India v England Second ODI, Kochi

The second match of the five match ODI series between India and England will be played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Kochi. The match starts at 12 noon India Standard Time.
England would be quietly confident after the 9 run win in the first game. Although their bowling is a bit of a worry, all the 6 batsmen who batted in that game had a decent outing and Joe Root made a fine contirbution with the ball. Cook has, according to cricinfo, confirmed that there would be no change in that top 7. If at all there are any changes, it will be in the pace bowling department as all the seamers were expensive on the day. But unlike Steve Finn, the other 2 pacers Tim Bresnan and Jade Dernbach has had series issues of form and inconsistencies over a period of time. Stuart Meaker has the pace, Chris Woakes can bat besides offering a fast medium option.
As for India, Gautam Gambhir's 50 in the last match should see him getting a few more games, meaning Cheteshwar Pujara will have to wait for his ODI debut. There could be changes in the bowling department though. Shami Ahmed who impressed on debut might get another game either in place of Ashok Dinda or Ishant Sharma.
It's likely that we'll have another pitch all made for the batsman and it will be a massive challenge for the bowlers.
The dew shouldn't be much of a factor in Kerala, but the humidity and heet could be.

India won the toss and are batting. Shami Ahmed in for Ashok Dinda. England have dropped Tim Bresnan, and have opted for the all-rounder Chris Woakes.

Finn and Dernbach with the new ball. Good first over from Finn, just 2 of it. But a poor first over from Dernbach, keeping most of the balls around the leg stump, slipping in one wide outside leg that went away for 5 wides. India 10-0 after 2.

The Jawaharlal Nehru stadium has a capacity close to 70000 and its really buzzing.

Finn giving only 4 runs in his 2 overs. Dernbach, another wide. Oh, Rahane had got a touch to that one and Kieswetter didn't take it. Nevertheless the umpire thought it was a wide, would have been interesting had Kieswetter taken it.
Gautam Gambhir is back to his usual ways, bowled through the gate after edging one away for 4. Dernbach has an early wicket, and Virat Kohli, who has been struggling just a little bit has to come in early.
Ravi Shastri reports that there are 60000 people packed in for the match.

England are in firm charge, Rahane gone, cleaned up by Finn. The stumps are taking quite a beating here!. 18-2 in the 5th.

Amazing crowd there msp.

Dernbach and Finn strikes twice in 2 overs removing Gambhir and Rahane.

LB, Kochi doesn't get regular international cricket, but whenever there is international cricket, the people really get packed in and they always make their presence felt. Hope the Indian team won't let them down, its not just about winning, but its also about playing to win. The India openers showed no real application it has to be said.

Good first over from Woakes, keeping a full length and good line. Just 2 of it, India 44-2 after 10.
Interesting from Cook, Samit Patel getting a bowl ahead of Tredwell.

And the move nearly works, Kohli almost popping a catch up to covers.
The ball is stopping a bit on the batsman, there was some early movement for the seam bowlers. There is that little bit of life in this track, nothing major, but just that additional bit of something for the bowlers so that they won't think too much about the worth of life and such other philosophical topics.

Woakes wavering a bit here, bowling short to Yuvraj, and at his pace, that could be easy pickings for the batsman.

64-2 after 14 India.

The game changer of the last match, James Tredwell into the attack.

Tredwell strikes, Yuvraj goes to a horrible call from the umpire after he gloved a sweep shot on to his pads he was given out LBW. The ball may not have hit the stumps either.
But in the previous over from Woakes, there was a halfharted appeal from England for a caught behind of Yuvraj. L Siva reckoned there was a faint edge on that one. So umpire Davis is already having a bad day in office, the massive crowd not helping his case much.
India struggling at 71-3 in the 16th over.

Suresh Raina joining Kohli.

You seriously cant believe the BCCI doesnt want DRS! Madness!!!!

The CEOs have recommended that the ICC board vote on the DRS. Lets see how much exclusive blame can be attributed to the BCCI.

Oh, Kohli has given it away after getting set. Trying to go over the top, only managing to hit straight to the fielder. He goes for 37, India 119-4 in the 27th over. Will Dhoni give Jadeja to bat with a few overs remaining? He is not the best option when you need the batsman to go on the attack from ball one.
No, its the skipper himself, and yet again, he comes in at a dificult situation, with huge responsibility on his shoulders.

Do we have another umpiring mistake? Looks like it. There was a massive from the keeper, the bowler Woakes, and everyone close in for a caught behind from MS Dhoni The umpire gave it not out, there was no real deflection, but there was a sound when the ball went pass the bat and the bat and pad weren't very close either. Perhaps Dhoni has had a bit of luck going his way and Woakes on the wrong side.
But concerningly, this is the 3rd umpiring mistake in the match, and we have just reached the 30th over of the first innings.

Another good contribution from Samit Patel, none for 43 in his 10 overs has to be a pretty good job, having already covered for the 5th bowler overs.
Root putting in 2 quiet overs, going only for 5 runs.

That's the 50 for Suresh Raina. He is looking to go after the bowling in the powerplay, he has to be careful, he has to stay there and bat up to the 45th 46th overs, its just not about the powerplay.

Excellent bowling so far from England, don't let India get above 275 and we have an excellent chance. Fantastic bowling by Patel today as well.

Raina gone. He really needed to stay there unitl at least 45th/46th over for India to post a good score. All up to Dhoni now.

There's the big wicket, Finn bowls Raina! India haven't got going in the PP at all.

England continue to dominate, Raina and Dhoni were kept frustrated with not many scoring opportunities, and Finn cleaned up Raina in the last over of powerplay. India 177-5 after 40.

190-5 after 42. Can they get to 250?

Top last over from Tredwell, just a single of it, Ravindra Jadeja struggling to get the strike rotated. He has taken a single of the last ball, meaning MSD will be away from strike for the new over, Jadeja under a bit more pressure here.

Jadeja decides if he can't get the single, he might as well give it a thrash. He smashes Woakes out of Kochi with a monster hit for 6.

Jadeja couldn't score of 3 balls in that over, but the other 3 went for 6 4 4.

5 overs remaining, 8 an over will get them to 257. Don't think that will be enough though.

Dernbach's on, a slower one from him actually getting some turn!.

250 up with two overs left...pretty good recovery by these two

May not be enough ...then again what will they get off the last two ?

Takes a while to get warmed up , does msd , but once he's in gear he is impossible to bowl to in these games...

Dernbach to bowl the last : good luck mate

And Dhoni is caught at deep cover !

That might cost India fifteen runs the way he was playing. Top knock ,has ensured something to bowl at

Dernbach gets Dhoni again. But what an innings from the skippeer, absolutely magnificent, 72 of 66 from MSD, that has given his bowlers a decent total to bowl at . 4 balls remaining, India are 270-6.

And a handy fifty from Jadeja too Dernbach unable to restrain him either , and India have 100 plus off the last ten overs !

285 might be a winning score , and I think Cook will be a bit disappointed in that final score.
Though it does show that a set batsman can score pretty quickly on this track...

All depends on how England handle the Indian spinners.

Jadeja and Dhoni doing what England did in the last game. Jadeja did well after a sluggish start.

These new playing regs, who'd want to be a bowler eh? 100 off the last 10 pretty much guaranteed if wickets in hand. 60 off the last 5 at a canter.

285 which is IMO 10 more than par. Chaseable, but the odd ball sticking in the pitch, so the spinners may be tough to get away.

Umpiring poor, you have to say. Yuvraj was a shocker, Dhoni got away with one early on, and that last wide wasn't a wide (and ended up being costly, the last ball going for 6).

England fielded well, and bowled ok, but got things a bit mixed up at the death, should have been shorter to Dhoni.

Who indeed would be a bowler ? Nowhere to hide , and if umpires are going to call wides like that it makes it even more impossible...
Though in the midst of all that carnage Tredwell bowled an over for just one run ...
Perhaps an over from Root would have been a little too courageous , but the way Denbach and Woakes were being treated...

Still if England can get within range with not too many down the boot may be on the other foot later.

Fifty-Fifty ?

At the moment India 55-45 ish I would say.

I think it's easier to score 70 runs off the last 5 when batting first, then with the pressure of chasing. I also worry about the spinners on what looks quite a tired pitch.

England, mainly thanks to Morgan (but with a useful cameo from Buttler who's not playing here) did get 12 an over at the end of the T20 they won. Morgan will of course be crucial here again.

Root could have got an over, but if Dhoni had got on strike it could have gone for 30. I think in those circumstances you just back your death bowlers and do a bit of praying.

England 23-1 after 6 overs. Shami Ahmed getting the early wicket of Ian Bell. Cook and Pietersen at the crease.

It was a treffic finish to the India innings. Ravindra Jadeja, like Samit Patel, gets a great deal of stick, a lot of it is undeserved, and I am happy he overcame some usual problems with his death over batting to post a fine 50. I hope he would have a good time with the ball and on the field as well.

England 30-1 after 7. Pietersen slowly starting to get going. The man at the other end is just full of love for this bowling unit.

KP is now looking positively dangerous here. There is an edged boundary of the first ball, but the next one is taken from outside off and hit for 4 on the leg side. Then a quick single, putting pressure on young Shami.

Oh, Ravindra Jadeja missing a run out opportunity there, How crucial this could be?

Ishant Sharma leaking runs from his very first over onwards. A couple of boundaries and a wide, 9 of 3 balls in the over.

58-1 after 10.

Wheels come off the England wagon in a big way...

Cook was unfortunate , victim of a poor decision , but now KP has been followed quickly by Morgan as Kumar is enjoying a purple patch .

73/4 and hard to see them coming back from here with most of the experience gone...

Normal service resumed

It was a superb ball that got Pietersen and Morgan too was out to a good ball. Cook was certainly unfortunate, the 4th wrong call in the match.

Kieswetter goes to make it 110-5. Ashwin with the wicket for India. Not the best ball he bowled, a short ball that Kieswetter hit straight to the fielder and Suresh Raina made no mistake whatsoever.

Yuvraj continues to offer some pretty short balls that the batsmen are able to put away. This the problem for Dhoni, effect though he is, Yuvraj every now and then bowls those hit me balls, and the new regulations mean Dhoni can't provide too much cover for those bad balls. This really forces Dhoni to change his entire game plan. Jadeja's presence have helped him to a great extend, but on seaming pitches, what could he do? May be Pathan is the answer, he could come in for Ishant. ODI cricket is not the game for Ishant, has been making the same old mistakes for the last 6 years. His test game has also slipped big time, and isn't rightly among the first choice bowlers, but at least in tests he has more of a chance.