England's Indian Summer - T20s, ODIs & Tests

First topic message reminder :

T20s

A three match series between the 2nd (India) and 4th ranked teams in the world https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/mens/team-rankings/t20i

Fixtures

Tuesday 3rd July 2018 17:30
Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester

Friday 6th July 2018 17:30
Sophia Gardens Cardiff, Cardiff

Sunday 8th July 2018 14:00
The Brightside Ground, Bristol


Squads

England: Morgan, Ali, Bairstow, Ball, Buttler, Curran S, Curran T, Hales, Jordan, Plunkett, Rashid, Root, Roy, Willey (Malan in as cover for 1st game, Stokes may join for 3rd)

India: Kohli, Chahal, Chahar, Dhawan, Dhoni, Karthik, Kaul, Kuldeep Yadav, Kumar, Pandey, HH Pandya, KH Pandya, Rahul, Raina, Sharma UT Yadav


Key Men

Jos Buttler - move up the order during IPL has given him much more time to have an impact. While only ranked 26 in ICC rankings, this will improve now he opens.
Alex Hales - Formerly top ranked batter in T20s, has dropped a bit (to 7) and finds his place in the England side under threat.
Rashid/Ali - Englands spinners have thrived in the one day format, but will find the Indian batting lineup a tough test.

Virat Kohli - probably the best batsmen in the world across all 3 forms of the game. Some injury issues recently.
Chahal/Kuldeep Yadav - India look like going with two wrist spinners. England often struggle to score quickly against good spin.



ODIs

Fixtures

Another 3 match series between the the top two ranked sides in the world.  Both teams will be wanting to lay down a marker before next year's world cup.


Thursday 12th July 2018 12:30
Trent Bridge, Nottingham

Saturday 14th July 2018 11:00
Lord's, London

Tuesday 17th July 2018 12:30
Emerald Headingley, Leeds


Squads

England - Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Mark Wood.



Test Series

A form of cricket in which the visitors have been much better than the hosts. The series goes deep into September as India seek to avenge the series defeat in 2014. In a manner we have become used to seeing from touring teams around the world, that series India capitulated in the final 3 tests  having won the second test to take a 1-0 lead. India however look strong enough this time out to put pressure on a faltering home test team.


Fixtures

Wednesday 1st August 2018 11:00
Edgbaston, Birmingham

Thursday 9th August 2018 11:00
Lord's, London

Saturday 18th August 2018 11:00
Trent Bridge, Nottingham

Thursday 30th August 2018 11:00
Ageas Bowl, Southampton

Friday 7th September 2018 11:00
Kia Oval, London

Curran dealing in edges for his runs so far. Hey, it's working!

Sam Curran is turning things for England here. Indians are leaking runs. It can be harmful.

Duty281 wrote:Curran dealing in edges for his runs so far. Hey, it's working!

Those are lucky runs, however his defence has impressed a lot.

These drops can be crucial. Slip cordon of both the teams are not up to the mark. Rahul dravid used to practice slip catches all day. You can't expect to take these catches without enough practise.

Lets hope that drop by Dhawan of Rashid turns out to be half as expensive as Malan's of Kohli yesterday eh...

Hi Subu ...good day for your fellows !

We knew Ashwin was class ; but he wouldn't have England in this state without help - and this is actually not the first time Ishant has come to the party against England in this country.  He is an odd bowler : very average overall figures , frequently less than ordinary at this level ...and yet occasionally he produces a match winning performance.  If he were able to summon his best form on a regular basis he'd be quite a bowler...

Bit of a contrast to the first two innings in this match ...all of a sudden all the wickets are falling to catches.

Off for bad light ? What are the lights for ? Might suit India as these two have been adding useful runs...

Floodlights on. Two thirty in the afternoon. Off for bad light. Cricket.

Good time for India to take a break though. They were looking a touch ragged.

nonsense decision to walk off, guarantee to lose couple of quick wickets on return and india to start batting as all the clouds clear. its been one of those tests

It really doesn't help itself sometimes this game does it? Floodlights on, spinner bowling from one end, no hint of batsmen struggling - first big crowd of the whole test...and they're off for what can be described as indifferent light.

Im not even 2 miles from the ground and it isnt dark. Unless theres some specific shadows from the stands causing additional issues it does seem a strange decision.

alfie wrote:Hi Subu ...good day for your fellows !

We knew Ashwin was class ; but he wouldn't have England in this state without help - and this is actually not the first time Ishant has come to the party against England in this country.  He is an odd bowler : very average overall figures , frequently less than ordinary at this level ...and yet occasionally he produces a match winning performance.  If he were able to summon his best form on a regular basis he'd be quite a bowler...

Bit of a contrast to the first two innings in this match ...all of a sudden all the wickets are falling to catches.

Off for bad light ? What are the lights for ? Might suit India as these two have been adding useful runs...

India has a history of pace bowlers being fading away, right from Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Shreesanth. Ishant is also on the same list though he is fortunate enough to have played 80+ test matches.

You rightly pointed at his performance as occasionally. In fact I can count his best performances, so few are them. However he will go on to take something around 300 wickets till the end of his career.

I hope Bumrah, Kumar, Shami, Umesh continue for 4 to 5 years.

alfie wrote:

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Only hope is to somehow get a lead of 130-150 and hope for a miracle Anderson/Broad spell - albeit based on the slip fielding in the 1st innings they'll need to take 16 wickets to actually get 10...

Or a Rashid fifty and a frisky thirty five for Broad ?

Or two and a half days of bad light?

Plenty of swing eventually accounts for Rashid's timid defence.

Tidy delivery from Umesh that

Well Rashid - now gone - and Sam C have got the lead up around Olly's hoped for 150...

Asking a bit of Broad and Anderson to work the miracle from here though (with bat or ball !)

Conditions good for bowling though so a few early wickets might induce some nerves in the Indian camp ? At least no one can complain this match has been boring

Curran has been the shining light of hope for England in this test.

Top spell in the first innings, top-scorer in England's second dig.

This lead is now in the defendable range.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Tidy delivery from Umesh that

Aye. But as Holding has just demonstrated it was down to natural variation on pitching rather than design

Shows there is plenty there for the bowlers .

As young Sam launches an attack on Ashwin ! Still a pulse...

Duty281 wrote:Curran has been the shining light of hope for England in this test.

Top spell in the first innings, top-scorer in England's second dig.

This lead is now in the defendable range.

Curran is gradually turning into a specialist. Is Stokes' place in danger ?

England almost doubled the score with the loss of 1 wicket. Seems like the tail is better than the top order for both the team, atleast in handling the opposition bowlers.

This is like Flintoff's batting effort v Australia at the same ground in '05.

Such a brave innings.

Duty281 wrote:This is like Flintoff's batting effort v Australia at the same ground in '05.

Such a brave innings.

Or one or two innings by I T Botham from a few years earlier ? It has been impressive stuff ...the dropped catch taking on more significance by the over...

Lead over 180 ...which still doesn't look enough ; but it gives at least reason to hope that a miraclemight be possible.

Key in this match now will be all about England's catching in the second innings. Improve it or lose. Great knock this by Curran he has resuscitated England's hopes.

Kohli going a bit Cook vs Sri Lanka at Headingley in 2014 here

subhranshu.kumar.5 wrote:

Duty281 wrote:Curran has been the shining light of hope for England in this test.

Top spell in the first innings, top-scorer in England's second dig.

This lead is now in the defendable range.

Curran is gradually turning into a specialist. Is Stokes' place in danger ?

Weve seen a succession of English bowlers make this sort of knock. It was Bess a couple of months ago. Woakes ahs done it a n umber of times too.
It doesnt make them potential number 6s ( not to say that Im entirely comfortable with Stokes there, but given we dont actually have many proper batsmen worth a place at all...)

Its good to see though of course, espeiclaly in light of Stokes possibly missing the rest of the series due to his court case.

Classic dismissal means an end to Broad.

The end is nigh...perhaps?

And there's the end. A tame one. But a top innings has ensured England have a measure of hope.

Terrific innings from Sam Curran

A pity he tried to play that little dab to steal the strike ...would have done better to keep playing his way and trust Jimmy to hang with him for a while... Never mind : that aggressive attack has given at least a chance for the home team ...early wickets the key .

Fine bowling from Ishant and Ashwin in particular to make India favorites

And before Olly says I'll say it - a shame for us that India's openers get the tea interval to prepare.

The match is evenly poised. The target of 194 though looks chase-able but it will be difficult, looking at India batting in the fourth inning in the last test series against SA. Curran brought England back in the game. Lets see how well the nepotism wonder starts the Indian inning with Vijay.

To add hope India will need to chase down their highest fourth innings total in England to win this test. The highest previous being 174 in 1970.

CaledonianCraig wrote:To add hope India will need to chase down their highest fourth innings total in England to win this test. The highest previous being 174 in 1970.

Now that stat will increase my heart beat.

India still about 90-10 favourites to win.

One good partnership will do.

Yeah this is the last time we’ll see Malan in the test side

England spill a chance.

Unforgivable. Dropped catches have cost England this test.

Yeah India have to be favorites with less than 200 to make...but a couple of early wickets could change that. Ball seems to have moved around for much of the first three innings and this will surely be over long before it ceases to do so this time...

Oh dear ...Malan drops the first chance

If India win , they will win it by better catching (not that they were perfect).

.And as if by magic the dark clouds drift off and the sun comes out to watch India bat again.
Englands would gave a hope if this were Trent Bridge on a drizzly day and Broad had his once a series magic innings ....but India just have to avoid trying to finish the game today to win this.

Unless he has some hand injury not reported , it is absolutely indefensible for Root not to be in slips

Aha ...lbw , no stroke ...off goes Vijay . So the drop wasn't fatal , at least...

Just as I think England's buzz has faded, Broad gets one to move in on Vijay, who shouldered arms. 19/1.

The drop didn't count for much. Actually, it counted for five runs, which could be pivotal.

alfie wrote:Unless he has some hand injury not reported , it is absolutely indefensible for Root not to be in slips

Aha ...lbw , no stroke ...off goes Vijay .  So the drop wasn't fatal , at least...

I don’t know if it factors in at all, but Root does have a chronic bad back - and I would guess fielding in the slips would stress it more. But something isn’t right in that cordon.

Crowd getting involved...

And two for Broad ! Dhawan - unsurprisingly - edges behind .

Now the Big Moment : can they get Kohli ?

Maybe Broad just us going to have one of his magic innings then...hes at least given England a hope.

Be nice if Malan could take a few catches mind

Getting interesting...

The main man at the crease now.

Duty281 wrote:Getting interesting...

The main man at the crease now.

Is it too much to suggest the result of this match rests on whether England can now take the wicket of the Indian captain cheaply ?

Lot of other competent bats ; but you feel Kohli's wicket could be decisive ...for the effect on morale of both sides as well as the runs he might make...

alfie wrote:

Duty281 wrote:Getting interesting...

The main man at the crease now.

Is it too much to suggest the result of this match rests on whether England can now take the wicket of the Indian captain cheaply ?

Not at all. England might sense an Indian collapse if they were to get Kohli in the next 30 minutes.

Absolute ripper from Stokes accounts for Rahul. Was starting to be a useful partnership.

Still 148 to go...

My word that’s a seed from Stokes to get Rahul

Lovely bowling from Stokes to send Rahul back

Really think now it is England v Kohli for the match...

And Curran tantalisingly close to finding Kohli's edge. Beautiful swing.

Just before that wicket, the commentary team were starting to talk about the prospect of introducing Rashid to proceedings. There's one type of bowling that will trouble these Indians, and it isn't Rashid's full tosses, oddly enough.

This is now getting fruity .
The quality of batting and fieldng may have been mixed but this test keeps changing momentum.

its the hope that kills you