***Official*** India in England 2014

[Cabinet96]

89.6mph from Broad

 

[Spark]

Seriously, five slips and no gully? What's the deal?

 

[Cabinet96]

Pitch it up ffs.

There you go, swing when you pitch it up.

 

[Spark]

God, Dhawan.

 

[Cabinet96]

Always tough for a leftie that tbf.

 

[Stapel]

That smile on Cook's face is priceless!

 

[Scaly piscine]

Wow Broad actually taken off 'early' after yet another serving of gash with the new ball. Somebody must have passed a message onto Cook.

 

[Arjun]

And then more tiresome calls to drop Dhawan are coming up. Seriously, whatever Dhawan's faults are, a team that fields Ishant and Jadeja as strike bowlers has no business dropping their single best opener, just because he's struggling in his last two Tests. There isn't a worthy replacement right now, except Uthappa, by a long shot, but if you keep dropping openers after eight Tests with such regularity, there will be no strength at the top of the order.

 

[Spark]

We're gonna see that a few more times over the next few days. Doesn't stay down properly at all, does Jos.

 

[harsh.ag]

And then more tiresome calls to drop Dhawan are coming up. Seriously, whatever Dhawan's faults are, a team that fields Ishant and Jadeja as strike bowlers has no business dropping their single best opener, just because he's struggling in his last two Tests. There isn't a worthy replacement right now, except Uthappa, by a long shot, but if you keep dropping openers after eight Tests with such regularity, there will be no strength at the top of the order.

Gautam Gambhir is not a bad replacement for Dhawan for 1 test match. Why not? Gambhir is due one more chance, and why shouldn't he get one? Because Dhawan has earned what again? He has been awful this series. Not just technically, but giving his wicket away like at that full toss to Moeen.

 

[91Jmay]

Yeah to tall to stay as high as he does. Still you take the bad with the giant sixes over square leg.

 

[Spark]

Yeah to tall to stay as high as he does. Still you take the bad with the giant sixes over square leg.

And, in all honestly, it's highly unlikely that he could dish up worse than what's been served up in the keeping department over the last few Tests.

 

[Spark]

I hate to quote Piers Morgan, but...

Piers Morgan @piersmorgan
Great batting by England but I suspect Moeen Ali's wristbands will be the big story tonight. #Palestine #Gaza #Ageas pic.twitter.com/qHMlErWsJJ

Dunno what to make of it just yet

 

[91Jmay]

Nothing to make of it, he is totally entitled to have a Gaza wristband. No doubt some jobsworth English journalist will try to create a story but its nothing.

 

[Arjun]

Gautam Gambhir is not a bad replacement for Dhawan for 1 test match. Why not? Gambhir is due one more chance, and why shouldn't he get one? Because Dhawan has earned what again? He has been awful this series. Not just technically, but giving his wicket away like at that full toss to Moeen.

Dhawan has played just eight Tests. If you keep dropping openers so often, it won't help you build a steady partnership at the top. He's not a dire batsman, but a little out of form, and may need some talking to. Gambhir, on the other hand, has failed for over two years (Test average of 34, home and away), and has cost the team a Test series at home, and should never be recalled unless he wins a Ranji title for Delhi. Picking Gambhir right now is a step down.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Beeb will destroy him. What with their love of Israel and all that.

Nothing story though.

 

[Cabinet96]

I hate to quote Piers Morgan, but...



Dunno what to make of it just yet

So is he pro or not?

 

[Spark]

Nothing to make of it, he is totally entitled to have a Gaza wristband. No doubt some jobsworth English journalist will try to create a story but its nothing.

Inclined to agree, but he's bringing politics into sport, and an especially divisive + tense issue at that. It's going to make a stir.

Dileep Premachandran @SpiceBoxofEarth
Kudos to the ECB, who have just said that they don't believe Moeen Ali's arm band is anything to apologise for. #EngvInd

Good on 'em.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Boy he's looking shaky.

 

[Spark]

Boy he's looking shaky.

Can't think of a batsman who wouldn't against swing bowling like this in these conditions.