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England resigned to defeat..


Ram

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Going by what the english coach Peter Moores had to say after the first day , i am almost convinced that the english team's morale is really low and it would be impossible for them to come back in this match. England v India, 3rd Test, The Oval, 1st day Adjusting the sights Andrew Miller at The Oval August 9, 2007 spacer.gif306130.jpg?alt=1 Ryan Sidebottom did eventually get Dinesh Karthik - a dubious decision - but, as England's best bowler in the series, his reward was not commensurate with his effort © Getty Images England's proud home record has not yet been brought to an end, but after a cloudless, relentless day's cricket at The Oval, they have just 12 sessions left to fashion the victory that they thought, after Lord's, was theirs for the taking. History suggests it is not impossible - England need only to rewind to the events of 2003, when the team fought back from a first-afternoon scoreline of 290 for 1 to rip a remarkable nine-wicket win from South Africa's grasp - but the resolve shown by India's batsmen today suggests that it'll take something equally remarkable to save the series now. "It was a tough day at the office for the lads," said England's coach, Peter Moores, who must be used to such days by now, after wading through a week of jelly bean-induced innuendo in the media. "The bowlers stuck to their task well and came back after a very tough first session, but all credit to the Indian batters. It was a good toss to win, and they fought very hard." It wasn't just a good toss to win, it was a crucial toss to win. The baked-bare strip of The Oval isn't quite as daunting for bowlers as, say, a first-morning belter at Adelaide or Cape Town, but given the balance of the series and the long-overdue arrival of England's summer, the opportunity was there for India's batsmen to grind England into submission. In the end, a scoreline of 316 for 4 represented a worthy day's toil from a four-man attack that has punched above its reputation all series, although they needed a little luck in the dismissal of Sourav Ganguly - and gave a large slice back in return. "It's frustrating to drop a chance," said Moores on behalf of his protégé, Matt Prior, who could hardly have picked a worse Test to produce the biggest clanger of his career to date. Prior, it is fair to say, did not emerge from Trent Bridge with many plaudits. His reputation as a trash-talker, and his central role in the controversies of that game, meant he had no choice but to back up his many words with deeds. Instead he found his feet stuck in gelatine as an edge from Sachin Tendulkar flew his way, and the moment was lost before he could even remember to mind his language. Tendulkar may not be the batsman he once was - how could he be after 18 years on the road? - but giving him a let-off still ranks as perhaps the single biggest sin in the game: all the more so in this latter phase of his career when caution and patience have become his greatest allies. In a reprisal of his Trent Bridge performance he managed just two scoring shots in his first 35 balls, and was still far from any sort of fluency when Ryan Sidebottom found his edge with an inswinger. "That's the game, and Matt'll have to take it on the chin," said Moores of the missed moment, but the crushing disappointment wasn't limited to his wicketkeeper. England will need to emulate such adaptability when their own turn comes against Zaheer Khan and RP Singh, but for the time being they are braced for a session that could decide the series. "Wickets will make a good morning," said Moores. "We've got a new ball, and the lads will have to dust themselves down, come in with a positive frame of mind and have a real red-hot. go." Notice the tone of the english coach. It clearly doesnt exhibit any resilience or self-belief that they could claw back into the match. If anything , its shows acceptance of the fact that the england bowlers have done what they could and the Indian batsman have simply been too good on this occasion. I am also convinced the management of the english team is clearly unhappy with the Matt Prior. Michael Vaughan made a scathing comment against him before the match and Moores literally dis-owned him today. Teams with such niggles within it are rarely capable of fightbacks to salvage a series. Moores seems to be hoping the Indians batsman make some mistakes or the conditions helping his bowlers , rather than a show of brilliance from his team. If we win the first session tomorrow ( loss of just 1 or 2 wickets ) , the test match is all ours for the taking .

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Very good observations there Sriram ... :thumbs_up:
BB, whats your gut feel about this game ? If i were the captain of the Indian team , I would want to go in for the kill. The english havent been put under so much pressure by a visiting team for so long and all the criticism reg the antics of the second test match seems to have gotten to them more than the Indians. If both Sach and Saurav were there at the end of today's play , I would have almost pledged my house for an Indian victory/draw, but still anything can happen tomorrow. 2 quick wickets and things could change drastically. I am pretty sure the Indian batsman would play VERY carefully in the first hour of the morning. Sachin is the key. If he can hold up one end , a total of 450 is almost guaranteed.
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Can't agree with mm's assessment. "Wickets will make a good morning," said Moores. "We've got a new ball, and the lads will have to dust themselves down, come in with a positive frame of mind and have a real red-hot. go." For any team or coach to be resigned to defeat after 20% of any match they simply shouldn't be playing the game.

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Can't agree with mm's assessment. "Wickets will make a good morning," said Moores. "We've got a new ball, and the lads will have to dust themselves down, come in with a positive frame of mind and have a real red-hot. go." For any team or coach to be resigned to defeat after 20% of any match they simply shouldn't be playing the game.
Donny, there is a huge difference between something that needs to be done and whether the team is capable of doing it. And surely , you need 3 days of play to decide a match . A match can de decided in a single session. I feel england isnt up mentally to mount a challenge. They are distracted by too many things for their energies to be concentrated in the right place.
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Glass half empty, Chandan ? A good batting wicket, two of India's best ever batsmen at the crease, Dhoni (who batted for 160 balls to save the first Test) to come and Anil and Zaheer quite capable of supporting whichever of those 3 is left. I know which team I'd rather be. :regular_smile:

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MM, This is potentially our last batting pair, with Dhoni in poor form and last 4 wickets being walking wickets!
Chandan , you are right in saying that this is our last recognised batting pair. What you may have forgotten is , that these three remaining batsman can forge partnerships , firstly amongst themselves and then with the tailenders to score some useful runs. If anyone of Sachin , VVS or Dhoni stay around tomorrow , India shall cross 450.
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I know, MM. But anything can happen from hereon. We must bat till tea for whatever score, tomorrow! And for that, these two batsmen will have to see the new ball off! And don't you think our bowlers are going to prove extremely ineffective in such conditions and on such a belter of a track??

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Yes , the first one hour tomorrow will have HUGE bearing on the match. If India can see that off without losing the wicket , they will dictate terms of play for the rest of the day. And i believe we have the right pair of batsman to do that job. England will be looking for early wickets , that is their only hope. And Chandan , India's batting performance in the first innings can seal the match for us , irrespective of how our bowlers fare. A big total facing the english will be huge pressure on them. They know they have to score big and score fast to stand any chance. That kind of mentality will give the Indians many chances. I personally dont back the english to score beyond 350 in the first innings.

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Got me puzzled why some of you will your team to lose. :hmmmm2: The new ball is just a cricket ball, not a hand grenade. Two of the Pommy seamers have played only 8 Tests and Anderson, a sporadic 18. Only one of the 4 wickets has fallen to a good ball.

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