England v India 2011

Royale with Cheese

Got a ticket for day 4 of the Oval Test. Starting to get worried about it at this rate.

Dozen Wicked Words

England officially Number one test team in the world.

Kumar has been brilliant for India and Dhoni needs to move up the order, otherwise India have been woeful.

dfx-

I wonder if the BCCI can use their powers to save us the whitewash fourth test..if you can't get people out, there's no amount of runs will be enough.

Really surprised to see Sharma given out, Praveen was entertaining - a beer soaked ball:)

LondonIrish90

Number one in the world! What an odd feeling, little old England, ranked best in the world and rightly so.

World class players throughout the side and a world class attitude running through the side. Hope and expect the next few years to be dominated by England on the test stage - the South Africans are already a bit anxious :cool:

India have been a massive disappointment, their injuries are well documented but they are absolutely no excuse for the gutless performances we have seen this series. A lack of passion and discipline seems to be real problem for subcontinental sides.

booth70

LondonIrish90 wrote: »

India have been a massive disappointment, their injuries are well documented but they are absolutely no excuse for the gutless performances we have seen this series. A lack of passion and discipline seems to be real problem for subcontinental sides.

Well said....as an Indian fan I have been terribly disappointed with India's attitude on the field and the way they have played.

TBH... even with a full strength side I have to admit we would have been no match for this English side

I only hope this thrashing really hurts Dhoni and his team and that they learn from this....listening to the soundbites coming out of the press conferences he dosent seem to be too bothered....coming out with his formulaic answers as usual

Much as it pains me to say this I hope India get rolled over in the one day series as well....If they win that then this thrashing in the test series will be swept under the carpet like most things in India and and nothing would have been learnt from this defeat

booth70

Strange....

http://icc-cricket.yahoo.net/match_zone/test_predictor.php

Just looking at the ICC test rankings predictor.....

If England beat India 4-0 they go to 125

England then don't play again until January when they tour the UAE for a series against Pakistan

In the mean time if SA beat Aus 2-0 and then beat SL 3-0 they move to no: 1 !!

Such are the vagaries of the ranking system

England v South Africa next summer will settle it then....hopefully it wont be a let down like this summer's test series:(

dfx-

You also have to look at ranking points per test played...37 tests for England, 21 for SA and only a few points in it..

SD7792

dfx- wrote: »

You also have to look at ranking points per test played...37 tests for England, 21 for SA and only a few points in it..

There's only a few rating points in it because rating points take into account how many games are played. So the fact that England have played more tests is (sort of) irrelevant.

TrueDub

nompere wrote: »

It was discussed - and Michael Holding (fast bowler) pointed out to David Lloyd (once a first class umpire) that the law refers to leaving the wicket when the batsman is under the misapprehension that he is out, and not when he's under the misapprehension that it's tea-time.

Just saw this - I sit corrected, you're right.

TrueDub

England unchanged, India one enforced change.

Anyone see anything other than an England win or a rain-affected draw?

ClareVisitor

Looks like the draw could be on after plenty of rain on the first day, although I did hear it's meant to clear up over the weekend.

Can't see anything other than the English batsmen battering a powder-puff Indian seam attack again. It just remains to be seen if the Indian batsmen can finally show their undoubted class and force the draw or if they're already mentally looking at the ODI series. There's no way I can see the Indian attack taking 20 wickets.

booth70

This has to be India's worst ever test series in it's 79 years of playing test cricket:mad::mad:

Hopefully India will salvage some pride in the one day series that follows....though I am not holding my breath:(

dfx-

Might India be able to last the fourth day still with some wickets left?

Raina 0 from 29 balls

VVS 2

Ishant 1 from 9 balls

Sehwag 8 from 6 balls

11/4...

dfx-

Atrocious decision to give Dravid out there. No evidence he hit it

Dozen Wicked Words

dfx- wrote: »

Atrocious decision to give Dravid out there. No evidence he hit it

Real shame, think hes deserved more than that really. No worry about deciding Indias man of the series anyway.

Corsendonk

And so it ends, if only the rest of the Indians could bat with Dravid intelligence and work rate. 3 series wins out of 16 isn't such a great stat for India. Is England, India worst tour venue?

SSK

Awesome by England, a clinical destruction of India. Every player played a part in the victory.

India were pathetic really, only Dravid and Kumar played to the standard required, Sharma and Sachin in patches, the rest were useless.

Unless the BCCI cop themselves on as regards the IPL India are going to continue to regress in test cricket.

booth70

Corsendonk wrote: »

3 series wins out of 16 isn't such a great stat for India. Is England, India worst tour venue?

What are you on about?:(.....Atleast India have won a series in England before (1-0 in 2007)......

On the other hand they have never won or even come close to winning a series in Australia and South Africa

This thrashing has to go down as India's worst ever considering the way they have played.....even worse than the 4-0 and 3-0 hammerings they got in Australia in 1991/2 and 1999

SharpshooterTom

Ironically if South Africa can maximise their 5 tests against Australia and Sri Lanka in the fall they will reclaim the no.1 spot, albeit until England play again shortly after.

It would be nice to SA give England a fight for the number spot next year. Interesting also to see how effective SA are with Tahir. You'd felt if they had a decent spinner that time against India they would have won the 3rd test.

dfx-

booth70 wrote: »

On the other hand they have never won or even come close to winning a series in Australia and South Africa

In fairness, they were a masterful, magical Kallis innings from winning in Cape Town in the recent series..something like 50/3 with Harbhajan turning it around corners with a day and a half left..

booth70

Midas Singh Dhoni has had a wonderful few years as captain....

His biggest cricketing challenge begins now....

How India react to this thrashing will probably dictate the future of test cricket....If the idiots in the BCCI ignore this drubbing as a 'minor' aberration (as I fear they will) and India loses interest in test cricket only the Ashes will be worth watching in the future as far as TEST cricket is concerned

Corsendonk

booth70 wrote: »

What are you on about?:(.....Atleast India have won a series in England before (1-0 in 2007)......

On the other hand they have never won or even come close to winning a series in Australia and South Africa

This thrashing has to go down as India's worst ever considering the way they have played.....even worse than the 4-0 and 3-0 hammerings they got in Australia in 1991/2 and 1999

I didn't realise that India touring record of the major nations was so bad, it just goes to show that sometimes the rankings are not a true reflection of a teams quality that it can become no 1 based on its home record on pitches suited to its batsmen.

booth70

Corsendonk wrote: »

I didn't realise that India touring record of the major nations was so bad, it just goes to show that sometimes the rankings are not a true reflection of a teams quality that it can become no 1 based on its home record on pitches suited to its batsmen.

Which is precisely why England have to win on the subcontinent to be considered on par with the great Aussie and West Indian teams of the past.....it's one thing rolling over SL and India at home but they have to beat India in India....England haven't beaten India in India since 1984/5

England in UAE against Pakistan and in SL later this winter should be a good judge of good they really are before the big test against SA at home next summer and India away next winter

booth70

dfx- wrote: »

Atrocious decision to give Dravid out there. No evidence he hit it

In the interview at the end of the days play Dravid did admit he got a feather on it

dfx-

He did think he hit the ball that hit his shoelace too though:P He also is a gentleman.

Whether he felt he hit or not, I think the on-field decision shouldn't have been overturned in my opinion. No howler, no evidence he clearly hit it.

Hayte

Corsendonk wrote: »

And so it ends, if only the rest of the Indians could bat with Dravid intelligence and work rate. 3 series wins out of 16 isn't such a great stat for India. Is England, India worst tour venue?

India are always slow starters overseas but they have players who know how to play English conditions.

Their total failure looks like it has more to do with being out of practice in the long game, various stamina, fitness and injury related problems, poor team selection due to any of the above (i.e. picking Sehwag even though hes not long recovered from injury and hasn't played test cricket since like, January).

Then theres match prep (not enough warm up games) and also the problem of India having a really hectic international schedule running up to the test series so alot of their players arrived knackered and frankly didn't give a damn. Doesn't matter how good you are. If you don't do your homework, you probably won't make the grade.

The placard with "Rahul Dravid vs England" on it during day 4 (?) of the Oval test kind of summed it up. The man deserved man of the series for sure. He bats 3 centuries, all of them hard graft innings that lasted the whole day in an away series that India could never win. He was ready to go back to back innings at the Oval when England enforced the followon after batting 142 not out, then having to open immediately afterwards with Virinder "I don't care if I get out early because screw this tour" Sehwag. Then he was unfairly dismissed, for the second time in the series, but he took it on the chin and never got salty over it.

I mean thats some superhuman s**t right there.

Dozen Wicked Words

First 20/twenty finished. Enjoyable game, down to the last over, England won thanks in part to a great knock from Morgan. Indian bowling bit thin on the ground.

booth70

dooferoaks wrote: »

First 20/twenty finished. Enjoyable game, down to the last over, England won thanks in part to a great knock from Morgan. Indian bowling bit thin on the ground.

Yep....good game....Morgan looked a class above everyone on the pitch yesterday:)

Cremated

I thought the best bit was seeing Dravid his 3x6's in a row , not bad for his debut and to retire with a T20 strike rate of 147.62 ...

booth70

Rahane looks like a good player:)

59/0 after 12.....good start but India will need about 400 with their bowling attack:(