ENG vs AUS: Sourav Ganguly’s experience of watching ‘book-cricket’ live in Nottingham

Australis lost their first two ODIs versus England at London and Cardiff respectively. Tim Paine and Co commenced the series with the aim to resurrect their marred reputation following their shambolic ball-tampering scandal which turned their cricket upside down. The pitch at the Trent Bridge in Nottingham seemed to be an absolute belter and had less than peanuts to offer for the bowlers.

Paine’s decision to field first backfired miserably on them as the home team plundered 481 runs from their allotted 50 overs. Throughout the English innings, the bowlers ducked for cover as the cherry kept finding the boundary at an alarming rate for the visiting team. Jason Roy and Johnny Bairstow commenced proceedings for England and went hell for leather from the outset.

Carnage at Trent Bridge

Their opening stand of 159 runs inside 20 overs put the skids under the Men in Yellow. The stand was eventually broken when Roy tried to scamper for a second run only to find himself short of the crease. However, he built the platform with a swashbuckling knock of 82 runs from 61 balls. His partner, Bairstow, didn’t waste any time and compiled his sixth century in ODIs.

The right-hander scored 139 runs from 92 balls. Alex Hales looked equally menacing for the Aussies. He couldn’t perform in the first two matches but made amends with a swashbuckling knock of 147 runs from 92 balls. Following Bairstow’s dismissal, Eoin Morgan took charge and threw the kitchen sink at everything right from the outset and racked up the fastest fifty by an Englishman in ODIs.

Meanwhile, England also breached the highest ever ODI score of 444, they achieved versus Pakistan a couple of years ago at the same Trent Bridge in Nottingham. They accomplished the feat in 45.3 overs courtesy of a stupendous six from Hales.

In the meantime, Sourav Ganguly, the former Indian cricketer, was awestruck by how things panned out. He also reckons that the Australian bowlers are far more skilled than how they bowled on the flat-deck. He took to Twitter and put a series of tweets

Here are Dada’s tweets

Then what I am seeing in display ..was like playing book cricket today

— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) June 19, 2018

McGrath ..lee ..warne played both forms of the game at the same time ..hazelwood ,starc I m sure can do the same

— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) June 19, 2018

McGrath,Lee,Warne,McDermott,gillespie …produce such ordinary stuff is nerve wracking..good bowling is important for survival of the game ..is it dying?hope not..I am sure they are more skillfull and better bowlers in one of most powerful nations in cricket

— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) June 19, 2018

Too see almost 500 runs scored in 50 overs in england is scaring me ..about the health of the game and where it’s going..Australian bowling getting treated this way whatever the conditions may be is not acceptable..A country of lillee,thompson,benaud.

— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) June 19, 2018

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