England in India - Oct to Jan 2012/13

[StinkyBoHoon]

surely bairstow merited an extended run, bell just walking back in to the team when he's been playing like this all year doesn't seem right at all.

 

[Owzat]

I wouldn't bank on Bell scoring runs let alone "plenty of quick runs" For Bell insert Patel/the tail and you might be onto something.

Called it! India will have to knock the last remaining England wickets over and dig in, they'll want 350+ depending on further runs added to have any hope of winning or drawing.

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surely bairstow merited an extended run, bell just walking back in to the team when he's been playing like this all year doesn't seem right at all.

While England's policy of chop and change has been laughable in the past, their persistence with out of form batsman is equally laughable and going from one extreme to the other.

Under the circumstances they could have told him to stay at home and done without him.

 

[Aalay]

Dhoni should have called Cook back. Fair play my foot. kerpluck off Dhoni.

Cook, having left his ground to back up, was on the verge of grounding his bat but, in an attempt to avoid the throw, took a step back down the pitch. The umpires, after checking that Cook had not grounded his bat at any stage, soon adjudged him out. Law 38 (2a) states that a batsman will only be reprieved if "he has been within his ground and has subsequently left it to avoid injury, when the wicket is put down."

It's just sad to see India doing bad even at home.

 

[barmyarmy]

I would bring Bairstow in but for Patel not Bell. Patel was only picked as part of a 1 spinner policy in the first test. Seeing as he's not doing any bowling we might as well pick a batsman.

 

[Aalay]

I would bring Bairstow in but for Patel not Bell. Patel was only picked as part of a 1 spinner policy in the first test. Seeing as he's not doing any bowling we might as well pick a batsman.

Why even bother doing that when you have Cook?

 

[barmyarmy]

True but at some point in the future he may not score 100 in a match.

 

[Gaurav_7]

At the moment, that looks unlikely. Plus, India bowlers look toothless.

 

[MUFC1987]

Drop Patel and Bell. We can then bring in a batsman and a bowler and make the team two players better off than it is at the moment.

All we need now is Cook to come out and say how valuable Bell is as a short leg and a motivational mastermind.

Anyways, I think draw has to be the favourite on this pitch. Going to be a real struggle to bowl India out again as I can't see them batting that badly again. Could be a long slog for the bowlers. Just hope Monty and Jimmy can pull something out of the bag.

 

[Gaurav_7]

Anyways, I think draw has to be the favourite on this pitch. Going to be a real struggle to bowl India out again as I can't see them batting that badly again. Could be a long slog for the bowlers. Just hope Monty and Jimmy can pull something out of the bag.

Tbh, on Day 1 when I tuned in, the commentators were all whining about Sehwag dismissal and the mode of it and said that to get out on such a pitch wasn't good. India batsmen did get out on a batting beauty earlier in the 1st innings. And, I am sure the pitch in the 2nd innings would have got a bit more going for the bowlers so the favorite has to be England win. Our top order is out of form bar Pujara. Middle order is dodgy in Tendulkar/Kohli/Yuvraj. Dhoni and rest just can't stick in. Plus, English bowlers have bowled sensibly on this track especially Panesar if we compare to Ashwin or Ojha.

 

[barmyarmy]

I would say there's turn and bounce there. Say England have a lead of 250, India will have to bat for 4 or 5 sessions.

 

[War]

India v England, 3rd Test, Kolkata, 3rd day : India's year of denial | Cricket Features | India v England | ESPN Cricinfo

Damn this is hard hitting towards India.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

India v England, 3rd Test, Kolkata, 3rd day : India's year of denial | Cricket Features | India v England | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[Epic]

I fear Dhoni's time has come to an end(sadly) and he's due the sack any minute now.

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Duncan too, new management team for the Australia series will do. To those who say it's the team failing as a unit(I was one of them), I'm sorry, but someone has to take responsibility and it's always, always the captain and coach.

 

[Gaurav_7]

I fear Dhoni's time has come to an end(sadly) and he's due the sack any minute now.

Yeah, that's right. The 6 batsmen ahead of him who need to be doing the job have all failed. The pitches have been turning evident from the fact that England spinners have taken wickets. Anderson proved the other day that pacers can pick up wickets too on such tracks. Indian bowlers haven't put their hands up at all! Yet, it is only Dhoni who deserves the criticism. Why? Because he is the captain. Captain of a cricket team of a nation where cricketers are considered Gods one moment and their effigies are burnt the other moment. It must be so difficult for him, seriously. I know you aren't criticizing him but, still. Who do we have as the potential captain next? Kohli? He has been great in ODIs yes but, it is too early. I can't see anyone else there. Also, Dhoni is by far the best wicket keeper batsman atm for us even if we consider only Test matches. It isn't that he has been playing terribly himself. Tbf, I think it is the job of the specialist batsmen to score runs and wkb just fills in mostly. He has a respectable avg. as well.

EDIT: Also, as a captain he really can't do much when opposition bowlers take wickets and his bowlers fail to do the same on same track. Indian spinners were considered better than English spinners and English batsmen were considered as being terrible against spin. I don't Dhoni, the captain could do much, could he?

 

[Cricketman]

This is so hard to watch.