Ben Stokes the Ashes flames and Bumrah blows away Windies

[00:00:00] Welcome to episode 73 of the Edges & Sledges Cricket Podcast. I'm your host this week, Ashwin, joining you from Cincinnati in the US.

[00:00:17] And with me is DJ who's in London this week and England of course has been the epicenter of an absolutely incredible week of cricket.

[00:00:24] But before that, I wanted to start by just sharing some fantastic news we have on the Edges & Sledges Cricket Podcast and we tweeted this out.

[00:00:31] So some of you have heard this already, but we are super, super excited to have just heard that we are now rated the number one cricket podcast in India on Apple Podcasts.

[00:00:41] And I think we're number one in a few different countries as well, but obviously being an Indian cricket podcast, we wanted to make sure we celebrated that.

[00:00:47] So huge, huge, huge thank you to every single one of you, all our listeners that have been listening since day one.

[00:00:52] Or if you're a new listener, welcome to the show and thank you for tuning in.

[00:00:56] But we're just incredibly excited. It really keeps us going to know that you guys are out there listening and we love hearing from you and getting feedback, etc. as always.

[00:01:05] So thank you again, DJ on that happy note of us being number one in the Indian cricket podcast scene. How are you doing? And how are you feeling this week?

[00:01:12] I'm very well Ashwin. Thank you. And it's been such a week of cricket. I mean, I don't even know where we're going to start.

[00:01:18] It's been exciting. It's been thrilling. It's been tense, nervous. I mean, and it's been above all, I think it's just raised the bar so high.

[00:01:27] I don't know. I mean, I'll let you start the topics over. I'm just too excited.

[00:01:33] Yeah, let's jump in. In fact, I wanted to say it's not just been an exciting week of cricket.

[00:01:37] It's been a pretty exciting week overall in the world of sport.

[00:01:40] Right. I mean, at least again for those of us who follow Indian sport PV Sindhu just won the gold in the badminton world championships.

[00:01:47] I'm personally a big tennis fan. I know you are as well. You're going to be live at the US Open in a couple of weeks.

[00:01:52] But Sumit Nagpal is playing the first round of the US Open men's singles against Roger Federer.

[00:01:58] He's playing it tonight at local time.

[00:02:00] But obviously by the time this episode releases that result will be done.

[00:02:03] I'm not sure how many people expect him to win, but still pretty incredible to have an Indian, a young Indian male play in the men's singles of the US Open.

[00:02:11] So he had a thrilling qualification. But of course we are not a racket sports podcast.

[00:02:15] Like you said, we're here for cricket three absolutely big matches kicked off or sort of continued the first month ever of the World Test Championship.

[00:02:24] So we'll talk a little bit about the result and the World Test Championship points on the board.

[00:02:29] We usually say we are an Indian cricket podcast, but we cannot start this week's show without talking about the ashes.

[00:02:36] So the third test of the ashes just wrapped up.

[00:02:38] You know, I'm not even going to bother trying to summarize what happened because if you listen to the show, you probably watched or followed it.

[00:02:44] But you know, when we left you off last time, Steve Smith had just come back on the bat for the second time in the same day.

[00:02:51] That that test obviously ended with the first ever use of the new like for like concussion substitute.

[00:02:57] It feels like so long ago that that happened. But we had a quick turnaround.

[00:03:01] We had the third test just wrapped up in leads at heading Lee DJ.

[00:03:05] Let's start by asking you, you know, you posted a picture or video of this, but you're supposed to be playing cricket on Sundays.

[00:03:11] Right? Were you actually playing cricket yesterday or were you watching or how did what? How did it feel in England?

[00:03:15] Yes, it is incredible. So people who haven't actually checked out the tweet go go on to our Twitter and have a look.

[00:03:21] But what happened was we had a game that started at about 130 and the first innings we managed to bowl the opposition out for not very many, luckily 120 or so.

[00:03:31] And as it is usually 120 is still better than 67.

[00:03:35] Almost double right? I mean, decent effort from the opposition.

[00:03:38] It was quite a tricky pitch.

[00:03:40] But as it is, you know, you have a tea break in these games and the tea break is about 20 minutes, 15, 20 minutes.

[00:03:46] At most in you eat some cakes, have some biscuits and witches have a cup of tea or lemonade or something.

[00:03:51] And you go back out to play.

[00:03:53] What happened was England needed by the time we started our tea break, they needed about 50 want to get with stokes spitting.

[00:04:00] And we'd been getting kind of periodic updates when batsmen were coming out or umpires were coming out just kind of telling us what the score was.

[00:04:07] And what England was doing and England didn't look like they were doing very well at one stage.

[00:04:12] They lost some wickets, Bear Stoke got out, Butler got out and I mean by the time the tea break started was 50 to get.

[00:04:19] And we basically just sat there and watched it all the way to the end and it was absolutely incredible.

[00:04:25] The atmosphere in that room was brilliant.

[00:04:27] The tension, you could cut it with a knife.

[00:04:30] There was all sorts of advice being thrown at Ben Stokes, Jack Leach and I mean the shots that Stokes unleash.

[00:04:38] I'm sure we're going to talk about that but I mean that experience is going to live on in my memory for a really long time.

[00:04:43] It was just fantastic.

[00:04:45] Obviously our innings were slightly less exciting.

[00:04:47] We managed to chase the runs pretty easily so that was good news for us.

[00:04:51] So batting second means for anybody who's been following, we said you have the curse of the 140s.

[00:04:55] You didn't make it to 140 this time obviously if you were only chasing 120.

[00:04:58] I actually didn't get a bat.

[00:05:00] I batted at five then just chased it with the two wickets down.

[00:05:04] So I'd bolt before.

[00:05:05] I'd bolt at five.

[00:05:06] That sounds like somebody we're going to talk a lot about in this show, right?

[00:05:09] Mr. Ben Stokes himself.

[00:05:11] All right, let's talk a little about the lead up to the last day.

[00:05:14] We're talking about the day five already but Australia batted first in this match, made 179.

[00:05:19] I think the highlight for us was Jofra Archer picked up six wickets.

[00:05:23] Absolutely incredible spell of bowling.

[00:05:25] Let me ask you a question.

[00:05:26] As a quit bowling all around yourself, how do you feel about, there's a lot of discussion about Jofra bowling,

[00:05:32] consistently bowling bouncers targeting the batsman's head.

[00:05:36] There's some people who say, hey, are we going back to the kind of age of body line, etc.

[00:05:41] There's a lot of others myself included to say, hey, this is legal.

[00:05:44] So it's one thing for the ICC to change the rules and say you can no longer target the batsman's head off of a bounce obviously.

[00:05:51] But what are your thoughts on that?

[00:05:53] And I mean, you play a lot of club cricket.

[00:05:54] What is it like in the club cricket scene?

[00:05:56] Have you seen more bowlers showing up trying to bowl bouncers at the helmet since Jofra has emerged in the last little bit?

[00:06:01] That's very interesting.

[00:06:02] So just to clarify for listeners, when Ashwin says I'm a quick bowling all rounder, I'm nowhere as close to Jofra Archer.

[00:06:09] I'm probably 90 kilometers per hour where Jofra is 90 miles per hour.

[00:06:12] So that's the difference.

[00:06:13] I think the last time I played against you, I would have been like 13 or 14 years old.

[00:06:17] So I felt that's just Jofra.

[00:06:19] But I mean, it's an interesting question, isn't it?

[00:06:21] Because he bowled consistently short at lords.

[00:06:24] He hit Marcus Labashkagne or Labashain, whichever way you want to pronounce his surname.

[00:06:30] In the face on the second ball, almost sending the like for like concussion substitute into a concussion himself.

[00:06:38] And it was incredible how he kind of sprang back like a boxer.

[00:06:41] That was that was a great look for Marcus.

[00:06:43] But I think it's always a manus.

[00:06:47] His name is Manus, isn't it?

[00:06:48] It's not Marcus.

[00:06:49] Marcus North, I'm confusing him with Marcus North, Marcus Harris.

[00:06:54] That's right.

[00:06:55] It's a manus, Labashain or Labashkagne.

[00:06:58] Anyway, moving on.

[00:07:01] So I think Jofra is it's scary.

[00:07:04] I think the problem is bowlers have always bowl bouncers and it's a legal thing to do.

[00:07:09] Nobody likes seeing batsmen get hit, but they've got plenty of protection now.

[00:07:12] They can play the hook shot.

[00:07:13] They can play the pull shot.

[00:07:14] And it makes the game exciting seeing a quick bowler run in and bowl short and batsman take him on or sway out of the way.

[00:07:22] It takes skill.

[00:07:23] And I think the thing with Jofra is that we haven't seen Pace like him for many, many years.

[00:07:30] I think we've seen quick bowlers.

[00:07:32] We've seen people like Boomrah who pitched it up really good at Yorkers.

[00:07:36] We've seen people like Dale Stain who swing it away at Pace.

[00:07:40] But the intimidation that has come with Jofra, I think we haven't seen that for many years.

[00:07:46] I don't think there's a trickle down effect at club level and I don't think there will be because firstly,

[00:07:51] I think you need to be quite strong to bowl a bouncer.

[00:07:54] I don't think I have bowled a bouncer for the last 15 years myself.

[00:07:57] So I think it's not going to trickle down to club level, but I think it's going to stay in the game.

[00:08:03] There was a phase in the game after Phil Hughes's unfortunate demise that people were like,

[00:08:07] should this be outlawed and stuff?

[00:08:09] I think it's part of the game and it's not going to go away.

[00:08:12] We've controlled it with the number of fielders behind the batsman on the leg side because of the body line series and all the injuries.

[00:08:19] We've controlled it through the West Indian grades who I think put 42 people in hospital with concussions and various broken bones.

[00:08:27] So I don't think it's going away.

[00:08:29] I think it's come into prominence and the question with Jofra was actually why he didn't go and check on Smith.

[00:08:35] And I think it was okay.

[00:08:37] There was somebody who said actually that one of the ex-Australian captains maybe who said that if a bowler hit a batsman,

[00:08:43] I sent the bowler away because I didn't want his bowling to get affected.

[00:08:46] So everybody else checked up on Smith immediately after Jofra went back to his mark and I think that's fair.

[00:08:52] It's really not easy to bowl a bouncer, right?

[00:08:56] Buffer almost makes it look so easy but I think you really summarise that well.

[00:08:59] So Trilum had 179, England walks out to bat and just as they've done so many times in the last called two years

[00:09:05] and I was looking this up, they made 58 all out against New Zealand last year and in 2018.

[00:09:11] They made 77 all out against West Indies.

[00:09:14] They were 85 all out against Ireland just earlier this year, earlier this summer.

[00:09:20] And so of course you can see when I'm going with this England ended up on 67 all out, the highest score being 12 by Joe Denley,

[00:09:27] the only player to get in a double digits.

[00:09:29] Great spell by Hazelwood to pick up five wickets.

[00:09:31] The rest of it basically Warner found form, Labouché and Labouché Cogne, whatever you want to call him.

[00:09:36] Had another great second innings and then we come to England's second innings.

[00:09:41] 359 to get. I started looking this up, you know on paper for those who don't watch Test Match Cricket that much.

[00:09:47] Okay, time is not an issue.

[00:09:49] 359, okay it's high but it's not, it doesn't sound impossible but it's only ever been done nine times before this.

[00:09:56] And both openers perished pretty quickly.

[00:09:58] You're sitting in the sixth over at 15 for two and Joe Root and Joe Denley are standing out there and starting to build a partnership.

[00:10:07] DJ, at this point at 15 for two Root in pretty terrible form and Denley just being the ugly looking cricketer he is.

[00:10:15] Did you think there was any hope at all?

[00:10:17] To be completely honest with you after 67 all out and 15 for two and the ball that Jason Roy got right from,

[00:10:24] I think it was Hazel, just beautiful, incredible ball and I mean just to put it further in context the press and the media here went absolutely ballistic after the 67.

[00:10:35] It was all about how nobody cares about Test Cricket anymore.

[00:10:39] You concentrate on white ball cricket that's what you get keep getting bowled out for less than 100.

[00:10:44] What is this? I mean Test Cricket has lost its primacy and Ben Stokes came in for a lot of criticism for his shot that he played which was

[00:10:53] he got caught behind chasing a wide one and I mean the media was really on the English captain's back.

[00:11:01] Joe Root getting out for I think it was successive ducks as well.

[00:11:04] So when he came into bat in the second innings under a lot of pressure, Joe Denley playing for his career as well and Joe Root probably playing for his captaincy given that if England lost this game they would have lost the ashes right.

[00:11:15] So incredible pressure and at that stage things didn't look good.

[00:11:19] I for one thought barring a miracle which has happened previously in Heidegleh in 81 which they keep showing in the breaks between the sessions, the ashes were gone.

[00:11:31] Yeah so it looked like if it was going to happen anywhere it would be Heidegleh.

[00:11:34] So I think they went off on the third day at three down so still feeling pretty optimistic Root still batting and then of course magic happened.

[00:11:43] Ben Stokes and again I want to reference a message we got on Twitter from Ben Rajadurai saying can you please talk about how Ben Stokes is literally Jesus in the next podcast.

[00:11:57] And I think that was very appropriate because remember this is the guy who basically played the World Cup final winning knock for them, not without some controversy not without some ups and downs but he got them over the line.

[00:12:08] And he walks out at he would have come in at 141 for three batted with Joe Root for about 1820 more runs and then Root gets out.

[00:12:16] Bear Stokes stuck around for a little bit and then Bear Stokes got out and slowly you start seeing people on the other end perish.

[00:12:22] He got just Butler himself run out. I mean pretty bad cold but you know it is what it is but the God won't you expect you to stick around God.

[00:12:30] Archer hit a couple of good boundaries of lion should have had the patience to stick it out and make it through the over and just get Stokes back on strike.

[00:12:39] Didn't make it and then of course as we know now he managed to get them over the line in partnership with with Leech who's a off spinner who generally is not known for his batting has had.

[00:12:50] He made 92 against Ireland earlier this summer but Ben Stokes what an absolutely magnificent performance.

[00:12:56] He made two runs off his first 66 balls just with the omission of staying there and not getting out and then ended 135 off 219 so we'll dissect the end of that innings in a little bit but DJ is this the greatest fourth innings test match knock ever.

[00:13:12] Great question man I mean fourth innings knocks it's the ones that come to mind right I mean Brian Lara's 153 against Australia.

[00:13:22] Of course Kushal Pereira 153 versus South Africa earlier this year which Sri Lanka one by one wicked against all odds there was the more Harley knock by VVS Lakshman the one that you remember with Oja getting screamed at and Ishan Sharma actually hanging around with him and getting us across the line.

[00:13:40] So yeah Australia seems to have had their fair share of innings fourth innings knocks played against them but I think this ranks probably given the context in which it was played given the 67 all out given the history of Ben Stokes.

[00:13:56] Last year I mean he was an outcast he was a complete pariah he was being booed on the ground for having hit somebody and there was that incident outside the nightclub and I mean he was also the person who lost them the world he 20 years

[00:14:14] and then he was getting hit for four sixes by Carlos remember the name Bratwit I mean he was not having a good time of it and for him to have done that six weeks after playing probably what he thought was the knock off his life in the world cup to have the mental strength to pull out

[00:14:33] and other I mean once in a lifetime innings within six weeks of playing that knock in the world cup final after having put in a stint in bowling remember he's bought 24 hours and that ball to Travis head was incredible.

[00:14:49] He was he didn't believe in England had lost this match at any stage and I mean I think they've been some great knocks but I think we're looking at and I hate to say this given that I've actually previously gone on record probably saying that I don't like Ben Stokes as a cricketer but this is the summer of redemption man.

[00:15:07] This is summer of redemption Steve Smith and Ben Stokes I mean Ben Stokes is probably going to be one of the if not the greatest all rounder to have ever played the game.

[00:15:18] Yeah I think you summarized it really really well so thanks for that really well said I want to I want to talk a little bit about how he pastes innings I mentioned this but he was on two of 66 balls and ended his innings on 135 of 219 with eight sixes and 11 fours.

[00:15:34] So I don't know if you're watching this but from my perspective it was absolutely just incredible watching this guy who like you said is an all rounder so sort of known for both his batting and his bowling.

[00:15:45] And you know honestly he's not necessarily seen as one of the smartest batsman in the world he can hit big he can hit T20 and ODI knocks but I don't know if he's ever the reputation of necessarily being a quote smart batsman has followed him.

[00:15:59] But he was just on song I think he did an incredible job of as the seventh eighth and eventually ninth wickets fell he continued accelerating.

[00:16:07] He went for those boundaries in the first two to three balls of the over went for a single in the fourth or fifth.

[00:16:12] He did an amazing job by the way of after hitting a boundary when the field early in the over the field went back and he picked his gap and picked up twos.

[00:16:19] And so there was just something magical about watching him keep the scoreboard ticking while obviously preserving his wicked which was the critic the most critical thing.

[00:16:28] And then if you were watching this live when it got down to two runs needed.

[00:16:32] That's when on the last ball of the over there was an LBW shout and because of the chaos it was given not out because of the chaos they didn't take a single and Jack Leach had to face out an entire over but let's come to the LBW shout really quickly.

[00:16:46] DJ have you seen that did you watch it the videos or have you seen the replay and ready to discuss it.

[00:16:50] So is this the Nathan line LBW with two runs to get.

[00:16:54] Yeah so let's just back up a little the prior over Jack Leach was back exactly.

[00:16:59] There was an over Hazel wood is bowling over the way.

[00:17:03] Oh sorry I'm coming it was Cummins Cummins was pulling over the wicked to a lefty.

[00:17:06] So anybody who knows anything about test cricket or cricket will tell you and Pakespole are bowling over the wicked to a lefty is an incredibly unlikely LBW.

[00:17:14] But it happened to the naked eye pitched way outside like stump probably hidden hit way outside like stump may have gone under the stumps but should have been not out.

[00:17:22] And Tim Payne I think partly in frustration partly in just hope he reviewed it and wasted or used up the last review Australia had.

[00:17:32] So DJ take us on from there that Nathan Lionel came in and bowled over to Stokes and I'll bowl the last one over to Stokes.

[00:17:40] I also remember that DRS review that was actually taken you could see Patrick Cummins actually shaking his head and saying it's not out.

[00:17:47] He did not want to take it.

[00:17:49] I mean they knew right. He walked back right away all the bowlers and fielders walked back to their position nobody thought.

[00:17:55] And and and Payne still went for it probably thinking it was his last throw of the dice may as well try it was a marginal call in his head right he was just like 50 50 or maybe I don't know whatever he was hoping he was just hoping again so that somehow it had pitched on the stumps.

[00:18:08] And if it's not going to swing back into the left hander is not if it's not out swing from over the wicket it's not going to be out it's it's almost impossible for the stumps to be hit from that angle.

[00:18:18] If it's not an out swinger from the right hand bowler to a left hand batsman and so they used up that review the last of their reviews they burned it and then Nathan Lion gets the job of bowling to Stokes and the first thing that happens in that over is actually Stokes hits it for six.

[00:18:35] And then you've got to I think you've got three runs to get and he reverse sweeps one to point and point picks up the ball throws it to Nathan Lion.

[00:18:44] Jack Leach is almost shaking hands with Ben Stokes at that stage it's it's that comedic horror tragic comedy from 1999 playing out all over again except again it's Australia in the field but unlike who was it was it.

[00:19:04] Who's guy Damien Fleming who just like rolled it to Gilchrist.

[00:19:09] Nathan Lion actually fails to collect the ball and with Jack Leach halfway down the pitch bottles are not and I mean that that was the moment that the I mean that that was the moment that Australia had the ashes right anyway.

[00:19:27] So that just to be clear on that they needed two runs to win and a win or a loss which means a win for Australia would have had them retain the ashes even one would have ended in a tie which means England had a fighting chance so this would have literally been one run to lose by run on one run.

[00:19:44] Correct so Stokes actually doesn't go for it because he's still backing himself to get the two runs to win the match.

[00:19:49] Lion bottles the run out and the ball just drops and like the Australians can't believe that they've done that credit to line he picks himself up bowls one the next ball which pitches kind of middle is spinning a little bit Stokes goes for the sweep misses it and it looks pretty out.

[00:20:08] But guess who's the umpire it's our friend Joel Wilson and in the moment of pressure Joel Wilson does not give it out remember England has a review up its leave at this stage so if he'd given it out and it wasn't out.

[00:20:25] England could have reviewed that Stokes had a review up his sleeve where Australia did not have a review up their sleeve so that is the crucial point and at that stage if Joel Wilson had given it out Australia would have won the ashes again.

[00:20:39] England could have reviewed it but when we saw we saw the rest right it was three reds and I mean it was over that that was the game and again Australia had the ashes.

[00:20:48] So people will argue that yeah well the umpires robbed Australia well they used up their DRS review earlier anyway long story short Jack Leach knocks a single off his hips the next ball.

[00:20:59] Pen strokes crashes it through the offside and all hell just breaks loose I mean incredible scenes at heading leave the crowd which was full at 11am on on day four.

[00:21:10] Full capacity crowd came in expecting a miracle and Ben Stokes did not fail he delivered that miracle at heading leave incredible well said miracle at heading leave happens again.

[00:21:21] I want to dispute one thing before we talk about the last ashes topic and I completely disagree that that looked out to the naked eye the LBW I was watching it.

[00:21:30] And again maybe at that point I just wanted the miracle to happen so maybe there's a little bit of bias much as I usually don't like England but to the naked eye to me it was most certainly not out.

[00:21:40] It looked like it was angling away maybe pitched on leg and started angling down it did not look like it didn't have to spin back there are some theories online saying DRS quote unquote got it wrong because it didn't correctly detect the touch on the front pad.

[00:21:57] And the deviation in the ball was not caused by the spin it was caused by contact on the front pad.

[00:22:02] Anyway we can debate this till the cast come home interesting actually because Stokes actually said that he didn't think it was out he was like he doesn't know he said it too and we can we can repost it but there are some people on Twitter who've slowed down the video and have posted it and it's really interesting to see the point is for me it certainly wasn't a howler Joe Wilson has had a horrendous summer he's had a lot of howlers to me this wasn't certainly wasn't a howler.

[00:22:25] It may have been the wrong decision which happens and that's what we have DRS for and paint should have used it better but by no means was this a really really poor decision.

[00:22:32] Yeah and it was awesome because I was playing with the Kiwi and then they were the guy just like so anything that England's won this year has been either delivered by the umpires or a Kiwi born all rounder.

[00:22:42] Pretty funny that's pretty much it right and Jimmy Nietzsche himself had he tweeted a pretty funny line that saying it's a great summer to be a Kiwi born all around her that's not me.

[00:22:52] So anyway good lots of good discussion happening the last thing I want to talk to you before we take a quick break Ben Stokes could have batted for as long as he wanted.

[00:23:01] He could have hit as many runs as he wanted but none of it would have mattered if the 10th week had fallen on the other end so just how clutch was that one run contribution that Jack Leach made out of the last 73 runs.

[00:23:13] I mean to walk out with 73 left to go and only one wicked in hand Jack Leach this guy has had a crazy tumultuous career.

[00:23:20] He broke his or fractured his skull in 2015 his action was initially ruled out because of or it was called out as being suspect made his way back made 92 against Ireland and I mean there was just something beautiful about the moment where every time he had to face a ball.

[00:23:36] He stopped put his back down took both the gloves off took the helmet off wiped the glasses made sure they were nice and clean but the glasses back on got fully dressed again and then bettered out that last one of the over but just how clutch was Jack Leach is in Jack Leach is innings for you.

[00:23:50] Well he scored one run in the one hour that he was out there face 17 balls and I mean Stokes couldn't have done it without him right he needs someone at the other end.

[00:23:58] Luxman had Oja Lara I think at Courtney Walsh and Jack Leach is Ben Stokes is man and I mean it was such a it was such an almost endearing with all that pressure that this guy is like cleaning his glasses right I mean we don't see those many cricketers wearing glasses anymore.

[00:24:15] I think Santner is one of the other modern cricketers who wear glasses and Daniel Vittori was the last one before him so it was quite old school something very test cricket about it that Jack Leach comes out and like his glasses are steaming up on this hot day and heading you with all the pressure going on around.

[00:24:32] I thought it I thought it was very very it was a nice moment it was a nice moment but well played to Jack well played to him.

[00:24:38] It was fantastic and I do there's a great interview with him on cricket for where he talks about how he's been getting so much praise and it could be because he looks like the every man he looks like the club cricketeries bald he's got glasses it was just a fabulous moment you mentioned lots of names I want to make sure we recognize Vishwa Fernando also for being coastal prayer as a partner in crime to help them get over the land because.

[00:25:00] Absolutely taking all those blows on his body as well right like incredibly.

[00:25:04] Six runs in over an hour he made but it helped his team over the line so it's yeah and to answer your question earlier little bit maybe I don't know 153 by Kushal 135 by Ben Stokes it's tough man it's it's tough to analyze those innings and pick one out of those I mean.

[00:25:23] Sri Lanka was so unfan seed in that series and for Kushal prayer to pull that off one handed incredible but for Stokes to do it in that pressure to cover situation as well with a lot on the line.

[00:25:34] I don't know tough to pick so I don't know.

[00:25:37] Let's just not pick then and appreciate both of them for what they are and say we're incredibly fortunate to be experiencing test cricket like this for anybody who said it wasn't doing well test cricket is alive and kicking in back with a bag so on that happy note we're going to get to the India West Bank.

[00:25:52] And I think it's a really interesting and interesting test test test which is the first one which is wrapped up but we'll take a quick break and be right back after this.

[00:25:57] Hello everybody welcome to another awesome week on the IVM podcast network if you are not following us on social media please make sure you do with IVM podcast on Twitter Facebook and Instagram and also just a reminder if you like what you're listening to take a screenshot of what you're listening to and tag us on social media and we will repost your post.

[00:26:14] Also please do tell a friend if you're enjoying a podcast which you think a friend would enjoy do tell them I think that that is something that really helps us I think that we do see you know I mean like increases in listenership when you guys do that so please please do tell friends that you are enjoying what podcast you're listening to.

[00:26:30] Last week we launched a new show called Agla station adulthood with best friends Ritasha Rathore and Aiyush I mean they talk about their journey into adulthood on the first episode they discuss crushes and female friendships and on this week's episode they try to crack the code on how to adult.

[00:26:42] You can also catch Ritasha and Aiyush I mean this week's fire says where they talk to Cyrus about the podcast what constitutes acting like a grown up and Ritasha gives Cyrus detailed instructions to reach Mud Island.

[00:26:52] Noir Kanun with Umbarana is back with a new season on the first episode of season two Umbar is joined by model Hussain Kaur and actor Laura Mishra to talk about civic issues.

[00:27:00] On the empowering series host Darina Poonawala is joined by investment banker Neetu El Singhani who shares her experience of being a single mother.

[00:27:06] On 9 XM Soundcast host Eva Bhatt is joined by Aditi Singh Sharma. Aditi shares interesting stories about her child in Russia and their adoon and singing for a rockman in Delhi.

[00:27:15] This week on Gold Gapas Ritthikamkar is joined by Priya Bapad an actor power excellence who shares some incredible stories about self love and prioritizing oneself.

[00:27:23] This week on the Prageri podcast Sandesh Anand joins Pawan Srinath to talk about cybersecurity.

[00:27:27] On Advertising is Dead Varun is joined by CEO and co-founder of Terribly Tiny Tales Anuj Gosalia.

[00:27:32] They discuss the emergence of short form content.

[00:27:34] On the habit coach Ashwin Doctor talks about acupressure acupuncture techniques and their benefits.

[00:27:39] On Pulia Bazi Purana and Saurabh discuss the political history present and future Balochistan with former Raw officer Tilak Devashar.

[00:27:46] This week on Paperback Satyajit and Ratchita talk to Sanjitha Lahut about books that bring forth an individual's hardships.

[00:27:52] And with that let's get you on with your show.

[00:27:56] Welcome back to the Edges in Sludges Cricket Podcast.

[00:27:59] We absolutely love talking about the ashes we can do it all day.

[00:28:02] It was a fantastic test. There are two tests to go but we're an Indian cricket podcast.

[00:28:07] We were excited to I mentioned last week I was thrilled to see India back in whites and it did not disappoint.

[00:28:12] So India took on West Indies in the first test match at Antigua.

[00:28:15] You know not a great start to the match.

[00:28:18] India was 25 for three on the first morning but proceeded to have a great pretty strong first innings,

[00:28:24] pretty great second innings and then win the match overall with a fine bowling performance by our Seamers at the end.

[00:28:28] DJ let's talk a little bit about the playing 11 that gets it got selected.

[00:28:32] So there's three things that we kind of talked about before the test that I want to chat.

[00:28:36] One, Rohit didn't get selected. I imagine you're pretty happy about that.

[00:28:40] Two, Ashwin didn't get selected. I think that's a little more controversial and then three, Pant got selected over Saha.

[00:28:46] I think that one you're not so happy about but let's quickly chat about each of those three things.

[00:28:50] So Rohit do you think it was the right call obviously?

[00:28:52] I absolutely think it was. I think it's rewarding performance in the red ball format right?

[00:28:58] And Vihari has been performing with the India A side. He's performed for India when he's played for them.

[00:29:03] Even the seven or eight runs he scored I think when he opened the batting in Melbourne key and it's temperament

[00:29:09] and there are some players that you can see have the temperament for Test cricket and I'm glad he proved me right actually

[00:29:15] and we'll talk about that later in the show of course with the runs that he got in both innings.

[00:29:20] So let's try that. I think totally fair, totally completely echo that.

[00:29:24] I mean I feel for Rohit he had a great white ball season but I do think it looks like at that number six slot

[00:29:30] there's a little bit more certainty coming in with Vihari but let's talk about the spinner.

[00:29:35] Ravindra Jadeja got selected as the first choice and only spinner in the side.

[00:29:39] How do you feel about that? Some data to back that up says Ashwin is one of the most successful bowlers

[00:29:46] in the number of innings he's played across all of India's history and maybe even some of the history of bowlers across the world.

[00:29:53] So how do you feel about leaving him out? I think that was a really tough call because we exchanged 11s before the game as well

[00:29:59] and Ashwin was I mean he walks into my Indian Test 11 right. He's our number one spinner

[00:30:04] and he's been our number one spinner for many a year. He's I mean he's got great record in the West Indies.

[00:30:09] He's got I think the maximum number of man of the series awards and I think the last time we were out there he won the man of the series award as well.

[00:30:16] He bowls really well to left handers and the West Indian top order is full of left handers attacking left handers that he's very, very good against.

[00:30:24] He is a very good batsman. I think he got 100 the last time we were out in the West Indies as well.

[00:30:29] I think what's worked against him and it's not maybe it's not the right criteria for selection is his fitness on the last two or eight tours we've had.

[00:30:39] Broke down in England, crucial didn't win us a test in Southampton with a with an injury and played the first test in Adelaide did well in Australia and then didn't play the rest of the series.

[00:30:51] So I think that's what's actually counted against him in the final analysis. I don't know what you think about the selection because he's a world class player right.

[00:30:59] People like Gavaskar were completely flabbergasted by it.

[00:31:01] Yeah, I'm pretty disappointed. I think there's a little bit of the white ball issues that are leaking over to the test team.

[00:31:09] But if they picked Jadeja for his batting to come in and bat at eight, I think yeah, the challenge with having Ishant, Shami and Bomra is you basically have three number 11s.

[00:31:19] Now, Shant did pretty well in this test but on paper if you want a stronger number eight, Jadeja is probably the slightly better batsman than Ashwin.

[00:31:26] But I think for me to your point that you made earlier Ashwin is a world class bowler and if you're picking your number eight because of slightly better batting, then you're just doing it wrong.

[00:31:38] You don't have enough faith in your top seven batsmen.

[00:31:40] So I think to me Ashwin slides on the side not to discredit what Jadeja did either with the bat or the ball.

[00:31:45] On a pitch where there's two spinners, he immediately walks on the side but really tough call.

[00:31:51] I just worry it's a little bit more than fitness or things you said.

[00:31:54] I think it's the politics. I don't think he gets along quite as well with Shastri and Kohli but anything to add to that, Deeta?

[00:32:01] Yeah, I think one of the things to just remember is that Ashwin, it's how you see Ashwin or the spinners role to be more precise.

[00:32:10] Is Jadeja playing an attacking role or is he playing a containing role for the fast bowlers to take the wickets?

[00:32:16] And if Kohli just wants to keep one end tight with Ashwin just running through the overs and keeping his over eight up and attacking from the other end with the fast bowlers, maybe that's why Ashwin didn't play because Ashwin might attack more and might leak more runs.

[00:32:31] That is the only kind of strategic reason I can think of for not playing Ashwin.

[00:32:36] Jadeja did very well of course and he's done well off late in test cricket. He did well in the oval test, he played the last test in Melbourne as well.

[00:32:44] And he did well in this series. As you said not to discredit what he's done but maybe one of the justifications that team manager will give and I don't know whether we're attributing too much intelligence or reading too much into it is maybe it's the role of the spinner and how they see them performing.

[00:33:00] Yeah I think that's super insightful actually and we've seen Ashwin bowl matches where he's been aggressive but we've also seen matches him bowl incredibly defensively and so I think that's really interesting to think about.

[00:33:10] Hopefully we see you know with the long domestic season ahead of us I think from September all the way through to Feb March India plays at home and there's lots of test cricket so hopefully Ashwin and Jadeja both play.

[00:33:21] I don't know where that means cool deep but anyway we'll cover that as we get closer to it and then we talked a little bit about punt over Sah I think Varun and I both predicted punt would play.

[00:33:31] He had a reasonable outing in his first innings made 24 odd you know got up to an unfortunately very ugly looking shot as he tends to in the second innings but I want to come and talk about our vice captain the man at Jinkyarahane.

[00:33:44] He has struggled many called it his comeback test many actually before the series called for him not to be selected at all I don't think he made everybody's playing 11 but he spent time in England he's been working on his test game and he walks in at 25 for three consolidates beautifully with the Hari and then punt and then Jadeja and manages to get 81 in the first innings getting out to a pretty good ball and he you know played really well in the second innings too and got us over the line with the magnificent century you know perished at 102.

[00:34:14] But by the time he crossed his century we were ready to declare anyway so he went for some shots near the end but DJ are you happy for a Jinkyarahane it's hard not to feel good for this guy right.

[00:34:24] Love the guy he's I mean he's for the fan he's like the nicest guy of Indian cricket the successor the sole successor to Rahul Dravid right like the nice guys of Indian cricket and you could see how much it meant to him that hundred.

[00:34:35] He just went down on his haunches just took a moment to take it in and he there was a long hug with the Hari at the other end and it meant a lot to Rane I think it did it had been a number of tests he got I think 39 39 tests he got 800 900 and then he waited 17 test matches to get this 100 so absolutely brilliant innings in the second innings and the first innings walking in at 25 for three played some very nice shots.

[00:35:04] His technique looked in good order looks like the county stint has actually helped him organize his mind like when he's only playing one format of the game so it's tough to get your rhythm I think like playing only one format and really really happy for a honey such a pivotal position at number five and you could see that Koli was happy for him as well from the dressing room we could see the.

[00:35:27] The joy on his face as well to say that this is the guy I've backed this is the guy who's my vice captain he's my second in command I'm backing him he's going to do the job for us and.

[00:35:37] Some cracking shots some really nice shots against spin some brilliant drive through extra cover.

[00:35:43] Really coming back to his best not confused by the one day game and the demand of the limited over variety of.

[00:35:49] Yeah so before we that's great summary thanks to you before we talk more about the last couple of things I want to talk is the Hari and then boomerang.

[00:35:57] We got a tweet this week and since we've talked about Ashwin and Rihanna I'm going to mention it so our in them Sahar tweeted us saying so point to ponder with the daily capitals looking to bring in your honey and Ashwin and trades.

[00:36:07] You guys taking a page out of our CB 2008 and getting all the test specialists so just quickly as context what we're starting to hear some rumors about is both.

[00:36:16] Rihanna from the Rajasthan Royals and Ashwin from Punjab are being looked at for trades by their respective franchises and apparently apparently all rumor mills.

[00:36:26] Delhi is interested in both of them so DJ what are your thoughts start with Rihanna since we just talked about him do you think Delhi's actually interested in him and if so should they be not sure I mean I don't know what.

[00:36:37] Where he'd fit into that lineup right we've already got that kind of steady player at the top with Shikhar Dhawan so I'm not sure that there's actually a spot for him to be playing it.

[00:36:49] So yeah this is the struggle I have is Varun and I talk about this a lot but you're next few years of teach I mean Shah is not playing consistently in India for India but you have the Havan.

[00:36:58] I hear it was had a great limited overseas and of course you have three guys who are playing for your country in the top five Gil sorry Shaw maybe I want Gil to be playing for Delhi that bad but Shaw.

[00:37:13] Is going around at that lineup once his band is done he's probably gonna play for the country so you have such a solid Indian band contingent I agree I don't know where Rahan if it's in.

[00:37:20] But let's see how that goes and especially if they trade someone for him I hope it's not somebody good we have already let go of sure Fender Rutherford this season in a trade with the Delhi mark on data beef up the legs pin.

[00:37:33] But let's talk about Ashwin do you think Ashwin can fit into the Delhi capitals line both from a kind of leadership and strategy standpoint but also as an offspinner.

[00:37:41] I actually like the idea of Ashwin and the Delhi capitals because the track in Delhi is actually something that spins and it's a slow kind of turning track.

[00:37:51] Ashwin's I mean I think he's an asset in the T20 game no matter you might say that his feelings a bit weak in his batting isn't great but he's also got a mind that constantly ticking and someone like Shriyas would actually benefit from him on the field.

[00:38:05] I think because she hasn't I don't know how much he's involved with the strategy show is obviously captain at the lower level so he's going to have some ideas but he's quite young and he may not input that much on the field.

[00:38:17] Rishabh Pant I think just keeps to himself behind the stumps and occasionally comes up with some funny chatter.

[00:38:23] So I think I should have actually help I am on the field obviously they've got the other off the field and pointing as well right so yeah I like the idea of Ashwin at the Delhi capitals I think we'd welcome him.

[00:38:33] Interesting yeah I tend to agree with that I think Amit Mishra is coming to the end of his career I don't even know if he'll still play but I've said that for the last five years now but he's got to be coming to the end of his career so frontline seamer.

[00:38:45] But haven't we got Mark and Day now tend to trade for Mark and Day.

[00:38:49] Yeah yes we traded Shraveen Rathore for Mark and Day but I don't know if Mark and Day is your kind of lead frontline spinner he needs somebody a little more senior to help him through and that could be a quick I mean he did pretty well with Brian Malinga on his side but I do think you need one

[00:39:03] more senior spinner to help Mark and Day or get the best out of Mark and Day.

[00:39:08] Anyway enough of Delhi we'll talk about that plenty as we get closer to the auction or whatever mini auction will happen this year but let's go back to the India Western East has wrap up my final two things I want to talk the first is Hanuman Vihari so we talked it really briefly but how I did I don't know if you watched it but I don't think the scorecard does it justice he made 32 in the first innings and he made 93 in the

[00:39:29] second it was a little bit heartbreaking to see him not get to the century because Kohli let them stay out there long enough to get for him to get the century prior to declaring he fell short but honestly he looks so good out there he just looks like he belongs he bats beautifully against spin and I'm

[00:39:47] just so happy to see us have a number six that looks so stable so how are you feeling about Vihari.

[00:39:50] Absolutely love Vihari as a batsman but it only becomes tricky when Harthik Pandya comes back into the test side and we want to play four bowlers and a all rounder so quite tricky and I mean he bowls off spin useful you saw him bowling some offspin as well in this game looks like an organized batsman he looks

[00:40:10] like he's got the temperament for test cricket he gets the tempo of the game right like in the first innings he knew that we needed to consolidate so he played a slower innings and in the second innings he batted it I thought was probably the most fluent maybe apart from Barahani his batting was beautiful his driving was perfect some of those shots against spin would just lovely to watch and it was disappointing

[00:40:33] I have to say for him to get strangled on the leg side like that seven run short of a maiden test hundred I mean he looks like a player that we need to invest in he's got a great back story his mom has really backed him when his father passed away at a young age and I mean it's so good to see all that hard work coming to fruition at that level it's just a great story.

[00:40:55] Yeah I absolutely couldn't agree more let's quickly come to the final final innings so West Indies comes out to bat needing 419 so same day as of course England has just a record breaking 359 and everything we talked in the first half of the show they come out to bat needing 419 but the story went a little differently

[00:41:14] and within the first seven eight overs there were 15 for five and of course the day ended up wrapping up with them getting a hundred all out so a hundred was pretty respectable after they were 50 for nine.

[00:41:25] Kimar Roach came out and hit a few sixes had some fun with it but I want to talk about these figures eight overs three maidens five wickets for seven runs and I'm of course talking about just breathe boomerah I think I shared a start with you guys yesterday saying he's now the first Asian bowler to have taken five furs in South Africa,

[00:41:42] England, Australia and the West Indies and he's what 11 or 12 tests old.

[00:41:47] Did you get a chance to watch his spell on the final day of the test match?

[00:41:51] Yeah it was absolutely incredible because we finished our game yesterday which was Sunday and we were sitting down for a few beers and I said okay the England test match is over so let me put on there were some other Indians around the table so I said let me put on the test match and India just started to bowl right.

[00:42:07] And I have to say there's nothing better than watching those thumps fly and just breathe boomerah I mean you know what's happened right he's gone off for two months he's been rested for two months but clearly he hasn't been just lying around on his sofa watching television and eating chips.

[00:42:21] He has been working on an out swinger and with that out swinger he is absolutely lethal we saw it for the first time I think last year in England Keaton Jennings left one and was LVW and probably one of the most ugliest.

[00:42:36] Dismissals of the summer but we saw it absolutely perfected in that second innings.

[00:42:42] It was just the most fantastic display of quick bowling.

[00:42:47] Stumps were flying everywhere wasn't only left handers that the ball was curving back into and stumps going flying it was also right handers who are missing the ball.

[00:42:55] It was and it was not right handers that were normal players it was Shea Hope who lost his off stump and Jason Holder the number one or test all around in the world who lost his off stump as well with a way swinging deliveries just I mean that spell of bowling we just watched it in absolute awe.

[00:43:13] It was fantastic Ishaanth at the other end credit to him took five wickets in the first innings while the western days were looking threatening and carried on the good work in the second innings also bowled really nicely.

[00:43:24] But I mean boomerow was on a different level and he his celebration just said it he's just like this is it.

[00:43:31] This is this is me.

[00:43:32] He just kind of shrugged and said what are you going to do.

[00:43:35] It was it's it makes a 90s cricket fan just like goose bump everywhere watching boomerow ball I've said it before and I stand by just what a ball of that guy is absolutely well said.

[00:43:48] I couldn't say add anything to that just an absolutely brilliant fellow bowling I've watched it twice I'm going to go home tonight and watch it one more time.

[00:43:55] So really really exciting and just incredible to have quick bowlers like this so amazing to have just breathe Pomeran great spell great well backed up by shami and Ishaanth.

[00:44:05] That brings us to a wrap of our official kind of formal section we were going to end this week's episode talking a little bit more fun we're having so DJ as you know I tweeted earlier this week.

[00:44:17] From a sponsorship standpoint we've all seen in the IPL the Seattle Tire Strategic Timeout over the years we've had yes bank maximum and DLF maximums and all this other stuff.

[00:44:26] Eventually the DRS will have a sponsor and so we were looking for some interesting answers on a with when the DRS eventually gets a sponsor who should it be.

[00:44:35] And we committed online we said our best and funniest answers will be read out on the next on the show so we got some incredible answers we got a lot more answers and I thought we would but I want to read out to that I thought we're pretty funny.

[00:44:44] The first one came from Yashwant and it says he says looks like he's called for a Pepsi Yehehae right choice baby review.

[00:44:51] And I thought that was great because it's great to throw back to when we were teenagers and Pepsi had the tagline Yehehae right choice baby really funny really took me back so thanks for that one yes one.

[00:45:01] And then we had two similar ones one came in from our Nub one came in from major gown on Twitter.

[00:45:05] I'm upset looks like he's called for a lens card review obviously referencing the glasses company and major gown said should have gone to spec savers so really good we got a couple that are not as family friendly that are not going to read out but if you're interested go check us out at one tip one hand you'll see them on the Twitter feed but I'm not reading on the show.

[00:45:23] Specs Avers is actually sponsoring the ashes by the way with Joel Wilson standing.

[00:45:28] Best sponsorship ever but it was yeah it's pretty funny and we're a little bit ironic so we enjoy that while it happens but anyway guys that wraps up this week's show lots going on in the world of sport India kicks off our second test match against the West Indies in Jamaica on the 30th of August that's a Friday and lots happening the US Open so keep watching all the sports out there keep sending us messages engage results.

[00:45:52] On Twitter Facebook Instagram we are at one tip one hand that's the number one TIP number one hand a huge thanks again to all of you guys for listening and tuning in and reviewing etc so that got us to.

[00:46:05] You know place where we are now number one rated in the Indian cricket podcast sphere so we really appreciate that and we will be back next week on a Wednesday actually because the match kicks off on Friday ends Tuesday so we're going to be a little bit delayed so we get to talk to you about the second test match that India played against.

[00:46:22] West Indies so bye for now and we will see you next Wednesday hello everyone welcome to tech careers in the new the new podcast series presented by Accenture I'm your host Shilad it's a mukhup adhyay in this podcast series will get you the latest and greatest in the world of technology that shaping the future of business as we know it.

[00:46:47] We're talking intelligent platforms cloud AI blockchain extended reality and a whole lot more every fortnight on Wednesdays we'll have for you a hot topic with expert speakers from Accenture talking about top trends in the space how these are changing the world and creating growth across industries

[00:47:07] and importantly we'll tell you how you can learn more build your skills and expertise to grow and stay relevant in your career episodes out on the IVM podcast app or wherever you get your podcast from.

[00:47:20] Do you wish you were smarter? Well so do we but the next best thing we could make you sound smarter and to help you with this endeavor we are simplified a podcast that attempts to break down the complex world around you with a little knowledge a lot of poor jokes and a ton of random trivia episodes out every Monday on the IVM podcast app or wherever you get your podcast.