Story India's Journey To World Cup 2011 [Commonwealth Bank Series 2010]

[AbhishekS]

Congrats on the award Adi. Well deserved.

 

[Aditya]

Thanks for the wishes guys. I am glad that this story was nominated for best story award and this story won the award as well. I would surely continue to put my best efforts into this story. I would also like to thank all the members who always help me to improve this story. There are some really good readers who always come forward and post in this thread about the things I need to improve in this story. I always try to improve this story and will continue doing that. I just need your support guys. Thanks to all the members again for the wishes.

 

[Aditya]

India In England
India vs England
Npower Test Series : 3rd Test Match
Live From Chester-Le-Street

Players come to the field along with umpires to start Day 4, session 3?.​

So, the test match started again after tea. With England getting lead of 8 runs, Bopara was looking good at the crease before tea. Will he continue to bat well? On other hand Cook was having difficulties in playing his normal innings. Cook was trying to be defensive and was making sure that he does not play any poor shot and gave away his wicket but he was having lot of troubles in taking singles. He was not really timing the ball well. Let?s see how England played after tea?

A partnership starts to build between Bopara and Kevin?.​

Cook who was on 11 off 31 balls before tea was not able to stay the crease for long time after tea as he got out for 14. That too a silly run out. Zaheer Khan was bowling; Cook in his typical way played the ball on leg side and started running for a single. But Bopara thought that there could be a double. So, after completing the first run Bopara took off for the double. Cook was not aware that Bopara has taken off for the double. Bopara shouted ?run Cook?? Cook ?shocked? as he was not ready for the double but took off for the run. But he was too late and Dhoni had no troubles in running him out. Disappointed Cook made his way back to the pavilion for 14.

Next batsmen were Kevin Pietersen. Pietersen and Bopara decided to change the tactics and try to build a partnership. Pietersen was not at all playing his normal innings and even Bopara was not playing his normal innings. Both of them were just taking singles and not looking for boundaries. This is not really their normal innings! Pietersen likes to take control over the bowlers and Bopara likes to take singles and put bad balls away for 4. But they needed to control themselves because they wanted to take no kind of risk and give away their wickets. Pietersen generally has trouble in playing left arm spin bowlers. So once Pietersen started to play a bit freely Dhoni brought Ojha into the bowling attack and that put breaks on Pietersen attacking batting. Pietersen had no other option rather then looking for singles. He did that but still the run rate was not really improving.

1 hour was left for the day 4 to end and suddenly Bopara and Pietersen changed their tactics and decided to be attacking. Ojha who was bowling really well to Pietersen was suddenly proving to be expensive. Pietersen just forgot that he is called ?a victim of left arm spinner? and was easily smashing Ojha for boundaries and was having no difficulties at all in taking singles. Bopara on other hand was playing a lot more stylishly and was finding the gaps perfectly. Bopara?s attacking batting resulted in him reaching to his fifty. A well played innings from Bopara. He was under pressure when he came to bat. He needed to prove that he is a good enough batsman to play for England and he is on the way to play a big inning. After few minutes when Bopara was on 60 and Pietersen on 37! The light was not supportive for any further play on day 4. So, umpires, Simon Taufel and Billy Bowden decided to end day 4 play.

Pitch Map
All deliveries bowled by Ojha to Pietersen​

Ojha bowled really well to Pietersen in his starting few overs but once Pietersen got the confident to hit him for boundaries, Pietersen was looking really good against him. Ojha was spinning the ball well but his line and length was a problem. If he improves his line and length them we might see him getting some wickets in this innings as well. We should not forget Ojha took 6 wickets in the 1st innings of England. Would be interesting to see how Ojha bowls to Pietersen on day 5.


Now the question is are we heading towards a draw? Or is there any twist in the match still left to happen? England has got lead off 101 runs. So, will they play attackingly on day 5 and then declare the innings and try to restrict India but for that their bowlers and batsmen will really need to do something special.

Will Indian bowlers bowl really well on day 5 and all out England and give a chance to their team batsmen to win the match for India with not chasing a really big total on the last day of the test match, day 5? It would be really interesting to see that how the match goes from here on? Let?s wait for the day 5 play to start.

ENG : 122/2

R.Bopara : 60(111)
K. Pietersen : 37(85)
Last Wicket : A.Cook 14(41)

England leads by 101 runs

 

[AkshayS]

huh, Bopara.
It should have been 4-5 wickets till now.

Though the presentation is pretty good man, KIU.

 

[Pakistani Army]

Cook's dismissal should not have occured. In fact in my opinion, any run out in Test match cricket is criminal. I feel India should have maintained the pressure on Bopara as to be honest, I do not rate him that highly. Maybe he can prove me wrong with a century?

Ojha has definatly over-pitched a fraction too much to Pietersen. By looking at the pitch-map, I feel that Ojha should bowl a fraction shorter, not too short and with the rough patches forming, attain assistance from the pitch. This way, Ojha may get the outside edge of Pietersen's bat. Rahul Dravid should be wide awake in anticipation of an edge.

I feel that England will boost the lead to 250 and declare during the Lunch interval. It should be a fantastic match should India require 250 off 60 overs.

 

[Aditya]

India In England
India vs England
Npower Test Series : 3rd Test Match
Live From Chester-Le-Street

Early wickets for India on day 5, but Prior and Broad take England innings forward
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So, day 5, session 1 started. Kevin Pietersen and Ravi Bopara along with Indian team and umpires came to the field to start day 5 of 3rd Npower test match. It was believed that Dhoni will give the opening over to Pragyan Ojha but that really wasn?t the case. He gave the opening over to Zaheer Khan and the other bowler who bowled with Zaheer Khan was Sachin Tendulkar, another surprising move. No Pragyan Ojha. With no left arm spinner bowling, Pietersen was playing freely and was able to finally play his normal innings. But Bopara was not really able to capitalize on the runs he made on day 4 as he got out for 61 to Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar gave the ball a lot of flight, Bopara got a bit carried away and tried to smash the ball on off side but Dhoni had a fielder placed at cover point, the fielder was Rahul Dravid. Dravid made no mistake and took an exceptional diving forward catch to dismiss Ravi Bopara. Bopara was really disappointed with his dismissal but he played a good innings of 61.

Next batsmen were Paul Collingwood. Collingwood had strategy of playing attacking cricket. In the 1st innings of this test match Collingwood made 140 so he is in a good form. Collingwood carried on his good form and played attackingly! But he was not able to capitalize on his good start as he got out for 20. Collingwood was really not allowing Zaheer Khan to bowl well to him so Dhoni decided to replace Zaheer Khan and brought Pragyan Ojha to the bowling attack and Pragyan Ojha didn?t disappoint his captain. Ojha got wicket of Paul Collingwood in his very first over of the day. Collingwood tried to sweep a full length delivery Collingwood tried to convert the delivery into a full toss but mistimed the ball and got the bottom edge of his bat onto the ball. Ball went straight up in the air and Gambhir made no mistake in catching the ball. Another wicket for India on day 5! :happy

Bell was the next batsmen. Bell too was not able to play a good innings as he got out for 8. Things got even worst for England as they lost Kevin Pietersen as well. Pietersen reached to his fifty but was not able to capitalize and take his score forward as he got out for 54. The bowler who took his wicket was no one other than Pragyan Ojha. No matter how many runs Pietersen smashed on Ojha?s deliveries, in the end Ojha got Pietersen?s wicket. That too a lucky wicket! Ojha pitched the ball on a good length, the ball got spin. But Pietersen premeditated the shot and played the ball onto his stumps. Pietersen was looking very upset on himself when he was going back to the pavilion.

Kevin Pietersen's dismissal​

Now the two batsmen who were there in the middle were Prior and Broad. Although England have lost 4 wickets so far in the day! It was not enough to stop Prior from playing big shots. Broad can bat as well. So, Broad was rotating the strike well. Broad was mainly rotating the strike and was avoiding taking any kind of risk. Just few minutes were left for the 1st session of day 5 to end.

Broad and Prior did well to stay at the crease till the end of 1st session of day 5 as umpires decided to stop the play as it was time for lunch. The day 5 of 3rd Npower test match so far has not gone the way people expected it to go. It was expected that England will make some quick runs and then declare the innings. But Indian bowlers bowled well and got some crucial wickets of England team. So, now England team has not really got a satisfying lead and has not declared so far. So, what will happen now? Will Prior play well after lunch and smash some quick runs along with Broad and then England will declare the innings and try to do something very special to get 10 wickets of Indian team. Or the other possibility is Indian bowlers getting the remaining wickets of England team and then chasing the target which England will manage to make. What will happen? We should wait and then we will see what happens after lunch.

ENG : 227/6

M. Prior : 37(49)
S.Broad : 17(42)
Last Wicket : K.Pietersen 54(121)

England lead by 206 runs

 

[Dutchmen]

Trouble discussion from Kevin to play towards the third man. They have to declare now, otherwise it may be a drew match. Good writing.

 

[just_cricket]

That Pietersen wicket is a story writer's dream! So realistic!!!
You must have been very pleased when it happened...
England are building a reasonable lead but need to crank it up for 5 or 10 overs, get a lead of around 250 and go for gold!

 

[Aditya]

India In England
India vs England
Npower Test Series : 3rd Test Match
Live From Chester-Le-Street

England team all out, India need 236 runs to win the test match....​

2 England batsmen, Indian team and 2 on field umpires came to the field to start the 2nd session of 3rd Npower test match, day 5. Dhoni was desperate to get the remaining wickets of England team. Dhoni brought Zaheer Khan into the bowling attack. Zaheer replaced Sachin in the bowling attack and the bowling change did work. Zaheer Khan got the wicket of the dangerous man Prior. Zaheer bowled a good length delivery, Prior came on front foot and tried to smash the bowl on leg side but mistimed the ball and Ishant Sharma made no mistake in catching the ball. But after Prior wicket Zaheer Khan was proving to be expensive. As he was smashed for few boundaries by Swann and Broad! So, Sachin Tendulkar was brought into the bowling attack again.

Swann was having strategy of smashing every other ball. Swann smashed few boundaries but then he got out for 13. Tendulkar got the wicket of Swann. After Swann?s wicket the very next delivery got the wicket of James Anderson. Anderson got out for 0. Another wicket for Sachin. :happy Onions too was not able to stay at the crease for long as he got out for 1. This time Ojha took the wicket of Onions. Broad was not out till the end and Broad made 24 runs. Now the match is turning out to be very interesting. India need 233 runs to win from 50 overs. How will Indian batsmen bat? They will surely look to win this test match but it won?t be easy because England bowlers will not allow Indian batsmen to chase down the target easily. Are we going to see a special performance from England bowlers? Or are we going to see a good performance from Indian batsmen?s. What will be the result of this test match? England win, India win or a draw?

The competition base on the match result was closed earlier but it?s going to reopen again for the pc members till Indian batting starts. Members who have participated in the competition so far are as follows:

SachinGr8 : India win
Just_Cricket : India win
MaD : England win
Giggity Giggity : England win
AussieTeam : England win
Varun Rustagi : Draw
KKRsGr8st : India win
Send2Yaari : England win​

Members who want to change their predictions can change their predictions till India starts their batting. Members who have not participated in the competition so far can participate now before Indian batting starts. Members who will guess the winner of 3rd Npower test match correctly will win 300k vcash prize.

 

[treva]

India should win this, it's a fairly mundane ODI run rate so there won't be any difficulty if they play properly. However, they'll have to balance their approach depending on the situation. If England get early wickets they'll know they have a chance of skittling India out for below 150. Should be an exciting finish to the game.

 

[Highlander999]

Brilliant few updates there mate and also congrats on Story of the Year award, only the best stories win that one (I would know, I won one ) Was just wondering where you got the pitch map image from and if you could post it here as that would be pretty useful

On to the match I'm with Jack here and I reckon India will do it, unless they have a massive collapse, which you never know with EA games They key will be the top order. If the English bowlers can get the top order quickly enough they might have a chance. Lovely work mate, kudo's to you

 

[Aditya]

I randomly searched for the pitch map with the help of google image search. Here it is.

 

[treva]

I'll go one better and post my one, without the dots, in the resources thread.

 

[Aditya]

Cool. I posted the pitch map with dots because I have the pitch map without dots for only right handed batsmen so it won't really help Tom. I see you have created the pitch map already. Good work Treva.

 

[Dutchmen]

Amazin work from Tendulkar with the ball.

I'll vote for India if i can participate.