Print

Please post once and this message will disappear! Introduce yourself, say hello, jump into a discussion...

[LosingNow]

BBC says clear weather for Thu, Fri and Sat with chances of rain on Sun and Mon.

Message to RD .. win toss, bat first, score 500+ and unleash AK on Day 3 and the seamers in cloudy conditions on day 4/5

[keep-it-cool]

I hope KP plays. Else, AK wont be able to get him. And all that setting up over the first two tests would have been a wasted effort.

[Aloo Kashmiri Ul Haq]

BBC says clear weather for Thu, Fri and Sat with chances of rain on Sun and Mon.

Message to RD .. win toss, bat first, score 500+ and unleash AK on Day 3 and the seamers in cloudy conditions on day 4/5

imo,
message to rd - win toss, put england into bat--> use the new ball and bowl them in 100 overs or so ---> put in 500 runs ---> unleash AK on day 3 --> then jalebi, burfi, biriyani and daru

[LosingNow]

I hope KP plays. Else, AK wont be able to get him. And all that setting up over the first two tests would have been a wasted effort.

Your wish is granted..
--
England boost as Pietersen passed fit

Cricinfo staff

August 8, 2007


England received an eve-of-Test boost with the appearance of Kevin Pietersen at their practice session on Wednesday. He had been confined to his hotel room yesterday with a high temperature and was put on antibiotics.

"He's alright," said England's captain, Michael Vaughan. "He had a net but didn't take part in the run-around fielding drill, but he'll be fine to go into tomorrow's game.

"It was just a virus," said Vaughan. "It was slightly worrying yesterday but the doctor said so long as he got his tablets down he'd be okay. Obviously it's better for seeing him here having a bat, and a big relief for the team because he's such a big player."

Pietersen is England's second-highest run scorer in the series with 203 runs at an average of 50.75. He won the Man-of-the-Match award for his 134 in the second innings at Lord's which gave England the upper hand in a drawn Test. At Trent Bridge, Pietersen was the fielder at whom Zaheer Khan waved his bat angrily during the jelly bean controversy. He was dismissed lbw by RP Singh for 13 in the first innings and 19 in the second, a short while after he evaded a head-high beamer from Sreesanth.

In Pietersen's absence, England's penultimate practice session involved just 10 players, because the reserve seamer, Stuart Broad, had been released to play for Leicestershire in a Pro40 match at Derby. No reserve was summoned to cover for Pietersen.

© Cricinfo

[broadbat]

BBC says clear weather for Thu, Fri and Sat with chances of rain on Sun and Mon.

Message to RD .. win toss, bat first, score 500+ and unleash AK on Day 3 and the seamers in cloudy conditions on day 4/5

Alternate theory, England wins the toss and bats. Scores 600 by day 2. India replies with 500 by day 4 and the weather takes over day 5. Series ends as it began and India comes home with the series.

[LosingNow]

Given India's somewhat of a struggle in the second innings against bounce.. I am thinking the pitch will have bounce and Tremlett could be a factor.

Oh boy - lush green outfield, bright English summer sun, men in crisp whites, test cricket, series still not decided ..does it get any better than this!!

Go India!!!!

[pipsqueak]

Given India's somewhat of a struggle in the second innings against bounce.. I am thinking the pitch will have bounce and Tremlett could be a factor.

Oh boy - lush green outfield, bright English summer sun, men in crisp whites, test cricket, series still not decided ..does it get any better than this!!

Go India!!!!

  

[keep-it-cool]

Oh boy - lush green outfield, bright English summer sun, men in crisp whites, test cricket, series still not decided ..does it get any better than this!!

Yes ...

lush green outfield, bright English summer sun, test cricket, men in dirty whites shaking hands after an Indian win (i'll even take a draw)

[LosingNow]

Given India's somewhat of a struggle in the second innings against bounce.. I am thinking the pitch will have bounce and Tremlett could be a factor.

Oh boy - lush green outfield, bright English summer sun, men in crisp whites, test cricket, series still not decided ..does it get any better than this!!

Go India!!!!

  

As opposed to colored pyjamas. Well, I think there is something really elegant about playing cricket in whites.

[LosingNow]

Oh boy - lush green outfield, bright English summer sun, men in crisp whites, test cricket, series still not decided ..does it get any better than this!!

Yes ...

lush green outfield, bright English summer sun, test cricket, men in dirty whites shaking hands after an Indian win (i'll even take a draw)

Patience, my friend, patience. Today is day 1.

That comment will come on day 5

[keep-it-cool]

Oh boy - lush green outfield, bright English summer sun, men in crisp whites, test cricket, series still not decided ..does it get any better than this!!

Yes ...

lush green outfield, bright English summer sun, test cricket, men in dirty whites shaking hands after an Indian win (i'll even take a draw)

Patience, my friend, patience. Today is day 1.

That comment will come on day 5

Hopefully on day 4 itself!

Day 3 would be asking for too much, I guess ... we will have to look at the India A scorecards for that high.

[broadbat]

If bounce is going to be a factor at the Oval ( and this is news to me because I was always under the impression that the Oval was a slow turner) then it looks like it will be the same XI as Trent Bridge.

[pipsqueak]

Oh boy - lush green outfield, bright English summer sun, men in crisp whites, test cricket, series still not decided ..does it get any better than this!!

Yes ...

lush green outfield, bright English summer sun, test cricket, men in dirty whites shaking hands after an Indian win (i'll even take a draw)

Patience, my friend, patience. Today is day 1.

That comment will come on day 5

Hopefully on day 4 itself!

Day 3 would be asking for too much, I guess ... we will have to look at the India A scorecards for that high.

sweet dreams are made of these....

[Libran]

Oh boy - lush green outfield, bright English summer sun, men in crisp whites, test cricket, series still not decided ..does it get any better than this!!

Yes ...

lush green outfield, bright English summer sun, test cricket, men in dirty whites shaking hands after an Indian win (i'll even take a draw)

Patience, my friend, patience. Today is day 1.

That comment will come on day 5

Hopefully on day 4 itself!

Day 3 would be asking for too much, I guess ... we will have to look at the India A scorecards for that high.

sweet dreams are made of these....

Who am I to disagree.....

[pipsqueak]

...while we are dreaming...

i predict a century from SRT!

[Libran]

...while we are dreaming...

i predict a century from SRT!

Pochhu da !!! Pip...when have your predictions come true ?  Unless the law of averages catches up

[pipsqueak]

...while we are dreaming...

i predict a century from SRT!

Pochhu da !!! Pip...when have your predictions come true ?  Unless the law of averages catches up

cmon - i can't factor in TAUFELS!!!

i made that prediction when ppl were writing off the flop four! (err..incidentally coined by me, of course)

anyway, wd you not be happy with a 91 again?

[justforkix]

I want us to put up a good fight and give it their best shot.

[keep-it-cool]

Coming back to reality,

India's problem traditionally has been bounce and not swing. Because the latter at least keeps our bowlers in the hunt too. Oval's likely to have more bounce than swing. I think KKD, SG and MSD would be most vulnerable - would be interesting to see how they cope. RD, SRT, VVS should be relatively fine ... WJ too, provided he does not try any fancy pull shots.

The other issue is that in several crunch test matches in the past - Melbourne, Capetown, Bangalore - India has faltered despite a good showing in the first innings. That "one bad session" syndrome - we can always rationalise by saying that all we had in the test series was one bad session, but it still means a loss.

On the positive side, WJ is still to get his customary century for the series ... flip side ... he's also not got any of his usual ducks on the scoreboard

[sgusa]

Ganguly will be fine too as long as he F cuking ducks and weaves to anything even half short and doesnt EVER think he can play the pull or hook.

[Libran]

...while we are dreaming...

i predict a century from SRT!

Pochhu da !!! Pip...when have your predictions come true ?  Unless the law of averages catches up

cmon - i can't factor in TAUFELS!!!

i made that prediction when ppl were writing off the flop four! (err..incidentally coined by me, of course)

anyway, wd you not be happy with a 91 again?

< 35 in first innings .....   

[keep-it-cool]

Ganguly will be fine too as long as he F cuking ducks and weaves to anything even half short and doesnt EVER think he can play the pull or hook.

On the contrary, I think he should hook when he can ... as long as he is decisive instead of changing his mind and deciding at the last minute.

[sgusa]

Ganguly will be fine too as long as he F cuking ducks and weaves to anything even half short and doesnt EVER think he can play the pull or hook.

On the contrary, I think he should hook when he can ... as long as he is decisive instead of changing his mind and deciding at the last minute.

Arent you asking for too much ? ( would have gone the celestial route on this one, but that is banned )

[Libran]

I would tend to think that for England, Bell will sit out and Broad could make his debut...strengthens the lower middle order and an additional pace bowling option to make use of the bounce

[achutank]

they are going to bounce and bounce and bounce us, the big-RD-series-deciding-innings is due this test

cant wait to see RD pull these scukers 

100+ RD
50+ WJ
30s - the other 3
40s - MSD
50 - Tail

320+ score in 1st innings would be enough to win the series

[gouravk]

Seriously Im a bit worried about our players being able to handle the short ball. RD can do so defensively but not attackingly. Only SRT could have done that but he seems to be determined not to.

[LosingNow]

RD wins toss ..elects to bat

[LosingNow]

same team for india

[LosingNow]

MV would have liked to bat...bouncy pitch..same team

[broadbat]

Good toss to win. 450 should be par for the course.

[keep-it-cool]

Bat big and bat only once ...

[LosingNow]

Nasser predicting tennis ball bounce. Very very hard surface. IB says good that Eng lost toss. MA says IB is mad..beautiful pitch blue skies..will bat first

[keep-it-cool]

I am still not sure that our big guns will fire simultaneously if our openers do not give us a good and long start.

[keep-it-cool]

Ganguly will be fine too as long as he F cuking ducks and weaves to anything even half short and doesnt EVER think he can play the pull or hook.

On the contrary, I think he should hook when he can ... as long as he is decisive instead of changing his mind and deciding at the last minute.

Arent you asking for too much ? ( would have gone the celestial route on this one, but that is banned )

Ask for the sky ...

[gouravk]

Clearly. Good start is a must. The middle order should fire. And the tail should hang in there. If any of the three does not happen there can be disaster like the first innings of Cape Town - where a great start was wasted away and we made only 414.

[LosingNow]

Crucial 1st session.. if we are only 1 down at lunch we are on our way.

[keep-it-cool]

Clearly. Good start is a must. The middle order should fire. And the tail should hang in there. If any of the three does not happen there can be disaster like the first innings of Cape Town - where a great start was wasted away and we made only 414.

Well, I dont think 414 was a disaster. The disaster happened in the second innings when RD and SRT had a simultaneous brain freeze.

[fineleg]

With bounce, it is a really tough choice to bat first. The bounce will show now if these bats can play well in away conditions or not.

[gouravk]

Well, in retrospect 414 was a disaster. Such totals where the start is great and the innings folds up are always disastrous because they give the opposition a big boost. It is important that the tail ensures a gradual decline and not an abrupt fall. Remember Melbourne 2003 ? Remember Bloomfontein 2001 ?

fineleg, Im sure if we had fielded first you would have said, it is a tough decision to field first on a flat pitch in bright sunshine.

[broadbat]

If the wicket is as hard as they say, then it will remain so through out the match. But we have seen all these so called experts with egg on their faces before! It may turn out to be a sleeping beauty.