England in India - Oct to Jan 2012/13

[Gurjot95]

Adi was mainly talking about the pitches that cater to the limited overs format. Mumbai has proved to be a far better pitch than the ones recently played on at Ahmedabad or Mohali. Pitches at Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai (which worryingly is going more towards batting), Kolkata, etc have been good for test cricket.

Umm.. so when does green pitch is bad for Test Cricket?

 

[Epic]

Mohali once was the liveliest pitch in India, not anymore.

----------

Missed just about all of day 2(feel asleep ), so I really don't know what exactly went down, but looking at the scoreline, I'd have to say I'm a tad bit worried...

 

[aditya123]

Umm.. so when does green pitch is bad for Test Cricket?

When was the last time you saw a greentop at Moahli or Ahmedabad for test matches? Both have produced highscoring games watched by 100 people and a dog. Before you jump in and bring in the last test that Mohali hosted (Ind vs Australia), it was more of an aberration than the norm. Even with the test match going down to the wire, you had no atmosphere during the Australia test in 2010 or most games at Mohali. How much ever you might argue, test cricket won`t remain viable if you keep playing it at venues like Mohali and Ahmedabad. Allot as many ODIs or T20s to those venues and they will fill up for most of them and I have no problem with that. Leave the tests to the bigger centers and by big I don`t want to say that Ahmedabad and Chandigarh aren`t big cities, they are`nt big on the tradition of test match cricket.

 

[War]

I'm a neutral

Monty has been sensational since his comeback earlier in the year. I really do believe that Flower should stop being so conservative and seriously consider England's main attack being Anderson, Finn, Swann and Panesar for Tests, rather than relying on Broad, Bresnan, and the other county trundlers who seem to get selected for batting rather than bowling.

To be fair to Braod & Bresnan it was only 1 year ago, we were revelling at how quickly they were bowling as the ran through australia and india. And, it was only in January Braod was bowling superbly in UAE as England bowled Pakistan out for 99 in a test match.

But clearly they have regressed alarmingly this year. However i wouldn't start Panesar on normal pitches, would still pick a third seamer such a Meaker/ Tremlett/Onions. On most turners though, Panesar should start.

 

[MUFC1987]

As much as I think the England management are too slow to pick on people who aren't performing, we as fans tend to do it too soon. I don't think Broad or Bresnan are suddenly poor bowlers, I just think they're struggling on these pitches and Broad in particular with fitness. Do I think he should have been picked for this test? No. But do I think he has a future as an England player? Of course he does.

Onto the batting, I think Trott will come good, just needs to sort his mind out with how he's going to play spin and he'll be back. I'd just like to see a good innings from Bairstow to keep Bell out of the team. I think Compton has done ok too so far. Probably just needs to get to 50 and he'll really settle in. Promising that he's surviving plenty of balls and grinding scores rather than just getting in and out quickly though.

 

[SaiSrini]

Match completely in England's favor. A 100+ lead should put them firmly in the driver's seat.

Pretty bad this from India! Look to be going through the motions.

 

[SaiSrini]

Nobody watching the game! Where are the English supporters? You guys are doing well....

Those two wickets has helped India a bit. Hope we prise out KP here soon enough. A lead of 50 odd for England might not hurt as much.

 

[Paki007]

It was actually the previous delivery when Patel was out mentally Still England can get a lead of around 100 which will be good as the pitch is looking at the moment.Some balls really turning very sharply.Ojha has been superb,but IDK what is Ashwin trying to do? He's not looking affective at all in this spell particularly

 

[Owzat]

To be fair to Braod & Bresnan it was only 1 year ago, we were revelling at how quickly they were bowling as the ran through australia and india. And, it was only in January Braod was bowling superbly in UAE as England bowled Pakistan out for 99 in a test match.

Most of the bowling did well in UAE, all four main bowlers who bowled in more than one Test took wickets at under 30, it was the batting that was badly exposed

But clearly they have regressed alarmingly this year. However i wouldn't start Panesar on normal pitches, would still pick a third seamer such a Meaker/ Tremlett/Onions. On most turners though, Panesar should start.

England have wasted picking a second and indeed third seamer in both Tests to date. While England are doing better than India in this Test, India's only seamer has hardly bowled and his figures only costing his side a fraction of the runs England's seamers did

1st Test

Khan 42.3-12-82-3
Broad/Bresnan 43-3-170-0

Anderson took 29-7-85-1 in the Test, no suggestion 2-3 seamers was worth it.

2nd Test

Broad 12-0-60-0
Khan 15-0-37-0

Anderson may have taken 1/61, but a wicket return for seam of 1/121 is not great when the side was bowled out for 327.

England have to have their comfort blanket of seamers, in case they make early breakthroughs or in case of injury. They simply can't think outside of fixed parameters, an inflexibility of thinking that is why they were only briefly ranked the best side in the world.

As much as I think the England management are too slow to pick on people who aren't performing, we as fans tend to do it too soon. I don't think Broad or Bresnan are suddenly poor bowlers, I just think they're struggling on these pitches and Broad in particular with fitness. Do I think he should have been picked for this test? No. But do I think he has a future as an England player? Of course he does.

England do tend to be slow reactors to runs of poor form, it's better than chopping and changing all the time, but they also need to factor in soft runs/wickets rather than just say "hey, Bell's averaging over 40" when in fact it might be sustained by a series against West Indies then one decent series against a good side

Dropping someone is unlikely to be permanent in the cases of the regulars, more likely to be long term with irregulars and that isn't clever. Didn't they say a while back they would use the squad more? Do they f***

Onto the batting, I think Trott will come good, just needs to sort his mind out with how he's going to play spin and he'll be back. I'd just like to see a good innings from Bairstow to keep Bell out of the team. I think Compton has done ok too so far. Probably just needs to get to 50 and he'll really settle in. Promising that he's surviving plenty of balls and grinding scores rather than just getting in and out quickly though.

I think I mentioned England's inflexibility with the batting order earlier, the only time they tend to change it outside of warm ups is to use the accursed nightwatchman. It wouldn't have hurt to send Bairstow in ahead of Trott, when the situation was nicely poised. Problem is the longer form history of Trott is taken over his recent form and he'll be flogged in the same position until he sinks or does a Collingwood/Strauss.

I don't hate our players, but their imperviousness to being dropped does them and the side no favours, they can always come back in a workable system of rotation, dropping and resting where the chance to get in is quite good. At the moment it is too much of a closed shop which caused the England team headaches once Strauss quit, no ready made replacement because they kept picking the same batting line up regardless of how weak or strong the opposition are.

----------

England are building up a decent lead, I just trust they don't get a bit complacent and do manage to bowl well enough to give themselves a chance of winning. Even a hundred in front will not be "job done", we have to get them out again and I would not want to chase more than 100-150 - 308 runs out of 400 to date were scored by Cook/Pietersen, only takes one or both to be out cheaply 2nd innings and where are the runs going to come from..............?

 

[Haarithan]

Have lost count of the number of times Matt Prior has run himself out. By far the most annoying form of dismissal in Test Cricket, and he really does annoy me on that count.

On the match overall, it's clearly India's to lose. We've lost the plot.

----------

Oh wait.. Sehwag goes

 

[Owzat]

Hope England can force home their advantage, India three down and still not ahead. Outside of bowling them out for an innings win, I'd say realistically we can get them 5-6 down before they are ahead and that would be the aim. There's too much batting left and frailty in our batting to be sure of winning - yet

 

[Haarithan]

Just a reminder, Pakistan were effectively -17/4 in their second innings of the second Test of the UAE series, one that England lost failing to chase a target of just 140 odd...

 

[Haarithan]

Monty P's everything the world of Test cricket needs!

 

[Owzat]

You've heard of Donkey Kong, well Dhonki's gone.................. six down, and talking of donkeys Flower's decison not to pick the Montster 1st Test is as dumbASS as you can get

Gambhir may possibly be left stranded and carry his bat at this rate, but then England's batting order stupidity has left Swann stranded on 1no and 3no having been out for 17 his only other innings.

England seamers > 1/130
Monty/Swanny > 15/276

And since spin took 9/10 wickets for India with the other a run out, maybe Flower will now twig that spin >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> seam in India

 

[Aoun13]

Anything above 100 as a target will be difficult for England against Ashwin and Ohja on such a turning pitch.