Story England host India, South Africa [C2005] (Eng 81-0,1st Ings, Ind 412 all out)

[duffarama]

Welcome back m_vaughan. It is quite unorthodox seeing Jones bowling really well consistantly and not getting injured. Yet again, this is only a cricket game.
Keep it up.

 

[m_vaughan]

Welcome back m_vaughan. It is quite unorthodox seeing Jones bowling really well consistantly and not getting injured. Yet again, this is only a cricket game.
Keep it up.

Cheers.

Fresh updates coming up - spiders, wagon wheels and pitch maps.

 

[gamerkid22]

waiting for pitchmaps ...u are doing that perfectly

 

[m_vaughan]

England vs India
1st Test, Lord's

David Gower: Hello and welcome back to this review of the first day's action between England and India, here at Lord's, in the first npower test match.

Well lets now have a look at the some of the individual stats starting with the Indian batsmen. And lets do that with the unbeaten guy, Yuvraj Singh.

Sunil Gavaskar: Well a lot depends on him tomorrow. Pathan is also capable of getting runs, but Yuvraj will have to lead the way.

But anyways today he was India's best batsman. Started off a bit slowly, even though he hit a six, and then stepped up, outscoring Dhoni in the process, which by the way is a tough thing to do, and unlike Dhoni, Laxman and Dravid, has managed to carry on after getting a good start.

As we can see, he has scored a lot more runs on the offside in that session, compared to the afternoon session, wherein almost all his runs were scored on the onside. So he has utilised the field well in that last session, and he will have to do the same tomorrow.

David Gower: However I am still not convinced that he has used the offside enough. The wagon wheel clearly shows you that he has scored absolutely no runs behind coverpoint.

Sunil Gavaskar: Yes, but still he has got 72 runs on the board, which I think is what matters in the end.

David Gower: Sure does. Anyways lets now have a look at Mahendra Singh Dhoni who unfortunately was dismissed just before the close of play, for 51.

Michael Holding: Yeah Dhoni was a lot more aggressive in the beginning, but then sort of played a support innings to Yuvraj. He too has got a lot of his runs on the leg side, but has definately made wider use of the field than Yuvraj as can be seen in these graphics.

 

[m_vaughan]

England vs India
1st Test, Lord's

David Gower: Welcome back and a look at England's bowlers now, starting with the pick of them, Simon Jones.

Michael Holding: I think the key to Simon Jones' success has been his tight line, aimed at or just outside the offstump. No matter how good the wicket is for batting, that line always forces the batsmen to play a shot, thereby enabling the bowler to set what we used to call "field traps". Thats exactly how Jones got the wickets of Dravid and Laxman.

David Gower: Well, Matthew Hoggard picked up two wickets ealier in the day. He bowled just six overs in this last session, and wasnt as threatening as he was in the first two ones.

Sunil Gavaskar: With the ball becoming older, and the conditions not giving him as much assistance as it did in the morning, I thought Hoggard had become pretty much playable in that last session.

He continued bowling the outswingers and inswingers, but with the wicket still in good shape, they werent very hard to pick. As you can see, he also bowled a lot fuller in that last session, something which didnt really trouble the Indian batsmen.

David Gower: Andrew Flintoff failed to pick up a wicket today, but bowled eight full overs in that final session, compared to Harmison who bowled just three. And I believe that was because Andrew Flintoff is capable of reverse-swinging the old ball.

Well its time for another break right now. Join us after the break as we try and get hold of some of the players for their views and comments on today's play.

 

[m_vaughan]

England vs India
1st Test, Lord's

David Gower: Welcome back to the show, and we now head to the ground, where our very own Ian Botham will be asking some questions to Yuvraj Singh and Simon Jones.

Ian Botham: Thanks, David. Yes I do have with me the two star performers of the day, India's Yuvraj Singh who is unbeaten on 72, and England's Simon Jones who picked up three of the six Indian wickets that fell today.

I'll start with you Yuvraj, and first of all, well played today.

Yuvraj Singh: Yeah, Thanks a lot.

Ian Botham: Okay, now Yuvraj, tell me honestly how was it for the batsmen out there today? The pitch report said that it was going to be easy to score runs, but six wickets going down doesnt really suggest that.

Yuvraj Singh: The pitch was good for batting, but the ball was moving a lot. So I had to be very careful while playing my shots. One mistake and you could easily find yourself playing a false shot or getting an outside edge.

Ian Botham: Indeed, and just what I had thought. But then that makes your innings all the more special. What do you think is the key to scoring runs out there?

Yuvraj Singh: Well not do anything foolish really. Even though a ball might seem good to hit, its important you observe how much the ball is going to move. I think the key to scoring runs is settling down and playing safe, and not doing anything foolish. Runs will come then. Once you get the feel of the movement, the wicket is good for batting.

Ian Botham: And what will be your plan tomorrow. What score would India settle for?

Yuvraj Singh: I think we will like to get as mant runs as possible. We would be a lot more comfortable right now if he had lost fewer wickets today, but I still think we have a chance of reaching 400.

Ian Botham: Thanks Yuvraj, and now to you Simon. Well how did you feel getting back into the side after that long injury lay-off?

Simon Jones: It was great really. I've had to wait a long while for this, and it was just great to be back. I really enjoyed myself today, and that I think helped me out there.

Ian Botham: Sure did, you got three wickets, and big ones that too.

Simon Jones: Yeah, I thought it was important for us not to allow the Indians putting in big partnerships. They have all good batsmen capable of getting big scores. So I was very pleased when I got those three wickets.

Ian Botham: You did use the slower ball effectively today, although you dint get a wicket with that.

Simon Jones: Well the slower ball I reckon is one of the most crucial weapons for a fast bowler. Even on pitches that dont suit the bowlers, and when the conditions dont favour you, the slower ball becomes the most important tool, as it is the only way to confuse the batsman.

Ian Botham: Glad to hear that. I had started to feel that it had become completely outdated, the slower delivery.

Anyways thanks a lot to the both of you for talking to us, and best of luck for tomorrow and the rest of the game.

Simon Jones: Cheers mate.

Yuvraj Singh: Thanks Ian.

Ian Botham: Its back to the studio now.

David Gower: Thanks a lot Ian. Well thats it for today. But before we leave lets have our expers giving a prediction for tomorrow, uh, how much do you think the Indians will score in this 1st innings?

Sunil Gavaskar: 350 atleast.

Michael Holding: I would say not more than 350.

David Gower: Well I think England should get the Indians out for less than 350, although with Yuvraj looking in such good touch, you never know.

Anyways till tomorrow, its good bye from all of us here at Sky Sports. Join us tomorrow for continued LIVE coverage of this first npower test match between England and India from Lord's.

Good bye.

 

[gamerkid22]

wow this is just amazing .... while i was reading and watching the pitchmap screens i got a feeling that i was watching TV ...good analysis there m vaughan thats why its my best story

 

[m_vaughan]

Fletcher praises England bowlers

England coach Duncan Fletcher has hailed his team's bowling performance on the first day of the first test match against India. Despite having lost the toss, and made to bowl first on a good batting wicket, England bagged six Indian wickets on the first day.

And the coach feels that England now have cancelled out the advantage that the Indians had got after winning the toss.

"If we were batting first on that wicket and had lost six wickets for less than 300, on the first day itself, then I would be lying if I said I was happy with that."

"Our bowlers have done a fantastic job, and have got India on the backfoot. Now we will look to clean up the tail as quickly as possible tomorrow. The only obstacle now for us is Yuvraj Singh." said Fletcher.

So some rather confident statements made by the England coach, but lets just hope that he hasnt become a bit too confident, with four full days to go yet in this test match.

 

[m_vaughan]

England vs India
1st Test, Lord's

David Gower: Hello and welcome to this second day's play of the first npower test match between England and India here at Lord's. In the studio with me I have former England coach, David Lloyd and former Indian allrounder, Ravi Shastri. Good morning gentlemen.

Ravi Shastri: Good morning

David Lloyd: Good morning

David Gower: Well before we get the comments of these two experts, lets have a look at the pitch for today with our very own Michael Atherton.

Michael Atherton: Thanks, David and a very good morning to all of you. Well the conditions are, as you can see, still overcast which means the ball is going to swing around, thereby making it harder for the batsmen to play their shots. The wicket also like yesterday, is still a good batting track although you might get lesser bounce today due to the slight moisture present in it. All in all, its pretty much what we had yesterday.

Back to the studio now.

David Gower: Thanks, Michael. Well gentlemen, we've seen the pitch and the conditions, and its pretty much what we had on the first day, but we still dont know what is easier, as the conditions are suiting the bowlers, while the wicket is definately good for batting.

Ravi Shastri: Absolutely, and I think the key is if you can make use of the factors that are favouring you, and how much use you make of it. I thought yesterday, the English bowlers did a fine job, especially Hoggard, Jones and Flintoff who took advantage of the overcast conditions and got the ball moving, and did it very well. Yuvraj Singh on the other hand did extremely well to play shots only when necessary, even though it was a good batting track. And in the end, he was the one, who remained unbeaten in the middle.

David Lloyd: Exactly. And I think Yuvraj will have to continue to do the same today. He has to be watchful early on as Hoggard and Jones are going to get maximum assistance from the conditions in the morning session. The problem now is if Irfan Pathan gets dismissed early on, then should Yuvraj go for his shots, or hope that the tail can hold on till conditions become better for batting. But I think if England can get, if not Yuvraj himself, the wicket of Pathan early then Yuvraj will have to play his shots, and I dont think they'll get too many more runs then. If Pathan and Yuvraj can play out the session or atleast the majority of it then India have a good chance of getting to 350 or more.

David Gower: So you reckon England will open with Hoggard and Jones?

David Lyold: Yes I would hope so, because they have made the best use of the conditions to get the ball to swing. I wouldnt mind Flintoff also, but I dont think Harmison can make the best use of the conditions, despite the fact that he got the first wicket yesterday.

Ravi Shastri: I think it will be difficult for Harmison, as since he does not swing the ball as much as the others, he is basically going to have to use the pitch, which as we know is a good batting track.

David Gower: Well then, play is about to start in another 10 minutes. We will head for a commercial break now, after which we will LIVE coverage of the second day's play.

As we head into the break here are some glimpses of the two teams training this morning.

 

[m_vaughan]

THE SKY SPORTS PLANETCRICKET UPDATE
In this daily update we have a look at whats going on in some of the other matches at Planetcricket.

Ganguly replaces Laxman in squad - WI vs Ind (Surender)
India's massive 236 run win over WI in the first test was followed by some bad news, as Laxman was ruled out for the entire tour. And his replacement was a surprise to many, with the selectors deciding to call back former captain Sourav Ganguly.

England vs Sri Lanka - 1st ODI (gamerkid22)
Sri Lanka who narrowly lost the twenty20 game, have scored at a good rate, reaching 120-3 at the end of the first 20 overs. However they will want to avoid losing wickets at regular intervals.

New Zealand vs Australia - 2nd ODI (Cricket_60)
Well after losing the first game, pressure was on the home side to bounce back in this second ODI at the Westpac stadium. And after winning the toss, Stephen Fleming put Australia in to bat first. At the end of 24 overs, the Aussies have scored 130 for the loss of three wickets. Shane Bond has picked up two of those wickets. For Australia, despite losing all their three batsmen after good starts, captain Ricky Ponting continues to look good, currently unbeaten on 39.

 

[m_vaughan]

Day 2 begins

David Gower: Play on this second day is just about to start as we join our commentators, Michael Holding and Nasser Hussain.

 

[surendar]

First one hour is crucial, as it may assist the bolwers a lot with the movement!!! Simon Jones have done an excellent job!!! Yuvraj and Jones are key players to play major role supported by Hoggard in morning session!!!

 

[gamerkid22]

Yuvraj is the main batsman for India now. Hope that he gets a century .

 

[m_vaughan]

Yuvraj is the main batsman for India now. Hope that he gets a century.

Well Yuvraj probably will consider you as his lucky charm.

England vs India
1st Test, Lord's

Ian Botham: A fine hundred there for Yuvraj Singh. He has really played well, and say what you like about the pitch, and how good it is for batting, but this guy has had to work extremely hard to get that hundred.

Sunil Gavaskar: Yes a brilliant knock there from Yuvraj. Not only has he managed to get a big score, but has also given his team the perfect start this morning, which was so crucial. Well played.

 

[gamerkid22]

:happy Hurray :happy good century by Yuvi .. Now as he need to concentrate again and convert that century into a double century.