***Official*** England in India

[Priyank]

Well, the biggest challenge for English batsmen would be to handle spin bowling. Trott, Bell and KP(to some extent) aare good batsmen of spinners. Lets see what happens !

Can't wait for the series.

 

[chicane]

tactical genius here from the BCCI.

LOL, do they have to make it so blatant? How about preparing more green tops for domestic games first? Anyway, I won't call this unfair but I'd rather we beat them without all this sabotage.

EDIT: Let's wait and see.

India A coach Lalchand Rajput dismisses talks of green-top wicket against England

Mumbai: Oct 28, 2012

Coach Lalchand Rajput sought to dismiss reports that a green-top was on offer for his India A team's three-day match against the touring England cricketers at the Cricket Club of India from October 30 and said it will be a typical Mumbai wicket.

"It's a good wicket. At CCI, always the first session helps the bowlers. It's one of those wickets which will have some carry in the first session. It's a typical Mumbai wicket, there will be a little bit of bounce," said Rajput after 12 out of his 14-member team had their first practice session at the Brabourne Stadium in the afternoon.

England are to play three warm-up games, the second one at the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai from November 3-5 and the third a four-day game at Ahmedabad prior to the start of the four-Test series from November 13 in the Gujarat city.

According to the CCI curator Prakash Dalvi, the track for the tourists' opening game has been under preparation for the last 10 days and 5mm grass has been kept, but even as he was talking, the ground staff was seen scrubbing the pitch.

While conceding that the absence of a frontline spinner in the team, which has been the subject of intense speculation whether it was a deliberate ploy or not, will pose some problems for other bowlers to complete the 90-over quota in a day, Rajput said the part-time slow bowlers in the team would have to chip in.

"We have got part-time spinners like Yuvraj, Raina and Tiwary to complete the 90-over quota in a day. I know over-rate will be a bit of a problem as they have to bowl 15 overs an hour.

He also saw the absence of regular spinners as another opportunity for the medium pacers in the team to have long spells, including with the old ball.

"I don't know what the selectors have in mind. I would look at it from the point of view of the medium pacers. It's a good opportunity for them. Normally, if you have two spinners, medium pacers don't take much part in the game because after the new ball, they are dead because of the turning wickets."

"It's a good opportunity to see how they bowl with the new ball, now they bowl with the old ball and how they bowl after say 50-60 overs and whether they can make use of the reverse swing as well," the former India opener and coach said.

Rajput was not clear whether the game will be a proper first-class game with none outside the eleven batting or bowling and said a call is expected to be taken tomorrow, on the eve of the match.

"We would like to look at it as a (competitive) match. But nowadays, ICC (International Cricket Council) has come out with (the concession) that 12 can bat. I don't know what MoU has been signed with the English board. We will take a call on it tomorrow," he said.

According to Board sources, it was up to the two team managements to come to an agreement on this issue. (PTI)

 

[grecian]

Alison Mitchell seems to think straightoutta will be opening with Cook, interesting.

 

[theegyptian]

Alison Mitchell seems to think straightoutta will be opening with Cook, interesting.

No great surprise I guess. Root looked pretty average in CL albeit in T20. Anyone know if the game tomorrow is being shown on TV in India?

 

[Viscount Tom]

Don't see why India would bother preparing a green pitch for tomorrow's game anyway given they need to be picking their no.6

 

[ViruTheBest]

Exactly.

Only hard to explain if you're still trying to argue that India are the best side in the world.

Still the best batting outfit in the world I do believe. Possibly with exception of SA. England batting is poor and very one dimensional. Look at their scoring rate? When India were no1 they could not only score and chase big totals, but also in good time.

It takes England close to two days to get a good score because of the defensive nature of their game and the limitation of their batsmen. Also a massive question mark v spin.

 

[ViruTheBest]

Well, the biggest challenge for English batsmen would be to handle spin bowling. Trott, Bell and KP(to some extent) aare good batsmen of spinners. Lets see what happens !

Can't wait for the series.

Bell couldn't play Warne on english pitches. He is not that good v spin and Ashwin /Ojha both have a good record at home. He was also poor in the SA series.

KP and Trott are worries, SA batsmen play spin better than their english counterparts.

 

[ViruTheBest]

Don't see why India would bother preparing a green pitch for tomorrow's game anyway given they need to be picking their no.6

It's a given Yuvraj will be chosen after his double ton comeback in first class recently.

Personally I would choose a test specialist first at no6 before trying Yuvraj/Raina again. My choice would be Badrinath/Tiwary maybe even bat Rahane lower down. Having said that, I don't think Yuvraj is a bad bet in these conditions but I was thinking more long term.

 

[Kohli_fan]

Australia and Prior final frontier!

The great Australian side talked of the final frontier when they came to India, and look they had been giving a tonking to everyone all over the world so to call it the final frontier when they came over to India was fair game.

Matt Prior is now calling this the final frontier for England, surely a final frontier would imply that England have been winning everything else home and away? The fact of the matter is England were drubbed 3-0 by Pakistan in the UAE and 2-0 in England by Prior's compatriots lest we forget.

Based on this how can he call it a final frontier? It is like saying you want to complete the hardest level on a video game when you cant even get past the level for beginners that is the reality of the situation.

 

[Howe_zat]

I must have missed the bit when India drafted Ajmal and Warne from 2005 into their side

 

[BoyBrumby]

So you're saying it's a piece of piss to win in India and stiffer challenges lay ahead?

Fair dos.

 

[Kohli_fan]

So you're saying it's a piece of piss to win in India and stiffer challenges lay ahead?

Fair dos.

Err no if you read what i said! it is the hardest tour in Cricket, but you have no business calling it the final frontier if you are getting hammered home and away in other series!

Australia were winning everything home and away so of course winning in India was the final frontier for them, England even if they did pull of a huge upset it would be an abberation as the losses they have taken over this year have shown they couldnt beat SA at home or Pak on neutral grounds

 

[Contra]

Still the best batting outfit in the world I do believe.

LOL no

 

[Viscount Tom]

I'm still trying to wor out how India's batting line up could be considered top when the SL and SA both have the more solid line ups at the moment.

 

[Howe_zat]

Given that Matt Prior also hasn't won a Test match in the USA, in Japan or on the Moon I think we can put this one down to artistic license and move on.

 

[doesitmatter]

Historically, England have had a piss poor record in the Sub-continent and winning in India(being this powerful cricketing nation) would give the England team the credibility to call themselves the top test nation of this period..Probably the reason behind Prior calling it as the Final Frontier...

 

[ViruTheBest]

Prior may see it as the final frontier for an absurd reason but for me it's just "business as usual." We have done well versus England for a long time in India. So we just have to replicate that.

The series shouldn't receive such attention as Mr Prior is trying to make out. It is not a final frontier in that sense.

 

[ViruTheBest]

I'm still trying to wor out how India's batting line up could be considered top when the SL and SA both have the more solid line ups at the moment.

I said possibly with the exception of SA.SL's batting is far from solid. Apart from Sanga and Jayawardene the rest are not that threatening. Also look at their players stats abroad outside the subcontinent, not amazing batting averages.

 

[grecian]

I think Prior is getting Tour of India mixed up with the fifth Star Trek movie, it's an easy mistake to make.

Both are likely to be a miserable experience for me watching though....

 

[Viscount Tom]

But who exactly is threatening in India's line up?