India Tour Test Series 2011

[burning dog]

India are screwing themselves as half the team have played too much while the rest are 'undercooked' (seems to be the fashionable phrase). Someone commented that although the IPL pay a fortune for players they do not look after them fitness wise as well as the ECB take care of the England players.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

well Anderson had a really good day ... it was a thrilling match and could have ended very differently ..... India will be a tougher proposition in the remaining tests ... which should mean some very hard fought matches for our delight ...
28,000 people turned up for the last day and followed every ball with great enthusiasm, India are the best cricket side in the world, the game is popular beyond belief there .... and in the Indian community in the UK .. it is a truly international sport and Test matches are the supreme example of the game in the 21st century ... perhaps you thread dumpers could take your antiquarian distaste elsewhere

[eighthobstruction]

Listened to it all [last day only]....and on seeing the skinny version on TV C5 in evening, I was shocked at how poorly TMS had described the play....failed to convey some of the key moments with clarity....too busy describing where the fielders should been placed , rather than the exact action going on....

[aeolium]

Something of a shame, Calum, that India were depleted by the loss of Zaheer on the first day, and then Gambhir and Tendulkar affected by injury and illness for the last innings - it made it less of an even contest. You want to see both teams at full strength ideally.

Quite agree about Test cricket. The best series I have ever seen, though, was the 2005 Ashes series which was played at such an incredible level of skill and intensity - and was watched, on some of the key days, by over 10 million people on terrestrial TV here (and packed grounds).

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

... injury played a role in that series McGrath was out of the fourth test ...england won .... i must say that i think the present England side a superior team to the 2005 line up despite Freddie ... this lot work hard as a unit ...

[burning dog]

England strength in depth, especially in bowling with Onions Finn & Bresnan, all successful test players, waitng in the wings. will see them overtake India in Test Cricket IMO

[aeolium]

... injury played a role in that series McGrath was out of the fourth test ...england won .... i must say that i think the present England side a superior team to the 2005 line up despite Freddie ... this lot work hard as a unit ...

I'm not sure I agree with that, Calum. Flintoff on top form, Simon Jones, Harmison and Hoggard bowling well, Trescothick, Vaughan and Pietersen all playing well - and the opposition imo stronger all round than the present Australian or Indian sides. Swann is certainly a better spinner than Giles, and Prior a better keeper-batsman than Geraint Jones, but I don't think this England team is stronger than the 2005 one (though that one did fall apart quite quickly, perhaps through the sheer effort put into that series).

[burning dog]

Not superior but better able to stand injuries to their seamers. Jones' injury and Harmison's loss of form caused immense problems. This winter Tremlett and Bresnan slotted into the side almost seamlessly after England started the series with Anderson Broad and Finn forming the strike force. The Aussie were weaker but winning over there was tremendous acheivement.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

well Pietersen is in both ...but Cook and Trott have been immense and Prior is major asset ... ok marginally superior

[aeolium]

Pietersen was in much better form in 2005 (he has not been averaging that much in the last 18 months). I'd like to have seen Cook, Trott and Prior against Warne and McGrath. The worry for this England bowling attack is that if one of their bowlers is not firing and they are on a flat pitch they do not have a decent fifth bowler (as the 2005 side had).

[burning dog]

They could play a fifth bowler. I'm not really saying they should, but it's a better way to compare the two teams.

There is no front line bowler as good a bat as Flintoff, but leaving out (say) Morgan you could have Prior at six, then Bresnan (av. 32), Broad (ave.28), Swann (av.24), Tremlett and Anderson, so you bat down to number nine. G Jones is a better bat than Bresnan at seven as his average is a bit flattering IMO, but in 2005 Hoggard was number nine. Not much between the sides I think. The Aussies have got much weaker and the Indians will weaken a fair bit when Zaheer retires, their seam attack is not that strong now with him. England could well become the top side by default.

[aeolium]

I generally agree with that, bd. I think the England management should be flexible and play a fifth bowler e.g. Bresnan instead of Morgan if the conditions look flat. If it looks dodgy and you might need more batting, just go with the four bowlers.

My guess is that next summer, Eng v SA, will be the real battle for top spot as SA are a much more formidable all-round team than this Indian one (and South Africa beat England in their last encounter here).

[burning dog]

I generally agree with that, bd. I think the England management should be flexible and play a fifth bowler e.g. Bresnan instead of Morgan if the conditions look flat. If it looks dodgy and you might need more batting, just go with the four bowlers.

My guess is that next summer, Eng v SA, will be the real battle for top spot as SA are a much more formidable all-round team than this Indian one (and South Africa beat England in their last encounter here).

I agree. I think England should stick with four bowlers generally, but play five when conditions demand. I'm all for sticking to a smallish squad and not gettnig back to the chopping and changing of the 90s, but Fletcher got too dogamtic which was his downfall IMO. They could also consider picking Rashid for Morgan at the right time, but I fear he's dropped out of contention, a spin bowler who can bat at seven would be good in the sub continent. It wouldn't be sensible to pick two spinners and get by with only two seamers.

England will have to beat both India and SA over here, and at least draw with both away to be considered champions by the cricket watching public, whatever the rankings tell us.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

well never mind the pre match hype England are doing a perfect imitation of a batting collapse ... 27-2 Cook & Trott out ...

[burning dog]

England are doing ok now. India put them in (again)
You'd want the batting side 3 down by lunch after that I reckon.