***Official England in India***

[chalky]

Sharma reaaly struggled with the short ball against Australia so much so that they really worked him over yet I don't think we have bowled 1 boucer at him.

Time to get Monty off & another quick on with Fred

 

[steds]

Sharma reaaly struggled with the short ball against Australia so much so that they really worked him over yet I don't think we have bowled 1 boucer at him.

Time to get Monty off & another quick on with Fred

Anderson on and drops short first ball. Good call.

 

[steds]

Does TMS deliberately employ the commentators with the most boring voices they can find? So hard to stay awake.

 

[Richard]

I tend to just leave it 'til 6. Even TMS can't send you to sleep then.

How unusual to see you on CC at this time of year, Master Bennett.

Anyway, worrying that already the last-wicket stand appears to have put-on 22. But for that it'd be a lead of almost 100.

 

[pup11]

I guess England won't be too happy with their this morning work, they had a very good chance of ensuring a 100+ lead for themselves today but once again that Harbhajan-Dhoni batting combo proving to be thorn in the flesh for another team, but nonetheless its still a really good effort from England to wrap up the strong Indian batting line-up this cheaply.

 

[Precambrian]

Bhajji WAG. Ishant and Mishra looking pretty good. Mishy unveiled a couple of leg side flicks which would make Tendulkar proud.

 

[Evermind]

Hmm...lead of 75, from 5/102. What does everyone think? I personally thought India would've been bundled out for less than 200.

But now that the lead's just 75, is there some chance India might get back into this match?

 

[silentstriker]

is there some chance India might get back into this match?

Nah

 

[Prince EWS]

Anderson underbowled IMO.

 

[pup11]

Nonetheless, in Clark and Haddin there are two high-quality players to replace them. McGrath > Clark and first-half-of-career Gilchrist > Haddin, undoubtedly, but it's not like they went from riches to rags.

The one real difference is Warne, and bizarre as it may seem I think there's roughly zero chance of Warne being as effective a wicket-taker in a single game against India as Krejza was in that infamous game. Albeit if Krejza had played a full series alongside Warne (as he bowled in 2004/05 rather than as he had in previous series) against any Indian team I'd back Warne to come out with the better series figures without hesitation.

I agree with this, i think as an Aussie fan (and a huge one at that), i was terribly disappointed to see them fare so poorly through the test series in India recently, but i don't think any Aussie fan can really blame it on the lack of experience in the Aussie bowling ranks or make excuses for that, the fact is clear and simple we never got our plans or tactics right through that series and were outplayed by the Indian team in every department, blokes like Binga and Clark who were expected to carry the attack never were able to come to terms with the conditions and hence we struggled through the series, having said that had Aussies came across similar pitches to the one we are seeing in this current test then there attack might have done slightly better given they could have won the toss and batted first and more importanly there choice of spinner would have been someone else then Cam White.

 

[Richard]

Anderson underbowled IMO.

Certainly Anderson and Flintoff should've been given a crack at this last partnership the moment it started, just go swinging, straight and as full as you can get it without serious Full-Toss level.

 

[Precambrian]

Nah

There you go

 

[pup11]

Nah

Here we go again....

 

[Richard]

is there some chance India might get back into this match?

Nah

England are still eminently in the box-seat, but never, ever bank against either England's ability to fall in a heap with the bat or let a big last-wicket stand bother.

However, that's the last-wicket stand worry outta t'way.

 

[steds]

Certainly Anderson and Flintoff should've been given crack

Indeed. Unfortunately, Chris Lewis is otherwise engaged.

 

[Richard]

FFS, always forget that omission of a single letter must be avoided at all costs with you around.

 

[Athlai]

Wag

 

[wpdavid]

Morning all. In footballing parlance, I'd put England ahead 2-1 at half time. Not bad, but by no means safe. I think they'd like to bat for four sessions now.

 

[chalky]

Sharma having real problems with over stepping

 

[chalky]

Cook gone soft wicket just prodding outside off stump