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Edgbaston test : Day by day prediction and discussion

Sooda

By Sooda
in Cricket Talk

Edgbaston test : Day by day prediction and discussion  

  1. 1.

    • Praveen Kumar
      2
    • Ishanth Sharma
      8
    • Sreesanth
      5
    • R.P Singh
      7

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anotherhawkeye Newbie

anotherhawkeye

Posted
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Have our guys thrown in the towel already? TOI article states that our guys are dispirited in the practice and some didn't even practice to begin with. Not sure whether this is TOI being unfair to the players or reality. But not the kind of article I was hoping to read on the day before the 3rd test. We are already playing a side that's in top form while we are plagued by injury concerns and out of form batsmen. If we have to salvage this tour some how, we need to play our hearts out. If we just go through the motions, further humiliation (worse than 2nd test - innings defeat/follow on type humiliation) will await us.

BIRMINGHAM: After being at the top for two years, India may not have expected their world to turn topsy-turvy in just two weeks; but the defeats at Lord's and Trent Bridge have done exactly that, leaving them virtually down in the dumps. It showed rather alarmingly in their body language here at the Edgbaston ground on Monday morning as they prepared for the remaining two Tests. Being back-to-back matches, India won't even find the time, space or energy to regroup or revitalize from any major setback. They need to win both the games, with the first starting on Wednesday, to hang on edgily to their World No. 1 ranking. But one more defeat and England will catapult over South Africa, from No. 3 to No. 1. It is the final stretch for both, the champions and the contenders. In such a scenario, you would have hoped - if not expected - the players to show a little more enthusiasm, if not passion, in their penultimate training session; it was glaringly missing, though, as they went through the routine in a lackadaisical manner. England, on the other hand, looked that much more desperate and fervent in their approach. Like always, the morning began with a light loosening-up session; it quickly dissolved into the mandatory football game but the players were barely kicked about it. The bonhomie or even the desire to go one-up was conspicuously missing as they scrambled after the ball listlessly. Where had the confidence, if not the aura, evaporated? If that was not enough, they trooped away from the stunning ground towards the "nets" in ones and twos. Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid took guard quickly enough and Munaf Patel, Praveen Kumar and Amit Mishra bowled at them, with support from local bowlers and fielding coach Trevor Penny. The others, however, seemed least interested. If Ishant Sharma sat in one corner, Abhinav Mukund was in another. Sachin Tendulkar quietly padded up, keeping an eye on Dravid's footwork. Virat Kohli walked around aimlessly while Suresh Raina was not his usual energetic self either. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, after showing his fast bowling skills in the first Test, worked on his spinning abilities. Maybe, he realizes that he may need to back this up now in the absence of Harbhajan Singh. Pragyan Ojha, who finally joined the team, seemed in his own world too. All the others who are likely to figure in the playing XI had a go with their bats, including Virat Kohli. Mukund, who scored a hundred in the practice game, didn't even bother to pad up, which means he is not in the reckoning at all. There was no sign of Sreesanth for the most part either. Clearly, this team is not just dispirited; it is too low on confidence and will need a miracle or a standout performance by someone to make a comeback. Sadly, Edgbaston is not the best place for such a turnaround. India's record here, even when it used to be a batting track, is dismal. Now, of course, it has a tinge of green and promises to be pacy and helpful to England's attack. Maybe, that's why they are already down in the dumps.
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StatsRock Newbie

StatsRock

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I would not read much into a simple net session. For all we know this is how the Indians could have practicsed at Kolkata 2001. If a couple of the established giants click, India could be a different team altogether. Lets wait and watch. Strange things can happen in cricket.

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Cricketics Contributor

Cricketics

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I don't know about all that. I know my team is going to fight like CHEETAHS. This will be the backlash of the summer. Backlash of years. Years to come people will remember that this Dhoni team was hard to beat all out. Unfinished series this, and unfinished outcome this. My team WILL SHOW IT'S TRUE STYLE TOMORROW. INDIA, GO CONQUER THE BRITLAND..

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CG Contributor

CG

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Dhoni wins again...opts for a bat India - 212 AO England 50/0
anybody who says england opening batsman can survive are either joking or joking ,they cannot play on playstation let alone in the real game ,they will block and block till they get out.
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luvablubba Newbie

luvablubba

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^^ did you KNOW India were going to fight like Cheetahs before the last two tests?... Also interestingly the Cheetah is actually quite a lightweight animal. Other similar sized predators such as hyenas and lions out-muscle them from their kills, rather than fight the Cheetah will run away, as they cannot defend themselves from most other predator species, they will immediately surrender a kill even to a single hyena rather than risk injury.... Fun fact of the day supplied by me Whooping of the day supplied by England Cricket Team :--D

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