***Official*** India in England 2014

[Swingpanzee]

Honestly, the thing I hate watching most are teams looking like they are not having a good time. England look like that at present. Whatever's happening, at least enjoy the cricket. I know it's way easier said than done. But genuine smiles have become rarer and rarer in cricket over the years.

And that's quite sad. Jadeja and Dhoni are a revelation that ways.

Good point, but England play so blandly that I just can't imagine they are a team who can enjoy the game unless they are winning consistently.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

i'd like to point out that while here in australia peter siddle was dropped partly due to the coaches desire that his quicks bowl over 140kph, england were bounced out by ishant sharma bowling low 130s

With a rag that was 80 overs+ old too. Wasn't even a hard ball.

 

[Swingpanzee]

Tbf didn't Siddle get similar wickets against the English in Adelaide? Carberry (yeah he didn't play here but it was a short pitched delivery iirc), Prior, Broad, all in the second innings come to mind.

 

[wpdavid]

Its not just that England are bad, they are so uninspired. At least during the 90s they had some good players to watch.

Watching Anderson bowl is like the only thing about their side I enjoy. And he's been mostly ****house this series.

At least during the 1990s we usually put up a fight at home, and usually against stronger teams than our guests this summer. Beat & drew with SA, drew twice with WI when they were still good, beat NZ the first time we hosted them in that decade and beat India twice. As for the losses, I think we twice got beaten by a very good Pakistan side, and obviously got stuffed by Aus. But at least we took a test or two off them. The only really embarrassing one was NZ in 1999, and even then we took one test and may have taken the decider if Cairns hadn't blitzed us on one of his good days. Oh yes, we also lost a one-off to SL when the Oval groundsman thought it would be fun to serve up a dust-bowl against those particular opponents. And even away from home, we never managed to lose all 5 in Australia. Not sure how,but somehow we usually drew one and/or won one out there.

You need to go back to the previous decade to reach these particular depths. The most exact equivalent was 1986, when they came back from a 0-5 in the Caribbean to lose at home to India and NZ. And at least NZ had Hadlee. And at least the players had the excuse that the selectors thought it a good idea to get through 26 players in that summer's six tests.

The really good news is it wasn't until four years later that we won a home series.

 

[grecian]

This Indian side a lot better than that Indian side, and you can't really say there wasn't a fight against Sri Lanka. Some of the talk here is like we'd lost each game by an innings. Oh and Sanga and Mahela, quite good shocker.

Didn't we get washed against a pretty poor Indian team in the 90s. Anyway game of opinions and all that.

This Summer is dire, but it doesn't feel much more dire than others in my cricketing watching life.

 

[wpdavid]

This Indian side a lot better than that Indian side, and you can't really say there wasn't a fight against Sri Lanka. Some of the talk here is like we'd lost each game by an innings. Oh and Sanga and Mahela, quite good shocker.

Didn't we get washed against a pretty poor Indian team in the 90s. Anyway game of opinions and all that.

This Summer is dire, but it doesn't feel much more dire than others in my cricketing watching life.

Aye, opinions indeed. I'm sure neither of us has the stomach for a prolonged discussion about which out of the current decade and the 1990's was worse.

And you could have added that we haven't actually lost this series yet, so who knows. KP might yet do a 1981 Botham act and leave us wondering why we were all so miserable.

 

[Zinzan]

Just watched the highlights, comical display by the English after fighting so hard in that first session. So so rapt for the Indians though, thoroughly deserved their victory having battled the most difficult conditions on Day 1. Will be tough to stop their confidence and momentum for the remainder of the series now. England's other worry of course is a certain Kohli is yet to fire.

 

[Viscount Tom]

KP exclusive: My England comeback dream

He says all this stuff about wanting to play for England again, but if that was the case, why is he not plundering runs for Surrey in the Championship right now? Why's he jetting off to the Caribbean to play in some pointless T20 tournament. I would love to see KP in an England shirt again, I really would, but if he was really that keen on getting back in, he'd have gone about things differently this summer. I just see no way back for him now, despite the fact that I know he'd bring something to the side.

He's doing it to keep himself in the news as much as possible doesn't care about coming back or even trying to make a comeback, heck he's actively behaving like a bit of a tosser on social media and burning bridges as best he can.

No problem with him not in the side, rightly dropped for the wrong reasons mind back in February.

Darryl Michell >>> Adam Lyth

If Cribb starts simming again I'mg onna run you out.

 

[NasserFan207]

Good point, but England play so blandly that I just can't imagine they are a team who can enjoy the game unless they are winning consistently.

Exactly this, bland is the word. Particularly after getting rid of KP, I know he's despised but at least he has something about him gamewise. This is the dullest batting lineup I've seen for decades. Someone will pipe up about Bell, personally I've always hated watching Bell bat, not sure why exactly.

 

[Gnske]

"I have seen fewer hookers in Soho on a Saturday night."

Is Bob Willis the greatest man ever to have lived?

 

[Spikey]

Nick Hoult ‏@NHoultCricket 2m
Strange delay on Test squad announcement. Wonder if something big is about to break.

Lawrence Booth ‏@the_topspin 2m
Curious delay on Test squad announcement. Think something big is brewing...


just making sure to restrain Ben Stokes before breaking the news to him imo

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Is the delay down to the Anderson news that the hearing is now August 1?

 

[grecian]

I think tres being brought back as captain is big enough news to embargo.

 

[Dan]

I think tres being brought back as captain is big enough news to embargo.

That would be the most brilliant thing ever if it happened.

 

[King Pietersen]

AWTA. Kills two birds with one stone, he'd take the gloves too. #BringBackTres

 

[Teja.]

Love the Tres.

 

[Dan]

Trescothick *+
Robson
Ballance
Bell
Root
Moeen
Woakes
Broad
Plunkett
Magoffin
Anderson

 

[morgieb]

Trescothick *+
Robson
Ballance
Bell
Root
Moeen
Woakes
Broad
Plunkett
Magoffin
Anderson

Pretty sure Magoffin isn't eligible

 

[Dan]

England falsifying the records as we speak. It's the cause of the delay.

Failing that, Andre Adams.

 

[grecian]

Trescothick *+
Robson
Ballance
Bell
Root
Moeen
Woakes
Broad
Plunkett
Magoffin
Anderson

I'm surprised Will Gidman and Darren Stevens haven't made the cut....