Aditya
ICC Board Member
India In England
India vs England
Natwest Test Series : 4th Test Match
Played at The Brit Oval
Gambhir and Dravid back to the pavilion but Sehwag gets going
England was able to make 325 in their 1st innings which insured that India get lead of 178 runs. 15 minutes after the end of England innings, 2 Indian openers along with England team and 2 on field umpires came to start India?s 2nd innings.
As expected Strauss gave the opening over to James Anderson. India got off to a slow start. Gambhir took most of the strike and it would be fair to say that Gambhir was struggling to find gaps in the field. Other bowler from England side who shared the new ball with Anderson surprisingly was Stuart Broad. So far in the series the opening bowler who bowled with Anderson was Onions but this time around Strauss decided to do some changes.
5 overs were bowled and India?s score was 15/0. In the very next over Gambhir lost his wicket to Anderson. Strauss came to Anderson before the 6th overt starts and asked him that what sort of field he wants. Anderson decided to have an attacking field because he knew that Gambhir is in search of big strokes and he can loose his wicket while playing a big shot and that?s what happened. Anderson bowled the delivery on good length; Gambhir was ready to smash the ball but got bottom edge on the ball and the ball went to smash his stumps. Gambhir went back to pavilion after playing a struggling knock of 1 run off 24 balls. England team was very happy with dismissing Gambhir.
Dravid was not able to do anything special as he got out for 7. Dravid smashed the ball to cover points and the field at cover point, Collingwood took the catch. Sachin Tendulkar then made his walk to the middle. Sachin and Sehwag took Indians innings forward. Sachin took most of the strike and tried to settle in the middle. The best thing Sachin was doing was that he was consistently rotating the strike which was making sure that the scoreboard keeps ticking. Sehwag slowed down a bit but he continues to put bad balls away for boundaries.
Not much time was left for tea so Sachin and Sehwag played safely, making sure that India loose no more wickets till tea and they succeeded in it. 21 overs were to be bowled in this session before tea and all the overs were bowled. So, the 2 on field umpires decided that it?s time for tea.
Sehwag and Sachin ? Continue DEMOLISHING England bowlers
Players made their way to the middle to start the play after tea. Sehwag and Sachin slowed down a bit after tea. Intentions from both the batsman was to continue playing well and go on to play big innings. Suddenly England bowlers started bowling in the right areas as both the batsmen?s were not going after the bowlers. Sehwag took no time and changed his intentions as he knew that once England bowlers get on top India can loose few crucial wickets.
Once Sehwag started being attacking Sachin did that too and again India were on top. England bowlers went under pressure and that was a PLUS point for India. Strauss saw that Anderson and Broad were not able to do anything special. So, Strauss decided to replace both the bowlers with Swann and Onions. But the changes didn?t work as Sehwag and Sachin continued smashing bowlers all around the park.
Swann and Onions were not able to get wicket of any of the 2 batsman?s. So, Strauss decided to replace Swann and Onions with part time bowlers Collingwood and Pietersen. A SURPRISING decision from Strauss to bring 2 part time bowlers into the bowling attack when 2 batsmen?s were well settled. Sehwag and Sachin were playing Collingwood safely but Pietersen proved to be expensive.
Soon, Sehwag reached to his well made century and soon enough Sachin reached to his fifty as well. :happy Good innings from both the batsman?s. Although this has not been one of the fastest centuries Sehwag has made but the good thing to see is that Sehwag played a little slowly but still managed to make a century.
All the 90 overs were bowled on day 3 of 4th Npower test match and the day 3 play ended. It would be fair to say that the day belonged to India. All the 3 session belonged to India. Now, India is in very strong position. As India has lead of 385 runs and the main thing is that Indian team still has 8 wickets in hand and still 2 days are left for the test match to end.Indian team all out for 324 in their 2nd innings
Day 4 of 4th Npower test match started. Sehwag and Sachin continued to play attacking cricket and why shouldn?t they? India was in good position and both the batsman?s had license to go for big shots. Strauss was desperate for a wicket but Sehwag and Sachin were playing fantastic cricket. Anderson and Onions were the 2 opening bowlers for England on day 4. It was not like, both the bowlers were bowling bad balls but both the batsman?s were playing too well.
When Sehwag was on 126 he lost his wicket. Sehwag tried to play a rash stroke on off side but smashed the ball went straight to the fielder. The fielder was Collingwood. As expected Collingwood made no mistake in taking the catch and Sehwag went back to the pavilion after playing a good innings.
After Sehwag it was Sachin who lost his wicket. Sachin too went for an attacking shot on off side but made a big mistake as the ball went to the fielder, Collingwood. Again, Collingwood took a good catch and Tendulkar went back to pavilion on 73. The crowd suddenly went quiet as India lost 2 wickets in quick time and Sachin missed out on a century.
Now, the 2 batsman at the crease were Laxman and Raina. 
Indians surely planned their tactics well. Laxman and Raina had tactics that one of them will play a supporting role and other one will play attacking cricket to build pressure on England and take the score and lead forward. Laxman did the supporting role and Raina went for the big strokes. Both the batsman?s tactics was certainly working. :happy Onions in particular was proving to be expensive. So, he was replaced with Broad. But the change did not work as both the batsman?s continues to play in the same way. :nodding
Laxman was not able to play a big innings as he was out for 16. Laxman tried to play the ball above the keeper?s head (we often see Sachin playing that shot but this time it was Laxman). Laxman though didn?t time the ball well and the ball went up in the air. Strauss took a good running back catch. Anderson took wicket of Dhoni in his very next over. Dhoni tried to smash the ball on off side but Bopara took a good catch to dismiss Dhoni for 1. Both the wickets were taken by Anderson.
Raina on other hand played well and reached to his fifty. :happy Harbhajan did not stay at the crease for long as he went back to the pavilion for 4. Next batsman was Zaheer Khan. Raina was the next batsman to get back the pavilion after a quick fire fifty. Raina was very disappointed as he was run out. Zaheer played the ball on leg side but straight to the fielder, Cook. Cook through the ball and it was a direct hit. Raina dived but his bat was in the air and Raina was out. Zaheer and Ojha were the last 2 wickets to fall and India was all out for 324.
Tail Enders were not able to do anything special but the good thing from India?s perspective is that India has lead of 502 runs. After Indian team got all out umpires decided to take a early lunch. Now, England team will come to bat and they will need to chase down mammoth total of 502 to win the 4th Npower test match and the Npower test series. Which team will win the match? Only time will tell.
4th Npower test match, day 4, end of India's 2nd innings
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Sehwag & Sachin are not second innings players but surprisingly, they look good here. Hope they continue to do so.
Nice try on the video Aditya. Keep going.
