***Official*** India in England

[Prince EWS]

As in throw it away after getting a start? The whole point is we need a couple of our top six to make seriously big scores today, not be satisfied with cameos. The fact that Prior is also the keeper is irrelevant, afaics.

He's not in the team to score hundreds though. His job is to get consistent starts at a good pace at the top of the order. His dismissal was dire but given he scored 46 off 45, he's hardly a waste a space.

 

[Gloucefan]

KP's poor form continues

 

[Scaly piscine]

See this is what inevitably follows when you have a donkey like Prior handing his wicket on a plate.

 

[wpdavid]

And that's why you don't want batsmen to throw it away when set. KP gone, and so has the match in all probability.

Looking at KP right now, I can't see that he should be playing in the 2020 WC. He's obviously stale as hell and, rightly or wrongly, needs a break.

 

[Gloucefan]

And that's why you don't want batsmen to throw it away when set. KP gone, and so has the match in all probability.

Looking at KP right now, I can't see that he should be playing in the 2020 WC. He's obviously stale as hell and, rightly or wrongly, needs a break.

Agreed.

 

[Scaly piscine]

He's not in the team to score hundreds though. His job is to get consistent starts at a good pace at the top of the order. His dismissal was dire but given he scored 46 off 45, he's hardly a waste a space.

What is he in for? For his stupendous wicket-keeping? How about his stunning career strike rate of just over 70?

England are better than an average keeper only capable of cameos on a good day - when he gets dropped and can feed on rubbish bowling.

 

[wpdavid]

He's not in the team to score hundreds though. His job is to get consistent starts at a good pace at the top of the order. His dismissal was dire but given he scored 46 off 45, he's hardly a waste a space.

Agree to differ, I guess. If you're opening, you should make 100's from time to time. You should certainly pass 50 more often than he does when he gets a start - it's not as if he's pinch hitting. I can't think of many regular openers in odi's who only pass 50 once every 20 innings.

 

[pasag]

Panesar to score more runs than Pietersen for me.

Haha, not looking so bad.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Absolutely dire.

How do England manage to lose so many wickets to this shower?

Happens game in game out.

 

[TheGreatAusie]

And Bell finally goes to Ganguly, caught by Dhoni standing up to the wicket

 

[wpdavid]

As I was saying when Ganguly came on ..

All over now, and I'm off to do something less depressing. Bye all.

 

[pasag]

Ganguly!

 

[adharcric]

He's not in the team to score hundreds though. His job is to get consistent starts at a good pace at the top of the order. His dismissal was dire but given he scored 46 off 45, he's hardly a waste a space.

That's not his job. That's what you have come to expect of him knowing that he usually can't do any better.

 

[Gloucefan]

Bell out to Ganguly

 

[adharcric]

Dada!

 

[viktor]

Terrific catch by Dhoni! Bell gone!!!

 

[Prince EWS]

Agree to differ, I guess. If you're opening, you should make 100's from time to time. You should certainly pass 50 more often than he does when he gets a start - it's not as if he's pinch hitting. I can't think of many regular openers in odi's who only pass 50 once every 20 innings.

I don't agree with him opening, personally. England are opening with him because they were convinced they needed to do something drastic about the "taking advantage of PowerPlays" problem. But, as is evident by the fact that Bopara came in at 8 in the last game, the selectors don't really view Prior as an proper opening batsman, but as a regular pinch hitter - hence the longer batting lineups.

England's newfound obsession with PowerPlays has caused this problem - Prior is usually (different today I guess, given Lewis is in for Flintoff and Bopara is injured) the 7th or 8th best batsman in the side - but instead of taking his cameo down at 7 or 8, they've decided to take it early when the field is spread to "address the powerplay problem." His role with the bat is to do exactly what he just did, whether you agree with the role or not.

 

[Prince EWS]

That's not his job. That's what you have come to expect of him knowing that he usually can't do any better.

That is his job. England haven't picked him to open so he can anchor the innings and score hundreds - it was always known he couldn't do that and it was never expected of him.

 

[Nate]

I'm not convinced that Ganguly will be the disaster one or two folks are predicting, especially after Collingwood was the most effective English bowler in these conditions.

I liiiike you.

 

[adharcric]

India better not get ****ed by the rain again ... (don't bring up the first test, that was a rare occasion on which it actually helped us)