***Official*** India in England 2014

[viriya]

The curators have decided they would rather have a drawn or India won series than a 5-0 for England I see..

 

[hendrix]

Late to the discussion but picking Jadeja over Ashwin in Tests (even if it's an away tour) screams of Dhoni's favortism.. Ashwin is clearly a better bowler and batsman, India need to persist with him so he learns to bowl better when there is no assistance in the pitch. Jadeja will never be that guy in Tests.

Ashwin has also been terrible in overseas tests.

That said, he's arguably more likely to succeed than Binny in this series with both bat and ball. Especially if the pitches stay like this.

 

[hendrix]

The curators have decided they would rather have a drawn or India won series than a 5-0 for England I see..

lol this was never going to be 5-0.

Flat pitches gives England a better chance than India.

 

[viriya]

Ashwin has also been terrible in overseas tests.

That said, he's arguably more likely to succeed than Binny in this series with both bat and ball. Especially if the pitches stay like this.

Yes, but the disparity between his home and away records is unlikely to persist.. especially in dry, slow wickets in this series that will be more helpful to him.

 

[hendrix]

Yes, but the disparity between his home and away records is unlikely to persist.. especially in dry, slow wickets in this series that will be more helpful to him.

well Jadeja has also been pretty good on dry, slow wickets.

The best Indian spinner is Ojha but they won't pick him.

 

[Daemon]

What a ****ty little pitch

 

[King Pietersen]

2 balls of conventional bowling. Not got a wicket, right, back to bowling short from round the wicket. Yawn. Pitch is slow, Plunkett's not bowling particularly quick, I'd be amazed if this works. If it does work, it'll be down to dire batting.

 

[wpdavid]

this is where Cook is terrible.

Where the **** is the wicket going to come from? yes I realise that the pitch is terrible, but do something. A couple of covers or midwickets or something.

It just doesn't look like there's a plan after he tried the short ball experiment for all of 2 overs.

Difficult given the crap at his disposal.

And the pitch is an absolute disgrace. We must be the only place in the world where the grounds men are instructed to produce pitches that nullify whatever threat our attack might possess.

Although doubtless it will look different when we bat on it.

 

[viriya]

well Jadeja has also been pretty good on dry, slow wickets.

The best Indian spinner is Ojha but they won't pick him.

Ashwin is also twice the test batsmen Jadeja has been.. Ashwin has a legitimate claim to be the best all-rounder in world cricket - he definitely plays like that at home, and I don't think it's fair to just drop him in all away Tests like this. He's only 27 and not at his prime - India would do well not to waste that talent.

 

[Adders]

Nah this wicket is ****ing ****e. Day 1 1st session.....bang it in short at 84 mph and watch it bounce twice before the keeper.......bowlers may as well pack up and go home.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

What a great way to waste home advantage. Produce a crap pitch.

 

[viriya]

Nah this wicket is ****ing ****e. Day 1 1st session.....bang it in short at 84 mph and watch it bounce twice before the keeper.......bowlers may as well pack up and go home.

Anderson and Broad will kill themselves half-way through the series.. England to call Flintoff back up.

 

[King Pietersen]

Cook. Work out a plan, and stick to it for longer than 3 balls. Changing it up every other ball, and bowlers bowling 2 over spells just isn't going to work. I'd say a sustained spell of bowling straight, wicket to wicket, with a split field might do the trick. Hopefully that'll be the plan with Broad here.

 

[social]

Nah this wicket is ****ing ****e. Day 1 1st session.....bang it in short at 84 mph and watch it bounce twice before the keeper.......bowlers may as well pack up and go home.

Yep

Really poor looking surface so far

 

[Viscount Tom]

And I thought Lords was bad but this is just eurgh.

 

[Cevno]

So what is the strategy behind this pitch ?

England are scared that Indian bowlers might fluke on a helpful pitch and sort of do a Sri Lanka ? So Maximising the difference in quality of the bowling attacks where England can take wickets on this surface especially if India bat like last time, and Indian bowlers cannot even if England's batsman lack confidence ?

That's the only strategy as such i can think of to justify this. Or it's just the curator doing his own thing ?

 

[Singh Is King]

here comes all the excuses already. Its day bloody 1

 

[Viscount Tom]

Its not excuses, this pitch is just bad for test cricket.

 

[Singh Is King]

both teams will bat and bowl on this if you dont know

 

[Riggins]

god damn can't watch any of this series for the next 17 days

unless Goughy or uve can advise me otherwise?

you on twitter?