***Official*** England in India

[wpdavid]

So 2 of the spinners are "fit" but now Vaughan's missing and Pietersen has retired hurt.

Can I be the first to say

"Crumpets"

You can.

You could also add to your list of woes: in the last game before the 1st test Strauss looking completely out of touch today, Tresco running himself out & Fred giving catching practice to the bloke at mid-off.

btw is thre any news about Pitersen's injury yet? I was hoping he'd bat again ASAP, but that hadn't happened last time I looked.

 

[Arjun]

It's good to see a sensible practice match played and not some 16-vs-16 circus like that last match, and even better to see both teams at full strength, though the President's Best Men should have played an extra bowler.

What are your comments on the President's pace trio? Paul in particular? He seems to be a steady line-and-length bowler who actually lasts long, so he may please the "pace-is-nothing-line-and-length-is-most-important" cribaholics. Then don't complain he's only medium-pace– he's as fast as the Indian frontline seamers. He's reasonably tall and muscular, and seems capable of lasting a lot longer than the pie throwers whom we had seen bowling to the Pakistanis. As for Singh and Munaf, they seem to be attacking the batsmen with power.

 

[TT Boy]

What the heck happened to Pietersen? He seems to have been going like a train then retired hurt.

Just a precaution, his back is playing up, though Vaughan’s injury sounds rather alarming.

 

[adharcric]

Guys like SS Paul and Gagandeep Singh do deserve a national call-up, ideally speaking. They're accurate bowlers and genuine wicket-takers. Unfortunately, we had supposed "power" bowlers like Agarkar and Zaheer (who seems to have lost it) in the team instead. Now we have RP Singh as a line-and-length bowler, and coupled with Pathan's lack of pace, this means the team needs at least one bowler with genuine pace. So Munaf, VRV and Sreesanth will be ahead of the line-and-length bowlers even if it's unfair.

 

[TT Boy]

According to The Times and Cricinfo.com BSkyB will secure the TV rights to England's tour of India.

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/indveng/content/current/story/238314.html

 

[TT Boy]

Heads up on KP, he went El Loco because he felt his back was playing up, got to the point where he could not run so a runner was called for but a few balls later he wasn’t able to hit the ball so he went off.

 

[wpdavid]

Heads up on KP, he went El Loco because he felt his back was playing up, got to the point where he could not run so a runner was called for but a few balls later he wasn’t able to hit the ball so he went off.

Is that a recurrence of his injury in Pakistan? If so, doesn't look good.

 

[adharcric]

India Test Squad ... Prediction?

Rahul Dravid
Virender Sehwag
Gautam Gambhir
Wasim Jaffer
Sachin Tendulkar
VVS Laxman
Sourav Ganguly
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Irfan Pathan
Munaf Patel
Vikram Rajvir Singh
Rudra Pratap Singh
Sreesanth
Anil Kumble
Harbhajan Singh
16th Man: Yuvraj Singh

something tells me the selectors are gonna run wild and pick 5 seamers, including all 3 genuine pace prospects. i'm just praying that ajit agarkar and zaheer khan don't find a place. i'm really sick of watching zaheer bowl and expecting his old form and yorkers, then seeing utter rubbish being hit for boundaries.

 

[TT Boy]

Is that a recurrence of his injury in Pakistan? If so, doesn't look good.

Yes but his had the problem since last years Ashes.

 

[George.Hinton]

Munaf Patel takes 5-59 as England are bowled out for 237 .

How quick is Munaf ?

Anway be interesting to see how England bowl now......

 

[Steulen]

It's all a cunning plan by the English. They succumb to pace in the warm-up games hoping it will lure the BCCI into preparing green tops for the Tests, where the England batting will then make minced meat of the non-existing Indian pace threat.

 

[wpdavid]

It's all a cunning plan by the English. They succumb to pace in the warm-up games hoping it will lure the BCCI into preparing green tops for the Tests, where the England batting will then make minced meat of the non-existing Indian pace threat.

Obviously the bowlers are in on the plan as well. 25 for 0 after 2.1 overs, with Harmison sending down 2 4byes in his first over..

 

[the_last_rites]

SS Paul seems to have been very nasty too . 2/26 from 14

 

[Steulen]

Obviously the bowlers are in on the plan as well. 25 for 0 after 2.1 overs, with Harmison sending down 2 4byes in his first over..

Of course they are. They need to erase any memories of the bounce / reverse swing onslaught that won them the Ashes for the BCCI to buy into this plan

 

[the_last_rites]

Of course they are. They need to erase any memories of the bounce / reverse swing onslaught that won them the Ashes for the BCCI to buy into this plan

looks like they are doing a good job of forgetting all that

33/0 from 4 overs

 

[wpdavid]

Of course they are. They need to erase any memories of the bounce / reverse swing onslaught that won them the Ashes for the BCCI to buy into this plan

That must be it. Alternatively, lets all pray like crazy that Jones gets fit, Flintoff doesn't break down, and our spinners prove everyone wrong.

 

[wpdavid]

Hoggard's currently 0 for 24 after 3 overs, and the words"cannon" & "fodder" spring immediately to mind. You have worry about what Sehwag will do to him.

 

[social]

Does anyone truly believe that the Indians will produce wickets that favour pace against a team with a world-class pace attack and a recognised weakness vs quality spin?

This is early games of Pakistan all over again, nothing more.

 

[wpdavid]

Does anyone truly believe that the Indians will produce wickets that favour pace against a team with a world-class pace attack and a recognised weakness vs quality spin?

This is early games of Pakistan all over again, nothing more.

Judging by the Indians' reply, it can't be that much of a minefield though.

But obviously you're right about the likely pitches for the test matches. Which, once again, raises the question about how useful Hoggard will be.

 

[social]

Judging by the Indians' reply, it can't be that much of a minefield though.

But obviously you're right about the likely pitches for the test matches. Which, once again, raises the question about how useful Hoggard will be.

As I'm not watching it, it's impossible to say whether the track is green, the bowling was excellent on the Indians' behalf, the English batting was poor or their early bowling has been awful. Just dont read too much into a tour match.

As for Hoggard, he'll play and do his usual honest supporting role