England v India First Test Trent Bridge

First topic message reminder :

The 5 test series cramped into a 42 day schedule gets underway at Trent Bridge tomorrow. The 2 middling sides have a lot to prove. Hopefully we'll get to have some exciting cricket.

Jimmy's right hand just got battered. he needs to learn how to duck though.

Nice change. A marginal lbw goes our way this time.   

At least India are not going to have a significant chance to build their lead tonight , with six overs only now left.

Be nice to get a bit closer ...come on young Joe...

Keep wagging that tail. Keep wagging!!

India really need to try to get a full over at Anderson somehow. Bring the field in earlier to Root, doesn't matter if he hits a couple of fours.

This is a great last session in fairness. pulled us right back into the draw being the big fav result.

All about Joe- he does have amazing grinding abilities.

I should captain India as Dhoni immediately does what I was saying

yep not a bad call MFC

and it gave the 4

Root back in. good single JIMMY!

Yeah he heard you , MFC   

Jimmy about to get peppered...but he's off strike ...well done   

amazingly, given there were 31 overs bowled in the morning, we may well end up being an over short at the close of play.

well done Jimmy, gets the single

Anderson obviously would rather face Shami than Sharma, so Root takes the single off the third.

They've done well these two, as have England since tea.

Wicket now probably means close.

Valuable time and runs eating into Indias chances of winning.

Burnley Lara putting Shami to the sword   

His turn I guess...

that one from Jimmy wasn't quite as elegant

Clearly the best way to save Jimmy from burnout is to have him bat

exchange odds

1.49 draw(1/2)
4.1 India(3/1)
11 england(10/1)

50 partnership comes up  

This is really poor from India. Critical part of this game, wheres the urgency. #cookcriticisms

50 partnership, very good effort.

this pitch really seems to sap the energy out of bowlers...

Has been a great last session.

Paradoxically , England's deficiencies have made this match interesting , despite the rotten pitch.

Still think I would probably rather the 335/3 or whatever everyone was predicting ...but it has kept me up watching   

Fifty stand   

After Australia invented the tactic of sending the tail enders in first, we seem to innovated the approach of sending them in middle.

GSC wrote:This is really poor from India. Critical part of this game, wheres the urgency. #cookcriticisms

hehe ..

It is valid though

now THAT was shocking from India. You could almost see Root telling Jimmy: that cover fielder, he's a bit deep, if I just push it gently to him we'll get one.

Dhoni brings Binny on for the last over. Trying to tempt Root into going for his century today?

Root will take a single off the third ball here, I predict.

Mad for Chelsea wrote:50 partnership, very good effort.

this pitch really seems to sap the energy out of bowlers...

Which is what really annoyed me : just reasonable batting from England's Batsmen and they'd be dining out on exhausted Indian bowlers at this score with several wickets left...but they collapsed just quick enough to gift this big advantage...

Ah well ...you have to enjoy a last wicket partnership ...sometimes   

I was wrong

i think jimmy can deal with 2 from binni!!

well played England- 2 good sessions- one shocker!

but after that it was a great come back.

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT.

Well played Joe and Jimmy   

India's day ; but England live to fight on.

I'm not entirely sure why Binny was bowling that over.

Great job done by these two makes India's chance of forcing a win quite difficult, particularly if it's going to rain.

very nice innings from Root again

Indias best chance of winning is to be bowled out for 20

So England close the day at 352-9. After Kumar and Shami for India, Root and Anderson replying with another significant last wicket partnership. India could have done a few different things during the course of the partnership, and they gave away a few more runs than OK for the day. But with this bowling unit, its still a good effort overall.
This last wicket partnership has given England a chance to comeback into the game. If they could add another 20-30 runs tomorrow, the lead will be cut down to manageable range of 60-70. And if there is a batting collapse from India, then England just might have a manageable chase on their hand.

Its in Indias best interest for England to have a manageable chase

I do agree with Alec Stewart that Dhoni should logically come in for some criticism for this partnership. Should have made sure the seamers (in particular) had more than the odd ball at Anderson. Anderson faced about 33% of all deliveries in that final partnership, and only about 5 against Sharma.

KP_f's first day summary said after close of day 1 that DRS hadn't been missed. I think we can safely say after three days that it is (quite badly) missed. We've had three very poor decisions, and arguably another incorrect one.

Root being diplomatic: "obviously it's out of our hands [...] until the ICC make it mandatory for all teams to use it".

assuming England don't bat on too long tomorrow, questions for Dhoni here.

Mad for Chelsea wrote:I do agree with Alec Stewart that Dhoni should logically come in for some criticism for this partnership. Should have made sure the seamers (in particular) had more than the odd ball at Anderson. Anderson faced about 33% of all deliveries in that final partnership, and only about 5 against Sharma.

I think we can also on the flip side say that was down to roots very good batting. He is also a very humble lad- putting all the praise on Broad and Jimmy.

Stuart Binny's performance in the game so far shows up his selection as a desperate one. He's isn't an all-rounder really, not a test standard batsman, nothing more than a military medium parttimer with the ball. Someone like a Rishi Dhawan would have been a more sensible selection, not saying Rishi would have made a massive difference, but he at least was a genuine all-rounder in domestic cricket. Top bowler for his side, and a batsman averaging close to 40 in FC cricket. Any day better than this imposter.
And we have had the one good spell from Ishant out of the way for the series.

If Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli fires and the rest of the top order supports them, then Dhoni can hope to set up a difficult chase for England tomorrow. This pitch has not much life for bowlers, but it does not have the pace for the batsman to work with so that shots would have full value. Scoring isn't easy really.
But before they think about all that, India have to find a way to get this last wicket tomorrow, that's the first thing.......

Another good innings from young Joe. The idiots who shuttled him up and down the order should take a lot more blame for messing around one of England's brightest prospect for a good year or so.......
Good efforts from Robson and Ballance as well.

Bisides Ishant, Shami and Kumar also delivered good performances with the ball though in patches. Ravindra Jadeja stuck to his task and kept things pretty much under control from one end mostly throughout the day. Binny was a let down, was serving up subs-standard filth. Should have been Ravichandran Ashwin in his place. Give him more responsibility with the bat, bat him at 6 and Jadeja at 8.

But root can handle that MSP and its probably given him loads of vaired experience and he hasnt fallen apart- to be honest i still think he is our best batter and should be playing as an opener

msp83 wrote:Stuart Binny's performance in the game so far shows up his selection as a desperate one. He's isn't an all-rounder really, not a test standard batsman,

you have figured that in a 5 ball inning     

he needs to get about 5 test inings before we make up our minds

Well supporters of both sides might rue opportunities lost to stamp their hold...but it is what it is..combination of loose captaincy, easy pitch and mediocre bowlers makes it what it is.

some key observations:

1) While the english have complained about the flat pitch and appealed for pity....

by Indian standards conditions are what would be called something in it for seamers........cool breeze, occasional clouds floating in and bounce a lot more than the flat Nagpur, Colombo or Rajkot would offer.

2) so Indian bowlers relished these conditions by their own standards.... got reverse and most importantly conventional swing.....look at Bhuvi wobbling the ball in the air....and they were aiming for LBWs and clean bowled

3) for those who were wanting Ashwin......well look at jadeja he bowled well but no wickets. These are not Indian spinning pitches

4) The rationale of Binny...he and jadeja to follow Dhoni in the batting order offers comfort to Dhoni two relatively accomplished FC batsmen to follow him....letting him play naturally

ashwin not in the same class....
Binny will pick up a few wicket here and there in the series...Dhoni should have given him the new ball standing up to stumps.

In reality India is playing 3 genuine bowlers only

5) India has been better than Eng but not by a mile...maybe 60-40 and will get some lead.

And it will come down to a one inning shot....and do not be surprised if Ind collapse in the 2nd inning for 250.....setting up a gettable 300ish for Eng.

6) Eng would do well to stop moaning complaining , grumbling about the pitch the bowlers workload, the DRS..and get on with the game...it is what it is....it is a privilege to play for your country and if some bowlers are tired and indisposed others should step in.
after all the Indians play a lot more cricket IPL, ODIs and as many test matches...and when some break-down newer bowlers step in.

msp83 wrote:Stuart Binny's performance in the game so far shows up his selection as a desperate one. He's isn't an all-rounder really, not a test standard batsman, nothing more than a military medium parttimer with the ball ...

Msp - yes, Binny (and even more your description of him) reminded me of Derek Pringle. Rather says it all!

KPF, each test wicket that Stuart Binny takes will be a pleasant surprise for me, and Ashwin is in my book, a better batsman as well.
Ravindra Jadeja is pretty much a genuine bowler, just because he can bat, doesn't make him anything lesser. If anything, he's been a bowling all-rounder for India though he has a FC average of 50.
Or were you talking about the lad who picked up 3 wickets today as the not genuine bowler in the 4 man unit!!? Seems our hoping and praying has worked in parts, at least for this innings!!. 7 no-balls though, come what may, he would never learn, whatever he achieves is only down to some unrefined natural ability and the enormous patience that the management has in him. Was getting some extra bounce and bowled at a decent pace and picked up 3 wickets, so not a bad performance, but I would lock away any talk of him turning corners as yet........

msp83 wrote:KPF, each test wicket that Stuart Binny takes will be a pleasant surprise for me, and Ashwin is in my book, a better batsman as well.
Ravindra Jadeja is pretty much a genuine bowler, just because he can bat, doesn't make him anything lesser. If anything, he's been a bowling all-rounder for India though he has a FC average of 50.
Or were you talking about the lad who picked up 3 wickets today as the not genuine bowler in the 4 man unit!!? Seems our hoping and praying has worked in parts, at least for this innings!!. 7 no-balls though, come what may, he would never learn, whatever he achieves is only down to some unrefined natural ability and the enormous patience that the management has in him. Was getting some extra bounce and bowled at a decent pace and picked up 3 wickets, so not a bad performance, but I would lock away any talk of him turning corners as yet........

I have made it amply know and multiple time....from what I have seen of Binny in highest levels of A divison Ranji...he is a test match batsman.....will average 35-40ish......
ashwin is a bowler who can bat a bit....like Bhuv, shami etc.

and now that Binny has started the next 4 innings will validate his capabilities

guildfordbat wrote:

msp83 wrote:Stuart Binny's performance in the game so far shows up his selection as a desperate one. He's isn't an all-rounder really, not a test standard batsman, nothing more than a military medium parttimer with the ball ...

Msp - yes, Binny (and even more your description of him) reminded me of Derek Pringle. Rather says it all!

How on earth did Pringle play 30 test matches for England!!!?
I very much doubt whether Binny would get to play as many games, but it is also unlikely that Binny would have a strike rate of 28 with the bat or more than 2 wickets per game.......

msp83 wrote:

guildfordbat wrote:

msp83 wrote:Stuart Binny's performance in the game so far shows up his selection as a desperate one. He's isn't an all-rounder really, not a test standard batsman, nothing more than a military medium parttimer with the ball ...

Msp - yes, Binny (and even more your description of him) reminded me of Derek Pringle. Rather says it all!

How on earth did Pringle play 30 test matches for England!!!?
I very much doubt whether Binny would get to play as many games, but it is also unlikely that Binny would have a strike rate of 28 with the bat or more than 2 wickets per game.......

in those times English pitches and conditions were "English conditions"
Pringle swung the ball and could bat a bit and the rational of picking him was same as Binny.......5 bowlers cum 6th batsman...lends balance..when you canto afford to pick a pure bowler or pure batsman.

and England driven by conditions had plenty of such 5th bowler cum 6 batsmen that I can remember......David Capel, Chris Cowdrey, Pringle, craig White..and sometimes Bresnan was also picked by same logic

pitches and environments where ball doe swing and seam, this kinda balance player doe make sense