Posted by We well remember the first Test of India’s last tour, which is weird, because we were in Canada for all but the final day.
But it’s that final day that’s important here. Nine wickets down, MS Dhoni blocked the shit out of it and for England, that was the difference between drawing the series and losing 1-0.
In recent years, India have started Test series slowly. This might be down to the fact that they tend to have half-an-hour of beach cricket as their entire build-up, but whatever the reason, the home team needs to take advantage while they can.
England also have an opportunity because half of India’s team are queueing up to see the team doctor. As the old saying goes ‘strike while the iron’s injured or insufficiently prepared’.
In other news, we’ve done a piece for Cricinfo which even we don’t really know what to make of.
Isn’t this the traditional pessimism making a comeback? Can’t we be winning because we’re good, for once?
There’s no honour in winning because you’re good. There’s some honour in being hideously awful and dead batting your way to a draw, or possibly even winning through the other team being disqualified for fielding a panther. Winning because your better feels much too Australian for my liking.
Ideally I would prefer us to take five early wickets and then agree to take a draw enabling us to spend the remainder of the day shaking hands and making other grand sporting gestures.
There is definitely no honour in typing your instead of you’re either. And probably even less in pointing out the mistake.
Honour? I shit it!
Looking at the link, the difference between that test and this one cant be bigger.
* India had the better bowling – true story! RP in top form, Zah, Sree before the slap, and ofcourse Kumble. England had Sidebottom, Tremlett(rookie then), Panesar(not a patch on Swann) and a not-the-world’s-best-swing-bowler-yet Andersen vs the current version, namely, world’s-best-swing-bowler-currently James Andersen
* The better Wicketkeeper batsman was India’s. With the same men, the situation has reversed now
* Indian batting was worse on paper (mainly due to the opening batsmen) but better on effect(over the series ofcourse)
* India even had the better nightwatchman!
What a change in four years! With quality cricketers from #1-#11, each the better of his India counterpart on current form, if England dont win today in Lord’s, then, I am the Queen of England.
If it were only that easy to be Queen of England.
Seems you are spared the need for a crown, decorous dress and matching handbag, at least until your next wild bet, Raj.
Well raj you are the queen of England then.
No, I ain’t. England won. I am willing to extend the offer to Nottingham, though. It is hard to see this English team losing to India in Nottingham, as the fans of the World #1 team seem to have assumed all around the world(“We always lose the first test”, “We always bounce back. Stats say so” etc)
That’s a very bold statement you make in the headline, KC. It’s prompted me to give this matter much though, and after careful deliberation, I think I agree. England would be better off if they took their chances than if they didn’t.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNfGyIW7aHM
What is a Barm?
It’s a type of batch. Let’s not get into this conversation though.
I really think we should concentrate more on the Higginbotham angle rather than the little bit of cricket going on in NW8 just now.
Being a soft southerner, I’d describe a barm as a type of bap, not a type of batch…
Michael Vaughan must have drunk some pretty disgusting cuppas on the cricket circuit, so his joke/rant at Higginbotham’s styrofoam liquid is really quite telling.
Jimmmmmmmmmy!
Completely gutted I couldn’t go to Lords today. But I wouldn’t have missed the Monday catering – outside of your mind KC, they don’t let itinerant burger vendors into Lords. I was there for the 5th day in 2004, and you couldn’t even get a bowl of chips. Scandal.
India being down to 3 bowlers made this a rather one-sided match. Admittedly we played so badly we probably would’ve lost even with a fully fit Zaheer. Still, would’ve been a lot closer/more interesting.
I am confused, when you say “we” are you talking about England or India ?
We is India. Because we were shit.
When are we not shit without Sehwag?
I never had a moment’s doubt.
Dam, i finally have to admit it, jimmy is a scary bowler, defiantly making my non-english world xi! and kudus to england bowlers for getting 20 wickets and tendulcar 3 times. Their batting seems to be matched but i suspect poms have 1 up on the bowlers. bring on 3-0?