India vs England 2012

[SLICKR392]

Swann cautious ahead of India return Graeme Swann endured a difficult English summer but has an impressive Test record in Asia

"The key to Test cricket is that the more you play the more confident you get and the more confident you get ergo you bowl more consistently. Having looked at the schedule I know two of the pitches might turn, in Kolkata and Mumbai. I am not sure about the other two. I have been reliably informed that Nagpur is the flattest wicket ever devised by groundsmen but that was by Cooky, who got a hundred there on his debut." Alastair Cook, now elevated to the position of England captain, shares with Swann the experience of an impressive debut in India. But Swann was also swift to recall the result of the first Test in 2008, when Sachin Tendulkar's unbeaten hundred helped India to reach a fourth-innings target of 387 with six wickets in hand. "It all started for me there and I can't quite believe it has come round again so quickly," Swann said. "It all seems like a dream when I think about the start of it. I remember the smells that were wafting over the ground when I took the ball. It's all very romantic when I think back. "The rose-tinted glasses are removed of course because of the fact that we had 360-odd chased down at a canter by Mr Tendulkar. But it's got fond memories for me personally because I did well. To realise that you can compete at a level that you have always had a sneaking suspicion that you weren't good enough for is one of the greatest weights ever to be lifted off your shoulders. I will be indebted to those first two Test matches for making me realise it was just another game of cricket."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-england-2012/content/current/story/588451.html

[SLICKR392]

England will get back what they gave us, warns Virat Kohli

:dance:

Prolific Indian middle order batsman Virat Kohli reckons that it will be absolutely fair if India take advantage of home conditions and make the visiting English side play on rank turners during their upcoming tour. "Why not? We were given flattest of tracks during practice matches in England and Australia and then suddenly presented with a green-top during Tests. During practice matches, we would face those 120 kmph bowlers," a candid Kohli said during a freewheeling chat after a net session with the Delhi Ranji Trophy squad here on Saturday. "If they [England and Australia] wanted to be fair to us, they could have provided us with same kind of tracks for practice matches like what were used in Tests, especially when they knew that visiting teams get very less time to practice. Now they would be playing on turning tracks and definitely would know where they stand," he said when asked about the fairness of playing on turners Kohli also sought to play the mind game ahead of the series by stating that Kevin Pietersen will be "under a lot of pressure to perform well" as he is one of their key players who has a good record against quality spin attacks. "There will be huge pressure on KP as he has been playing in India for quite some time and considered to be a good batsman against spin. You may say that the senior England cricketers have an understanding of these conditions but let me tell you, it's not that easy. You might feel they would like to hit spinners but end up doing exactly opposite." The prolific batsman cited the example of England's Test series against Pakistan in UAE. "Come to think of that particular series, there wasn't much of turn on offer but England couldn't negotiate one quality spinner [saeed Ajmal] as they lost the battle in their heads," he said. For someone who has always played the horizontal bat shot well enough, Kohli doesn't endorse the popular perception that Indians are susceptible against short-pitched stuff. "I have never really understood this theory. Are people like Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Sehwag poor players of short-pitched bowling? Show me how many Indian players were out to short-pitched deliveries in Australia?" he questioned. "No batsman in world cricket is comfortable against a good bouncer. If you get a good bouncer, give credit to the bowler rather than finding chinks in batsman's armoury. When someone gets out to cover drive, no one raises questions about your technique but it only happens when you get out to a short ball. A good bouncer will remain a good bouncer." Although he thinks that it is important "to stay one step ahead" of the opposition, the 23-year-old batsman feels that over-analysis can complicate matters. "I would like to react to on-field situations rather than do a homework and find that my rivals have changed their gameplan. I believe in doing things my own way and being in that zone," he said. The talented batsman also doesn't like comparisons between Gary Kirsten and Duncan Fletcher. "Gary was much more involved in practice sessions but Duncan is also a thorough professional. He would quietly stand in one corner and observe. If he needs to say something, he would come up and give a suggestion. He believes international cricketers know their jobs. And if we have lost eight Test matches, blame us and not the coach." Kohli also backed skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni saying that just eight Test defeats doesn't make him a bad captain. "Under him, we have won the World Cup, been No. 1 in Tests. He has also encouraged the juniors." Talking about the Ranji Trophy game against Uttar Pradesh, Kohli said that it would give him the necessary "game-time" and also help him switch back to "Test mode" from Twenty20. "Last time against New Zealand at Hyderabad, I was trying to hit every ball and thus missed out on big hundred. The UP match would give me sufficient game time and help me get back to Test match mode," he added.

http://cricketnext.in.com/live/news/england-will-get-back-what-they-gave-us-warns-kohli/68700-13.html

[Pagalpanti]

Kohli should wait till series is over, England beat us 4-0 and then gloated. The confidence some players are showing borders on over-confidence.

[SLICKR392]

Kohli should wait till series is over' date='[b'] England beat us 4-0 and then gloated. The confidence some players are showing borders on over-confidence.

We have nothing to lose like they did back then.

[Trichromatic]

We have nothing to lose like they did back then.

Really?

[Sachin=GOD]

We have nothing to lose like they did back then.

I think we have a lot at stake here. We might have lost in Aus/Eng but we have still performed reasonably well at Home so now if we don't win here then it definitely will be a big deal.

[Trichromatic]

I think we have a lot at stake here. We might have lost in Aus/Eng but we have still performed reasonably well at Home so now if we don't win here then it definitely will be a big deal.

In fact England have not much to lose here. Even if they manage to draw, it will be good result for them. But if India loses this series then it would be ultimate disaster after 8-0.

[SLICKR392]

In fact what I actually meant was we have only to gain from here. There is nothing much left to lose for us.

[Mahaa Raavana]

In fact what I actually meant was we have only to gain from here. There is nothing much left to lose for us.

Got to agree...India never had much to lose in the test arena...No one thinks they are any good in tests,with the futile bowling attacks they've had and still have...

[SLICKR392]

Got to agree...India never had much to lose in the test arena...No one thinks they are any good in tests' date='with the futile bowling attacks they've had and still have...[/quote'] True and still you guys are yet to win a match against us @ home. :giggle: How horribly fuc**d up are you in Tests?

[Crookbond]

We don’t play spin too badly, says Bresnan http://www.wisdenindia.com/cricket-news/dont-play-spin-badly-bresnan/32428

"I think our struggles against spin have been massively exaggerated," said Bresnan to Daily Mail. "I don’t think there’s anything too wrong about the way we play when it comes to spinners. "It’s one of those things that you know can become an issue if you get out to them. But we have to accept that spinners sometimes get wickets on spinning tracks, and not let that put us off our gameplan."

:facepalm:

[maverick451]

Ive watched England for 20 years and on the whole England play spin quite well at home but poorly away The horrible sweep shot comes out!

[indiaregulator]

Yeah in fairness, England usually do play spin very well at home. In subcontinent conditions they look like they have never held a bat in their life. Look at Sri Lanka/India's/West Indies/ tours in the past 2 years. The Indian/Sri Lankan/Narine/Deodarine did next to nothing...

[Crookbond]

Yeah in fairness' date= England usually do play spin very well at home. In subcontinent conditions they look like they have never held a bat in their life. Look at Sri Lanka/India's/West Indies/ tours in the past 2 years. The Indian/Sri Lankan/Narine/Deodarine did next to nothing...

This is like saying India play swing bowling very well at home and poort abroad - makes little sense.

[The Outsider]

Ive watched England for 20 years and on the whole England play spin quite well at home but poorly away The horrible sweep shot comes out!

LOL! Warne and Murali made the entire English team their b!tches in England for the last 20 years, not sure what game you were watching for the last 20 years.

[Crookbond]

Even if that were true I find such an argument hardly of acceptance. We play spin well where the ball does not turn much. We play swing where the ball does not swing much!

[Feed]

India A coach Lalchand Rajput dismisses talks of green-top wicket against England Coach Lalchand Rajput sought to dismiss reports that a green-top was on offer for his India A team's three-day match against the touring England cricketers at the Cricket Club of India from October 30 and said it will be a typical Mumbai wicket. More... India A coach Lalchand Rajput dismisses talks of green-top wicket against England By CricketCountry Staff On October 28, 2012, England are to play three warm-up games ahead of the Test series against India Coach Lalchand Rajput sought to dismiss reports that a green-top was on offer for his India A team's three-day match against the touring England cricketers at the Cricket Club of India from October 30 and said it will be a typical Mumbai wicket. "It's a good wicket. At CCI, always the first session helps the bowlers. It's one of those wickets which will have some carry in the first session. It's a typical Mumbai wicket, there will be a little bit of bounce," said Rajput after 12 out of his 14-member team had their first practice session at the Brabourne Stadium in the afternoon. Team members Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan could not take part in the nets as they were yet to arrive in the city. The English cricketers led by Alastair Cook, barring Kevin Pietersen, are set to reach here in the early hours of tomorrow. Pietersen, who played for Delhi Daredevils in the Champions T20 League before the team got knocked out in the semi-final is set to arrive a few hours earlier (at ll:00 pm tonight) from South Africa. Pietersen was readmitted into the team last week after a recent patch-up with the other members. He was ousted from the team in August after sending mobile text messages with unflattering comments about the then captain Andrew Strauss and teammates to two rival players Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers during the second Test of the last home series against South Africa at Headingley, Leeds. England are to play three warm-up games, the second one at the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai from November 3-5 and the third a four-day game at Ahmedabad prior to the start of the four-Test series from November 13 in the Gujarat city. According to the CCI curator Prakash Dalvi, the track for the tourists' opening game has been under preparation for the last 10 days and 5mm grass has been kept, but even as he was talking, the ground staff was seen scrubbing the pitch. Rajput, who was the coach of the India A team on its recent tour to New Zealand, also saw the game as a great opportunity for the players some of whom are on the comeback trail into Tests like Yuvraj Singh, Murali Vijay, Abhinav Mukund and Irfan Pathan. "It's a challenge for players as scoring runs or taking wickets against any touring team is always better. Earlier, you saw players playing for the country after doing well like scoring runs against touring teams. It's a very good opportunity for players who are just about there. It will be a good challenge for all of them," he said ahead of the game. According to Rajput the intense competition for a few Test spots will bring out the best in the cricketers. "When they are competing for one spot, it brings out the best in all of them. We had a very good series in New Zealand (India A). The conditions were tough; the ball was seaming around. There were a lot of players who did well. This match is one more opportunity for the players on that tour to stake a claim." "It will be good to see how they perform against an international team. Opportunity for all players.(Ajinkya) Rahane, (team captain Suresh) Raina and Yuvraj or even for (Ashok) Dinda who has been bowling so well in domestic cricket. "It's very good that Irfan, Dinda and Vinay Kumar will all be playing at the same time so that you can make out who bowls the best against the tourists. Same goes for the batsmen because the England bowling is good. Let's see how they bowl on our wickets," he said. While conceding that the absence of a frontline spinner in the team, which has been the subject of intense speculation whether it was a deliberate ploy or not, will pose some problems for other bowlers to complete the 90-over quota in a day, Rajput said the part-time slow bowlers in the team would have to chip in. "We have got part-time spinners like Yuvraj, Raina and Tiwary to complete the 90-over quota in a day. I know over-rate will be a bit of a problem as they have to bowl 15 overs an hour. He also saw the absence of regular spinners as another opportunity for the medium pacers in the team to have long spells, including with the old ball. "I don't know what the selectors have in mind. I would look at it from the point of view of the medium pacers. It's a good opportunity for them. Normally, if you have two spinners, medium pacers don't take much part in the game because after the new ball, they are dead because of the turning wickets." "It's a good opportunity to see how they bowl with the new ball, now they bowl with the old ball and how they bowl after say 50-60 overs and whether they can make use of the reverse swing as well," the former India opener and coach said. Rajput hinted that Tamil Nadu's Vijay and Mukund, who opened for India in the three-Test series in the West Indies last year, may be doing the job with Rahane coming in at one drop. "I think Rahane likes to bat at number 3. Normally team management and the coach take a call but it's a new selection committee. We will wait and see," said Rajput. Rajput was not clear whether the game will be a proper first-class game with none outside the eleven batting or bowling and said a call is expected to be taken tomorrow, on the eve of the match. "We would like to look at it as a (competitive) match. But nowadays, ICC (International Cricket Council) has come out with (the concession) that 12 can bat. I don't know what MoU has been signed with the English board. We will take a call on it tomorrow," he said. According to Board sources, it was up to the two team managements to come to an agreement on this issue. (PTI)

[rkt.india]

Ive watched England for 20 years and on the whole England play spin quite well at home but poorly away The horrible sweep shot comes out!

because ball barely spin in England and on slow surfaces with no turn spinners most become useless. two spinners who done really well in England were Warne and Murli and they were freaks, ATGs.

[Trichromatic]

From 1990-05 Performances of spin bowlers of visiting country [table=head]Host Country Players Span Mat Inns Overs Mdns Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 5 10 in Bangladesh 44 2000-2005 17 62 914.4 238 2529 116 7/77 12/170 21.80 2.76 47.3 8 2 in Zimbabwe 81 1992-2005 44 149 2624.4 681 6555 202 7/66 10/155 32.45 2.49 77.9 5 1 in England 88 1990-2005 99 253 4845.5 1245 12421 350 9/65 16/220 35.48 2.56 83.0 16 4 in Pakistan 80 1990-2005 56 189 3030.1 664 8727 241 7/128 10/148 36.21 2.88 75.4 11 1 in New Zealand 98 1990-2005 64 187 3418.5 928 8662 239 7/47 11/147 36.24 2.53 85.8 5 2 in South Africa 80 1992-2005 66 189 3405.3 736 9176 244 6/39 11/161 37.60 2.69 83.7 7 1 in West Indies 91 1990-2005 76 208 3633.1 778 10697 268 5/34 9/182 39.91 2.94 81.3 10 0 in India 98 1990-2005 59 206 4360.1 867 13106 319 7/100 10/187 41.08 3.00 82.0 17 2 in Sri Lanka 105 1992-2005 65 234 4719.5 940 13925 330 6/64 10/155 42.19 2.95 85.8 14 2 in Australia 107 1990-2005 94 271 4567.3 754 14471 292 8/141 12/279 49.55 3.16 93.8 16 2[/table] England did play spin better than Bangladesh and Zimbabwe at home.

[SLICKR392]

What's with England playing spin well at "home" ? :cantstop:. Even Narine looked clueless on those tracks. Swann usually plays with his variations on those tops rather than turning it square.