Episode 11 - First-Class or Nothing

Johnny, have you been enjoying the test series, the return of Test Cricket?

I have.

Yeah, in our last episode, we predicted different things about the way things would unfold in India.

I'd say we're both in the game because we both predicted that India and England would both win at least a Test match.

So, honours even.

So, what did I say? Did I say 3-1? You said 3-1.

You said 3-2.

Yeah, that's right.

Yeah, I think it's increasingly unlikely that there's going to be a draw in this series.

It is definitely going to be...

We've had two 40-wicket games, haven't we?

That's right.

I mean, I was negative about England's prospects of taking 20 wickets at any point during the tour.

And they've done that, so that's positive.

I mean, one of the really surprising things is that England's pretty rookie spin attack, statistically, is outbowling India's all-star spin attack.

So India's spin attacks included the likes of Aksar Patel...

Ravi, Ravindra Dedeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, you know, who've got between them hundreds of test matches and thousands of test wickets.

And England had Jack Leach, fine, experienced man, Rehan Ahmed and Tom Hartley in the first test match.

Rehan Ahmed and Tom Hartley had one test match between them, I think, at that point.

Yeah, it was a remarkable situation in the second test too where you had Shoaib Bashir debut, Tom Hartley one test under his belt, Rehan Ahmed two tests under his belt, Jimmy Anderson 183.

A little lopsided.

The

other thing is the emergence of Joe Root as an all-rounder.

Because statistically, on the subcontinent, he is an all-rounder.

His batting average is way higher than his bowling average on the subcontinent.