***Official*** England in India

[Tom Halsey]

Go for Blackwell I think. Pitch would definitely fall apart if he did an Afridi shuffle on it and it probably doesn't matter too much if he gets banned anyway...

Agreed.

 

[adharcric]

Harder said than done, but the Indian batsmen should bat as if it's the 1st innings until somewhere between lunch and tea ... say a RR of 3. If they have less than 3 wickets down at that point, they can consider accelerating and going for the win, especially if Dhoni and Pathan can be promoted.

 

[steds]

Go for Blackwell I think. Pitch would definitely fall apart if he did an Afridi shuffle on it and it probably doesn't matter too much if he gets banned anyway...

Stop stealing my material!!

 

[SpeedKing]

Somehow 8i do not feel safe with just a 360-odd lead, and that is saying something for someone as positive minded as i am. and there was some nonsense going on with Harmison, and if true we will be down to 4 bowlers, which i feel is somehow not enough for 90 overs. Anyway the pitch started doing abit, so canonly be good.

Also i am worried that as almost everything went our way today, the umpires might be abit reluctant to give us anything tomorrow, in a sort of balancing act. I've seen it happen too often. its human nature.

 

[SpeedKing]

The odd ball exploded out of the wicket (not just out of the rough) - especially from Kumble. The choice of roller could be interesting tomorrow - I don't think the wicket's going to fall apart, but we could do with someone dancing the light Afridi on it to help it along.

Well didn't you see Collingwood dancing about towards every ball, even, Boycott-oriented-technician Cook started having a go.

 

[luckyeddie]

Go for Blackwell I think. Pitch would definitely fall apart if he did an Afridi shuffle on it and it probably doesn't matter too much if he gets banned anyway...

Roller.... Blackwell.... Brilliant

 

[alternative]

Congrats Cook on a well deserved century.. well played.. and now england has a good lead for a victory.. 10 wickets last day.. is certaily achievable.. lets just wait and see..

 

[Swervy]

Somehow 8i do not feel safe with just a 360-odd lead, and that is saying something for someone as positive minded as i am. and there was some nonsense going on with Harmison, and if true we will be down to 4 bowlers, which i feel is somehow not enough for 90 overs. Anyway the pitch started doing abit, so canonly be good.

Also i am worried that as almost everything went our way today, the umpires might be abit reluctant to give us anything tomorrow, in a sort of balancing act. I've seen it happen too often. its human nature.

368 runs in 90 overs(4.1 rpo) on a fifth day wicket anywhere in the world would be very very tough to do, even if India got of to an absolute flyer ie. 150-0 after 30 overs, it would still be a tough ask.

England are safe, dont worry about it!!!!

 

[luckyeddie]

Harder said than done, but the Indian batsmen should bat as if it's the 1st innings until somewhere between lunch and tea ... say a RR of 3. If they have less than 3 wickets down at that point, they can consider accelerating and going for the win, especially if Dhoni and Pathan can be promoted.

A run-rate of 3 was far in excess of anything India were capable of even dreaming of in the latter part of the first innings. Even when England batted on the first day, they barely managed it - but of course a lot of that is down to how many wickets are down.

It would take something extraordinary for any side to score 360 plus in a day on such a slow track.

 

[parttimer]

I predict an Eng win tomorrow. Hoggard and Panesar to be the chief destroyers with Fred chipping in, and perhaps Harmy if he gets it right. With the rough encroaching on the centre of the pitch seemingly by the minute, it should be pefect foil for Panesar and the quicks. Panesar btw looks to have an excellent temperment (what a delivery he produced yesterday, on the final ball of the day!!) and going by his general demeanour and veracity of his celebrations - how good was the Tendulkar one, he is obviously relishing the trench warefare that is test cricket. Eng to go 1 up

 

[CDAK]

I predict an Eng win tomorrow. Hoggard and Panesar to be the chief destroyers with Fred chipping in, and perhaps Harmy if he gets it right.

I agree completely.

Panesar btw looks to have an excellent temperment (what a delivery he produced yesterday, on the final ball of the day!!) and going by his general demeanour and veracity of his celebrations -

He is mostly like Maninder Singh, the temperment, the style of deliveries(except Maninder's run up was b/w umpire and stumps). Monti Paneaser (Madhusoodhan Singh) ..Please come back to ur mother-land

 

[Swervy]

I agree completely.


He is mostly like Maninder Singh, the temperment, the style of deliveries(except Maninder's run up was b/w umpire and stumps). Monti Paneaser (Madhusoodhan Singh) ..Please come back to ur mother-land

what...Luton?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Well didn't you see Collingwood dancing about towards every ball, even, Boycott-oriented-technician Cook started having a go.

They weren't using their feet to counter the spin... as they should be doing?

 

[CDAK]

what...Luton?

correction..needed?OK, then, "ancestor's land"(can't be more straight)

 

[Scaly piscine]

Odds from the bookies seem to be way too much in favour of the draw:

India 20/1
England 7/2
Draw 1/5

I do think the draw is favourite, but not that much of a favourite.

 

[Nishant]

Harder said than done, but the Indian batsmen should bat as if it's the 1st innings until somewhere between lunch and tea ... say a RR of 3. If they have less than 3 wickets down at that point, they can consider accelerating and going for the win, especially if Dhoni and Pathan can be promoted.

Thats exactly right! The pitch is not too difficult to bat on and so a RR of overall 4 is not too difficult. But keep wickets in tact till tea. Then, if the indians r successful, they should go 4 the win. I hope they do it. But i get the feeling that england will keep batting 4 a while tomm morn. In which case, its an inevitable draw!

 

[Nishant]

Sehwag will be key if india have any chance of winning. But he always disappoints me! he rarely does well aginst teams other than pakistan. Thats not a trademark of a great batsman. I hope he does well, but to be honest i really think that the english fans should not be worried about him at all.

hope sehwag proves me wrong!

 

[Scaly piscine]

Thats exactly right! The pitch is not too difficult to bat on and so a RR of overall 4 is not too difficult. But keep wickets in tact till tea. Then, if the indians r successful, they should go 4 the win. I hope they do it. But i get the feeling that england will keep batting 4 a while tomm morn. In which case, its an inevitable draw!

Yea, just a cakewalk to chase 368 down 4.09 an over at really when India managed 323 at a run-rate of 2.36 in their first innings.

 

[marc71178]

And I never said that.

So why claim that they both have the same effect on a person?

 

[marc71178]

You miss school more often than not. As I said studies suffer.

But it's not just one person, it must be 22 each day in just this one game.

So if none of them go to school, and they don't make it in Cricket (which lets face it is likely to happen for just about all of them) what do they then do when they're at school-leaving age?