***Official England in India***

[Richard]

I think most people would (the ideal solution, of course, would be for the tour to have started 2 weeks earlier so as to fit all seven ODIs and three Tests in) but the situation is: once a ODI is scheduled, it isn't cancelled barring something quite extraordinary (like a tsunami). So therefore we're going to have to lump it.

And it's possible that the last three games just might be closer contests than the first four were. What's more, for England, every ODI is preparation for World Cups. So no dead ODI is of less worth than a live one.

And I for one hope Anderson gets omitted and Harmison picked.

 

[chalky]

I'm just getting the feeling that the wheels could come off this tour for England completely.

Can honestly see England getting whitewashed (Am I allowed to say that?) in all the international matches.

I know one day form isn't an indicator of test form especially when the teams will be changed but going into the test series with no (or little) form & no momentum are not good signs. A big job for the managemnt & captain to try & salvage something out of the last 3 ODI's IMHO.

 

[Uppercut]

I know one day form isn't an indicator of test form especially when the teams will be changed but going into the test series with no (or little) form & no momentum are not good signs.

Not true, it's a very good sign IMO. When England lose the ODIs they win the test series, and vice versa. Check it out, it's true for over two years of tours now.

 

[Evermind]

"Pietersen isn't sure what England are going to do in the coming three matches." - Cricinfo

I know what they're gonna do. LOSE.

Any money on a clean sweep?

 

[Richard]

I'm just getting the feeling that the wheels could come off this tour for England completely.

Can honestly see England getting whitewashed (Am I allowed to say that?) in all the international matches.

I know one day form isn't an indicator of test form especially when the teams will be changed but going into the test series with no (or little) form & no momentum are not good signs. A big job for the managemnt & captain to try & salvage something out of the last 3 ODI's IMHO.

There's still yet to be a seven-nil ODI series whitewash. India are almost certain to take their foot off the pedal at some point, it's just a question of whether they do so sufficiently to allow England to sneak a win.

As for the Tests... they'll sort themselves out. Let's worry about them when they come around and maybe then we might judge them on their own merits, not the ODI ones.

 

[R_D]

Love it how Ishant's got a knack of getting opposition teams best batsman out..
Well done to team India.

 

[Langeveldt]

Well done India, although it makes Englands drubbing of SA even more inexplicable.. Spare a thought for the players whose game finished at midnight, lets say they get back to the hotel at 1am, they then have a flight at 9am from an airport an hour away.. Well done cricket..

 

[krkode]

Love it how Ishant's got a knack of getting opposition teams best batsman out..
Well done to team India.

He's been quite expensive, though, for some reason.

 

[Manee]

He is quite a hittable bowler. Hard to quantify, but he comes in quickly, bowls quickly and goes quickly, if you know what I mean.

 

[Richard]

Ishant at his best is actually really awkward to hit, comes in from great height and when he's going well gets a good length and tight line going. What's more, unlike Munaf Patel, who also possesses those assets, he has some amount of variation which makes him much harder to line-up than Munaf.

However, when all is not right (as it decidedly hasn't been these two games, even though his expensive economy-rate this game was as much down to the sillily short nature of it as his own waywardness) he bowls no-balls which are almost always hugely costly in this day-and-age, and he's all over the place. His extra speed makes him slip onto the bat on even slow surfaces. And his height, a great asset when he gets his line right, means the ball sits up when he gives too much width.

Ishant can do better than this and he might well show such a thing at some point in the remainder of this series. However, he's still only 20 and after such a relatively excellent showing in the Australia Tests he's entitled to an off ODI or two. The worry will be if it starts becoming a trend, because if it does, he'll be on the slippery slope that so many Indian seamers have hit down the years.

 

[Furball]

Well done India, although it makes Englands drubbing of SA even more inexplicable.. Spare a thought for the players whose game finished at midnight, lets say they get back to the hotel at 1am, they then have a flight at 9am from an airport an hour away.. Well done cricket..

IMO, South Africa's ODI ranking doesn't reflect what the side has developed into since the World Cup.

Their bowling attack is exceptionally average.

 

[grapedo]

England reached No.2 by blanking SA, the then No.2. So logically, India would become the new no.2. Fair enough and reflects reality.

That is a pretty poor post from an experienced member like you. South Africa were still number 2 after losing to england but they needed to whitewash bangladesh. And they won 2-0 and remained at 2 since the last game was rain affected. India have obviously leapfrogged england now.

Reliance Mobile ODI Championship Teams Matches Points Rating
1. Australia 28 3658 131
2. South Africa 29 3451 119
3. India 39 4544 117
4. Pakistan 28 3182 114
5. New Zealand 24 2714 113
6. England 30 3334 111
7. Sri Lanka 28 2953 105
8. West Indies 24 2178 91
9. Bangladesh 32 1494 47
updated: Nov 20, 2008

 

[silentstriker]

Spare a thought for the players whose game finished at midnight, lets say they get back to the hotel at 1am, they then have a flight at 9am from an airport an hour away.. Well done cricket..

It's not like they have an ODI tomorrow.

 

[Athlai]

Flintoff averaging over 60 with the bat and under 20 with the ball this season. Guuuun.

 

[Precambrian]

That is a pretty poor post from an experienced member like you. South Africa were still number 2 after losing to england but they needed to whitewash bangladesh. And they won 2-0 and remained at 2 since the last game was rain affected. India have obviously leapfrogged england now.

Reliance Mobile ODI Championship Teams Matches Points Rating
1. Australia 28 3658 131
2. South Africa 29 3451 119
3. India 39 4544 117
4. Pakistan 28 3182 114
5. New Zealand 24 2714 113
6. England 30 3334 111
7. Sri Lanka 28 2953 105
8. West Indies 24 2178 91
9. Bangladesh 32 1494 47
updated: Nov 20, 2008

I must hav had a bad day. Thanks for correction

 

[grapedo]

I must hav had a bad day. Thanks for correction

Yeah we all have them. At least you can admit your wrong.

 

[biased indian]

Well done India, although it makes Englands drubbing of SA even more inexplicable.. Spare a thought for the players whose game finished at midnight, lets say they get back to the hotel at 1am, they then have a flight at 9am from an airport an hour away.. Well done cricket..

It's not like they have an ODI tomorrow.

if i am correct their flight was at 6.45 AM

 

[Precambrian]

Well done India, although it makes Englands drubbing of SA even more inexplicable.. Spare a thought for the players whose game finished at midnight, lets say they get back to the hotel at 1am, they then have a flight at 9am from an airport an hour away.. Well done cricket..

Spare a thought for the 30K spectators. They have been in the ground yesterday from 11 AM, stood through all the rain, waited till 12 Midnight for the game to get over, and another 1 hour to get to their homes, and have to report at their offices the following day for a full day of work.

Life's like that. Cricketers can sleep on plane. These people lack that privelage.

 

[biased indian]

think this should be the XI for the next game

Tendulkar
Gambhir
Raina
Yuvraj
Rohit Sharma
Dhoni
Yousuf Pathan
Irfan Pathan
Ojha
Ishanth sharma
Munaf Patel

Then rest Sehwag,Dhoni,Ishanth, Zaheer,Harbhajan for the Last 2 games

 

[chalky]

There's still yet to be a seven-nil ODI series whitewash. India are almost certain to take their foot off the pedal at some point, it's just a question of whether they do so sufficiently to allow England to sneak a win.

As for the Tests... they'll sort themselves out. Let's worry about them when they come around and maybe then we might judge them on their own merits, not the ODI ones.

Yeah I appreciate what you say just have a feeling this tour could be a disaster. The more you get beat the more difficult it is to stop the rot. Hope I'm wrong and the test boys turn it around only time will tell I suppose.