***Official*** India in England 2014

[91Jmay]

I said this last game.. But we are playing Cook into form.. And you cant just drop 5 catches in the slips over 2 tests and 1 day of this one and expect to get away with it. Fully expect a daddy ton from Cook and a big first innings batathon from England.. And please God, if it is going to be a batathon, please please please let me watch Bell, Moeen and Butler.. Watching these two can be excruciating, as well as they are playing..


But with our luck, it would be these two with the daddy hundreds

Yeah, there does seem to be an unwritten rule for English selectors that the top 3 have to be eye gouging to watch.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I like watching Ballance, he starts slowly and accelerates through the innings once set. Looks a good replacement for Trott at 3.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Odds on Dhoni giving himself a trundle before stumps tonight?

50 for the (increasingly less) fat lad. Played, son.

 

[King Pietersen]

Another 50 for Ballance. Been really impressed with him this summer.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Nice knock from Ballance again. Hope he doubles it.

 

[91Jmay]

Pitch looks really flat now the ball is older, new ball key for both sides.

Well played Ballance. Looking like you'll have to give the selectors credit for him at 3.

 

[BoyBrumby]

He's definitely been a plus from a largely toilet summer.

All the newcomers have held their hands up to some extent tho, tbf. Robson a tad too much boom or bust for my liking, or, if you will, too Sydney or the Bush.

 

[cnerd123]

Rohit instead of Ashwin seems like a poor call now.

Pitch seems flat enough to not need Rohit's batting, and is the kind of pitch a wicket-taker like Ashwin could be handy.

 

[grecian]

Cook has become a bit becalmed, hope he doesn't get stresed by it, no reason to with Ballance scoring free-ish ATM.

 

[Cabinet96]

I like watching Ballance, he starts slowly and accelerates through the innings once set. Looks a good replacement for Trott at 3.

I like his cut. Weird thing to pick up on but he plays it quite uniquely the way he gets close to the line of the ball then lets his wrists work it through the off side.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Cook has become a bit becalmed, hope he doesn't get stresed by it, no reason to with Ballance scoring free-ish ATM.

Tea interval may come at a good time. Can relax a bit and then come out with fresh mindset after. May be tensing up now he is getting closer to the landmark.

 

[Cabinet96]

Jadeja taken way too long before going around. Finger spinners almost never cause issues bowling over the wicket if there's no assistance.

 

[cnerd123]

Dhawan into the attack. Fantastic.

 

[Maximas]

Good over-rate it must be said

 

[Cabinet96]

This game might arguably be the biggest test for Moeen with the ball.

 

[91Jmay]

Good session, got a chance to really set a monster total here if these two can carry on for another hour or so.

 

[Dissector]

Not looking good for India and a win is probably off the table. I have a feeling it will take a big Pujara hundred to get the draw. At least they have a proper no.6 which should help.

 

[cnerd123]

Can't actually believe I'm saying this...but India seem to be missing Ishant.

 

[Arjun]

At best Bhuvneshwar can bowl a few more overs, but the others should be taken out after their next seven overs. No point wasting their energy on this flat deck. For India, once they come out to bat, anything less than 600 will be disappointing, given how they've stacked up their batting down to nine. Can't imagine this attack, with three strike bowlers, taking 20 wickets on this deck. Can imagine Shikhar Dhawan returning to form (for this game at least) with a big knock.

 

[Stapel]

Whatever happens next, Ian Bell will come in in a situation where he has an opportunity to take the game away form his opponents, rather than being a need to save England's innings. Last time England lost its 2nd wicket with about 200 runs on the board is over 2 years ago.

Can't actually believe I'm saying this...but India seem to be missing Ishant.