The one reason I was drawn to cricket above all other sports was the mental side of the game.
The on field tactics, the sledging, the all or nothing nature of batting, and the variations in the bowling.
I was much better at racquet sports, but cricket is like chess with a hardball and legspin. No other sport could truly compare.
That brings me to today, in just less than 10 sessions 1000 runs were made for 15 wickets.
Quite clearly a pitch to bat on.
But then England go in and 2 wickets fall in 6 overs.
Amazing.
Alistair Cook is the important one.
His wicket was mental.
It was a straight ball, he missed it.
Referred pressure, defensive mentality, caught in two minds. All could have been the cause.
Cook is a very talented batsman, he has some technical flaws away from his body, but missing a straight ball on a pitch like this not something he would do without referred pressure.
He spent three days in the field, realised he was batting for time and not for runs, and played across the line to a straight ball.
It didn’t keep low, swing, seam or anything, he just missed it, and all of England moaned.
‘Tis a beautiful game.
I moaned for the greater good but I also sniggered. Arsehole (imo)
The pressue even got to the umpire
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He had been watching balls go by wide and then suddenly a very fast perfectly straight one winged in on him.
Horrible, his head seemed to be almost in first slips lap when he had a pointless swipe at it.
Word. The true beauty of Test Cricket will reveal itself tomorrow. One day to make a stand, 8 wickets to play with, to show the kind of fortitude in batting the aussies showed to earn the draw. Should be a nervy finish.
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And the ICC wants 4 day Tests. Great way to counter that rubbish.