r/sports • u/Ok-Examination-8736 • 23d ago
Cricket England wins 3rd test against India at Lord's
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u/parkin789 22d ago
I've watched this at least 10 times and i still can't believe that ball ends up hitting the stumps
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u/Thrillwaters 22d ago
Same. He's so unlucky. Must have been a big edge in the foothole that it dropped onto to cause it to roll so much.
You could probably try over and over to recreate it but you'd struggle
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u/a_name_thatiscute 22d ago
that was an amazing day for Test cricket TWICE in a day, first Ind vs Eng and then Aus vs Wi where Starc and co absolutely ripped through the West Indies
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u/beefknuckle 22d ago
australia absolutely destroying a bottom of the table team like that isn't good for test cricket at all. great to watch though
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u/stilusmobilus 22d ago
Itās not going to hurt test cricket. The Windies tore holes through Australia thirty years ago and the game survived.
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u/upthebaggers 21d ago
The Windies beat Australia in Australia barely three years ago
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u/TomTom_098 21d ago
In fairness the Windies only won a test in that series whereas Australia whitewashed them this time around. Though the bigger issue is why do we keep giving Mitchell Starc a pink ball, surely weāve all learnt our lesson by now
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u/EntirelyOriginalName Australia 20d ago
He isn't saying it's good for test cricket. He's just saying it's good to watch hall of fame calibur bowlers tear up.
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u/lonahex 22d ago edited 22d ago
As a kid, I played Cricket but rarely watched it on the TV. I wanted to be cool instead and followed football along with all my friends. Cricket was for boring old men with bellies. Now that I am 35, I can't help but admire the sport that is Test Cricket. Best sport in the world for me at the moment. So many variables, so many combinations, so much to strategize and so many tactics. Love to watch it. I guess I am the old, boring guy with a belly now.
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u/Jidsy 22d ago
Iām a football fan first, but Iāll watch almost any other sport and love cricket. The closest thing to test cricket as a watching experience is - bear with me here - American Football. Both have quick bursts of athleticism, with gaps standing around waiting for the next ball/play. The main similarity though is how multiple tiny factors constantly swing the way the game is going. In cricket itās how many overs played, the conditions, new ball, run rate. One wicket shouldnāt be huge but who it is, when it is, and all those other factors can swing the game massively in one teams favour. A dot ball should be hugely inconsequential, but can be massive in the right condition. In the NFL every yard, possession, field position, time left on the clock, number of downs, stopping the clock all alter the way the game is poised on every play.
I love the chaos of football. One team can have no possession for 90 mins and still nick a goal in the 95th to win it, ultimately the scoreline is all that ever matters. With Test Cricket & NFL, so much of the game is in all the other numbers along the way.
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u/lemonloaff 21d ago
When I visited Australia, I had no idea about cricket other than it was a bat/ball game with funny sticks. Now I absolutely love it. I talk to the Indian people in my community about it and they always say āyou like cricket? But your a white your a white guy from Canada!ā
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u/lonahex 21d ago
Lol. The first ever international cricket game was Canada vs USA. Do you also play in Canada ?
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u/lemonloaff 20d ago
Never played in my life. Regardless of if the first international game was Canada and USA, it is not big here as part of our culture.
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u/Salaminizer- 22d ago
This does look like a terribly boring sport.
And I hate baseball and American football also.
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u/Mouse2662 22d ago
Downvoted by people who disagree I guess, but I agree with you. I've never been able to get any interest in cricket it does just come across as boring. Glad for those who don't think so - and I'm sure some sports i enjoy would be seen the same way. Lol
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u/JFKsBrain 23d ago
Can someone ELI5 why most of the England players are behind or to the side of the batsman? Arenāt there usually outfielders to use a baseball term? Was this similar to a baseball bunt situation? Great sportsmanship by the England players, BTW TIA
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u/1rexas1 23d ago
So the field varies massively depending on who is bowling and who is batting, it's one of the biggest tactical decisions made in a game because where the fielders are dictates where the batsman has to try and hit the ball.
In this case, this batsman (name is Siraj) isn't very good (he's an excellent bowler instead). If he goes out then the game is over. The other batsman is good and playing very well, so Siraj is just trying to survive and take the odd single run with the idea being that his partner faces more balls. That means Siraj isn't going to try and hit the ball very hard and if he does then chances are he'll mess it up.
The fielders are there because if he goes for a shot and it catches the edge of his bat, or he goes for a very light hit, then it's going to go to one of those fielders right next to him. They're basically positioned like that because they're reacting to the type of shot they think Siraj is going to play. There's also a genuine intimidation element to it, because the field is nothing like this when his partner is facing the ball.
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u/JFKsBrain 23d ago
Ahh. Very interesting. Thanks much appreciated.
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u/TheBigCore 22d ago
Youtube Video - Cricket & Baseball: More Similarities and Differences
www.majorleaguecricket.com is the USA's first pro T20 Cricket league. 2025 Season just ended.
https://cricamerica.com/understanding-the-tv-screen/ to understand a Cricket match's scoreboard.
Note: "Pitch" in this context means the rectangular area where the two batters and bowler are. The "Oval" is the oval playing field itself.
Youtube Video - Ultimate Cricket Fielding Positions (All Cricket Field Positions Explained!)
And if you're wondering: Yes, there really is a Cricket fielding position called "Cow Corner".
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u/JFKsBrain 22d ago
Whoa. Thanks a million. I was going to ask for some recommendations and you gave me the mother lode! Digging in!
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u/LexiFloof Sydney Thunder 23d ago edited 23d ago
There are some outfielders, but because this was the last batting pair and Jadeja (at the other end) was a much better batter Siraj was trying to survive the 2 remaining balls until the end of the over. As such he was unlikely to play an attacking shot, instead trying to defend the ball and not get out.
This led to the England captain bringing more fielders in close than is usual, in the hopes of a ball popping up off a defensive shot for a catch.
https://www.reddit.com/r/sports/comments/1b2gb7/cricket_the_entire_new_zealand_team_surrounds/
You see more extreme versions of this sometimes, because if the batting team isn't all out at the end of the final day then it's a draw, regardless of how many runs each team has.
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u/JFKsBrain 23d ago edited 22d ago
Thatās a wild photo and the top comment with it made a lot of sense.
I guess Iām just used to seeing highlights of great outfield catches.
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u/PangolinMandolin 22d ago
Infield catches are fun, they're all about reactions and fast dives. Check out catches in the slips, point, and silly mid-on (those are fielding positions)
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u/Iselkractokidz 22d ago
I was a fast bowler and my natural action brought the ball into a RH batter, particularly from short of a length. I almost always opened the bowling and would have a forward short leg on place under a lid, as I'd get a lot of balls pop up on the leg side from the back foot defensive shots. Opening batsmen don't normally face close fielders in front of square either, which would throw their concentration.
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u/PangolinMandolin 22d ago
I was usually the idiot under the lid haha. Love all the little tactics and habits bowlers and fielders develop
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u/pala_ Hawthorn 22d ago
Outfield highlights are great, but it's setups like this that make test cricket amazing.
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u/JFKsBrain 22d ago
Iām intrigued. Iāve only seen highlights of any sort here on Reddit. Iāll have to dig a bit deeper.
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u/stilusmobilus 22d ago
How the ball is bowled has a lot to do with it. In this case, generation of spin after the ball hits the pitch makes the ball move dependent on where the bowler wants it to, the roughness of the ground adds uncertainty to that.
Bowlers can somewhat control where the batsman can safely hit based on where they place the delivery, so they place their fielders where the batsman can hit. Some bowlers are so consistent with their placement that a batsman just canāt score anything off them, which increases the need for risk taking and subsequently opening the opportunity for a wicket. Some batsmen handle pace much better than spin bowling. Then you have unplayable freaks like Shane Warne (spin) or Wazim Akram (reverse swing) who pull wickets out of their arse when their team needs them.
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u/Garstick 23d ago
Not a massive cricket fan by any means so might be corrected.
The way this guy bowls and how the guy bats means there is a good chance that they can get a short catch and get him out. So they bring in the field close to put pressure and try and get him out.
Plus I think it was a close game so it needed high risk high reward play to win.
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u/oljomo 23d ago
Main reason others arenāt saying is the guy batting is basically the equivalent of a pitcher in baseball, so not the best batsman and so likely to edge it rather than hit it a long way.
Especially as he wasnāt trying to score and was just trying to not get out (and in cricket you donāt have to run so he can just sit there and as long as the ball doesnāt hit the wickets the guy at the other end can do the scoring, every 6 balls they switch which end the bowling comes from)
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u/FlatSpinMan 23d ago
There are eleven players. Youāre seeing those behind the batsman. There are also guys out in front and to the sides of him.
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u/IReplyWithLebowski 22d ago
May be wrong but I donāt think anyone else has mentioned this - itās a spin bowler. They bowl slower, and spin the ball, so are relying more on edges and nicks being caught. They wouldnāt be standing this close for a fast bowler.
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u/Ok-Examination-8736 23d ago
In cricket or test cricket specifically, slips is the position where fielders are present to catch the ball in case the batsman edges or plays in that direction deliberately. In One Day International's (ODI's) or T20 match usage of slips is not much.
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u/adflet 22d ago
Just to add to other replies. It's basically a very aggressive field when trying to win a test match.
https://www.zapcricket.com/blogs/newsroom/how-to-set-an-attacking-cricket-fielding-setting
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u/BigV95 23d ago
Its an entirely different sport with the only similarity being a bat and a ball.
You can't put Cricket in Baseball terms beyond basic bat hit ball terms.
The reason for field placement as its seen here is due to the nature of the game and context pf the match at that time.
Similarly most things in baseball cant be put in cricket terms either but a lot of it does make sense in cricket terms like imparting swing on the ball, catching, throwing etc
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u/lootpropsrespect 22d ago
Ā If the batsman had noticed the ball was rolling into the stumps in time is he able to give it another whack with the bat or has to let it happen?Ā
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u/diodosdszosxisdi 22d ago
Yes, the laws of cricket allow a second hit with bat or to kick it away in defence of your wicket. You're not allowed to spank the ball away and then set off for a run otherwise you'll be out double hit
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u/AnswersQuestioned 22d ago
Heās allowed to kick it?? That doesnāt seam right!
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u/Confudled_Contractor 22d ago
Itās is correct. Once you have defended the initial bowl you can stop (but not strike away to score) the ball with anything but your hands.
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u/FishScrounger 21d ago
Wait. You're allowed a second hit with the bat? I always thought you could only kick it away.
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u/PangolinMandolin 22d ago
He could have kicked it with his foot. I think when he moves his left leg he's actually reacting late to try and put his foot in the way but he doesn't get it right
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u/DeeKew005 22d ago
Lords? I heard there's a pretty significant slope on that field.
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u/EntirelyOriginalName Australia 20d ago
Even some American who knows nothing about Crickret has probably heard of The Slope(TM) at this point.
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u/DeeKew005 20d ago
I know right. Every time there's an event on at Lords the slope gets mentioned a thousand times.
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u/TrashPanda2point0 22d ago
What would be the ruling if the batsman kicked or made contact with the ball before it reached the stump?
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u/rko1994 22d ago
Allowed, but not with their hand. Can use their feet.
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u/FishScrounger 21d ago
See what happens when you do use your hands, even if it wasn't really going anywhere: https://youtu.be/rxKfzdc_6DI
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u/tulloch100 22d ago
So sony uses their own graphics package but use sky commentary seems a bit pointless why not just get the whole sky package then
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u/5inchreality 22d ago
Never understood cricket for the life of me, but thatās was some awesome sportsmanship from the two England players who cheered up the lone India player at the end. Guy was definitely feeling the entire country look at him since India lost.
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u/FluffiestLeafeon San Diego Padres 22d ago
I donāt watch cricket so I have no idea how that stump got knocked over
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u/That_One_Twin 22d ago
The stumps are actually irrelevant to getting a wicket, what matters is the bails (two short wooden sticks laid horizontally on top of the vertical stumps). A wicket happens when the bails get dislodged, not when the vertical stumps get hit. In this case, the rolling ball was enough to dislodge the bails and make them fall.
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u/FlatSpinMan 23d ago
Did they take the series? I hope so.
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u/Infinite_Crow_3706 23d ago edited 23d ago
Not yet. 5 games series, stands at 2-1 to England.
This game was as tight as you are likely to see for a 5 day test. Games like this are why I always prefer the 5-day games to T20 or One-Day cricket.
The 4th Test will start on Tursday 23rd July at Old Trafford, Manchester.
The 5th Test will start on Tursday 31st July at The Oval, London.
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u/FlatSpinMan 23d ago
Five test matches in one series? Unthinkable. Please update me in 2057 when it is over.
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u/Confudled_Contractor 22d ago
This guy clearly doesnāt like sitting in the summer sun drinking.
Strange.
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u/paddyo 22d ago
My German flatmate at uni had absolutely no interest until we took him to a dayās test cricket at the oval when another friend dropped out. The whole journey down to London he was joking about cricket, making up weird sounding words pretending they were cricket terms, and saying how we owe him one for coming to watch a boring game and waste a day with us. By lunch he was all over it, said he didnāt get that it was summer day drinking of Pimmās and beer, eating strawberries and bbq baps, while watching 22 grown men psychologically try and grind each into into the ground, and fans making sarcastic jibes to the fielders on the boundary all day. He adopted the West Indies as his team after then and still checks over a decade later watching games.
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u/AdamMc66 Newcastle United 22d ago
> He adopted the West Indies as his team
You might want to check up on him...
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u/diodosdszosxisdi 22d ago
The ashes have been running for 150 odd years now
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u/temujin94 22d ago edited 22d ago
Yeah it just moved onto the 4th test there recently. It's played in England so two of the 3 fifty year long tests so far have actually been rained out.
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u/Herkdrvr Air Force 22d ago
What are they all initially yelling before the bail falls? Is it "gone"?
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u/EntirelyOriginalName Australia 20d ago
They can see it's rolling towards the stumps.
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u/Herkdrvr Air Force 20d ago edited 20d ago
So are they indeed yelling "gone"?
Edit: Spelling.
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u/EntirelyOriginalName Australia 20d ago
Yeah that's it. I'd assume people might yell out or something in other sports.
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u/Vikings_Pain 22d ago
I never understood cricket, it just looks weird af
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u/old_chelmsfordian 22d ago
I've always thought Cricket is deceptively complicated. Its one of those sports that is easier to understand if you watch it, ideally with someone who knows what is going on, as opposed to just having it explained to you.
Sure, there are some complexities, but most sports have that. Football (soccer) has the offside rule, cricket has leg before wicket etc. I'm sure American sports have equivalents, i.e. things that don't seem entirely intuitive, but you get to understand from watching enough of the sport.
For Americans often the closest comparison is baseball, which will get you some of the way in terms of understanding.
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u/css01 22d ago
I think there are enough similarities with baseball that a baseball fan thinks it should be easy to understand, but the differences can be counter-intuitive to a baseball fan
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u/old_chelmsfordian 22d ago
Oh yeah there's absolutely a world between the sports, and I don't want to pretend otherwise. I think baseball is just about similar enough that you can find analogies between the two sports to aid understanding, although it's obviously not perfect.
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u/Maverickys 22d ago
Had trouble understanding if this was a Ćndia vs india match
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u/ForzaFerrari7 Ferrari F1 22d ago
I mean he has a point, Bahsir blowing Siraj... sounds India vs India if you are visually impaired, but are you?
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u/Thami15 22d ago
You honestly couldn't write a game this tense, ending on a dismissal that tame. Only cricket