***Official*** England in India

[SJS]

This straw is probably not big enough for the both of us to hold on to, though.

I agree

But honestly, before the series started didnt you think that with this (depleted) England side playing us at home , they would be lucky to get away without getting brownwashed.

The first test was a big eye opener for me. I really felt we were in trouble and that feeling only became stronger even though we won the second test.

Its not as if I am the eternal pessimist or something but somehow too many things appeared wrong with India of old and it was the new (Sreesanth, Munaf, Jaffer etc) alng with a fighting (not at his best I must say) Dravid that were holding fort. This made me very uncomfortable right through.

 

[SJS]

I understand and in a similar situation I may have done the same.

Chin up old cake

Nothing else to do anyway. A fighting knock by Sachin would have made the match worthwhile. Even with the poor standards of batting and fielding it had been an even game till suddenly.....

 

[PY]

Apparantly the team did a rousing rendition of Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire during lunch which seemed to get the boys going.

That's brilliant, given England's history with stomach upsets and the quantity of spicy food that is served up in India.

Very apt, wonder if Cook joined in.

 

[GIMH]

I noticed when they showed India's collapse again, after they ran out of things to talk about, that not long after lunch you could actually hear one of our fielders singing it between overs! LOl

Very proud of the England team today, i thought we had a chance of sneaking it before the match, last night I went to bed expecting to get up and see India 2 wickets down, and see a long struggle to the draw, as soon as I got up and saw 76-5, I knew that was it, but I did expect more than 24 more runs to be scored! Great performance from the bowlers, we have shown great resilience, courage and determination, and after the disappointment of Pakistan we can take real positives from this. Bring on Sri Lanka and Pakistan, I can't wait for summer

 

[Pedro Delgado]

I noticed when they showed India's collapse again, after they ran out of things to talk about, that not long after lunch you could actually hear one of our fielders singing it between overs! LOl

Yes I thought I was hearing things, it's on Hoggard's iPod so it must've been him.

 

[DanielFullard]

Few points.....

1) My call and support for Udal doesnt look too shabby now. 4-14. Brilliant stuff!

2) Didnt you just want tp hug Monty when he caugh that catch. The look of his face was priceless

3) What the hell was Dhoni doing?

4) Nice to hear the Indian fans being Vocal

5) Please dont let that clearly anti-English Australian chap on TV anymore

 

[chalky]

Few points.....


5) Please dont let that clearly anti-English Australian chap on TV anymore

That would be Durham legend Dean Jones

 

[Pedro Delgado]

That would be Derbyshire legend Dean Jones.

 

[SJS]

5) Please dont let that clearly anti-English Australian chap on TV anymore

You may find it difficult to believe but we Indians consider him positively anti Indian

 

[Pedro Delgado]

I consider him very "pro-Flintoff", but otherwise he was pretty neutral as far as I could hear.

 

[wpdavid]

That would be Derbyshire legend Dean Jones.

FWIW there's a wonderful bit in Tufnell's autobiography about bowling to Jones on his test debut. In short, it involves PT looking up at the point of delivery, seeing DJ about two thirds of the way down the pitch, panicking, briefly considering lobbing the ball over him to have him stumped, etc, etc. Worth a read.

 

[chris.hinton]

If all 16 main players are fit and able to play what will be the best xi with Cook, Anderson, Udal and Monty and Shah doing well in this series it going to be hard for the England Selectors i would drop Bell for a Start

England 13 for first test

Vaughan
Trescothick
Pietersen
Flintoff
Collingwood
Cook
Strauss
G.Jones
Udal
Hoggard
Harminson
Anderson
S.Jones

 

[adharcric]

Once England get Jones, Giles, Tresco, Vaughan and Harmy back, I really like the look of their team. Much more depth and competition for spots in the middle-order. Good stuff.

1-2: M. Trescothick, A. Strauss, A. Cook
3-5: M. Vaughan*, O. Shah, I. Bell, K. Pietersen, P. Collingwood
6: A. Flintoff
7: G. Jones+
8-11: M. Hoggard, S. Jones, S. Harmison, J. Anderson, A. Giles, M. Panesar

Udal had a nice day .. but please, let's be serious now.

 

[chris.hinton]

Udal will do better in England..... he 37 and i did say his a joke but he has proved me wrong and should stay in the team do you think Giles would do this today..... NO

 

[alternative]

If all 16 main players are fit and able to play what will be the best xi with Cook, Anderson, Udal and Monty and Shah doing well in this series it going to be hard for the England Selectors i would drop Bell for a Start

England 13 for first test

Vaughan
Trescothick
Pietersen
Flintoff
Collingwood
Cook
Strauss
G.Jones
Udal
Hoggard
Harminson
Anderson
S.Jones

i would still choose Monty over Udal

 

[chris.hinton]

he is younger so maybe

 

[Tom Halsey]

FWIW there's a wonderful bit in Tufnell's autobiography about bowling to Jones on his test debut. In short, it involves PT looking up at the point of delivery, seeing DJ about two thirds of the way down the pitch, panicking, briefly considering lobbing the ball over him to have him stumped, etc, etc. Worth a read.

The whole thing is pretty hilarious in some points, a better read than I expected considering it was written by Tuffers.

 

[wpdavid]

Udal will do better in England..... he 37 and i did say his a joke but he has proved me wrong and should stay in the team do you think Giles would do this today..... NO

Why are you so confident that Giles wouldn't have taken 4 wickets? He's had plenty of success in the subcontinent previously, apart from when he was well below 100% fit in Pakistan.

 

[steds]

If all 16 main players are fit and able to play what will be the best xi with Cook, Anderson, Udal and Monty and Shah doing well in this series it going to be hard for the England Selectors i would drop Bell for a Start

England 13 for first test

Vaughan
Trescothick
Pietersen
Flintoff
Collingwood
Cook
Strauss
G.Jones
Udal
Hoggard
Harminson
Anderson
S.Jones

Udal? Ha! He bowls one half decent spell and suddenly he's the answer? Is he ****.

 

[Jono]

Wow, was at work for most of the night so saw none of today's play. What an absolute demolition by England. Terrific performance by them, but I'm absolutely shattered at how India folded. Series draw, what a performance from an undermanned England team.

The Indian camp have a lot of thinking to do.