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

Well that's a good start...

All burden on Kohli now.

India's running between the wickets: good throughout the test and starting off well today.

Pandya averaging fewer than 4 in the second innings? Wow.

Very sensible by Pandya. He frustrates England with decent defence, then punishes a bad delivery with a crisp drive.

He's on 10*. 10 very valuable runs.

It seems to me that if England win this test match it will chalked off as another home win to England but against a top test team. However if India win this test it will be remembered as the Virat Kohli victory - and could be packaged as a story to inspire children into the sport. As such I think I wouldn't mind seeing India win this one.

Kohli gets past 50 after punishing some loose rubbish from Anderson.

Runs flowing now as Pandya nails another drive.

Broad hasn’t moved it all day and Pandya with his eye in is cashing in - India heavy favourites now

Well the game has started swinging back towards India after that early wicket...Pandya settling in , playing sensibly...down to 60 and England really need one of these quickly.

Not over yet ; only takes one ball. But the tourists will be breathing easier than a half hour back.

Time to try Curran ?

England perhaps have tried too many balls at the stumps ...lot of runs scored to leg. You can see why : the batsmen have been leaving well outside off , and pushing forward to negate the inswingers. But I think a bit more patience would have been better advised.

Anyway it is now Stokes time ...which could mean anything

The bowling change works - Stokes not Curran - and Kohli is trapped in front.

200 runs in the test - enough?

India still need 53.

He's done it ! Kohli given lbw...

Review ...........not hit it........Out

Game on...

India lost the game, the question is the margin now.

Stokes gets Kohli dead plumb lbw - huge huge wicket. Relies on Pandya now, he’s got to go into one day mode surey

Oh yes, Stokes takes another.

England have somehow turned it around and are two wickets away from one of the great comebacks.

Pandya has to attack now. Win the game in 6-10 overs or not at all.

Back to 50/50 ? Or England with the edge ? A lot on Hardik now...

Hats off to Kohli , by the way ....a fantastic match effort Will it be enough ?

As to bowling at the stumps ...what do I know ?

Two in the over ! Stokes the hero

With Virat Kohli gone, and England with their tails up I guess the rest will fold. And there goes another wicket.

Still not over though. Pandya can hit ...Ishant can defend . Sometimes the last two wickets are the hardest to get....

England must not get too excited , or relieved. Must keep pressing both batsmen.

This is where Root can show whether he's learning fast enough...

Duty281 wrote:Oh yes, Stokes takes another.

England have somehow turned it around and are two wickets away from one of the great comebacks.

Pandya has to attack now. Win the game in 6-10 overs or not at all.

I wouldn't call it one of the great comebacks as England (aside from a portion of yesterday) had been ahead in the game all the way. If they had been chasing the game after leaking a 150 first innings lead then I would agree but they haven't.

Whoever wins it has been a classic test match.

I mean seriously Root, how have you not got a third man in?

The one defensive position I'd have for Ishant is a blasted third man !

Come on Joe ...think man.

alfie wrote:Sometimes the last two wickets are the hardest to get....

As England well know from edgbaston '05!

10 off that last over.

Rashid?!!!!!!!!!!!

Please prove me wrong.

Rashid on... Big call but I like it with Sharma on strike.

Don't need ten run overs ! Down to bad field placing then : Ishant averages about 8 in Test cricket so he's past his limit

OK , Rashid on ??? Now or never , I guess ...but this could go either way quickly...

Well done Rashid and well done Joe Root!

We have a review...not-out on the field.

Looks like an edge. No? That's out then.

Well done Rashid.

How did the umpire give that not out on the field???

Seems it is Ishant to play the shots actually while Pandya sits tight...

Surely he can't get away with it for long ?

That one spun ! And this is close to lbw...review ?

Could be ? 3 reds

Rashid does the trick....

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:How did the umpire give that not out on the field???

Bet he had the first innings dismissal in his head - googly that was sliding down.

There was a tremor too on Ultraedge, but a big gap between bat and pad.

Sharma was given far too much of the strike.

Anyway, Pandya needs to swing and hope it comes off. Great team performance from England this morning.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:How did the umpire give that not out on the field???

They've been guessing all game !

Don't care anyway now... Hats off to Rashid ...and Root.

One to go...

I’d only bowl Rashid if Umesh is on strike. Bowling one over spells should be his wheelhouse the amount of white ball cricket he plays.

India is the number one ranked test team - yet in this match without Virat Kohli, India would have lost easily. Is this another example of home and away differences (the difficulty and rarity of teams winning away test series).

Spread field ? Keeping slips up so OK...

Mustkeep after both batsmen...remember the first innings .

No name Bertie wrote:India is the number one ranked test team - yet in this match without Virat Kohli, India would have lost easily.   Is this another example of home and away differences (the difficulty and rarity of teams winning away test series).

To an extent, yes. Touring teams don't have many games in way of preparation. You'd expect India to get stronger as the series goes on.

Yadav not a total mug - he does have a first-class century and a double digit test batting average.

Rashid to Hardik now...this could be big.

Swings a two...
33 more needed...intelligent batting , he's not getting carried away...single off the fifth.

This won't die easy , will it ? (Chews nails )

Done it ! Cook takes the catch. Well done lads

Great stuff all round by England. What a Test Match. I know it essentially always goes to a bloke on the winning side, but Kohli is MotM.

And there it is! Sensational comeback from the home side, who looked absolutely beaten this time yesterday. Stokes delivered the inspirational spell required. Curran plundered some crucial runs.

Wow, what a test. Love an Edgbaston test.

England win the First Test. They were on top for a big portion of the match up until yesterday for a time.

What a brilliant test match. For England they can take a lot from the performance of Sam Curran and Ben Stokes plus Rashid played a small part. Their catching and batting though was too patchy for their liking and needs addressing. Kohli man of the match I would say.

Obviously, England will need to make changes for the next test with Stokes unavailable. Also do they stick with Malan? They must look to bolster the batting.

JDizzle wrote:Great stuff all round by England. What a Test Match. I know it essentially always goes to a bloke on the winning side, but Kohli is MotM.

Yes I'd support that. Remarkably he made 150 and 50 and the only other Indian to pass thirty in either innings was Pandya with 31 just now...

Only four Englishmen I think also ...so he really was head and shoulders over all the rest of the batsmen in this match.

Honorable mentions to Sam Curran , Stokes , Ishant and Ashwin...and a few other bowlers.

Great Test Match

Duty281 wrote:Rashid?!!!!!!!!!!!

Please prove me wrong.

Not just you , Duty. So , did he ?

Not sure . He did enough to keep his place for now , I'd say...and I sort of feel I should be more bullish about him as he took that vital wicket today - in a pressure situation - and the last two yesterday. Plus useful second innings batting.
I do give him credit ; just not yet certain it will work in the long term. Think we will get a better idea after Lord's , where he will probably have to bowl a lot more ...and to the top order.

For now , I give him a tick

Does the India collapse give the English batsmen a reprieve? It’s a good excuse to use for keeping places.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Does the India collapse give the English batsmen a reprieve? It’s a good excuse to use for keeping places.

Malan has played his last Test I would imagine. Joe Clarke will come in, based on the fact he has been working with Ramps all week.

alfie wrote:

Duty281 wrote:Rashid?!!!!!!!!!!!

Please prove me wrong.

Not just you , Duty.   So , did he ?

Not sure .  He did enough to keep his place for now , I'd say...and I sort of feel I should be more bullish about him as he took that vital wicket today - in a pressure situation - and the last two yesterday. Plus useful second innings batting.
I do give him credit ; just not yet certain it will work in the long term.  Think we will get a better idea after Lord's , where he will probably have to bowl a lot more ...and to the top order.

For now , I give him a tick

He's done enough to keep his place, and he did the job that was asked of him today.

The real test will come, of course, when the seamers are struggling for wickets and he is required to bowl long spells.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Does the India collapse give the English batsmen a reprieve? It’s a good excuse to use for keeping places.

Perhaps we should open a new thread for selection discussion ? There will be a lot of it , I think.

England have to replace Stokes for Lord's anyway so some juggling will be needed. I think they really need to stiffen the batting somehow but right now I need more scotch and thinking time before I instruct Smith who to bring in

I needed this to go well after loudly condemning Australian cricket as Poopie in the local pub on Wednesday. Sand paper jibes will only work as a shield a few times.

Well what a fantastic game of test cricket that was! Played on a good pitch for all invovlved! Credit to the bowlers, to drag the batsman out of trouble again! But it can't always be that way....Malan and Cook both under pressure now....good win and great to go 1-0 up!

Sam Curran gets the Man of the Match award.  In hindsight it can be argued that England would have lost this match without him.  He played a pivotal row in shoring up England's second innings - coming in as 8th man when England's second innings score was 86-6 and then being the last man out at 180-10, scoring 63 himself and forming partnerships with tail enders that contributed 93 to the total score.  He also knocked over the top order in India's first innings (both openers and no. 3 batsman) as well as the dangerous Pandya at No. 7.

Of course he was unable to bowl out Virat Kohli, and Kohli probably had an equal (or better) shout at being Man of the Match but unfortunately for him his contribution did not ultimately decide this match.