*Official* First Test at Lord's

[wpdavid]

This isn't an ODI with fielding restrictions and the limited overs wide rule.

If India do get anywhere near close expect an awful lot of wide deliveries.

India are paying 25/1 for the win, which is about right.

Draw for my quid. Think we needed Dravid or Laxman tonight.

Sounds right. When they were struggling to lay a bat on ball against Tremlett & Broad circa 20 for 1, I'd have put money on us taking a few more before close of play, so the final score came as something of a surprise after I'd missed the last hour. Forgive me for not re-reading the last few pages, but what happened then? Did the bowling tail off, were they lucky, or did they simply bat really well?

 

[Prince EWS]

Also Marcuss is a champion bloke.

Knew he was going but didn't know you were meeting up; gun as.

You're making me very jelly though. If going to England before me wasn't bad enough, you've gone to Lords before me and met Marcuss before me now too. What's next, gonna go to Hull and take Ema out for dinner, ****?

 

[Tom Halsey]

The way the course of this game has panned out underlines what a bad declaration that was late on day two. If India follow on it's reasonably likely now that an England win would be favourite. As it is draw is rightly big favorite.

 

[Burgey]

Also Marcuss is a champion bloke.

Dislike.

 

[Cruxdude]

Kind of happy that we didn't bowl England out for 170-180 or so leaving us a lot many more overs to play. We still have to play out of our skins to save this game considering Sachin is coming in late and Gambhir is also injured. Hopefully we survive this test.

 

[Manee]

A draw in this Test will be highly valuable. Good luck to India tomorrow.

 

[silentstriker]

No chance of India winning obviously but hopefully Gambhir and Sachin can both bat. As I said before, it worked out better that England weren't bowled out - I can't be too disappointed with the performance in this test, considering both the lack of warm ups and more importantly the best bowler being out before even the first day being gone.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Looks like a quality day's play. Went to bed after Simon Schama took Pietersen and Bell. Looked to be bowling a very decent spell. Must have been a very good innings from Prior and Broad to rescue England from the mire.

 

[Burgey]

No chance of India winning obviously but hopefully Gambhir and Sachin can both bat. As I said before, it worked out better that England weren't bowled out - I can't be too disappointed with the performance in this test, considering both the lack of warm ups and more importantly the best bowler being out before even the first day being gone.

Tbf, India had just come off a three test series a couple of weeks back. It's not like they rocked in cold after six weeks of nothing. Different conditions of course. Extra game or two would have been ideal.

Zaheer's loss has been very keenly felt though.

 

[Top_Cat]

Game's over, I reckon. Pitch looks tough to get started on and you'd imagine a crocked Gambhir and sick Sachin would struggle with their starts more so than usual.

Most were predicting a draw for this game so I reckon a win will be a bit of an unexpected result for the England camp if they pull it off.

 

[Spark]

Broad (y). Exceptional cricketer when he gets it right.

Such an awesome Test thus far, would like to see a worthy ending.

 

[Burgey]

Surprised Burgey has not commented on the Gambhir injury so far

Probably getting one of the few hours of sleep he ever gets, he'll cry when he realises he missed it.

Somewhere, Burgey is raising a glass.

Shame elbow he used on Watson too, I think. Karma.

Look, when I say I want to see him get hit, I don't mean while fielding, or so seriously he can't bat. I want him hit so he's shaken up and then gets out in humiliating fashion. I don't want to see him miss cricket through it.

With the team crumbling to injury, Tendulkar arrives just in time to share with his few fit team mates his viral infection.

Post of the Test match. Brilliant.

 

[Sanz]

If India do end up drawing this test match, it will reaffirm their position as no. 1 side in the cricket. Because If England can not win tomorrow, with half the batting lineup injured, they probably do not deserve the no. 1 spot.

I am just surprised to see the match so close, despite the fact that England have dominated India except for few bursts of wickets by Indian bowlers.

 

[Spark]

Steady on. This pitch has no real demons in it and India's batting lineup is still full of quality.

 

[silentstriker]

Tbf, India had just come off a three test series a couple of weeks back. It's not like they rocked in cold after six weeks of nothing. Different conditions of course. Extra game or two would have been ideal.

Zaheer's loss has been very keenly felt though.

Well Zaheer obviously wasn't in WI..Ishant seemed to be bowling his WI length for much of the first innings, and Gambhir and Sachin didn't go to the WI (injury and wanting rest respectively).

This is not an excuse in any way - you reap what you sow....that's part of international cricket and it's up to you to be prepared. But just saying, I don't think the preparation was ideal.

Saying that, it's never ideal these days and probably this is as good as you're going to get for most, but it really explains why India suck in the first Test quite often (same thing happened in Australia last time - they got rocked in the first Test and every Test after that was much closer).

Again, not an excuse - most teams have to deal with a lack of preparation these days. I just wished they had squeezed in another game at least, considering the #1 ranking is on the line.

 

[Jacknife]

If India do end up drawing this test match, it will reaffirm their position as no. 1 side in the cricket. Because If England can not win tomorrow, with half the batting lineup injured, they probably do not deserve the no. 1 spot.

I am just surprised to see the match so close, despite the fact that England have dominated India except for few bursts of wickets by Indian bowlers.

What a load of rubbish.

 

[Spark]

I mean saying anyone doesn't deserve to be #1 based on one Test is a bit odd. It's like saying Centurion proves India don't deserve to be #1 - well, clearly they do, otherwise they wouldn't be.

 

[Burgey]

Well Zaheer obviously wasn't in WI..Ishant seemed to be bowling his WI length for much of the first innings, and Gambhir and Sachin didn't go to the WI (injury and wanting rest respectively).

This is not an excuse in any way - you reap what you sow....that's part of international cricket and it's up to you to be prepared. But just saying, I don't think the preparation was ideal.

Saying that, it's never ideal these days and probably this is as good as you're going to get for most, but it really explains why India suck in the first Test quite often (same thing happened in Australia last time - they got rocked in the first Test and every Test after that was much closer).

Again, not an excuse - most teams have to deal with a lack of preparation these days. I just wished they had squeezed in another game at least, considering the #1 ranking is on the line.

Yeah they way the program is heading these days, I can really can see a time not far down the track where bowlers in particular are routinely rested for test matches. Almost like a pitching roster for baseball.

 

[Jacknife]

Yeah they way the program is heading these days, I can really can see a time not far down the track where bowlers in particular are routinely rested for test matches. Almost like a pitching roster for baseball.

Agree, it's something the England team have talked about on a few occasions, is of having a group of fast bowlers, that can be rested and rotated, thus it keeps the players involved, fitter and hopefully more injury free.

 

[Spark]

England are probably the team that could do that though, with a few Test-quality bowlers waiting int he wings. I'm not sure many other teams could take similar luxuries.