*Official* Second Test at Trent Bridge

[ankitj]

The best bit about this is all the ****s trying the jinxing by saying things like "this is England's to lose" have been shown to be right. Hopefully these runs will keep Harbhajan in for the rest of the series, the ****.

Such a cute post. Makes everyone feel warm and brings back sanity to a forum spoiled by awful Indian posters.

 

[hazsa19]

Wouldn't disagree there.

The thing is I think most England fans know we are a good side and probably are the best around at present but the players are maybe even surprising us with some of their performances in the last few years. We aren't just winning matches we are thrashing teams match after match which no England side in my lifetime has done. Long may it continue.

Spot on. I keep having to tell myself that these results are amazing, that we were the ones on the other side of these results a few years ago.

It's all becoming too regular . Soon we'll start saying 'we need a challenge'.

 

[honestbharani]

Congrats to England on an amazing display.. India had its chances but as most good sides do, England found a way to claw back and then shut the door on India..


India, for me, are pretty well matched with England coming to the fight out for the #1 spot but what is the big difference, at least in this series, has been the fact that England have shown greater hunger and resolve and want for being the #1.. India did think of this as THE series, that is obvious from how many missed the Windies series to be fresh for this one but I think the time has come to question what IPL is doing to the main players.. They shouldn't play if they are not fit, it is that simple..


My biggest worry here is that India slipping down the rankings would mean lesser attention to tests by BCCI and it would be a bit of an concentric circle after that.. We will play lesser tests where we will continue to be **** and then slowly, it will be the death of test cricket at least in India..



Funnily enough if we win one of the next two tests and draw or win the other one, we are still #1.. And while England have been absolutely magnificient, it has to be reminded that they have done this at home and away in Australia alone.. I don't think their performance in RSA was all that better than India's over there and they still have to prove themselves in the subcontinent.. I do think they are the #1 side at the moment (simply because their away wins have been bigger than India's) but it is not by much and they have the very real danger of believing their own hype too much, just like how it was after the Ashes in 2005... The climb to the top is always easier than staying there, as India have found out just now.. England's time to feel it, me thinks.


But just how awesome is it that so many of the English bowlers can bat so well... At least at home... Really freaking awesome to see the old SA style batting line up when there is no tail and your #10 can score test 100s...


And the positives for India from this test would be:


1. Getting rid of Bhajji
2. Accepting the UDRS without hawkeye's predictive technology..

 

[GIMH]

Getting to number one should no longer be our aim, but rather to dominate like Australia did before us.

 

[hazsa19]

Funnily enough if we win one of the next two tests and draw or win the other one, we are still #1.. And while England have been absolutely magnificient, it has to be reminded that they have done this at home and away in Australia alone.. I don't think their performance in RSA was all that better than India's over there and they still have to prove themselves in the subcontinent.. I do think they are the #1 side at the moment (simply because their away wins have been bigger than India's) but it is not by much and they have the very real danger of believing their own hype too much, just like how it was after the Ashes in 2005... The climb to the top is always easier than staying there, as India have found out just now.. England's time to feel it, me thinks.

Assuming we do go number 1, it doesn't get much tougher than Sri Lanka away to consolidate that position.

I don't have any concerns whatsoever with our bowling. I can't see how the Sri Lankan bowlers would be any better than ours on flat pitches. And we have Swann.

The key will be batting. You have to rack up big scores on the sub.c in the first innings. Our batting seems to be better than ever before, so it's looking good.

 

[honestbharani]

Assuming we do go number 1, it doesn't get much tougher than Sri Lanka away to consolidate that position.

I don't have any concerns whatsoever with our bowling. I can't see how the Sri Lankan bowlers would be any better than ours on flat pitches. And we have Swann.

The key will be batting. You have to rack up big scores on the sub.c in the first innings. Our batting seems to be better than ever before, so it's looking good.

well, SL do have a **** bowling line up but let's see it when it happens..

 

[weed wizard]

well well, justice has been delievered, aye.

 

[Cevno]

Such a cute post. Makes everyone feel warm and brings back sanity to a forum spoiled by awful Indian posters.

Awta.

 

[smash84]

Congratulations to England for coming into a position where they can't lose the series.

Have India even showed up in this series except for a session or two? I am sorry to say that this is probably the worst number 1 test side in a long time

 

[honestbharani]

that is coz the last two were the 80s Windies and the noughties Aussies.. ATG sides don't come every decade..

 

[smash84]

that is coz the last two were the 80s Windies and the noughties Aussies.. ATG sides don't come every decade..

This kind of performance from a number one team doesn't come every decade either

 

[honestbharani]

This kind of performance from a number one team doesn't come every decade either

yeah.. at least we are there

 

[smash84]

yeah.. at least we are there

where?

 

[Furball]

All this 'India are a crap number 1 side' crap needs to stop. They've not lost a Test at home for ages (on their current unbeaten run they've lost 1 to South Africa), have won 2 out of 3 series outside the subcontinent and had only lost 1 of their last 11 Tests outside the subcontinent before this series. India were clear and deserved number 1 going into this series. They've just had the misfortune of running into an England side massively on the ascendancy in their own conditions.

 

[honestbharani]

where?

To be the worst #1 ever, you at least have to have been #1.. And I am glad we were.. Coz I don't see us coming there any time soon with BCCI's obsession with LO cricket..

 

[smash84]

All this 'India are a crap number 1 side' crap needs to stop. They've not lost a Test at home for ages (on their current unbeaten run they've lost 1 to South Africa), have won 2 out of 3 series outside the subcontinent and had only lost 1 of their last 11 Tests outside the subcontinent before this series. India were clear and deserved number 1 going into this series. They've just had the misfortune of running into an England side massively on the ascendancy in their own conditions.

You do make a very valid point.

 

[Prad100w]

Great performance from England. They played like true champions. And will deserve the No: 1 spot once they get it. Top class batters and some exceptional bowlers. and the hunger to win was unmatched by the Indians. Quite disappointed with India's show this series so far. struggling with injuries and the team never looked like getting out of trouble ever in the last 2 matches. England virtually shut the door on any kind of a fight back. Zaheer, Sehwag and Gambhir were completely missed. Would be great if we avoid a humiliation of 4-0 here. All hail the masterpiece called, "IPL".

 

[smash84]

To be the worst #1 ever, you at least have to have been #1.. And I am glad we were.. Coz I don't see us coming there any time soon with BCCI's obsession with LO cricket..

India could have stayed on top for long if for better management (advice from Pakistan ).

But GF has a point India ran into an extremely strong England and with 90% of their bowling attack out (Zaheer) it created even more problems.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

All this 'India are a crap number 1 side' crap needs to stop. They've not lost a Test at home for ages (on their current unbeaten run they've lost 1 to South Africa), have won 2 out of 3 series outside the subcontinent and had only lost 1 of their last 11 Tests outside the subcontinent before this series. India were clear and deserved number 1 going into this series. They've just had the misfortune of running into an England side massively on the ascendancy in their own conditions.

Agreed, you don't get to number 1 by being a bad side as you have to earn it over a number of years and series in different conditions. They had a great run but maybe they reached the top too late in a way as they are close to having to rebuild the team with 3 ATG Indian players soon set to retire and they won't be easily replaced (ask Australia and West Indies) so they may slip down into the pack. Doesn't take away that they got their number 1 ranking on merit and stayed there a while too (may yet keep it who knows) so they can't have been that bad a side.

 

[smash84]

And Dhoni will cop a lot of abuse from fans and media but I still maintain that he is the best Indian captain that I have seen during the last 25 years.

Although I wonder how he will cope when the big four are gone.