England vs India 1st test debate

First topic message reminder :

England side:

1) Andrew Strauss (C)
2) Alistair Cook
3) Jonathan Trott
4) Kevin Pietersen
5) Ian Bell
6) Eoin Morgan
7) Matt Prior (WK)
8) Stuart Broad
9) Graeme Swann
10) Chris Tremlett
11) James Anderson

India side.

1) Abhinav Makund
2) Gautam Gambhir
3) Rahul Dravid (WK)
4) Sachin Tendulkar
5) VVS Laxman
6) Suresh Raina
7) MS Dhoni (C)
8) Harbhajan Singh
9) Zaheer Khan
10) Praveen Kumar
11) Ishant Sharma

Should be a terrific match and series!

My Prediction: England to win

Series Prediction: 1-1

C'mon England!

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:

longhopmerchant wrote:
400 in 4 sessions would be a brilliant match.

Hi Longhopmerchant - welcome to the cricket board. I'd be happier with 450 lead around tea tomorrow. Providing we have wickets in hand at lunch tomorrow we should be able to press on then...

450 would be nice for the English, I'm an Aussie (not die hard though!!!), it would kinda kill the game. 400 would mean India would be likely to give it ago, meaning England would be more likely to get wickets.

This feisty fellow Gambhir has a superb record in the 4th dig, as does the masterful VVS, so if too many are put on the board, India will close up shop. I hadn't seen the Indians get rolled twice in the same game to often in my lifetime.

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:

longhopmerchant wrote:
400 in 4 sessions would be a brilliant match.

Hi Longhopmerchant - welcome to the cricket board.

Sorry I missed this, thanks dude

England need to be positive today, and be looking to have put 200 runs on the board by tea, then have a real bash for an hour and try to put another 60-70 on giving themselves a 450 run lead before getting the Indians in this evening and trying to make some inroads!

If England can get a lead of above 300 by lunch with planty of wickets in hand then i think that they might have a go after lunch to be honest. If KP continues his form from the first innings then he is more than capable of putting on some quick runs agains this Indian attack.

I can't see England having a 300+ lead at lunch to be honest. India will not be rushing through the overs being a bowler down and if we get 25 in by lunch then we'll be lucky. That would mean England would have to score at more than 4 an over, which I just don't see.

Strauss and Cook will look to be solid for the first hour and I wouldn't be surprised if England only score 70 odd runs in the first session.

More than suchin, more than Rahul, 2 people who are going to be crucial for India in the 2nd innings gautam gambhir and VVS Laxman. Gambhir has to give them a good start along with young Mukund, and despite his relatively poor record in the opening test of a series, expect VVS to step up when there is a crisis to be confronted, especially if the conditions are going to be tough

I expect that Dravid and Laxman will both take some shifting in the 4th innings, but England need to concentrate on their own batting first rather than be worrying about the Indians.

If Indias over is slow Dhoni will be faing a ban, hes already been fined twice in the last 12 months.

Another important call that MSD has to make is whether they want to risk Zaheer Khan in the England 2nd innings. Of course he didn't take the field yesterday, but there were reports that he may be able to come back at some stage and bowl. With India being bowled out in the 3rd day itself, they didn't risk him yesterday, and I don't see any point in doing so. Its highly unlikely for India to win from this position, and Zaheer is too important for the sie to risk agravating the injury any further risking his participation in the entire series.

If he has seriously hurt his hamstring he could already be out of the series

Agree with that msp83, it would be foolish to risk Zaheer. What India need to do is contain England and not allow them to score quickly. Make them take a long time to build a declarable lead, and then dig in for the draw.

i think if we can get 250 by tea today, then we can declare, with lead of around 450

Morning all.

How does the Lords' pitch wear these days? I think it stays pretty good. Swann will be a factor Big issue for me is the weather - will it swing when we bowl? If it does, a win is on, if it doesn't India could score a lot very fast.

Think I'm in the 450 camp. maybe the 470.

Sachin Tendulkar has a viral infection and won't take the field 'til later if at all!

Which means he won't be able to bat until lower in the order. Shame.

Shame about Tenders.

The pitch.. i think it wears a bit come day 5 normally.

Stewart saying the pitch wearing well and looks like a day 2 pitch. few scuff marks etc.

Is the ball swinging?

I think the ball is NOT swinging, judging by the merry sound of willow on leather over the radio!

Strauss is certainly taking the positive approach

Kumar off a short run? Blimey. India really will be in trouble if he's crocked too.

Blasted commentators wibbling on about the lunchtime buggy parade.

he's off a short run cos of his feet after he was bowled...

im suprised that so far, strauss is the more postivie one out of the two

Oh right. Running on the pitch.

If there's no swing, perhaps he's also able to do line and length better?

Oh. Back on full run. Just a change to see if the ball would swing better, slower, perhaps?

I think generally Strauss is the more aggressive bat when both are in form.

First Zaheer, now Sachin. India's injury/ill list is going horible.

Cook looks very uncomfortable out there.

i was just about to say kumar has been ineffectivr this innings, but now cooky gone

And he is out

Cook goes to one that perhaps went down the slope? 23-1

(Think Cookie might take some stick for that one;))

Cook's gone, good ball from praveen!.

before this series, i did think that india, could dominate world cricket for a good 5 years or so, with young talent coming through, but now im not so sure...

without zaheer the attack looks toothless, and the batting once dravid tendulkar and laxman, go only kohil, raina and pujara left relle

msp83 wrote:First Zaheer, now Sachin. India's injury/ill list is going horible.

I really feel sorry for them. I love to watch both players, especially Sachin. A real shame

What will Harbhajan do today? will he at least think of picking up a wicket?

he did get outbowled by swanny

I like Kumar as a bowler and as a personality. He's got a feistiness about him that suggests he can alomst WILL a batsman out.

Have you heard the story about him in the Press Conference after Day 1?

Apparently he doesn't speak English, so the Indian Team Manager translates when needed.

He was asked the usual questions and gave solid diplomatic answers until asked about the Pietersen catch, at which point his face changed, and a few minutes of impassioned Hindi (I think) followed, complete with emphatic gestures.

The Manager turned to the assembled Press and said with a completely straight face, "Mr Kumar says, "No comment."

its been good so far...

cos also prior outdoing his compatriot in M.S. Dhoni

I was kind of hoping that England would score at about 4 an over to get them close to (if not above) 300 by lunch.

What will Harbhajan do today? will he at least think of picking up a wicket?

Trying out as a goalkeeper, judging by the stop Blowers just commented appreciatively upon.

good to see its a sell out, and also we need to win by 2 clear tests to go number 1, and judging by performances so far, i think we can do it

The Cook wicket will slow things a touch. I think it's about putting the game way, way out of reach. But Kumar is bowling well!

Generally, I expect fireworks after lunch - as long as we have the wickets to spend.

it cant slow it down that much, as cook wasnt scoring runs and taking up balls, anyway, strauss was the aggressor

Bit optimistic eirebilly.

I think if England get to around 250 by tea, they'll have enough runs and time to bowl India out a second time.

it makes me laugh that the aussies say they cant find a spinner, well harbajhan has been thougt of as a defensive spinner for w hile now, not sure if india have other options. Mishra is the other spinner in the squad but was poor in spinning conditions in west indies, and ashwin looks to be a odi spinner, i thought ojha would have got a place in the squad

Its slim pickings for the boys out there this morning

dyrewolfe wrote:Bit optimistic eirebilly.

I think if England get to around 250 by tea, they'll have enough runs and time to bowl India out a second time.

I meant a lead of 300. Thats only 107 runs in a session so very doable.

to be fair trotty has just gone in, strauss is going along on well.

Cooks majestic form seems to have gone for the mo.

im convinced some of the india players ar tired from world cup, ipl, and then tour of west indies, but they are still relatively poor

This sure looks like it'll be a close series.

If Eng do run India close then i think it'll be fair to say they're in the top three in the world on merit.

One thing I miss though.. no Mitchell Johnson in this series, I miss the Mitchell Johnson song.

lol

this series will be a lot closer than the sri lankan one

I honestly had India down to win the series but if they continue to have shocking luck with illness and injury then ENgland may win it.

cricketfan90 wrote:im convinced some of the india players ar tired from world cup, ipl, and then tour of west indies, but they are still relatively poor

yeah. i think not being considered good enough for ipl despite winning the two wc has done our boys a favour. they needed a break after the WC big time.

trebellbobaggins wrote:

cricketfan90 wrote:im convinced some of the india players ar tired from world cup, ipl, and then tour of west indies, but they are still relatively poor

yeah. i think not being considered good enough for ipl despite winning the two wc has done our boys a favour. they needed a break after the WC big time.

Yesindeedy. Far too much one day rubbish about.