The New Lockdown Wacky Match-Ups Thread

[Wavelberry]

Day One is done and business as usual.



Green tops don't bother no Alastair Cook while Che Pujara is bowling although Cook prime will be gutted not to get another crack at 300 as he is out for 231.

Took the 10th Pujara to take the wicket. 527-1 at the end of Day 1 so the question is when will Cook stupidly declare this time and how close will Cook be to 300 when he does?

Post automatically merged: Jan 11, 2021

447 for the first wicket btw

 

[Wavelberry]

End of the innings and he declares at lunch on 587 for 2 which is less then he declared on in Kolkata. Granted we've lost some time to rain but... Let's see how Che gets on...



Bit of an early wobble and at 70-2 I was very interested but Che Prime and Che 4 put on 252 together to make it 322-2 at the close - 255 behind...

 

[Wavelberry]

End of Day 3. There was more rain around so we started late.



Still no triple century in this series as Che Prime was out for 279. The third wicket partnership was worth 363 before it was ended and then Cook was able to keep chipping away getting Pujaras 5 and 7 out for under 50. Che leads by just 66 so he'll keep batting for as long as he can. There is not much weather around for the last two days so we should get all the play.

 

[Wavelberry]

Halfway through the afternoon session on Day 4 and Che has declared...



858-8 and a lead of 271. Che 6 missed out on a century but Che 8 once again showed what he can do with 112. The Cooks will be disappointed to not have bowled them all out I'll wager...


10th bowlers seem to be they key with Cook 10 taking 2. Cook 5 (and if its the same Cook 5 as last time he's clearly the best) took 3fer with 7, 4 and Prime getting the others. IF Che can get a few early wickets we could have a game... or Cook will bat till the end of Day 5.

 

[Wavelberry]

End of Day 4


Rare failures for the opening Cooks with Pujara even getting a stumping which must have been glorious to see. Cook's 3 and 4 steadied the ship though to leave Cook trailing by 4. There is no way this ends in anything but a draw surely...



Yep... A new highest score for Cook with 359* surpassing his 294s against India and Pujara in the first test and a partnership of 623.



He did put Che into bat for 8 overs but they escaped unscathed too. So this match had 2,196 runs in 405.1 overs at 5.42 runs per over so pretty similar to the first test just with less wickets taken. So a dustbowl has not separated them, a green top has not separated them... the only thing to do now is watch a full match in Glasgow.

 

[Wavelberry]

About to watch me a session of this nonsense and see if its any different.

Third and final test in Glasgow



Team Che have won the toss and will bat first for the first time this series. Will this have a detrimental effect on Cookie? Will watching rather than simming keep the run rate down?
Let's find oot.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

About to watch me a session of this nonsense and see if its any different.

Third and final test in Glasgow

View attachment 241994

Team Che have won the toss and will bat first for the first time this series. Will this have a detrimental effect on Cookie? Will watching rather than simming keep the run rate down?
Let's find oot.

Pujara to take a ten for. Cook out for 300.

 

[Wavelberry]

Lunch on Day 1 and what a difference not simulating makes...



96-1 and there were chances with at least two chances going through a vacant 3rd slip region that Cook felt he never had to fill and the rest dropping short (not a surprise). Pujara prime ran himself out going for a 4th run that was never there... surprise, surprise.



But that's been the only wicket. Like @wasteyouryouth above I suspect the quirks of the engine will mean that Pujara will win this test match given how powerful offspin is and if Pujara puts in a bat pad... well...


Look at the bowling difference too. Still used 7 mind. Big next session ahead as Slats made very clear in the commentary asking the most important question on lunch on Day 1. Do they declare, or just bat on?

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Lunch on Day 1 and what a difference not simulating makes...

View attachment 241995

96-1 and there were chances with at least two chances going through a vacant 3rd slip region that Cook felt he never had to fill and the rest dropping short (not a surprise). Pujara prime ran himself out going for a 4th run that was never there... surprise, surprise.

View attachment 241996

But that's been the only wicket. Like @wasteyouryouth above I suspect the quirks of the engine will mean that Pujara will win this test match given how powerful offspin is and if Pujara puts in a bat pad... well...

View attachment 241997
Look at the bowling difference too. Still used 7 mind. Big next session ahead as Slats made very clear in the commentary asking the most important question on lunch on Day 1. Do they declare, or just bat on?

Cook bowling medium pace or spin?

 

[Wavelberry]

Cook bowling medium pace or spin?

Medium pace so at a distinct disadvantage.

 

[Wavelberry]

Tea on Day One


At one stage I wondered how big a partnership Pujaras 2+3 would put on but then two balls changed it all. Cook managed to finally get a catch to the keeper to carry (just) to squeeze out Pujara 2 with the last ball of his over and then at the other end Cook forced Pujara to chop on probably making the game even so far. Pujaras 4+5 were edging all over the shop early doors but Cook's inability to move his slips up and get the ball to carry has meant that they survived and put on 50.



No extras and no one going over 4.25. Quite a difference from simulating.

 

[Ed Smith]

Aye you've only got to have done half a season of Career Mode to know that simulations are wildly inconsistent. Be interesting to see if you get a winner by watching.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Tea on Day One
View attachment 242003

At one stage I wondered how big a partnership Pujaras 2+3 would put on but then two balls changed it all. Cook managed to finally get a catch to the keeper to carry (just) to squeeze out Pujara 2 with the last ball of his over and then at the other end Cook forced Pujara to chop on probably making the game even so far. Pujaras 4+5 were edging all over the shop early doors but Cook's inability to move his slips up and get the ball to carry has meant that they survived and put on 50.

View attachment 242004

No extras and no one going over 4.25. Quite a difference from simulating.

It's really interesting this; the differences between simulating and the game playing itself. I know the game is not designed for AI v AI but if that's the case then the AI bowling will be doing what it's doing against us and the AI batting would respond in the same way (as though we were bowling). So, I think it must at least give a fairly accurate indication of how the AI batting will do.

The simulation seems heavily weighted to the ratings of the players (I'm assuming they are highly rated batters and poorly rated bowlers). So strong batting will hammer weak bowling.

Given the circumstances (11 Cook v 11 Pujara) it feels like somewhere in between (OTT domination vs fairly normal scoring) would be most realistic.

 

[Wavelberry]

End of Day One then...



Looked for all the world like it was going to be Pujara's session as the 4+5 built their partnership past a 100, past the second new ball and 3 overs to the close and then, just like they did in the previous session, both in batsmen got out one after the other although this time there were 4 balls between them. Pujara 5 edged onto his pad and to the wicket keeper before Pujara 4 went the same way as Pujara 3: chopping on. Honours even at the end of Day One then...


And it is the two go-to Cooks who have the wickets which is fascinating in itself as well. Cook 2 has looked more unplayable than the others tbf along with Cook 7 who needs more overs. Only 8 Cooks used rather than the 10 we've seen in simulation.

Food for thought.

 

[Wavelberry]

This is not a Day 2 Session 1 update. In fact we're four overs into the afternoon session because...



I guess you could call that a collapse with 7 wickets going down for 79 runs. The chop on was pretty much the favoured method of dismissal as Pujara just couldn't get any of his Pujaras going aside from the run out (going for a 3rd obvs) and the last wicket which was a genuine outside edge to the keeper. This is definitely a great result for Alastair Cook and you would put him in the box seat after losing the toss, however, as certain Yorkshire commentators have mentioned (before maybe possibly slapping up some people) you can't judge a pitch until both teams have batted on it.



Cooks 2 +3 have done a madness. Those are figures Broad and Anderson would be proud of. Only one bowler over 4 and kept Pujara to a RR of under 3.

How will the spin go? This will be the key now.