England in India

First topic message reminder :

England main side is in India from Nov 2012 thru end of Jan 2013.
The schedule below....and interestingly Eng Performance Side ( meaning A side?) will also be in India overlapping with the senior sides tour.....
I believe Netherland will also be playing the Eng Performance side in 3 games at Poona club.......why at Poona club ?

Tue Oct 30 - Thu Nov 1
09:30 local | 04:00 GMT
05:00 CET TBC v England XI
Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai

Sat Nov 3 - Mon Nov 5
09:30 local | 04:00 GMT
05:00 CET TBC v England XI
Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai

Thu Nov 8 - Sun Nov 11
09:30 local | 04:00 GMT
05:00 CET TBC v England XI
Sardar Patel Stadium B Ground, Motera, Ahmedabad

Thu Nov 15 - Mon Nov 19
09:30 local | 04:00 GMT
05:00 CET 1st Test - India v England
Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad

Fri Nov 23 - Tue Nov 27
09:30 local | 04:00 GMT
05:00 CET 2nd Test - India v England
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Wed Dec 5 - Sun Dec 9
09:00 local | 03:30 GMT
04:30 CET 3rd Test - India v England
Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Thu Dec 13 - Mon Dec 17
09:30 local | 04:00 GMT
05:00 CET 4th Test - India v England
Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur

Thu Dec 20
20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
15:30 CET 1st T20I - India v England
Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium, Pune

Sat Dec 22
20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
15:30 CET 2nd T20I - India v England
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Sun Jan 6 TBC v England XI
Feroz Shah Kotla, DelhiDelhi

Tue Jan 8 TBC v England XI
Harbax Singh Stadium, DelhiDelhi

Fri Jan 11
14:30 local | 09:00 GMT
10:00 CET 1st ODI - India v England
Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot

Tue Jan 15
14:30 local | 09:00 GMT
10:00 CET 2nd ODI - India v England
Nehru Stadium, Kochi

Sat Jan 19
14:30 local | 09:00 GMT
10:00 CET 3rd ODI - India v England
HEC International Cricket Stadium Complex, Ranchi

Wed Jan 23
14:30 local | 09:00 GMT
10:00 CET 4th ODI - India v England
Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala

Sun Jan 27
14:30 local | 09:00 GMT
10:00 CET 5th ODI - India v England
Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh

another pretty decent day for England. The bowlers have all had a good work-out, and Bresnan has done pretty well again, I think he could be effective in the tests. The noises coming out of the England camp seem to be that Finn may well be fit for the first test, which would be a big bonus.

The best thing to come out of the warm-ups of course is that all the batsmen are in form. I know they haven't been facing high quality bowling (Mishra being the best bowler they've faced has decided to play as a batsman), but I think like alfie the benefits outweigh the negatives here, and wonder if India have missed a trick here. Their plan seems to have been to provide England nothing like the conditions they'll face in the tests, but in doing so they've put a lot of confidence into the England batsmen, so it could backfire.

Patel has almost certainly played himself into the test team, and I actually think that's not a bad thing, he adds balance to the side, though his replacing Bairstow weakens the fielding somewhat. The main question mark is over the fitness of Broad and Finn. Bresnan has surely made himself next in line by doing better than Onions in the warm-ups.

Like studying for a maths exam by brushing up on the names of the Tudor monarchs, England will have gained little benefit from the third day of their game against Haryana. On a pitch that bears no comparison to that on which the Test will be played and against opponents with little in common with those in their national team, England were obliged to spend four sessions in the field under a hot sun. They could be forgiven for having moments when they wished this was a three day match rather than four.

I for once agree with Dobell's assesment on CI above......wasted day...tiring...exposing eng to more risks of freak injuries when on field.....with nothing valuable that will count as prcatise for realk conditons.

They would have been better off staying in Dubai and inviting some county side with spinners / afganistan, some Pak A and Eng-A sides for practise on Dubai / Abu Dhabi / sharjah pitches.

Eng coach would go in worried.....none of his batters were tested under conditons that would anywhere close to test match pitches...and handed over bundles of wickets to part time spinners in every game even on benign pitch conditions...and every fringe batsman and those not even on fringes made the English bowling look easy

If Finn's fit, for me he has to play. Bresnan wasn't exactly running through the 2nd rate batting lineups presented, for that matter the bowling unit didn't do as well as expected. Perhaps they were bowling within themselves. Finn's extra yard of pace could be handy against the Indian lineup, not saying he will run through the lineup every 2nd day, but him playing on hundred % would give England a bit more of a chance.

I'd suggest that Bresnan should play, else we'll be picking two bowlers with 14 overs between them on the tour. Whichever of Finn and Broad is fitter should then get the nod.

Like MFC I think the Indian tactics could backfire somewhat - all the England batsmen are now in form and demons against spin have probably been sent to the back of the mind.

Hope we play to win on Day 4. We're 305 runs ahead, let's see what the second string bowling attack can do with the scenario of 10 wickets needed in 1 day on a flattish pitch. These tour matches have been a real bonus for England, every player has contributed in some way and England are now suitably prepared for Thursday - let's catch India cold!

Playing to win worked well in Australia, although here that may be difficult - do we really want to spend another day in the field? It may be more productive overall to get Compton and Trott tons, get Bell another knock and maybe Prior too, and then see what Bresnan and Onions can do in a spell late in the day.

Headline news.......unsure Eng give Harxana only 50 overs to chase 442

KP_fan wrote:Headline news.......unsure Eng give Harxana only 50 overs to chase 442

Oh come on Kpf ...what point would there have been in declaring early and slogging away for hours on a bowlers graveyard against a team with no interest in anything but blocking out the day ?

Far better to get some more batting practice , as they did , and have a couple of hours bowling late in the day.

No prizes for winning meaningless practice matches.

KP_fan wrote:Headline news.......unsure Eng give Harxana only 50 overs to chase 442

No mention of your boyfriend getting out for a second ball duck?

Bresnan's bowling well again, get him in the team if Finn's not fit.

Good, solid performance by England in all the three warmups. Batting line up looks in good shape. Anderson and Bresnan have had a decent workout and appear to be in good rhythm. Swann is joining the squad tomorrow. Hopefully, the little girl is fine and Swanny can play in the tests without any distractions. Finn is apparently fit for the first test though there are still doubts over Broad from what I've read. And in case anyone hasn't noticed, Patel (apart from his good batting form) has been the equivalent of Panesar with the ball in the two matches that they've played together. He also was very much the equivalent of Monty in Sri Lanka. This should hopefully mean the abandonment of any thoughts of going in with two specialist spinners in the Tests. 3 seamers + Swann + A batting allrounder in Patel is the way to go about it. Basically, the same combination that won us the only test that we won last winter (in Colombo). I'd play exactly the same XI that won in Colombo with the only obvious change being Compton in for Strauss. On a side note, a bit surprised to see Onions struggling for wickets. Wonder whether Meaker with his ability to bowl 85+ mph reverse swing and better returns in this game, has usurped him in the pecking order, in these conditions.

I do wonder sometimes whether some people on here actually understand all that much about cricket.

For a gruelling tour of India, it was inconceivable that England would want to spend more than 50 or so overs in the field just a few days before the first test. Get a few more overs under their belts, in Bresnan's case a couple more wickets which has probably done enough to ensure he gets in the team for the first test, and give Trott and Bell some more batting practice.

This 3rd warm-up game has been pretty much perfect from an England perspective: all the batsmen got runs, the bowlers got a decent work-out in the first innings, and just a few overs to keep themselves in the groove in the second innings.

The warm-ups have also been good in that they've made the balance of the team quite clear: Compton to open, Patel at 6, then 3 seamers and Swann.

I'm not sure winning in pre-test matches is all that important: IMO it becomes more so if there are matches between the tests, particularly if the tests aren't going so well.

Shanky, I think Onions relies on a little bit of movement each way, and so isn't ideally suited to bowling in Asia (similarly, when SA next tour Asia I don't expect Philander to have the same success he has elsewhere).

Bresnan, when bowling well, is good at varying his length and getting something out of the pitch when others can't. That has been particularly useful against India in the past (World Cup match and also in England), and he also went well in Bangladesh (yes, I know Bangladesh aren't the best Test team in the world but Bres was probably the pick of the seamers on that tour).

Overall, a satisfactory warm-up period. As I said yesterday the lack of quality spin bowled at us could go in our favour - sending any demons about spin to the back of their minds and reminding them that they all have the basic attributes to do well in Asia. The quality of the seamers we faced is perhaps a little more concerning: Alec Stewart described them as club bowlers at best from the pictures they showed on Sky this morning, and I have to agree with that assessment.

Agree with Shelsey about the lack of spin benefitting us. This is what I said on another forum regarding the same :

shankycricket wrote:Whilst I agree that it is bad sportsmanship from the BCCI (though not really surprising), I'm not really sure thats necessarily a bad thing for England heading into the tests with all the batsmen getting some runs under their belt even if its against awful bowling. The confidence of having scored these runs would stand them in good stead going into the tests unlike in the UAE where all the batsmen barring Cook (IIRC) had a rough time in the warm ups. Also, from what I've been reading in the papers, Zaheer's fitness is still a big concern and there is a good chance that India could go into the first Test with two inconsistent seamers in Yadav and Ishant. Ojha hasn't exactly set the world alight so far in the domestic season. And whilst Ashwin is good, Darren Bravo and co. showed last year that this is by no means, an invincible attack. I don't think Ashwin has played red ball cricket since the NZ Tests anyway. If England go out there with a positive frame of mind and forget for a moment that they are playing in the subcontinent, then there is no reason why they can't score big runs against this attack. If the reports regarding the Ahmedabad Test pitch are true (I'm not sure they are, I still think it'll be flat) then toss could be crucial and the BCCI seem to have forgotten that Dhoni isn't particularly good at winning tosses. If England can win the toss and put runs on the board then I can see the plan of producing turning tracks falling flat on India's faces. Facing Swann in the 4th innings on a turning pitch isn't going to be easy for the likes of Pujara and Yuvraj.

Mike Selig wrote:

The warm-ups have also been good in that they've made the balance of the team quite clear: Compton to open, Patel at 6, then 3 seamers and Swann.

Certainly agree with that. Just a couple of follow up comments:

1. Do we know for sure that Swann will be back for the first Test? If he's unable to play, we certainly have issues. We either pick Panesar as a direct replacement or play 4 seamers and rely on Patel and Pietersen for spin. I can't see us going with the latter option - it would seem too disruptive to the team balance and leave us with insufficient slow bowling. However, Panesar has struggled for wickets in the last 2 warm ups whilst batting and fielding concerns are ever present and well documented.

2. Assuming we go in with 3 seamers, who are they to be? Anderson's qualty and reliability appear to cement his place without much difficulty. If Finn is judged fit, we are going to want his pace. The third place has probably been earned by Bresnan. That would leave Broad unhappy and sitting it out along with Onions and Meaker. A particularly interesting choice would arise if Finn is unavailable. The most predictable and in some ways safest option would be to bring in Broad (assuming he's fit). However, the nearest like for like replacement for Finn and his pace would be Meaker. I can't see the selectors picking Meaker yet - in some ways, this series is 12 months too soon for him - but his name should at least be in the mix.

Nice to see Samit scoring runs, and getting some praise. I've always believed that he could be a crucial member of our team in the sub continent and I'm just disappointed I haven't been around more to make his case even more! And I think with Trott's ton, it is now 5 England batsmen with a century in this tour (Cook, KP, Trott, Bairstow, Patel) and whilst I agree with the point of view that the perhaps the BCCI have missed a trick in allowing the English players to get runs and confidence under their belt, I just think this could all fall away very quickly if Ashwin and Ohja get a few early wickets on Day 1 of the First Test.

It's also good to Compton getting runs, and whilst I am still not convinced by him as I can't tell if he is going to be a Trott-eque pick who will come good on the highest level, or be exposed as a good county batsman who can't quite cut the mustard in Tests; he has scored runs and grabbed his chance (although it looked like he was always ahead of Root in the selectors minds) and will be interesting to see how he goes.

As for the bowling attack, Swann is due back tomorrow so should be fine to play. So clearly he plays. Then Anderson is nailed on, he is the leader of our attack and will play. And as Board and Finn are both carrying niggles, you can only pick one of them for me as you don't want them both breaking down and leaving Anderson and Trott as our seamers. I'd go with Finn, despite thinking that Broad has got a bit of a unfair rap from some quarters, as he was our best bowler in the UAE and is the leading Test wicket taker in the World in the last 12 months. It seems that one average series against the Saffers has made us forget how good he was for the previous 12 months. Then for the final slot, I think Big Bres has to play. I'm not sure how much he'll do against the cream of Indian batting on these flat pitches, but he can get the ball to reverse, he has a good record against India and he has been the form bowler in the warm up games so he has to play really.

I agree with JD about Broad: one poor series against SA shouldn't hide the fact that he produced match-winning performances at Lords (yes I know Anderson and KP helped, but Broad's 1st innings spell set it up for England) and Headingley against India just last summer, and has in general performed very well in the last year.

I still think he was carrying a niggle against South Africa. If he's 100% fit I'd have him in the team anyday.

guildfordbat wrote:

Mike Selig wrote:

The warm-ups have also been good in that they've made the balance of the team quite clear: Compton to open, Patel at 6, then 3 seamers and Swann.

Certainly agree with that. Just a couple of follow up comments:

1. Do we know for sure that Swann will be back for the first Test? If he's unable to play, we certainly have issues. We either pick Panesar as a direct replacement or play 4 seamers and rely on Patel and Pietersen for spin. I can't see us going with the latter option - it would seem too disruptive to the team balance and leave us with insufficient slow bowling. However, Panesar has struggled for wickets in the last 2 warm ups whilst batting and fielding concerns are ever present and well documented.

2. Assuming we go in with 3 seamers, who are they to be? Anderson's qualty and reliability appear to cement his place without much difficulty. If Finn is judged fit, we are going to want his pace. The third place has probably been earned by Bresnan. That would leave Broad unhappy and sitting it out along with Onions and Meaker. A particularly interesting choice would arise if Finn is unavailable. The most predictable and in some ways safest option would be to bring in Broad (assuming he's fit). However, the nearest like for like replacement for Finn and his pace would be Meaker. I can't see the selectors picking Meaker yet - in some ways, this series is 12 months too soon for him - but his name should at least be in the mix.

1. It seems Swann will be ok, but I'm concerned about how "with it" he'll be. If Swann wasn't available or in the right frame of mind then Monty plays surely. Even if he doesn't pick up that many wickets (I don't think Swann will either BTW), I just don't think going into a test match in India with Patel as your main spinner is a feasible option.

2. Sorry but I can't see that Meaker has displaced Broad on the back of one game. See earlier post. I still think Broad will play if fit, and then the final place comes down to Bresnan or Finn. I'm not in the know as to Finn's fitness - if fit then I'd back him over Bresnan, the latter can feel hard done by. Also, I don't think Bresnan will score that many runs in India (he makes Bairstow look like an accomplished player of spin!).

I wonder if guildford doesn't read my posts anymore because I've clearly stated in my previous post about Swanny joining the squad tomorrow.

Besides, I agree with JD. Think if only one of Finn and Broad can play, I'd definitely pick Finn. I won't have Meaker over Broad just yet though. Though I wonder whether he has overtaken Onions in the pecking order for this tour.

If the English team and coach are thinking like a numbe rof posters here......I believe the Indian strategy of deluding the English sides throuhg these practise games has succeeded:

1)The Enghlish batsmen were exposed to club quality gentle medium pace on slightly seaming pitches.....bread n butter stuff for them.
They or for that matter any international side including Bangladesh would have and should duly score heavily against these attacks ( you can hardly call them 120kph attack)

2) In fact whatever practise they did in Dubai against spinners stands deacclimitzed...as it's been so long since they played specialist spinners

3) sadly the achiles heal of English batting i.e spin was exposed in every game....some part time spinners getting their career best figures and English wikcet falling in clusters to spin.

4) Bowlers mostly bowled to batsmen who aren't even Ranji regulars......and some India XI quality batsmen most of the latter category scored runs without being botehrd by English bowling on pitches that had much more support to seamers than the test match pitches wil.

5) and Finn was injured in these long drawn practis games.....and Broad picked up a niggle. And England still showing inclination not to pick best bowlers as replacement, but the best batsmen amongst bowlers

From an Indian point of view...perfect script.....deluding English camp into thinking they are scoring and in form.......turning a blind eye to the heaps of wickets they lost to part time spinners......and the ease with whihc some of India quality batsmen handled their bowlers........

undercooked...deluded......2 main bowlers not 100%......given good batting practise to Yuvraj, Pujara.......and a month without facing good spinners......is the Indian camp's view of the situation.

Obviously one of the camps is 180degrees out of phase........test match results will give the answers....there is no rain expected....a few hours of bad light shortened days in T3 Kolakata.
This series is England's monemt of truth.......There is no where to hide

Duty281 wrote:

KP_fan wrote:Headline news.......unsure Eng give Harxana only 50 overs to chase 442

No mention of your boyfriend getting out for a second ball duck?

he was sulking....
because mercenary Flower his part in the reintegration deal.......required to serve "him" breakfats in the bed...was late in doing so

"He" is the only bet of averaging 45+ for England with the bat in series......so Flower's gotta keep him in good mood

Looks like Bresnan will play.

To me How goods a bowler Bresnan is....ain't gonna be judged by some C Grade Ranji trophy cricketers wickets.----but rather how good he was in his last international outings.

why was he dropped from the Eng test match side on much more seam friendly pitches ? is the question I would ask.

thankfully Cook is not sounding deluded

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-england-2012/content/current/story/590862.html

Spin 'message' hampers England preparation

Alastair Cook admitted he wished that England had been confronted with more spin bowling as they completed their warm-up games ahead of the first Test of the series against India.

he did suggest that "a message" had been conveyed to the opposition to ensure the tourists were denied meaningful exposure to spin bowling ahead of the series.

A draw against Haryana meant England had drawn all three of their warm-up matches. But, although every batsman in England's top-order has enjoyed a lengthy innings at some stage, Cook knows that such success may prove deceptive. Some of the opposition has been surprisingly modest.

The absence of spin has been particularly noticeable. Fewer than 11% of the overs bowled against England in the second innings of the three matches has come from spinners and, arguably, none of it has come from what might be described as a quality spinner. It was typical that, in England's second innings against Haryana Amit Misha, the legspinner who has played 13 Tests for India, did not deliver a single ball. It means that England, with a less than illustrious record against top-quality spin bowling in recent times, will go into a series in which spin is expected to play a major role, having had very little meaningful practise against it.

"Clearly we can't control the standard of the opposition," Cook said. "We would have liked to have faced more spin in the matches but that hasn't happened.

I don't know who it has come from but clearly there's been a message of some sort. Obviously we've had Amit Mishra missing here. I don't know if he was injured or not but he didn't bowl that many overs, so clearly there's been a message of some kind."

Mike Selig wrote:

1. It seems Swann will be ok, but I'm concerned about how "with it" he'll be. If Swann wasn't available or in the right frame of mind then Monty plays surely. Even if he doesn't pick up that many wickets (I don't think Swann will either BTW), I just don't think going into a test match in India with Patel as your main spinner is a feasible option.

2. Sorry but I can't see that Meaker has displaced Broad on the back of one game. See earlier post. I still think Broad will play if fit, and then the final place comes down to Bresnan or Finn. I'm not in the know as to Finn's fitness - if fit then I'd back him over Bresnan, the latter can feel hard done by. Also, I don't think Bresnan will score that many runs in India (he makes Bairstow look like an accomplished player of spin!).

1. I believe the ''with it'' element could go one of two very different ways. Even though it now looks like Swann will be back in time for the first Test, his mind could be thousands of miles away back home. There again, if his daughter is by then well on the mend, he could feel on ''a real high'' and accordingly bowl with supreme confidence. Impossible to judge without knowing his family circumstances and I have no wish to venture there (different for the selectors though).

2. I wasn't setting out to be so bullish about Meaker. The point I was really trying to make about Meaker is this: I keep hearing and reading how valuable Finn's pace in India is expected to be. The player with the pace closest to Finn is Meaker and so he (Meaker) shouldn't be excluded from consideration if a replacement for an unfit Finn is required. That said, I fully accept that Meaker's inexperience will rightly count against him now. I do though expect Meaker to be knocking loudly on the Test door over the next year.

ShankyCricket wrote:I wonder if guildford doesn't read my posts anymore because I've clearly stated in my previous post about Swanny joining the squad tomorrow.

Shanky - I did read your post and thought it was surprisingly good. I just didn't know if your comment about Swann was hoped for expectation or definite fact, not having seen it elsewhere.

swanny will play the first test he will be back, and im hopeful for the test series, in fact i think we will win the series.

Surprisingly good?

Anyways, how the heck has Sonic err KPFan not been banned yet?

KP_fan wrote:undercooked...deluded......2 main bowlers not 100%......given good batting practise to Yuvraj, Pujara.......and a month without facing good spinners......is the Indian camp's view of the situation.

England won by 196 runs
England won by 319 runs
England won by an innings and 242 runs
England won by an innings and 8 runs

That was the results the last time England played Bangladesh India. India will still be mentally hurt by that and will probably succumb to the pressures of the expectant home crowd.

On another note, I'm supposing we have no DRS for this series and the BCCI will try and keep the game in the Dark Ages.

Duty281 wrote:

KP_fan wrote:undercooked...deluded......2 main bowlers not 100%......given good batting practise to Yuvraj, Pujara.......and a month without facing good spinners......is the Indian camp's view of the situation.

England won by 196 runs
England won by 319 runs
England won by an innings and 242 runs
England won by an innings and 8 runs

That was the results the last time England played Bangladesh India. India will still be mentally hurt by that and will probably succumb to the pressures of the expectant home crowd.

On another note, I'm supposing we have no DRS for this series and the BCCI will try and keep the game in the Dark Ages.

Buddy there ain't much to debate......as the said......it's "the" moment of truth for England......and results will prove whose prognosis will stand the test of time.

and whatever you write in this post is OFF Topic.......thread is England IN India.

KP_fan wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

KP_fan wrote:undercooked...deluded......2 main bowlers not 100%......given good batting practise to Yuvraj, Pujara.......and a month without facing good spinners......is the Indian camp's view of the situation.

England won by 196 runs
England won by 319 runs
England won by an innings and 242 runs
England won by an innings and 8 runs

That was the results the last time England played Bangladesh India. India will still be mentally hurt by that and will probably succumb to the pressures of the expectant home crowd.

On another note, I'm supposing we have no DRS for this series and the BCCI will try and keep the game in the Dark Ages.

Buddy there ain't much to debate......as the said......it's "the" moment of truth for England......and results will prove whose prognosis will stand the test of time.

and whatever you write in this post is OFF Topic.......thread is England IN India.

I disagree, India's drubbing last year could well have a negative or positive effect on them this year. It's all relevant.

Duty281 wrote:

KP_fan wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

KP_fan wrote:undercooked...deluded......2 main bowlers not 100%......given good batting practise to Yuvraj, Pujara.......and a month without facing good spinners......is the Indian camp's view of the situation.

England won by 196 runs
England won by 319 runs
England won by an innings and 242 runs
England won by an innings and 8 runs

That was the results the last time England played Bangladesh India. India will still be mentally hurt by that and will probably succumb to the pressures of the expectant home crowd.

On another note, I'm supposing we have no DRS for this series and the BCCI will try and keep the game in the Dark Ages.

Buddy there ain't much to debate......as the said......it's "the" moment of truth for England......and results will prove whose prognosis will stand the test of time.

and whatever you write in this post is OFF Topic.......thread is England IN India.

I disagree, India's drubbing last year could well have a negative or positive effect on them this year. It's all relevant.

OK.
Good Luck to England.
One half in me would like to see good competiton unlike the listless drubbing.......that India recieved last year..
the other half in me would happily take the realistic possibility of a 4-0 scoreline....with every game finishing inside 4 days

Good time this for test match cricket lovers......8 of 9 nations will be locking horns in Nov_Dec in test match cricket......except pak...who should have arranged something with Zimbabwe somewhere

KP_fan wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

KP_fan wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

KP_fan wrote:undercooked...deluded......2 main bowlers not 100%......given good batting practise to Yuvraj, Pujara.......and a month without facing good spinners......is the Indian camp's view of the situation.

England won by 196 runs
England won by 319 runs
England won by an innings and 242 runs
England won by an innings and 8 runs

That was the results the last time England played Bangladesh India. India will still be mentally hurt by that and will probably succumb to the pressures of the expectant home crowd.

On another note, I'm supposing we have no DRS for this series and the BCCI will try and keep the game in the Dark Ages.

Buddy there ain't much to debate......as the said......it's "the" moment of truth for England......and results will prove whose prognosis will stand the test of time.

and whatever you write in this post is OFF Topic.......thread is England IN India.

I disagree, India's drubbing last year could well have a negative or positive effect on them this year. It's all relevant.

OK.
Good Luck to England.
One half in me would like to see good competiton unlike the listless drubbing.......that India recieved last year..
the other half in me would happily take the realistic possibility of a 4-0 scoreline....with every game finishing inside 4 days

Good time this for test match cricket lovers......8 of 9 nations will be locking horns in Nov_Dec in test match cricket......except pak...who should have arranged something with Zimbabwe somewhere

OMG KP Fan, i don't think England will win 4-0 this time. Maybe just the 3.

Mishra enumerates the flaws and frailities of English batting

http://www.wisdenindia.com/cricket-article/england-batsmen-limited-shots-spin-mishra/34683

In the final warm-up match, Amit Mishra led Haryana, and though he picked up four wickets in 17.1 overs in the first innings, he did not bowl at all in the second. “There were no instructions that I should not bowl or anything like that,” clarified Mishra soon after the game. “I had a cut on my spinning finger and was finding it hard to grip the ball. Before play on the fourth morning I tried to bowl, but wasn’t able to.”

Although he did not have a chance to bowl to the England batsmen as much as he would have liked, Mishra did watch them from close quarters. “There’s a big difference between how our batsmen play spin and how their batsmen play spin, there’s no doubt about that. They are a bit weak against spin,” said Mishra. “Our Test spin bowlers are very skillful and the England batsmen will have to use all the skill they have to counter this. It will be hard work for England’s batsmen against our spinners.”

Given the fact that England lost eight of nine first innings wickets to spin on a pitch that skidded on and never really gripped, things could get quite difficult, if there was assistance for R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha, Mishra warned. “It will be difficult. On a turning track, or if there’s bounce it’s going to be tough for them, because they attack when in doubt. They have limited shots to counter spin, the skillset they have is different.”


“When you’re not comfortable the instinct is to jump out and hit. Traditionally, England’s batsmen are more comfortable playing pace and swing, rather than spin, this is well known,” said Mishra. “The reason they step out against spin is because they’re not completely comfortable playing the spin and want the bowler to change his line and length. If someone was totally in control and comfortable, he wouldn’t have to resort to playing risky shots. He would rather use his skills to drive, to play along the ground to long-on and long-off when the field is back, to cut from the stumps, or just read the ball out of the hand and defend with confidence.”

While the lack of spin bowling meant that the penchant for the sweep was not as much in evidence as usual, Mishra warned that this was a stroke that batsmen lived by and died by. “When it’s a batting pitch you can play the sweep without worry. But when there is a bit of turn or bounce, or both, then it becomes a high-risk shot,” said Mishra. “The risk of a top-edge, of missing the ball and getting hit on the pad, of being bowled, all increase when sweeping on a pitch that helps spinners. Generally batsmen only resort to the sweep when they have limited shots or scoring shots to counter the spinners.”

Before he could sign-off, recover from his niggle and plan for the Ranji season ahead, we put Mishra on the spot to ask him for specific plans against England’s top order. Since this is the season of dossiers on the opposition, here are Mishra’s suggestions on how to keep England down:

Alastair Cook
Cook is most comfortable playing on the back foot. The ideal thing to do is pick a spot and keep bowling to him with subtle variations. Block the scoring options off the back foot, keep the ball on one spot and encourage him to come forward. Then he goes back to the sweep or comes down the pitch, and you’re in business.

Nick Compton
He doesn’t strike me as the most skillful player against spin. He’s got to do a lot of work against spin. He’s going to be in for a tough time in the Tests.

Jonathan Trott
Even he was not comfortable. Trott’s strategy seems to be to come down the pitch or sweep with an aim to get the bowler to feed him what he can play from the back foot. Instead, hold a single line and make him play off the front foot. When he steps out, think of it as a good sign.

Kevin Pietersen
I agree that he’s an attacking batsman and a very good one, but if you look at the number of times he’s been dismissed by spin, including part-timers such as Yuvraj Singh, you get the feeling he’s not totally comfortable. His strength is that he does not allow the spinner to settle. He’s tall and uses his reach very well. That helps him more than anything else.

Ian Bell
He does have skill. He waits for the ball and plays late and he is also not afraid to use his feet. He has the right temperament. If any of the English batsmen manage to do well in India – and that will be hard – it will be Bell and KP.

Samit Patel
I guess England will try and use him as someone who can bowl 10 or 15 overs an innings and contribute. In these conditions the fast bowlers will need proper breaks and he may be used to achieve that.

Looks like mind games from Mishra

Is this the same Mishra who was smashed around like a club bowler by these batsmen last year at Edgbaston and The Oval on pitches that actually assisted spin?

The Indians are really taking to he mind games, first the unheard Ashish Yadav and now Amit Mishra.
I just hope the BCCI would not spoil all the funn by coming up with obnoxious tracks whether there is no hint of life for the spinner, or for that matter anyone who bowls.
MS Dhoni is right, its been pretty long since we saw a track where there is good bounce for the spinner. To have 4 of those would be very very interesting.
Despite all the mindgames, I doubt that though.

ShankyCricket wrote:Is this the same Mishra who was smashed around like a club bowler by these batsmen last year at Edgbaston and The Oval on pitches that actually assisted spin?

is there a guy by the name of stuart broad who was smahes for 6 SIXES in an over in his home country ground......by an Indian batsman
and not only is he still playing for England ...but also vice captain

msp83 wrote:The Indians are really taking to he mind games, first the unheard Ashish Yadav and now Amit Mishra.
I just hope the BCCI would not spoil all the funn by coming up with obnoxious tracks whether there is no hint of life for the spinner, or for that matter anyone who bowls.
MS Dhoni is right, its been pretty long since we saw a track where there is good bounce for the spinner. To have 4 of those would be very very interesting.
Despite all the mindgames, I doubt that though.

the two tests vs. NZ did have spinning tracks ?
if the pitches are like vs. NZ sponsors would be hating BCCI.....for the matches might not see the 4th daylight

The NZ pitches were strictly OK, with a little bit of life for the bowlers to survive. But there was no huge turn and not so much bounce.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-england-2012/content/current/story/590978.html

Trott says Reintegration of KP still not tested....and might be challanged...Real test of KP still to come.

while there might be an element of truth in what he has said...I wonder how such poltically incorrect and inflammatory statements are made ( or allowed to be made) in the press.

What benefit does such a statement serves ?......I can list many harms.

Unless Flower is feeling insecure and using Trott to stir up the KP-the-criminal-on parole emotions again

Oh dear I come on to talk about cricket and you are still banging on.

A lazy journalist asks a lazy question and the player gives it a sensible answer and the truth. Lazy journalist then gives the article a shock horror headline that bears no relation to the article or what the player actually said.

Lazy 606 poster reads the headline and gets his knickers in a twist adding deeply unpleasant slurs to his post - showing much more about his own character than those he seeks to "protect" or slate.

With Finn probably out of the First Test, the eleven will probably be this:

Cook, Compton, Trott, KP, Bell, Patel, Prior, Bresnan, Broad, Swann and Anderson.

And KP Fan, do you mean THIS Stuart Broad.

Finn is NOT out of the first Test.

ShankyCricket wrote:Finn is NOT out of the first Test.

It doesn't look promising though:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/20308340

Dravid believes Panesar to play........as would most India experts....Eng neeed a real spinner...and not a a Pretend spinner.
I predict that by T2 or T3 Panesar will be in

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/20313758

India great Rahul Dravid says England should pick spinner Monty Panesar ahead of Samit Patel to boost their chances winning the four-match Test series.

England look set to field part-time spinner Patel at number six to balance the side and support Graeme Swann.

But Dravid told BBC Sport: "Bits and pieces cricketers haven't had much of an impact in India.

"Monty has bowled well in India in the past and can keep one end tight so I would like him to play."

Dravid, who scored 13,288 runs in 164 Tests for India, added: "Indians are extremely good players of spin and they are not going to get out to part-time bowlers."

Dravid is predicting a 3-1 victory to India, who suffered a 4-0 whitewash in England last year.

More to follow.

Dravid will be working as a summariser for BBC Test Match Special on all four Tests.

I agree with Dravid that Patel the bowler won't have any impact.

I don't think we need two spinners though personally. The seam attack is more likely to cause most of the Indian batsmen problems.

Shelsey93 wrote:I agree with Dravid that Patel the bowler won't have any impact.

I don't think we need two spinners though personally. The seam attack is more likely to cause most of the Indian batsmen problems.

I agree and in fairness to Patel he's got some runs under his belt, all be it against poor opposition and on flat tracks but you still have to make the runs. His confidence will be up and like you said, a few overs from Patel may bring a wicket or 2 or just a chance to rest the seam bowlers. Even KP will be dangerous in a 5 over spell.

Monty's 11 wickets in 5 Tests in India would suggest otherwise.

At an outstanding average of 55, of course. Legend.

Just to give a dose of pessimism to the proceedings, India haven't lost a Test Series at home since November 2004.