**Official** Sri Lanka in England / Scotland - 2011

[Spark]

Watching highlights. Notice Swann saying to Maharoof "You're kidding, right? You smashed it!" or something like. Heh.

 

[Jono]

I just don't think they came to the final day mentally prepared to play a match. Just assumed it would be rained off and noone would bother.

Such a good point. England were superb obviously, but SL clearly didn't have their heads in the games.

So unprofessional.

 

[biased indian]

Actually, quite a lot of India's wins in the Strauss/Flower era have been thrashings as well.

And as Jake reminded me, in 3 pressure situations England have scraped a draw when 19 wickets down.

Equally, you could well argue that India have yet to come up against a side that really makes pressure and momentum within a Test match count, and that their previous two years experience has been largely worthless because they've not faced a side of the quality and ruthlessness that England possess.

the same can be said about England as well as they have not faced us yet

 

[Flem274*]

This can't be true. ICC says when Murali retires Sri Lanka simply find another army of spinners to torment the rest of us with.

 

[Xuhaib]

Nah bowling is at least as important and India really only have one bowler (and he's often injured) who you can 'bank' on, especially overseas.

is the gap in bowling really that big?

Anderson = Zaheer

Swann might be better then Bhajji but that negated by the fact Indians are better players of spin then England, Ajmal went through England twice last summer so Harbhajan might have a key role to play espcially as unlike Ajmal he will have runs to play with.Broad and Ishant are quite similar bowlers both can leak a lot of runs especially against good batting Tremlet may be the only guy where England has a an advantage over India but even nutter Sreeshanth will atleast guarantee one good spell a series.

 

[vcs]

Nah as I've always said, England's series to lose.

AWTA.

 

[centurymaker]

I just watched the highlights and I think England bowled quite tightly on a pretty flat deck. But the Srilanka's batting was absolutely dire. Seems like they weren't mentally ready to play.

HTBs

 

[vcs]

I just watched the highlights and I think England bowled quite tightly on a pretty flat deck. But the Srilanka's batting was absolutely dire. Seems like they weren't mentally ready to play.

HTBs

I was hoping Sanga and Mahela would finally lay that theory to rest in this series. Long way to go still, but not an auspicious start.

 

[Xuhaib]

I struggle to see Mahela averaging 20 unless he encounters some really flat conditions, Sanga will still have a decent series.

 

[vcs]

Mahela has 2 hundreds in England FWIW, not the greatest average (37 odd), but apart from Australia his numbers aren't that inferior to Sanga away from home. The real pity is that SL play so rarely outside the SC, and often in very short 2-match series.

 

[GIMH]

A lot of talk about England-India in here. It's almost as if we should have a subforum.

[/broken record]

 

[Xuhaib]

Mahela has 2 hundreds in England FWIW, not the greatest average (37 odd), but apart from Australia his numbers aren't that inferior to Sanga away from home. The real pity is that SL play so rarely outside the SC, and often in very short 2-match series.

I recall atleast 1 knock it was a very flat pitch Attapattu got a double there hence I said flat conditions.Among all the 50+ batsman in world cricket Mahela is most susceptible to a moving ball even more them much maligned Smaraweera.

 

[centurymaker]

I was hoping Sanga and Mahela would finally lay that theory to rest in this series. Long way to go still, but not an auspicious start.

i didn't want to call them HTBs but they keep failing overseas.... kinda like sehwag

 

[Spark]

Sanga has played some excellent knocks down here tbf. 192 at Hobart (?) comes to mind.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I take it the ICC will look into this result? Or is that only if Pakistan is involved?

Best look at the ashes as well then.

 

[Spark]

Apparently Dernbach has been called up for Anderson.

/gets popcorn

EDIT: Yep - http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-sri-lanka-2011/content/current/story/517279.html

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Cook and Strauss versus Zaheer would be a pretty good contest.

He is exceptional to left handers when it is swinging.

Same can be said about Anderson with Sehwag and AN Other Indian righthander.

Going to be a fascinating series when it arrives, i am just enjoying our series with SL first.

 

[wpdavid]

The win was unlikely, but the positive intent was great to see. The Miracle of Cardiff Mark II™ is the apotheosis of that positivity.

'Aptheosis of positivity' - wasn't that an early 1980's album by the Human League or some other northern synth band?

Beyond that, I wan't following the game at all at the start of the day, but Strauss's decision to use up four overs letting Bell reach his ton would have been crucified if SL had narrowly clung on, and quite rightly too. More positively, Tremlett was astonishingly good, wasn't he. Can't believe he didn't open the bowling in the first innings, so let's hope that's rectified for the rest of the summer. Looking ahead to Lord's, my prediction that Shazhad should play instead of Anderson isn't looking too hot. SL's hopelessness against Tremlett probably means that Finn's a shoe-in for the game, especially on his home turf. If so, have we ever picked a collectively taller combination than Broad, Tremlett and Finn?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Apparently Dernbach has been called up for Anderson.

/gets popcorn

EDIT: Yep - England v Sri Lanka: Jade Dernbach called up to Lord's Test squad | Cricket News | England v Sri Lanka 2011 | ESPN Cricinfo

Oh great, we have a good team and bring this clown in. ****s sake.

 

[wpdavid]

Oh great, we have a good team and bring this clown in. ****s sake.

That would be my take on it too. I know Shazhad hasn't been at his absolute best so far this summer, but I don't see why he's been overtaken by Dernbach, whose performances in D2 haven't exactly been outstanding..