I’ve been away for a few days and realised that we don’t have a cricket thread on the go…most remiss.
The current series has just got underway and the first test is coming to a fruity conclusion at Lord’s.
A bit of perspective, India are the current no 1. test team but England can knock them off that spot with a good series win.
England are putting the pressure on India, this is the last day and if India survive the day they draw the match (if they score 458 they win it but that isn’t likely). England are favourites. Huge anticipation for this last day, huge queues for tickets this morning so the place seems to be rocking.
India are currently 135 for 3 with the great Sachin Tendulkar at the crease. Hero to a billion or more, one of the greatest ever sporting figures and poised on 99 test centuries and the edge of immortality.
Could be fun. Lets have your thoughts…gloatings, despair and general musings
From 131/2 to 135/4. I really, really hope that Raina and Tendulkar kan keep their calm and survive at least well into the second session. A win for India seems very, very unlikely now.
And it’s all over for 261. Some wonderful bowling from the Brits and a rather below par effort from the Indians. Too bad VVS and Dravid couldn’t keep up from yesterday. Room for improvement.
Wonderful cricket today. Laxman and Dravid were great; impeccable performance by the Wall. Broad was amazing in the final session, though. Fantastic spell in the final session - 1st test hattrick ever against India, from what Statsguru tells me.
Broad ended with figures of 6-46 I think, which is a test best for him. But incredibly those figures include a spell of 5 for 0 off 16 balls, very special indeed.
I don’t know where this one is heading. Any sort of a lead by England (150+) could be really difficult to chase. I don’t think Jimmy and Swanny are likely to bowl as badly again.
However, that is a monumentally strong Indian batting line up and Sachin has hardly broken sweat yet.
In the letter of the law he was out, however…it was fairly obvious that most everyone considered the ball dead (and the body language of the fielders suggested it as well).
So Bell walked off for tea as he thought the ball was being gently and unhurriedly returned to the centre. the bails were whipped off and an appeal was made almost as an afterthought.
So not really cricket, whatever the rulebook says. I’m sure most international captains would have been tempted to appeal for that one but it takes a heck of a character to realise that the game might be better off if the appeal was rescinded. Full marks to Dhoni, potential man of the match material for that.
And to be honest, I think had they stuck to their guns it may well have harmed their chances in the rest of the series. The crowd would be on their back and the atmosphere may well be fairly fruity. This way they have regained the the moral high-ground.
No I was surprised as well, I suspect that it was only possible because they broke for tea immediately after and there was no play in the meantime. Had the next batsman faced a ball then I think the decision would have stood.
I’m struggling to think of too many other sports where the captain would have made such a decision, with 1.2 BILLION people behind him it certainly took some stones to reverse it. A good day for cricket and sport in general and another reason why I point my kids towards such people for their sporting role-models.
Dhoni was right. It wouldn’t have been cricket to take the wicket that way.
I am wondering if Sachin or Dravid took him to one side in the dressing room. From what I hear he had a chance before the interval to withdraw the appeal and didn’t.
Just because Botham believes something doesn’t make it right either. The game should be played hard but it should be played fair, and dawdling over returning the ball to the middle in an apparent attempt to kid the batsman that the ball has gone out of play and the session is over would be extremely dubious sportsmanship.