Posted by Regardless of the outcome of the rest of the series, we’re inclined to say this was one of the most impressive England wins we’ve seen.
It’s not just that it’s an England win in India – which is as rare as a sighting of a wendigo – it’s that they outspun India and did so despite having a batting line-up which gives opposition spinners something of a head start. MS Dhoni even described the pitch as being India’s ‘specialty’. Against that backdrop, England’s 10-wicket win was a bigger surprise than seeing a wendigo with lips.
India remain hot favourites on flatter and slower pitches, but credit to Dhoni for continuing to demand more pitches like the one in Mumbai.
“What’s the point of playing on a flat track and winning the toss and batting for three or four days over the Test? You want to face challenges in Test cricket. These are the kinds of wickets that push you. Definitely all the wickets should be like this.”
Good on him.
Dhoni can reassure himself that the series is 1-1 despite only a handful of England players really contributing. Of the batsmen, Cook, Pietersen and Prior seem to be functioning well and Compton’s performances have been encouraging, but the others seem as vulnerable as a frail old woman being stalked by a wendigo. Of the bowlers, Swann and Panesar are the only ones who are really pulling their weight, although Anderson can perhaps evade criticism.
What’s to come? Will England contract wendigo fever and experience tearful nightmares for the rest of the tour, or will they gain supernatural strength as time wears on, much like a wendigo does? We’ll just have to wait and see. It’s proving to be an excellent Test series.
England should take particular pride in this victory. Not only did they beat India, but they beat them with India’s own weapon. This is akin to Indian quicks outswinging Jimmy Anderson at Lord’s, Kapil Dev outbouncing Walsh in Antigua, or Bangladesh doing anything worthwhile against anybody.
Also this:
” The Wendigo is known to have its preferences: the sweet fat of children, the soft skin of women, the course muscles of men (especially warriors and hunters), or the brittle bones of the elderly.” How the fuck is this a preference? It eats everybody. If you eat everybody, it means you don’t have much of a preference.
Wendigoes are individuals. Terry Wendigo might favour the brittle bones of the elderly, while Oliver Wendigo might prefer the sweet fat of children.
V glad O King that our own Wendigo has been successfully reintegrated…. http://wp.me/sEv9Z-wendigo
We may or may not have posted a comment on that post, Ceci. The site asked for passwords and we never remember passwords.
It was something about cricket/wendigo fans waiting and waiting for a post about both of their interests and then getting two in one day.
It wasn’t a blinder.
I was happy.
Then I read about this comment on Cricinfo: “Gambhir and Tendulkar must be rested for the next two tests as they need to prepare for IPL.”
And I was sad again.
Rather more amazement than anger.
I particularly enjoy innings that open and close with byes.
panesar motm. to some extent his wickets are being taken for granted, as if any spinner would have eventually gotten the job done. india would have been in a much stronger position without him. I don’t think he’s going to have quite as good a time in the remaining tests, though.
what the hell is that avatar? where’d it come from
Think it’s associated with your email address.
To Pont (verb) To cling onto one’s position in spite of repeated failure with no regard for the effect on one’s team.
To Inver (verb) To refuse to remove a Ponter because the Ponter feels that he is “in good form” even though that is one’s job.
This series seems like it is going to depend on three key battles. Cook and Pujara look like they are going to score hundreds in every game, and do the business as far as the aggregation of marginal losses go.
KP’s innings had the biggest impact on this game, similar to the way Sehwag set up the last game (although KP’s was by far the better innings). Both of them are inconsistent, however, and I wouldn’t count on either of them turning in more than one more big hundred in the rest of the series.
Most importantly, England are winning the spin battle hands down. Monty and Swann look far more threatening than the Indian spinners, and Ojha is lacking quality support.
Im backing England to win at least one more test.
KP is not what I’d call inconsistent. He has never gone for more than 5 innings without hitting at least one half century in test matches. That would be the very definition of consistent, in my eyes.
Fair enough, I didn’t express that very well. I meant the big match winning hundreds like the one in Mumbai are not going to come that often. Of course that might be just hope talking.
Suave – people use “consistent” as a euphamism for “dull”
good that dhoni’s sticking to his position. don’t really care for his pitch-related whining in the first place, but now that this has happened, it’s good that he’s essentially saying “fokof, we can win on these pitches”. I think inkland might have a harder time on the next turner (if there is one).
This is the fourth question you’ve asked us in the last eight articles. It’s all Will and Who and What and How. What’s going on? Is this how journalism is done these days? I don’t come here for an interrogation; I come here for answers – straight, plain talking answers. So stop fannying about and tell us – how do we feel about England’s win over India in the second test? I need to know, just in case someone from the internet asks.
You feel exactly the same as we do. We all feel the same. There is no room for independent thought.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQnd5ilKx2Y
What did Dhoni actually say?
Excuse me being bombastic but I feel great about this result. Only the English could consider feeling otherwise. Your attempts to make us feel us otherwise are a bit flawed. Only three of the four bowlers can avoid critcism? I’ll take that. Only three batters pulling their weight? That is probably one more than is for India, and not that uncommon after two tests. You may be an apologetic, Hugh Grant of an Englishman, but I feel a ruddy faced, Hogarth penned, beer swilling John Bull.
Guess the fact that we also feel great about this win doesn’t come across then. Although we do distinguish between ‘feeling great’ and ‘feeling optimistic’ if that’s what you mean.
In utterly selfish mode I am thrilled with this England win, because circumstances have prevented me from following much if the first two tests and the Englabd win means that the series is completely alive now for the duration.
From in unselfish perspective, a test series that ebbs and flows us surely the more exciting type for cricket lovers generally and “for the game of cricket” (whatever that last concept might be.
It really does feel in the balance, this series. No doubt the Eden Gardens curators are trying to prepare less of a raging Bunsen than the Wankede job, but that only adds to the interest as different conditions again should present different challenges for both teams.
Sat on a charming terrace in glorious Egyptian sunshine relaxing & sipping coffee, yet strangely looking forward to next week back in cold, wet England because the next chapter of this intriguing test series will be unfolding.
That is how I feel.
Who wants to see a picture of Kevin Pietersen being shaved?
https://twitter.com/kevinpp24/status/273719383845662721/photo/1
Why are there very few posts these days with pictures(and picture captions)? Often, we just read the pic caption and sail away from the site.
Ok, I just made it up. Still, the question remains.
There’s a picture on today’s post.
It basically depends on whether we have access to an appropriate picture or not. Quite often we don’t. Sometimes we just can’t be bothered.
Well, one could say that it was a combined team effort but you must credit Kevin Pieterson and Alaistair Cook for their brilliant knock and he delivered when it mattered and it was needed badly.The spinners did a great job too and as far as fast bowlers are concerned I think England should rest Stuart Broad and should give a chance to a youngster.For India it was like their own plans turned against them as they made a spin-friendly pitch and they, themselves couldn’t handle it nicely.The third installment of theis series would be a good one to watch because this series is very much alive.