Anyone see the Strauss dismissal on TV? There’s a suspicion on Cricinfo that Mishra should have been called for overstepping - not that anything can or should be done about that now.
heh. Ninjaed. I remember an infamous occasion about ten years ago when England lost their last eight after tea on the last day and Saqlain should have been no-balled for four of them but wasn’t.
No century for Strauss, he is gone for 87. Mishra was so surprised he actually appealed for a bowled. Strauss unlucky, was another no-ball by the spinner.
Cook’s got one, though. England 95 ahead and seven men still to bat.
Again, the boys are doing us proud.
I know the Indians are under-performing but even so…(as I speak, they’ve just put down another easy catch!!)
The cliché is that you can only beat the team in front of you and that is exactly what England are doing. An Indian team playing this badly should be pummelled by a very good team…and they have been.
We are looking strong here at 455-3. Only Anderson can be counted as a moderate batsman and even he can keep his end up.
Triple century for Cook? overtaking Michael Vaughn’s run total (so soon?) 600+ on the board? victory by Saturday lunchtime?
I’d reckon that counts as England’s day, all said…
The good news was the ball moving a little off the pitch and a lot of dropped catches. It’s fill your boots time for Morgan/Bopara, as I don’t think either is likely to get a second look at the ball this game, and if Trott is back for the last test they will want to make a statement.
I have been told by knowledgeable people that there was a lot of pressure for the match to go ahead.
Saqlain and Wasim both. However IIRC Waqar had already started the slide.
It was that long ago! Shyt.
I think the first thought through the mind of the Indian bowlers was “yay! it’s moving” quickly followed by the second thought of “Shit! it’s moving!”
And though I hate to say it, I think Bopara will have exactly your thoughts in his mind and I’m not convinced he is the type to relish the pressure. I’d love him to prove me wrong though.
Well, four of the dismissals were pukka, but that’s still a bad day at the office for the umpires - and it wasn’t even in Pakistan. And yes, it was that long ago. Time marches swiftly by, my friend.
Meanwhile, India seem to be receiving what is known officially as “a fucking good hiding”. There’s very little at present in the way of England declaring at about tea-time Day 3 with 700 on the board and giving India seven sessions to survive.
If England win this test; they are the World’s number one team.
In other news, a major snowfront is developing in hell.
Yeah. I had this series as 2-1 at best for England. And nigh on 400 today? Shit, they weren’t even that aggressive. They could be some very low spirits tomorrow in the Indian dressing room as Morgan, Bopara, Prior, Broad and even Bresnan are more than capable of giving it a right tonking.
You know who I really feel sorry for? Rahul Dravid. He looks like the only one out there on the Indian team that really gives a fuck about the hammering that they are being given - he was furious with himself for the drops he made today.
I know I said up thread that Dhoni is someone I have a lot of time for - well, facts are, he’ll probably be back. Dravid is probably playing his last tour of England. Tendulkar - rightly - is getting standing ovations every time he comes to bat and every time he leaves the crease. Dravid should be getting the same - even disregarding the rest of his career, he should be getting them for being the only member of the opposition that really seems to care about the games that are being played right now.
I have to take my hat off to England. If India manage to escape with a draw from here, it will be rough justice. Rattling along serenely at nearly 4 an over is not to be taken lightly, even against a pop gun attack. I can only hope that the finish the job in style now.
So England are currently 574-3 with a couple of hours left today. Storming innings from Cook, decent support from the others, and (touch wood) a century from Morgan.
Slightly nervous when India called the light, but seems like someone’s put another 50p in the meter to get the flood-lights working.
I hope Strauss doesn’t get too sentimental again and keep Cook out there to beat Gooch’s 333 record… we need the win, and with the weather as it is it’ll be better to get India in and skittle a few of them rather than risk them holding on for a rain-assisted draw.
It’s been a bit of a lethargic day, punctuated by rain and a pointless interruption for bad light. I don’t see why the impires should dictate when the batsmen are happy to stay on. It seems sanity prevailed, as they came out again even though it hadn’t got any better. 596/3 as I write. Cook has outscored India by himself, and hopefully Morgan go into one-day mode now he has secured his century.
Darnit, Alka Seltzer, you just mocked Eoin Morgan out.
Oh well, there goes Bopara’s test career.
Gotta feel sorry for him though.
Apparently there was a power-cut at the ground which meant the lights couldn’t be used. Dhoni knew that if he stuck a fast-bowler on the umpires would have to call the light under the laws of the game. Clever cricket, if not very sporting.
I imagine there was some fairly frantic activity in the bowels of Edgbaston to get the power back on, but in the end they weren’t off for long.
And yes, Bopara is done… chance to come in at 600-4 and meekly depart a few balls later? Not great.
Bit of a precarious situation now - a sudden flurry of wickets leaves England a scant 400 ahead…
Dhoni is entitled to bowl anyone he likes. He bowled two spinners for a long time, and a change was needed. It was a bit of a shambles by the authorities again, sometimes the rules are applied without any common sense. They came back out before the lights were repaired, and before the light improved.
Morgan has secured his place for the time being. I wouldn’t say Bopara is done though. One failure in a nothing situation doesn’t really mean anything, and he is only 26. There may be a place for him when Strauss retires, if Trott moves up to open.
Now up to 666/6. Not the satanic England score I’m used to seeing, that would be 66/6. Looks like they are going to give Cook a chance to reach 300 now. If he gets there, he’ll have managed it before India in this series.