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[caught and bowled]

History vs History

Vaughan has led an England recovery six times in the past. India haven’t lost at The Oval since 1959. Who will blink first?
 
Ehtesham Hasan
 
Michael Vaughan carries the reputation of being a dogged leader, someone who always remains a step ahead of his rivals. But it looks like his tenacity and impressive captaincy record will be put to test by an Indian side that is otherwise known to stumble at the last hurdle.

It has been mentioned ad-nauseam how the Indian team manages to lose a test right after winning one and the examples have been parroted by experts at the drop of the hat. To offset that argument, the team management is doing everything in its hands to keep the momentum going. They are also blessed with a strange but welcome piece of history playing at The Oval. No Indian team has lost a test here since 1959 and the Indian cricket’s first-ever glorious moment came here when Ait Wadekar’s men did the incredible in 1971.

 
England will be hoping Kevin Pietersen, who missed training yesterday, recovers in time for the deciding test match
 
The practice session yesterday was so intense that some of the Indian journalists’ heads almost got knocked off by batsmen who went on a rampage in the nets. There were lots of encouraging shouts and cheers when the fielding drills were performed and one could sense that the players wanted to get into that ruthless mode after getting a much-deserved break at Leicestershire. The theory that complacency had crept into the Indian camp like a nocturnal thief was dismissed by Mahender Singh Dhoni yesterday.

“No chance,” was Dhoni’s quick reply when asked if the side were putting their feet up, and he immediately added: “I will not agree with it. If you saw the practice session we went through, it was quite intense. Everybody was doing something or the other. Throughout the session they knew what they were supposed to do and what they needed to do.

 LAW OF AVERAGES

“You have to switch on and switch off. You cannot have the same intensity even during the rest days. A lot has been said about switiching on and switching off during a game so three days was a good time for the fast bowlers especially if you see the amount of work they have been doing in the matches.”

If Dhoni’s words are to be taken seriously, then Vaughan will finally have to keep his date with the law of averages, something he has avoided like a plague. Since he took over from Nasser Hussain in 2004, the suave England captain has always followed a test defeat with a victory.

 
Vaughan has managed this on six occasions, including twice in his first series in charge to earn a 2-2 draw with South Africa. But after going down to by seven-wickets at Trent Bridge, he’ll have dig in deep to prevent England from suffering their first series loss at home under him and to enable them to continue the run of 11 home series (eight wins and three draws) without defeat.

The eight-day break between the second and third may have allowed the England think-tank to reflect on their mistakes but they had a new problem to grapple with when their key player Kevin Pieteren did not turn up for the practice session yesterday. The hard-hittinng batsmen was running a high temperature and the word from the camp was that they will ask for a back-up only after assessing his situation this morning.
 
 

[keep-it-cool]

Well, India had never won a match at Trentbridge till last week ...so, history is best left for history books

[caught and bowled]

Well, India had never won a match at Trentbridge till last week ...so, history is best left for history books

More than the History bit, the thing I liked to read from this article was about the seriousness with which our guys are approaching it. Considering the fact that we have promptly lost the next test after winning the previous one, it makes me feel good that they are atleast doing their part...

[gouravk]

Exactly ... I think the script for the oval should be - win the toss get 600 try to apply the follow on and then let kumble enter the pitcure ...

[caught and bowled]

That, we should bat if we win the toss seems given, at least right now. I was just looking at the weather on BBC. Its going to be partly cloudy tomorrow and then two days of sun shine. If our openers can weather the first session, we would be set to dominate……...

[gouravk]

Hmmm ... I expect to see a 100 from RD here ... been way too long ... and a perfect time to deliver when it matters and seal the series.

[ganavk]

Anshuman Gaekwad writing in "The Indian Express' says that if we win the toss , we have to bowl first to use the bounce available in the pitch. Poor RD !

[keep-it-cool]

That, we should bat if we win the toss seems given, at least right now. I was just looking at the weather on BBC. Its going to be partly cloudy tomorrow and then two days of sun shine. If our openers can weather the first session, we would be set to dominate……...

In this case, wouldnt it be better to bowl first? use the clouds to dismiss them and then bat in the sunshine??

Wish it were so simple!

[gouravk]

If we are bowling first we should be CONFIDENT of getting them below 200 - no other reason would justify bowling first.

[Jai]

If we are bowling first we should be CONFIDENT of getting them below 200 - no other reason would justify bowling first.

That's alright man, but first tell me which way the ball will swing? Or will it swing at all?

[fineleg]

If we are bowling first we should be CONFIDENT of getting them below 200 - no other reason would justify bowling first.

We should be prepared for bowling well and bundling them out (for all you know, Eng may win the toss and bat first). So we should be prepared for bowling first as well.

I really hope SS has his head screwed on right.

[gouravk]

Jai Shhh .. as a bowler I cannot reveal my secrets of swing ..

finey, there is a difference when you choose to bowl first and when you are forced to bowl first. when you choose to there is the extra pressure of getting them all out for a low score.