India v England 2008

[nikhil_99]

A very good inngs by Yuvi...he is looking solid...India getting closer to target...

 

[angryangy]

I think this opens up a huge problem England need to rectify. They don't have a work horse like Flintoff who even when out of touch with the ball he just goes back to the basics and remains dangerous. Anderson and Harmison don't do that- very reliant on conditions. I'd back Anderson with the new ball but outside it i don't think he adjusts very well.

Well they do have more Flintoffs than any other team, so I'm sure there must be some way for all the others to get wickets without him.

 

[karnog]

Should give Swann one last over before going to the new ball. Jimmy needs to bowl more on the top of offstump line.

EDIT: I was actually insinuating that someone experienced like Hoggard needs to be in the side.

 

[Leggie]

OMG I cannot believe this is happening.

 

[Arunava]

if at all India wins, it will be amazing as after a long time i would see a team declaring and losing

 

[King Pietersen]

You think Harmison and Anderson look unthreatening on this pitch, Hoggard would be worse. He struggled on a far from flat pitch in New Zealand in his last test match, he lacks the pace and penetration to really trouble world class attacks nowadays. Harmison and Anderson are the 2 best options we've got. If Jimmy could find consistency I firmly believe he could really move up the ICC Rankings. He's got everything, pace, bounce, swings the ball both ways and takes wickets (his strike rate proves this). Just needs to be consistent.

England have no chance from here, Dhoni and Harbhajan are in good form, and even if we get a wicket Dhoni will lead India home. India deserve big praise for this run chase, amazing to chase this score in the 4th innings in India. England's field placings and bowling has been fairly poor though, far too many singles given away. Sachin's played beautifully.

 

[karnog]

You think Harmison and Anderson look unthreatening on this pitch, Hoggard would be worse. He struggled on a far from flat pitch in New Zealand in his last test match, he lacks the pace and penetration to really trouble world class attacks nowadays. Harmison and Anderson are the 2 best options we've got. If Jimmy could find consistency I firmly believe he could really move up the ICC Rankings. He's got everything, pace, bounce, swings the ball both ways and takes wickets (his strike rate proves this). Just needs to be consistent.

Fair enough but hadn't he just come out of injury. I was thinking of someone experienced in the county area. I agree on Jimmy but that's been the story for many years.

 

[evertonfan]

Ah well that's the game gone. Fair play to India and all that, but we have completely threw this away,

 

[Leggie]

Wow. Just simply Wow.

I thought yesterday that Dravid would cause a collapse. Dravid is crap now, He needs to go. Get Badri. Hopefully Yuvi has secured his Test Spot for the next match because this really is a vital innings. Laxman, Meh. Gambhir, Consistent as usual. And Sachin, You couldn't have asked for a better performance from him...

Nevertheless Strauss for MOM, He's been the best batsmen by far in this match, Hats off for his 2 Tons.

Sehwag was crazy though, I just woke up yesterday and saw him slog sweeping Swann for 6, I thought Waaah?

 

[King Pietersen]

Fair enough but hadn't he just come out of injury. I was thinking of someone experienced in the county area. I agree on Jimmy but that's been the story for many years.

Well, 67 wickets in 2008 at an average of 28 with a strike rate of 48.7 says that the Jimmy Anderson story is starting to head in the right direction.

If I was to pick anyone from the County Arena who's got experience, it'd be Kabir Ali. He's been the leading wicket taker in English FC cricket for 3 years running, and although he's been playing in the 2nd Division it's still impressive. He's run riot for Worcestershire, and deserves a call-up far more than Hoggard.

 

[karnog]

Oh jeez completely forgot Strauss's effort. I was gonna say Sehwag or Tendulkar for MOM but he thoroughly deserves it. Pity for him but a mixture of sheer awesome batting will and poor bowling (not bowling to field settings) lost this for England (if they lose)

EDIT: Is Kabir Ali in the squad? Not a bad option ahead of maybe Monty but yes England need two spinners so maybe not.

 

[King Pietersen]

Nope. He doesn't exist according to the selectors. We've got Amjad Khan and Saj Mahmood in the squad though, if we wanted to lose REALLY badly.

 

[RoboRocks]

Monty has really been disappointing. In the second innings he should be able to build up pressure and take wickets on a day 5 pitch. If he gets in the next test it would be that England would have no choice but to play him unless they gamble with Rashid. But that would be a gamble since Swann made his debut in this game but Rashid couldn't do much worst that Monty really.

 

[Slowcoach]

Kabir Ali is a terrible bowler, don't look at his stats, look at his action, he is dreadful.

England really threw this one away, I really hope Pietersen gets dumped as captain before the Ashes, with him at the helm they have no hope.

All you have to do is read the rot Pietersen churns out in interviews to know he is not a thinker, a captain should first and foremost have a half decent brain, KP doesn't.

As for his poptart girlfriend/wife/fashion accessory/whatever, all she does is make him look like some try hard Z-grade version of David Beckham.

If anyone doubts his loyalty to Engerland all they have to do is look at his cheesy tattoo and know it is there as much to prove to himself he cares as anyone else, and no one is convinced, if Zimbabwe or New Zealand had night life, high wages, and poptarts he would have ended up there instead.

That was probably unfair, but I don't suffer fools gladly, especially fools with massive egos who can't get enough attention.

Maybe I see too much of myself in him, apart from the bad dead-skunk-on-my-head hair style KP had a while back.

As for the cricket, India have batted brilliantly and never once looked like not winning this one after Sehwag smashed them out of the park in the first 3 overs, hats off to India, maybe they will match the hype and have a chance of being number 1, provided they manage to win an away series more than once every 60 years.

KP is a fool for underbowling his quicks in this innings, he should have brought them back on as soon as Sehwag was dismissed, instead he only trusted Harmison with 4 overs by the 61 over mark, that is just stoopid.

Sorry for the harshness of my comments, I always wake up in a bad mood like a bear with a sore head.

- Heads off to knife his KP voodoo doll. -

 

[angryangy]

Rashid couldn't do much worst that Monty really.

A 20 year old leg spinner? of course he could do worse than 3/150, especially against India. What's more is that you could alter his development at a crucial stage.