RizLCFC

Should’ve picked Jack Leach.

Yeah that’s a huge part of it as well. It’s a shame, just lucky to have seen some of the best to have played the game do their thing.

I’m a 90s kid so I agree, Kumble and Harbhajan were different class, and far better than Ashwin. As much as I love Jadeja as a cricketer, he’s not going to win you matches because of his bowling on a fairly regular basis. I would’ve loved to have seen Kuldeep have a go here. If you’re not going to play him at Old Trafford, you won’t pick him anywhere. He’s someone that can hold up one end, and provide a completely different challenge. Bizarre.

What’s really disappointing about this India team is that they don’t have a world class spinner. You think of Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Ravi Ashwin, match winners in their own right on any given day, that country should be able to produce the talent. It’s a dying art in the sport, unfortunately, but if any team should be keeping that fire lit, then it should be India.

It’s an interesting topic this and certainly something that has crossed my mind many times. I think the toughest era was the mid 90s up to the 2010s. The quality of most test playing nations in them days was there, even a Zimbabwe team with the likes of the Flower brothers, Heath Streak etc could get a result. Now, unfortunately, it seems like there are 5 countries that give you a good standard of test match cricket, the rest are tosh.

Bit of sensible batting from Hill and Holland and we are in a much better position now. I know they shouldn’t get anywhere near this chase, but it is Leicestershire after all and usually things are never that straightforward. Anyhow, I wanted them to score around 150 and get the lead of around 350 for that psychological edge, and they’ve done that so fair play.

To be honest, I think we’re being quite naive here (again), yes it’s not the best pitch to bat on but we’re just chucking wickets away. Plenty of very good batsmen in the Derbyshire lineup, and they bat deep enough to get 350, if say Madsen, Came, Jewell get decent scores.

They’d be two fantastic additions, especially Green.

@Bert is that you?

He’s got all the talent, and there’s nothing better than seeing a left armer steaming in and picking up wickets. I just think he should be a lot more cleverer in his own thinking by now.

Josh Hull is overhyped. Needs a lot of work.

SHOAIB BASHIR!!!

The Kookaburra being trialled in the county game has been an absolute disaster.

Need some fielders around the bat for Bashir. Silly point would’ve gobbled up that inside edge.

I’m still hoping for Root to come on for an over and float a few outside Jadeja’s off stump. Just need one to hit the rough and turn in sharply to dismiss him ala Vaughan vs Tendulkar at Trent Bridge many years ago!

Jadeja is a real fighter.

When you look at how football has changed in recent years to sideline everyone bar the “top six”, then Trump being the centre of attention at the Club World Cup yesterday, as well as previously failed drug tests taking the shine off the Wimbledon 2025 men’s and women’s singles champions…test cricket is one of the fewest purest forms of sport remaining. It has to be protected, and played on a slightly more even keel in terms of funding received by the lesser nations, but it’s still very much alive!

Beautifully bowled from Woakes. That’s the moment.

I’d love it if England chucked the ball to Root for a couple of overs before lunch.

Can’t really do much about that, both Jadeja and Carse too late to spot the collision.

Holding up one end!

JOFRA!!!

How can he bowl Rehan for 4 overs when he’s rarely bowled this year, and not bowl himself?

Fantastic Mr Cox…unsung hero this season and dropping him from the Championship squad was criminal.