time since…I honestly can’t remember. The main thing is, he made a passable impression of an international bowler. And we’ve not been able to say that for a while. Was today a blip or his turning point? From his point of view, he’s probably best advised not to dwell on it and just carry on bowling.
- As I’ve argued before here, when James Anderson is good, England are good. Out of nowhere he clicked into the groove – four wickets for 18 runs – and looked fit and effective enough to do the job his side crave, and without which they’re stuffed. He conceded only one run off the bat in his first three overs. But can he sustain that oh-so-precious fitness?
- The only fly in the ointment – were some of India’s dismissals a little on the soft side?
- Ian Bell played a very Ian Belly innings, batting in exactly the way Ian Bell tends to do when the stars align in an Ian Bell manner. Will he always remain something on an ODI enigma? Here’s a stat which took me by surprise. England’s all-time ODI run-scorer is Paul Collingwood, with 5092 runs from 197 appearances. Second on that list is…Bell, who’s now only 97 runs behind. It’s an interesting list, by the way. Before you click on the link, try and guess which three players have the highest averages.
- Nice to see James Taylor make some runs too, even if the match situation was propitious.
- And is it me or is England’s ODI side easier to warm to than their test counterparts? There’s more to it than just the departure of Cook.
Thoughts?
“propitious”
An excellent win and I learnt a new word. Good day all-round.
Finn would have had a six-for but umpire Dharmasena missed Binny gloving a bouncer and there is no DRS.
Great result
I didn’t see any of it – how quick was Finn bowling? Would be great to see him get back to his pre-meddled with best..
Now we just need to see Broad get back on form and all of a sudden that’s a pretty handy bowling attack.
Very medium paced. Low 80s, mainly; top speed of 87, I think. Still a long way from when he regularly hit 95. Hopefully if his confidence returns it will free him up to just run in and bowl fast.
The ODI team does at least feel like a fresh start now, in a way, given all the weirdenss that went on last summer, the test team didn’t. So that helps I suppose.
My guess on the ODI list would have been Trott, KP & the Andy Townsend of cricket commentary Nick Knight, not far off.
What it does show is how little ODI cricket England played in comparison to everyone else until very recently.
Glad to see Finn finally pull something out of the wickets bag. Youu get the feeling he was propping up the bar in the Last Chance Saloon. But Jordan in and Tredwell still out? We need Tredwell match-sharp!
Difficult to play Tredwell, Anderson and Finn together as the team would have a worryingly long tail (if not exactly in the Mullally, Tufnell and Giddins class)
I agree I find it easier to warm to this side now the dead hand of AC has gone. They seem to be more relaxed somehow and without Cook overshadowing Bell the attitude seems to be brighter. Of course, one swallow does not a summer make, and I could be too hopeful but we shall see. Delighted to see Finn taking wickets
Go to be Trott at the top of the averages. Definitley in recent years
Since 2009 (KP losing captaincy) ODI Averages are
KP 30
Bopara 32
Bell 37
Cook 38
Morgan 39
Trott 51
Any side containing Ravi Bopara is easier to earn to.
Let’s just hope it is not a flash in the pan !!!
Meanwhile, England rugby coach Stuart Lancaster has admitted that his side failed to kick on in 2014 and has given insight into an elite leadership group with which he meets called the P8, which also contains the likes of cycling guru Sir Dave Brailsford, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and err triple-Ashes winning cricket coach Andy Flower …
http://www.espn.co.uk/england/rugby/story/253471.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
My guess of the top three was badly amiss.
You are not alone!
Interesting that Buttler and Kieswetter are adjacent on that ODI runs list, both having currently played in exactly 46 matches.
Buttler seems to receive far more plaudits for his batting than Kieswetter ever did, yet in the same number of matches they’ve scored almost the same number of runs, at very similar averages.
An interesting observation. I’m getting a bit sick of hearing about what a “clean striker of the ball” Buttler is – he seems to use the edge of his bat far more often than the middle. Of course. he’ll shut me up with a rapid fire 100 in the next game (hopefully)
Would have loved to have seen Robin Smith and IT Botham play more ODIs back in the day…
A delightful post Maxie. Loved it and agreed with everything you wrote. Are you beginning to soften just an itsy bitsy teeny bit? One question. Why is the better feeling about the team more than simply due to the absence of Cook, in you eyes?
The team now seems to be playing a match rather than a computer simulation. Hence they kept the slips for the out of form Rayudu longer than Moores and Co would have done. Morgan reads the game rather than Davros’s commands.
I have to admit, I thought both Finn and Anderson were finished as ODI bowlers. Credit to them for proving me wrong (in this match, anyway).
On the other hand, I can’t help feeling that a lot of those India wickets were donated rather than taken…
Moeen getting out for 8 is also a little bit pathetic, given he was under no pressure whatsoever.
I get the impression that Mo has an absolute license to play completely freely.
But doesn’t that make him selfish, reckless and not a team-man?
(C) Cricket journalists v KP since the year dot.
Not if he’s obeying team instructions ;-)
Maxie
For some reason my direct reply option works only intermittently. Might be due to the vagaries of the Sri Lankan signal. I do agree about the match looking less like a computer orientated game. It was a near perfect performance. My only concern was when things seem to drift a bit during the Dhoni/Binny partnership. I found the absence of Cook at the helm to be a huge release from stress. The team was better balanced, the captaincy more adept and that, ‘will he won’t he’ edge had gone. A good decision too late for the team and for Cook himself. I hope we can go on well, from here.
Big Kev
I agree with what you say about the unwarranted glee re the possible end of Cook’s career. I can’t understand it. He has been a fine player for England. He was never really suited to the captaincy but he tried. I’m relieved he is no longer captain of the ODI side for his own sake as much as anything else. I hope he comes good and we have the Cook of old back again. Time will tell.
When golfers make significant technical changes to their swing, they reckon it takes between 1 and 2 years for the changes to really bed in and for them to swing with decent rhythm consistently. There’s got to be a similar reaction to major changes in a bowling action. Yesterday’s signs were encouraging for Finn.
I worry that Moeen might be getting worked out a bit – he’s getting out in the same way. Would love it if he just reined it back slightly – he’s going to hit plenty of boundaries in a powerplay – doesn’t have to be every ball.
I watched the match and was appalled at how badly India played and make no mistake they were dire.
Finn got some lift from the wicket but is bowling way to slowly to trouble an Indian team intent on trying and just about any other team in the upcoming WC. 128-135 does not cut it. And he was nearer 128 more than he was 135.
Broad seems toothless and very much down on pace. I still like Woakes and think he is England’s best bowler, certainly the fastest.
Anderson did well if you were being nit picky you could suggest that he was gifted most of his wickets by a tail trying to do what the top order wouldn’t.
The batting played what was in front of it and for the most part that was woeful bowling. What on earth Doni was doing opening with two medium pacers remains a mystery known only to him and perhaps some Indian bookies.
I honestly don’t think you can take much more from this game than you could from the Prime Ministers XI game.
India and the West Indies should hold an exhibition match it would be highlighting dreadful batting, bowling and fielding.
In summary I wasted several hours of my life watching a terrible game of cricket.
Ianrsa
That is one way of looking at it. Brought chills to the spine. I hope you are not right about the brown envelopes.
I hope that I am wrong as well Jenny. But after what has come to light over the last decade about match fixing an abysmal performance underpinned by nonsensical decisions on the field is bound to beg the question.
Full Toss
Kev was writing about the glee that is being spread around in some quarters at the prospect of Cook’s career being close to the end. It seems to be far more about the man than his loss of cricketing form. Even if he does manage to sort out his technical problems I still worry about his captaincy. If it doesn’t work out for him I will be very sorry to see him go, not delighted that he has failed and his career will be over. He has been a great player for England and he is well liked by people who have played with him. I have never seen a word written or said against him by those that know him personally.
Great post Maxie, almost managed a full post without a dig at AC ;) spot on about Anderson though, he and Broad could help keep our chases to under 300 in the WC
Thought Flintoff spoke very well on TMS the other day, what he said about the ODI side carrying baggage from pervious failures is very pertinent, considering past failures in the 50 over format and there have been many, I think the squad now looks as good a ODI side as we’ve ever had, they’ve got to back it up with results mind.
Ianrsa
Show me a person who sees themselves as others see them. It’s a human failing to be blind when it comes to yourself. It’s often takes a friend to tell you what you can’t see for yourself. Cook probably had the support of management encouraging him to play on. They probably wanted him to succeed. As did many.
BigKev
I think you are spot on about the cricketing eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, in response to the KP sacking. Form is one thing. Hoping that Cook will fail is another.
Prince, there were two examples only last year in Gale at Yorkshire and Chandimal in the world T20. Further back, Mike Denness dropped himself in 1974-75. So it does happen.
It is very kind of India to keep on making England feel better about themselves. First the Test series, and now this.
I’m wondering if Moeen is being allowed freedom to play it how he sees it or has been instructed that his role is to be the attacking batsman and go after everything? He seemed to show better judgment when he first came into the side.
Didn’t Matt Prior drop himself. About 30 minutes after Cook guaranteed his place?
Well the threading on this particular blog seems to have gone the way of the Indian team.
I wonder how this reply will be threaded.
Football is one of those games where coaches and managers take a lot of responsibility for tactics and results, yet one of the best England results in a world cup in my memory was achieved by a player – revolt : Italia 90 (Gazza and all that).
Rugby is also a coach’s game. England were failing badly in the 2007 world cup so the senior players sat down and decided what they would do. They rebelled. They reached the final after a series of astonishing victories against all odds.
For some reason, cricket has decided to go down the manager/coach route, despite all the evidence suggesting that this is crazy. If things go wrong in the next month, will the senior players take responsibility to change things or will they do what Cook would do?
I can only dream that they will start to play instinctive cricket rather than badly – programmed spreadsheet cricket. Morgan actually seems to be able to read a game. We have to go pre – Strauss for that.
I fear Alastair Cook reminds me a little too much of Michael Vaughan.
No, really, let me finish!
Obviously not for his captaincy. they are almost polar opposites.
Nor also for the aesthetic quality of his batting strokes. Again, polar opposites.
No, I mean more that he is not a great batsman, but rather a good batsman who had a great period of run scoring – but that period is more than likely past, and the future is not bright.
It would be great for England if I am wrong, and he scores a bucketload in the next few years, but I have a feeling that won’t happen.
No glee, just a resigned acceptance on my part.
Not a good comparison – as far as I know, Cook’s knees are fine.
I doubt that injury will end his career like Vaughan.
I’m sorry but I’m a bit confused here, I thought this was a thread about Finn and have looked at blog and BTL and can’t find any posts referring to Cook failing. We’re there any posts deleted? In fact the only posts about people being happy about Cook failing were by BigKev himself, but he posted those a wee while back on on a couple of different threads as well and nobody responded. I am bamboozled as to why this has come up again on this one. I am very happy that the team appear to be doing well and long may it continue. If Morgan can tame the arrogant attitudes of Anderson and Broad, I’m sure a lot more people will warm to them as well. This thread has nothing to do with Cook, speak about flogging a dead horse!!!!!
Please don’t mention the flogging of dead horses. Brings he whose name I hope to forget, to mind.
Lol Jenny, the only name I want to forget is Flower and that is going to take a long time.
Andy Flower together with Harry Olonga stood up to Robert Mugabe, risking their lives. Respect him for that if nothing else.
Playing Devil’s Advocate, Olonga hints at a somewhat darker or more cynical version of that story; that Flower knew he needed a black player involved for his protest to have any weight, and pressured him in to taking part in the full knowledge that the consequences for Olonga would, in many ways, be far more serious for him than for Flower.
Will have to take your word for that, I have heard nothing about that from Olonga.
Never the less, Flower was prepared to put his own life on the line for what he believed to be right.
Apologies… Henry Olonga.
Vanessa,
I posted my comment about Cook on a thread in a previous post – about Cook. All the replies to that seem to have appeared under this post, rather than the one they were meant to go to. Not sure why – but it’s definitely confusing! No flogging of dead horses intended :)
Thanks for clearing that up Kev. I thought it was all a bit strange. After posting I realised that some something was amiss with the posts.
Thank you Maxie.
Re problems with threading and replying to posts:
Last year we briefly trialled mobile format for the site as a possible way of creating a Full Toss app, but it didn’t work as well as we hoped, so we turned it off. During the last few days we inadvertently reactivated that format, hence the change in appearance and problems with replying to comments, if you did it via a mobile. We have now deactivated it again and normal service should be resumed.
Maxie.