posted Dec 13, 2008

Where are all the Indians saying they were the best team on the planet ? what a load of tosh - just because you beat a third rate Ozzie team, which reminds me , where are all the stupid ozzies having a go at England ? they seem very quiet dont they ??!! Maybe they are all off for their long overdue lobotomies?

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posted Dec 13, 2008

Bottom line is, if Strauss and Collingwood score tons then England win fullstop.
However, the one bad part about that is that Collingwoods score would would mean that he has a c**p next 6 tests scoring nothing until he's about to be dropped again before he scores his next decent score - he's a very lucky man to still be in the team

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posted Dec 13, 2008

I think Indians are a bit both jaded and distracted after the Aussie series and the ODI series wins - They have been equated to God status after these triumphs with swollen bank balances for five generations to last

so, there is swagger and arrogance back with the new cricketers (except Laxman, sachin, Dravid who are the last of gentlemen cricketers from India left ) - Yuvraj was once described by Greg Chappell as one who thinks he is a super star, when is just not proved yet - Vengsarkar has been castigating Srikkanth for not selecting Yuvraj in tests - Many Indian cricketers eat rich food, do excesive partying during match days including drinks etc - cricket discipline is not enforced as these cricketers are next to God status in India - they receive extra-ordinary adulations in public and hence they get it to their head

take sreesanth for example - hardly he has done well in cricket, but he is already into crapy Bollyoowd gossip, tap dances, slapping incident with Harbhajan and a confused personality on top - i doubt he will ever get back to cricket - Laxmipathy Balaji was relegated to dustbin because of his Tamilnadu origin - this is what I call as Roti-Dal mafia run Indian cricket

so, time england beat India 2-0, and instill some sense of seriousness and discipline in Indian cricket - IPL and ICL should be placed at lesser importance

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posted Dec 13, 2008

We should go out tmoro with sum risky hittin in mind and try to get to a lead of 350 4 overs before lunch thn have a cupl 2 bowl at India. Strauss and Colly to get tons and thn Colly will get out, which will (hopefully) allow Freddie to push along the run-rate. C'mon England.

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posted Dec 13, 2008

'I think Indians are a bit both jaded and distracted after the Aussie series and the ODI series wins'......
Here come all the excuses !! - why not just admit that England are a better team at this form of the game - beating a third rate OZ means nothing.Yuvraj is just a flat track bully - just wait til Freddie gets down his throat in the second innings and Laxman,Dravid and Tendulkar are way over the hill

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posted Dec 13, 2008

Having read on here a hundred times by Indian supporters that by beating Australia they are now the best team in the world. If England now beat India do you think they will all come on here and say England are the best team in the world, probably not. What this match proves is there is no supreme team in test cricket any of five are capable of beating eachother but if one team is the best it certainly isn't India.

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posted Dec 13, 2008

Fairandbalanced, that is a very interesting point of view from an Indian fan. You may just be right. Most neutrals would rate India the better team man for man, yet they have been totally outplayed for three days by a side that is playing as a team and for which all 11 players have contributed. Being flashy is great in T20, but it is noticeable that Collingwood and Strauss - neither of whom is exactly spectacular - have both obtained better results than, say, Sehwag or Dravid when graft and concentration are needed.

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posted Dec 13, 2008

"I am hoping for 300 but I reckon anything over 280 might be good enough."

Anything over 280 would put India under pressure if they only have 3-4 sessions to play as they will be caught in a dilemma whether to go for the target or play for a draw. It's a teasing target and India in all probabilities will lose.

But if England only manage a 300 lead, then they should get bowled out before lunch tomorrow. That will leave India with 5 sessions to bat for...difficult to draw the match, only option is to go for the target.

Most often than not, teams tend to lose tests in India by trying to draw the match than by chasing the targets. Here, if India gets 5 sessions, i will back them to win.

I would expect England to get 350-380 lead and give India 4.5 sessions to bat for...that would almost certainly win the game for england..

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posted Dec 13, 2008

"Yes, that is right: no side has ever scored 350 in the 4th innings in India, win, lose, or draw."

Cricketing_Stargazer, i'm not sure about that..where did you get that fact from?

I remember watching on TV the famous Madras test match in 1986 when Allan Border set India 345 to win and India tied the match. It is this same stadium England are playing.

If my memory is right, Stephen fleming and friends did manage 500+ to draw a test match in 1999...will get back to you after checking in cricinfo...

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