Edgbaston test : Day by day prediction and discussion

[rkt.india 9,627]

Wouldnt say its bouncy... Usually pretty flat.

I had heard it has been a minefield this county season and batting has been difficult here.

[deepak_sach 10]

No.I think a test match was abandoned after a team for which mohammed yousuf played for got hit... It was a "dangerous pitch" with ball kicking of good length just like Feroz shah kotla pitch..

[Cricket Tragic 11]

That was a good couple of months back. The pitch has not been a problem after that game. Anyone remember the epic collapse in 1996? Joshi was batting at 6. :facepalm:

[Sooda 349]

Its only a 2 day game vs Nothants I read. Wonder what the point of that is, hope our guys get some time in

[Cricket Tragic 11]

Its only a 2 day game vs Nothants I read. Wonder what the point of that is' date=' hope our guys get some time in[/quote'] They'll probably have an agreement of each team batting for a day.

[deepak_sach 10]

They'll probably have an agreement of each team batting for a day.

Will India survive for a day?:nervous::nervous::nervous:

[NareshK 339]

It will be better for India if its a bowler friendly pitch. Our bowlers will be more effective in that case. I can see the batsmen raising their game and one of them playing out of their skins but I'm not convinced that our inexperienced bowlers can outbowl England on a flat pitch, especially if Zak doesnt play. So we need to back our batting and put pressure on England. Same thing happened in Trent Bridge. When the pitch was assisting bowlers, India got a lead of about 60 and could have extended it further. But when the pitch flattened out, our bowlers were taken to the cleaners. Of course, batting also failed in the 2nd innings but they have the quality and can do much better.

[deepak_sach 10]

It will be better for India if its a bowler friendly pitch. Our bowlers will be more effective in that case. I can see the batsmen raising their game and one of them playing out of their skins but I'm not convinced that our inexperienced bowlers can outbowl England on a flat pitch' date=' especially if Zak doesnt play. So we need to back our batting and put pressure on England.[/quote'] England is the home team .....

[Cricket Tragic 11]

Will India survive for a day?:nervous::nervous::nervous:

:cantstop:

[Stuge 553]

lol nothing will happen. England will win ..period

[jukkha 10]

Great post. I would go with 4 pacers so they are not getting tired always! (spinners have been a failure this series for both teams) (also just in case Zaheer gets injured again!!)) Sehwag Gambhir Dravid Tendulkar Laxman Yuvraj Dhoni Kumar Zaheer Ishant Sreesanth

[Trichromatic 3,775]

I don't think pitch matters for Indian team at this moment. Confidence is down. They struggled even at Lords where pitch was flat.

[jukkha 10]

I also think Kumar has the potential to become a good bowling allrounder? Maybe more exposure up the order for future odi games as a trial?

[NareshK 339]

England is the home team .....

Yup I know that. What's your point ?

[deepak_sach 10]

Yup I know that. What's your point ?

There's no point saying "I hope the pitch favours India","I want the pitch to be flat"....

[Cricket Tragic 11]

I don't think pitch matters for Indian team at this moment. Confidence is down. They struggled even at Lords where pitch was flat.

Yeah but we need something to discuss. :((

[rkt.india 9,627]

Ya we need bowling friendly pitch.

[Serani 9]

Probably will be flat, the weather has been good here so preparing the pitch would have been easy, I reckon hard and flat.

[CG 1,519]

It will be better for India if its a bowler friendly pitch. Our bowlers will be more effective in that case. I can see the batsmen raising their game and one of them playing out of their skins but I'm not convinced that our inexperienced bowlers can outbowl England on a flat pitch, especially if Zak doesnt play. So we need to back our batting and put pressure on England. Same thing happened in Trent Bridge. When the pitch was assisting bowlers, India got a lead of about 60 and could have extended it further. But when the pitch flattened out, our bowlers were taken to the cleaners. Of course, batting also failed in the 2nd innings but they have the quality and can do much better.

Our bowlers did well in first innings and broad and swann were extremly lucky that their move to slog payed up ,otherwise it could have been different and same thign happened when we were leading,in second innnings we had them at 57 for 2 but captaincy was terrible so many runs were scored to thirdman edged of good ball and indian bowlers will be better or equall y worse than english bowlers on flat surfaces as english bowlers also have performed badly when the pictehs have been flat. Our problem is batting if your 3 batsman cannot play bouncers and dhoni is out of form ,there is no hope ,we have to change the batting order to original one

[ravsdh 10]

ppl miss the whole point on the whole broad-swann partnershup at 124/8 had we bowled them out for 150 odd, our batsmen would have had about 20 more overs to face. and trust me it was swinging round corners. i was at the ground and it was barely light enough to play, thats how cloudy it was we would have been 4 down atleast on that day, and would have probably managed 150 or so ourselves. so we wouldnt have even had a bloody lead

[Trichromatic 3,775]

Last time when Eng played Pak, Ajmal took 5 wickets in 2nd inning and Swann took 6 wickets in 3rd. :omg:

[Cricket Tragic 11]

Last time when Eng played Pak' date=' Ajmal took 5 wickets in 2nd inning and Swann took 6 wickets in 3rd. :omg:[/quote'] Sehwag will take 5 this time. :yay:

[Number 2,470]

Poms on top? It's just not cricket! : SMH ENGLAND is so close to achieving the No. 1 Test ranking, her majesty is rummaging down the back of the royal sofa looking for MBEs. After routing India again, it need only maintain its 2-0 lead in the four Test series to plant the flag of St George on the statistical summit. So, with Australia edging closer to the relegation zone than the notional world championship, how do we reconcile the old enemy's success? How to ridicule and belittle their achievement, while consoling ourselves about Australia's sorry plight? Alas, not easy. Far-fetched as it once might have seemed, finding fault with English cricket right now is like assassinating the Dalai Lama's character - even allowing for His Holiness's appearance on MasterChef. There is the blatantly obvious. Raise an eyebrow as Strauss, Trott, Pietersen and Prior walk out and call them South Engfrica. But apply the same standard to Australian Olympic teams and other sports in which we have been the beneficiary of skilled migration and that taunt falls flatter than a sumo wrestler's mattress. We might suggest the Indians now play Test cricket out of contractual obligation and are merely moonlighting in creams from their real jobs as one-day betting propositions and Twenty20 mercenaries. We might venture that a chain-smoking asthmatic could have blown down India's house of straw. But to claim England is world No. 1 by default would prompt an uncomfortable glance in the mirror. If England is merely filling a gap between the great Australian team that once held the title and the next true giant, how poor must Australia be to have plunged to mid-table mediocrity? Besides, with India to tour next summer, it might be best to hold our tongues until we find out if our patchwork crew is capable of exploiting the subcontinent's flimsy resolve. The most optimistic Australian booster might argue that England's pre-eminence is merely cyclical. However, as optimism gives way to impatience, the wheels of the current Australian cycle are turning more like those of a postie on a work-to-rule than that of Cadel Evans. So slowly that you can't help remember, with some dread, the apparently ''cyclical'' decline of the West Indies. No, as much as we would like to dismiss England's rise to Test cricket's pinnacle as the result of some astrological irregularity, the English stars are aligned. Our only consolation is to revel in past glories and suggest their performances are reminiscent of Australia's bygone days. At 8 for 124 on the opening day of the second Test at Trent Bridge and with the ball swinging like a wind chime in a hurricane, England was under siege. The subsequent half-century by Stuart Broad was the sort of match-turning performance once expected of Adam Gilchrist or, given Broad then took 6-46 including a hat-trick, Shane Warne. Like Old Australia, England's batting has more depth than Curtly Ambrose's bath tub, meaning a quiet start to the series by Alastair Cook has been inconvenient, not fatal. Once England teams were unrecognisable from Test to Test, let along series to series. That Eoin Morgan for Paul Collingwood is the only significant change to the team that destroyed Australia here last summer is indicative of their stability. In Australia, meanwhile, if you can spin a bottle top you are a decent chance to wear a baggy green. Which is not to argue this English team would be any match for Australia's great Taylor/Waugh era line-up. Merely that it has the essential ingredients. Talent, stability, depth, strong leadership and a ruthlessness that moved captain Strauss to declare, even before the No. 1 ranking is achieved, that his team is set on world domination. Maddeningly, there is not only much to respect about England, there is also little to dislike. The swaggering Pietersen, obviously, is a pantomime villain. But Warne's presence in the commentary box during the current series surely confines an Australian throwing stones at Pietersen to a very fragile glasshouse. Besides, when Pietersen stands to attention and strokes the ball down the ground with Haydenesque brutality, it is hard not to applaud. So let's say it before it becomes official and a nation that once condemned Australians for their gloating parades the conquering heroes through Trafalgar Square. Uh-hum. England - choke-splutter. Best team in the - errr-hummmm - world. http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/poms-on-top-its-just-not-cricket-20110802-1i9w3.html

[Ramzz 10]

ppl miss the whole point on the whole broad-swann partnershup at 124/8 had we bowled them out for 150 odd, our batsmen would have had about 20 more overs to face. and trust me it was swinging round corners. i was at the ground and it was barely light enough to play, thats how cloudy it was we would have been 4 down atleast on that day, and would have probably managed 150 or so ourselves. so we wouldnt have even had a bloody lead

The way Dravid and Laxman played those 15 or so overs was class. We would have maybe lost 1 more wicket but having them out for 150 would have mentally tormented the English...they wouldn't have been able to attack as much.

[Cricketics 7,054]

Will Zaheer be able to perform in 3rd test if fit As we all know Zaheer is a Muslim and would be having Rozaperhaps. I play cricket with lot of Muslims in my team, and they do tend to take break from the game or some of them just choose to not have Roza fast on that paritcular match day. But this is a 5 day game. I think it's hard for a bowler to keep fast for 5 days and perform. I know it feels weird to discuss this. but I think it's important topic.

[CG 1,519]

he may not play ,with a dodgy hamstring it will too much risk if he does not play in the practice match on 5th

[Cricketics 7,054]

Stop overreacting you folks. And post if you want to. Or else i shall delete the posts.

[deepak_sach 10]

Stop overreacting you folks. And post if you want to. Or else i shall delete the posts.

the facepalm is for bringing religion into a cricket discussion...

[Cricketics 7,054]

the facepalm is for bringing religion into a cricket discussion...

Well it's a valid topic though. I am not really bringing religion. It's a challenge for Zaheer if he can perform. Yes, it's hard to bowl and be on the field without drinking any water, gatorade etc all day.

[Ramzz 10]

I don't think the players fast during a match.

[achilles 12]

Good to know Australia is backing us.

[anotherhawkeye 10]

Well it's a valid topic though. I am not really bringing religion. It's a challenge for Zaheer if he can perform. Yes' date=' it's hard to bowl and be on the field without drinking any water, gatorade etc all day.[/quote'] See that you have already deleted my post because you don't agree with it. Good for you. It's pretty simple. If he is going to fast, then he will excuse himself from the team. I trust his judgement.

[wobblydoggy 10]

Ways to even things out For the third test England have decided in the spirit of cricket and seeing as blood sport is banned in the UK, to make the following changes. Cook will remain at opener and be encouraged to prod harder and follow any swinging ball with his pad (No change there then) Strauss will not play a third man, like Dhoni and allow Tendulkar to milk his 100th hundred off glances + his usual drives. Bell, in at three for the injured Trott, will have an inch taken off each side of his bat Pietersen will only be allowed to score on the 'on side' Morgan will not be allowed to sweep. Prior will not be allowed on the pitch at all, he is just too scary and so he will be replaced with Davis in pink Bresnan has been told to go and stay at his granny's till the test, which usually means he puts a stone on, so that should slow him up a bit. Broad will open with Cook, to give the Indian bowlers a chance to poleaxe him(Strauss has to bat at 5 where he might score some bloody runs) Swann has been asked to tell a few more jokes to Harby and Sreesanth on the pitch, to cheer them up a bit. Tremlett is to under go surgery to shorten him by 6 inches Also we are not going to bother with the toss, bloody Strauss cannot win it anyway, so you will get first choice as usual. and lastly, Anderson is not going to be allowed to bowl at Tendulkar, because it is just not fair on the old guy:winky: This post is meant to be humorous, please take it as such

[urbestfriend 58]

:((

[Cricket Tragic 11]

The best way to even things out is to let us win the next 2 tests. 2-2

[wobblydoggy 10]

The best way to even things out is to let us win the next 2 tests. 2-2

We could give you a 150 start + 3 Wickets:winky: Personally I think the last match was an aberation, I cannot see India playing so badly again.

[Trichromatic 3,775]

The best way to even things out is to let us win the next 2 tests. 2-2

2-2 won't even out things completely. Bell will not be allowed to leave the ground during any break and he will have stay at the crease. :haha:

[Alchemist 10]

He will, for 13 more overs.

[wobblydoggy 10]

2-2 won't even out things completely. Bell will not be allowed to leave the ground during any break and he will have stay at the crease. :haha:

He has been sent to Winchster School for a week so the school kids can teach him the bloody rules:winky:

[Under_Score 845]

A very valid point Tics, clearly not involving religion like someone suggested here. I don't know about Zaheer...but if I was a pace bowler..no way I could give 100% in bowling while fasting. btw...it would be Zaheer's personal preference to 'bowl' or 'fast' ...me thinks :winky:

[wobblydoggy 10]

Also we are not going to bother with the toss, bloody Strauss cannot win it anyway, so you will get first choice as usual.

[Sid 10]

Try a good one next time

[King Tendulkar 2,850]

Wobbly did you write the above?

[wobblydoggy 10]

Wobbly did you write the above?

The opening post yes, but not Dhon Zones

[King Tendulkar 2,850]

The opening post yes' date=' but not Dhon Zones[/quote'] Obviously. Not a bad effort

[wobblydoggy 10]

Obviously. Not a bad effort

Well I thought if I gloated I might get cyber lynched:winky:

[Trichromatic 3,775]

Also we are not going to bother with the toss' date=' bloody Strauss cannot win it anyway, so you will get first choice as usual.[/quote'] Strauss to visit Sangakara's place. Why? So that he can learn art of winning toss even after losing it. :haha:

[apeeman 0]

We could give you a 150 start + 3 Wickets:winky: Personally I think the last match was an aberation, I cannot see India playing so badly again.

I agree. i think the team just lost steam. Two post tea sessions killed it for Team India. On day 4, another pain point might have been trott's lbw. Remember PK just got morgan out and bowled a peach of an inswinger to trott which our dear old erasmus declined. These freak incidents really lift the morale of the team up and drive confidence. I hope the team will regroup and find energy in the next match. 2 - 2 i say. 2 - 2

[Jersey #10 65]

Well, I don't think he can bowl fast while fasting. see what i did there?:viking:

[Sid 10]

If 2-2 happens,it will be a miracle.Actually I will be pleasantly surprised if we win even 1 out of remaining 2 tests.