***Official England in India***

[Richard]

Flintoff won't get many better pitches to bowl on. Why oh why does he want to bowl over-the-wicket to the LHBs though?

 

[biased indian]

good move by kp going for the kill

 

[Richard]

Deary me, no-ball. Five runs: four plus one, free-hit, and extra delivery.

 

[biased indian]

It's assisted seamers lots so far and I imagine it'll assist both types of bowlers all day, pieces have been coming out of the pitch as many deliveries as not.

then 200+ also might be enough ??

 

[Richard]

Should it keep playing like this 200 should be easily enough. And it currently seems a decent bet that it might do.

He says as one virtually rolls along the floor.

 

[superkingdave]

150 should be too much for this England side

 

[Richard]

Harmison allowed to start with a maiden.

 

[Richard]

Gambhir has played this ridiculously well so far.

(Cue him getting out)

 

[IndGunner]

Yea he really has been a shining light in the past 12 months for india.

edit: is it just me or does freddy look rusty? whrs his accuracy from the last game?

 

[Richard]

And Flintoff has been singularly disappointing. Always is to see him get 5-29-0 and Broad 5-14-3.

 

[Richard]

WTF is Pietersen bringing Collingwood on for?

The way this pitch has played you want tall seam bowlers as long as possible, really surprising that Collingwood is on when the front-line seamers have bowled 16 overs out of a possible 40.

 

[IndGunner]

WTF is Pietersen bringing Collingwood on for?

The way this pitch has played you want tall seam bowlers as long as possible, really surprising that Collingwood is on when the front-line seamers have bowled 16 overs out of a possible 40.

well maybe the indians will be surprised too and give him a hoick and get caught out.

 

[Richard]

Also been surprising how few fielders Pietersen's had in the ring. Should look to be stopping more singles from these sorts of positions. Gambhir has played pretty exceptionally so far but he's been allowed easier singles in some cases than he should have been.

 

[IndGunner]

Also been surprising how few fielders Pietersen's had in the ring. Should look to be stopping more singles from these sorts of positions. Gambhir has played pretty exceptionally so far but he's been allowed easier singles in some cases than he should have been.

awta. and i also take back my comment about colly. becuase all that he he gonna do is help the batsmen get relaxed in these conditions england really dont need that.

 

[Richard]

well maybe the indians will be surprised too and give him a hoick and get caught out.

On this sort of pitch, you need to look to take wickets, rather than sit and wait for them to be gifted the way Collingwood usually requires. This is such a poor pitch England's only chance is probably going to be to bowl India out. If India bat their overs or close to they should get a winning total.

Obviously if the seamers spray it that'll lose the game as well but apart from Flintoff (surprisingly) they've all been OK so far. So you'd think he should be backing them and looking for containment + wicket-taking rather than just containment.

And sure enough, Yuvraj now slams a six.

 

[IndGunner]

Hey hey hey. well that was coming.

 

[IndGunner]

Ok now its getting too easy for india. England really need to slow the runs.

 

[jondavluc]

sems abit odd to put in collingwood this early.

 

[Prince EWS]

WTF is Pietersen bringing Collingwood on for?

Expected to see you in here yelling and screaming about the fact that one of the commentators said "His economy rate is a tad on the high side, but that's because he bowls in the middle overs."

 

[Richard]

Gambhir 46 off 50 with 6 fours; Yuvraj Singh 45 off 57 with 5 fours and 2 sixes.

Proof that the ability to be multidimensional is usually more important in one-day batting than hitting boundaries.